5+ years Later: What's your pack weigh?

[rayfound]

I had a lot of fun reading an old topic from a lot of us on pack weights, it happened around the time I started working on getting my pack weight down, and a lightweight mentality has continued to influence my decisions.

Old thread here: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3743

I am wondering how we've all changed (or not) our typical loadout. As for me, I have made a few more changes, shaving quite a bit of weight from my sleeping pad, and fishing gear - not really taking any less gear per se, just skipping the vest and extras. Still, I have added in a bear Canister as standard gear, and I'm down about 4lbs since then total. This was after my first big push to shave weight, going from 40+ to 26-28.


So here I am now, assuming a shared trip, at 22.62lbs. I actually do a tad better than this, because of all the items that are marked as "0.5 Qty Needed" - those are shared responsibility with my camp partner, but he ends up carrying the full tent, I carry everything else. so my real pack is about 22lbs with everything except water. (I try to carry little water, just drink mostly at the source when possible - depends on trail obviously)



What about you all? packing more or less than before?

[rlown]

NIce.

I still like 52lbs at the start for ten days (better at 45lbs.) I'm 54ishyo now. I take what I take. Nice food. 2 spin rods. rain gear as you fish until your guides freeze. I've switched to the neoair mattress, a tarp tent (double rainbow), and a WM badger. Carry the katydyn still. Less weight, but I like the experience with layover days.

per your list.. I don't carry soap, granola, matches (bic lighters instead). I do carry a "real" stove (white gas)..

I do like being out in the Sierra weather, and that's what I bring. If its raining or almost snowing, I'll fish.

Now, I need to find a good chair...

It's not about the age, it's about how you approach that which you seek. Slow is ok.

[rayfound]

I frankly, the matches are backup for the lighter... Which, is kind of silly but the weight is trivial.

I've been eying the double-rainbow for over a year - what's your experience with it like? How about for 2 people that are not a couple? With its weight, it could be a big savings for me on shared trips, and slightly lighter than my not-very comfortable solo shelter (Slumberjack summer bivy... more really small tent than actual bivy) for trips where I am not sharing shelter.

I am really lusting after the WM Terralite. 25F rating, sub 2lbs, but cut wide, perfect for people like me who side sleep and toss and turn a lot. Not any lighter than my current bag, but warmer (current bag is a 30f rating, but that's the "lower limit" - EN comfort rating is 43... WM by all accounts is pretty conservative in ratings), and much more comfortable cut.

[Jimr]

In the '80's, a pack loaded for 8 days weighed 58 lbs at it's lightest. When I was forced to carry a bear can, I estimate it went up to 60 lbs. I never weighed it, but I packed the same way I did in the '80', so that's a good guess. I had two choices, stop only near a rock I could set it on and back into the pack or wrap my arm through a shoulder strap and grab the top center cross bar (external pack), do a dead lift straight up and hope to heck the other shoulder strap cooperated, then lower it down into place. I can't count how many time I've almost thrown myself off of a trail when the pack swung too far the other way.

After replacing all of my gear (even the pooper scooper), I have no clue what it weighs, but I can pick it up with one hand and sling it on my back. My guess is somewhere between 35 and 40 lbs for an 8 day trip. I may never actually weigh it, but I will be going back over what I bring and see what more I can shave off. Carrying a dSLR with extra lens, tripod and case adds a bit more than the old film SLR with a single lens just hanging from my neck.

Going from 60 down to 40, that's 20 lbs shaved off, but considering the roughly 5 or 6 lbs added back, that's roughly 25 lbs shaved off just replacing old gear with new. The reason for the 5lb variance in my estimate is because when I go alone or with a friend, I use a Tarptent Moment DW. When I go with my girlfriend, I take along the Bellagio (A 1980's REI half dome, 3 person tent). That's about 3.5 extra lbs of tent added in.

"Now, I need to find a good chair" Hmmmm, gotta think about something light that can turn a bear can from a sittin' stool into a lounge chair

[rlown]

I've been eying the double-rainbow for over a year - what's your experience with it like? How about for 2 people that are not a couple? With its weight, it could be a big savings for me on shared trips, and slightly lighter than my not-very comfortable solo shelter (Slumberjack summer bivy... more really small tent than actual bivy) for trips where I am not sharing shelter.

Let's see. Take 2-230-240lb guys and two long/wide neo-air mattresses and stick them in the double rainbow. I'm down to 208 now, so bonus! I do toss/turn, but we were very comfortable in the rain/light snow at French Basin in that tent in late September on 3 different trips. It is not a good tent to take a nap in during the day. Heats up if you're in full sun like you cannot believe even with the doors open and only the netting closed (unless you have a nice wind.) I have staked it out using the trekking pole solution, but my BD poles are the curved grips and the TT isn't really designed for that. The mini-bungie solved that issue. Only did that to see if it'd work. Rather stake her out..

I also dropped the garcia for the bearikade can. That was very nice.

My first day weight is always heavy, but I accept its food and it will be eaten.

[sheperd80]

https://lighterpack.com

Last trip was about 15 before food and water. Not shown on the list is a camera, handgun and fishing gear. With food water and fuel, i hit the trail at about 23.

It varies based on the trip of course. Im always aiming for lighter but bring what i want based on expected conditions. This trip was somewhat casual so i brought more camp luxuries. Sit pad, camp shoes, better fishing kit, etc. Bugs were expected so i added the net and extra spray. Weather was good so clothing was minimal. Had friends along so brought excessive food. Lots of water along trail so i carried less. Etc etc



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[rlown]

This is what zero day -1 looks like for me.. Wife doesn't appreciate it but It gives me a visual cue as I pack... Its the culling exercise.

prep 2013 002.JPG

Everything on the table. Food goes in the can last after the gear is accounted for. I do weigh my pack before trips. Bent the bathroom scale before a 12 day Trinity hike. That was funny.

[Jimr]

"Broke the bathroom scale" hmmmmm, hard to weigh a pack without weighing yourself with it on and with it off. I guess you'll need a beefier scale?


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[sheperd80]

This is what zero day -1 looks like for me.. Wife doesn't appreciate it but It gives me a visual cue as I pack... Its the culling exercise.

prep 2013 002.JPG

Everything on the table. Food goes in the can last after the gear is accounted for. I do weigh my pack before trips. Bent the bathroom scale before a 12 day Trinity hike. That was funny.

Yeah i do the same, thats how i make sure im not forgetring anything. Still usually forget 1 thing each trip.



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[robow8]

"Now, I need to find a good chair" Hmmmm, gotta think about something light that can turn a bear can from a sittin' stool into a lounge chair

Here's how I do it with mine:

Bearcan.JPG

REI Flexlite Chair and Bearikade.