OP
OP
FreeBird
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2005
- Messages
- 67
Caroline said:
Sorry to reply so late... seems that a cyber glitch allowed me to miss the new updates as they occured. Anyhow, I hope that the following is helpful.
First, be aware that ultralighting is certainly not a method of backpacking for those who don't yet have a sound knowledge of backcountry travel or experience. Safety must never be compromised so a thorough study of ultralight gear and hiking methods must include a lot of time spent in research, thought, and experimenting in the backyard and short overnight trips before you wander too far into the wilderness. Once you have achieved that level of confidence in using ultralight gear then I consider it as safe as the heaviest of gear. The following gear list is the result of my own personal progression from heavyweight, to lightweight, and finally ultralight.
While hiking the Appalachian Trail in '94 the base weight (less consumables such as food & water) of my pack was 25 + pounds. Over the years I began to research and study lightweight gear and methods which trimmed my base weight for my 2000 thru-hike of the Colorado Trail down to just 19 pounds. Then, thanks to the internet and great e-groups like Backpacking Light http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackingLight/ I have now entered the realm of ultralight backpacking with a total base weight of under 10 pounds. Heavyweight backpacking is usually considered anything above 20 pounds. Lightweight usually falls between 12 to 20 pounds, while ultralight is below 12 pounds. Most ultralight backpackers base weight for 3 season hiking is under 10 pounds.
As for homemade gear I did make my cooking system which is listed on the list below. I would be happy to post detailed instructions on making it if there is an interest.
The only major item that has changed on the following list is that I switched to the "Ultralight Adventure Equipment P-1" backpack which weighs 22 ounces: http://www.ula-equipment.com/ for my 2002 Appalachian Trail thru-hike. (They might have renamed the pack since then.)
Total weight overview (for 2001 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike):
Total base weight without cold weather or desert gear..........................................136.6oz./ 8.5 lbs.
Total base weight with extra desert gear...............................................................143.5 oz./ 8.9lbs.
Total base weight with cold weather gear............................................................176.9 oz./ 11.0 lbs.
(Add/minus designated sleeping bags & Jagbags for cold gear)
Total base weight if I would only give up 18 oz. of luxuries (camera, film, tripod, radio receiver, batteries) "Fat chance"!.................................................................7.4 lbs.
Color coding :
Kit type arrangements noted (in bold black)
High Sierras and North Cascades only (in red)
Desert only (in blue)
Base Gear (non-consumables) :
13.1..................GoLite "Breeze" backpack (medium)
3.6....................EMS Fanny Pack (To distribute weight to hips while hauling 6 to 7 liters of water in desert.)
8.8....................Cassin "Ghost" ice ax (60mm) (also use as short tent pole in Sierras) 1.5....................Sunglasses w/snap case (Wal-Mart)
0.7....................Silva Compass & lanyard
1.0....................Money, Credit card, phone card, insurance card, drivers license(in zip-lock bag)
0.7....................Swiss Army knife "classic"
0.4....................Insect repellant (in Rembrandt breath freshener bottle)
Shelter/ sleeping :
13.5..................Tent/Tarp, sealed w/ guy lines ( Henry Shires design) http://www.tarptent.com
2.8....................2 Easton tent poles (drop short pole in Sierras ...use ice ax- 0.9 oz. savings)
1.9....................8- 6" titanium tent stakes (packed in groundcloth)
16.0..................Western Mountaineering" "Highlite" sleeping bag (+40 F.)
3.2....................2.0 Mil plastic ground sheet (Wal-Mart)
1.0....................Kelty Triptease line (35 feet for bear line, tarp, etc.)
5.7....................Mt. Washington "evazote" foam sleep pad (cut to 3/4 length)
2.8....................Jagbag "standard" silk sleeping bag liner
4.8....................Jagbag "Endura"Silk sleeping bag liner
28.8..................WM "Ultralite" sleeping bag- +25 F. (w/LW Gear sil-nylon stuff sak)
Clothing :
0.0....................No spare hiking shorts (Wearing quick rinse & dry supplex)
6.8....................Thor-Lo crew hiking socks (2 pairs)
0.9....................Cotton bandana (Wal-Mart)
8.5....................Frogg Togg rain/wind parka
7.5....................Railrider's Adventure pants (supplex)
3.6....................Silk Skins long underwear top (Campmor)
4.0....................Silk Skins long underwear bottom (Campmor)
2.7....................Thermax balactava (REI)
1.1....................PolyPro gloves (Campmor)
8.0....................Moonstone Cirrus vest (REI Outlet)
Cooking...plus :
1.0....................Homemade combo pot holder/windscreen for Esbit fuel tablets from coffee can top.
