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

[Kevin Cook]

One thing to note in John's list. He has no weight assigned to maps and
guides (unless it's updated from this morning). You obviously wouldn't take
the entire stack of maps and books, but those things are hefty! Add at least
a few ounces if you're carrying a section's worth of printed Halfmile maps,
WP guide, Yogi's handbook, and a databook (although that prints on 8 pages
for the entire trail).

On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 7:50 AM, John Abela
<pacificcresttrail2011 at gmail.com>wrote:

> 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
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>