[pct-l] My Gear List - Need Some Experienced Thoughts

[John Abela]

On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 6:19 AM, Brandon McGinnity <bmcginnity at gmail.com>wrote:

> if that montbell "handy scoop" is for digging catholes, you can do without
> that. Use your heel, trekking poles, rocks, sticks, tent stake... easy.
>
> anyways, I'm jealous. I'm hovering around 16 lbs base weight, and can't
> seem to figure out how to get it down more without buying more new
> replacement gear, which I can't justify right now. The ULA pack is still new
> enough, Etowah tarp just 24 oz, my rain jacket too heavy but it works,
> sleeping bag just 31 oz and brand new, and so on. I don't know how to do
> spreadsheets too well, and don't have a scale, but I can't figure out where
> all the extra heaviness is coming from. I mean, hell, my big 3 weighs
> only 6.1 lbs! Guess the journal, maps/guides, camera, aquamira, headlamp,
> and alcohol stove really add up... Not that I'm going for ultra light, but
> I'm always happy to shave off what I can.
>

Hey Brandon,

Yeah I have thought about ditching the scoop and taking one large stake
(just using Shepherd hooks) and having it do double-duty.

I think the important thing for my sub-8 was going with the Zpacks pack/tent
setup. The tent is a crazy 14.07 oz ( 0.87 pounds!!) and the pack is 8.53 oz
(0.53 pounds) which puts my tent/pack lighter than most tents - and lighter
than my existing HMG tent by itself. I honestly am not sure if another
double-wall tent exists that is sub-1 pound. The 14.07oz is with stakes.

For me, what I do not get for these guys who get sub-5-pounds... do they
pretty much walk around naked and/or with only a single pair of cloths. They
much be Chuck Norris or something when it comes to sub-freezing temps lol.
My cloths (on the sub 8 pound setup) weights more than my big-3 do. sigh. I
just do not know what the deal is. I already have the lighest down parka
that I know of that exists and the lightest rain jacket that exists (or can
find). I could probably ditch the Montbell Dynamo Wind Jacket but all I
could replace it with would be wearing my OR Helium Rain jacket even when it
is not raining, but that sucker does not breath one bit and I'd near-die
from the core-temp heat it would cause.

I know that my Patagonia Capilene top/bottom weigh in at a combined 15.2-oz
but I went with those because I went with a 32-degree bag and figured they
would provide me the extra 10-15 degrees of warmth for the sub-freezing
nights, plus any other cold days for daily wear. And I just do not know of
any other quilt that will give me that temp range at 16-ounces.

I could ditch 7.35 oz by not taking a phone/camera/batteries, but not sure
the family would sure not be happy about that (and I want pictures/video of
trips).

And, I dare say that my cook-kit is about as light as it can get. Sure, if I
went cookless I could save 0.6-oz but in the scope of this, that's not much.

I could probably ditch the NeoAir at 9-oz for a 1/3rd Z-light at 3.5 oz.

My present big-3 hit the scale at 79.6-ounces [4.97 pounds] and if I went
with the lighter gear my big-3 would be at 38.6 ounces [2.4 pounds] - not
counting pads.

I guess in the end, that is where the biggest number-differences are. I
sacrifice going with a slightly more-featured pack (including one with
stays) and go with a totally frameless/stayless pack, and I go with a
different tent setup, and I have just saved 41-ounces [2.56 pounds]. Going
with that pack with a 10-12 day supply of food though would be far from fun.
I'm not 20 anymore lol.

Anyway Brandon, yeah, I hear ya for sure! These numbers just tend to sneak
up out of nowhere and surprise the crap out of you when its all said and
done.


John