4.2....................MSR Titan Kettle (titanium)
0.4....................Bic mini-lighter
0.1....................8oz. Styrofoam cup (fits snug in kettle and is crushproof there)
0.3....................Lexan plastic spoon
0.2....................Can opener (p-26)
0.7....................Iodine (in 35mm film canister) (Wal-Mart)
5.1....................SWA water filter bottle 1/2 liter
1.3....................2.4 liter Platypus water bag
1.0....................1.0 liter Platypus water bag
1.3....................2.4 liter Platypus water bag
1.0....................1.0 liter Platypus water bag
Repair Kit :
0.8....................Duct tape
0.2....................Toothbrush (water filter cleaner)
1.8....................Batteries (camera, radio, photon lights), safety pins, sewing needles in 35mm canister
0.1....................Dental floss & nylon saddle thread (for sewing)
0.2....................Extra writing pen
Hygeine Kit:
0.3....................LW Gear small net bag
0.3....................Toothbrush
0.2....................Dental floss
0.4....................Toothpaste (half full travel size)
0.4....................Purell hand sanitizer (in Rembrandt breathe bottle)
0.1....................Plastic hair comb
0.1....................Razor (disposable)
0.4....................Campsuds (in tiny Rembrandt breath freshener) bottle
0.8....................Toilet paper in zip-lock
Office Kit:
1.2....................Journal (5-loose 9 X 6 pages in brown file folder)
0.2....................Writing pen
1.7....................Guidebook sections w/maps, data book
1.1....................Reading glasses w/snap case (Wal-Mart)
0.5....................2 Photon flash lights (yellow & turquoise)
First-Aid Kit:
0.1....................Band-Aids
0.1....................Neosporin
0.1....................Gauze pads
0.2....................Imodium AD tablets
0.3....................Ibuprofen tablets
0.6....................Moleskin
0.3....................Butterfly strips
1.0....................Sunscreen
Survival Kit:
0.4....................1 box Coghlan's waterproof matches & 4 birthday candles
0.4....................Bic mini-lighter
1.8....................Emergency blanket
Luxury gear :
7.8....................Olympus Stylus Epic camera/ zoom 80 w/film
1.6....................Mini-Tripod for camera (Campmor)
4.8....................Sangean DT-300VW radio receiver w/headset & batteries
2.0....................Extra film (3 rolls in zip-lock bag...no plastic canister
0.2....................REI keychain thermometer
_________________________________________________
Consumables :
7.5....................Esbit fuel tablets (0.5 oz./ea.) in ice bag (5 days @ 1.5oz./day)
160.0................Food (3 nylon/net bags of various sizes) 5 days @ approx. 2lbs/day
1.0....................Vitamins/ w zip-lock bag (5 days worth)
?.......................Water ( varies...rarely carry, except for desert section)
On my body/ wearing :
5.1....................REI "Super" hiking shorts
2.5....................Silk shirt (Thrift store $2.99 special)
3.4....................Thor-Lo crew hiking socks
27.5..................NB 803 all-terrain running shoes w/Superfeet insoles
1.7....................REI Solarweave Sahara Hat
1.0....................Watch (basic Cassio)
0.3....................Chapstick (30 SPF)
0.5....................Mosquitto head net (lake region of Oregon only)
Since I've made the conversion to ultralight backpacking as a general rule I never carry water during the day. However, the 650 mile desert section of the PCT was the one exception. The local hiking clubs advertised to hikers in a very high profile way in this desert section and provided plenty of water caches along the route, but I personally decided to not gamble on this and chose to always have enough water with me to make it to the next water hole...however, with my ultralight gear I knew that I could easily do 30+ mile days and so I never had to pack more than a gallon of water.
I hiked the remaining 2,000 miles to Canada without carrying water on my back. When your pack weight is so low it is easier to cover a LOT of miles in one hiking day so I knew that I could always make it to the next water source. Besides, water is virtually everywhere from the Sierra's to the North Cascade's.
In the morning while eating breakfast and packing my gear I would "camel-up" drinking as much water as I could handle, whether I needed it or not, so in effect I WAS hauling water but it was much closer to my body's center of gravity inside my stomach and NOT on my back. Once again, I wouldn't reccomend hiking without water until you have a lot of backpacking and wilderness experience under your belt.
Hope this helped and I'd be happy to elaborate on any questions, just be patient as I will eventually get to them and thanks for asking.
*edited to change color coding: yellow & pink suck!!
![:-\](https://www.early-retirement.org/sk/forums/images/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
