Thought I would post an update...my Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 arrived last week, weighing in at a very sleek 31 oz. The pack looks very well thought-out and wears comfortably, at least around the house. I'm hoping to load it up and go snowshoeing this weekend.
I still need to spring for a new pad, and am eyeing the new
Thermarest Uberlight...8.8 oz (!) but I am wary of the low R rating. I might buy it and use it locally for a night before Lost Coast in late April to make sure it is good down into the mid-40s.
After test-loading the pack and rounding out my gear spreadsheet, I am very confident that I will have a base weight below 15 lbs. And this includes my one luxury item, compact 8 x 24 binoculars that weigh 12 oz.
My next task will be to work on food, as I wish to avoid commercial freeze-dried meals on the April trip. My goal is 1.5 lbs food per day. Does that sound feasible? My go-to snacks have always been heavy stuff (hard cheese, salame, nuts, etc.)...trying to branch out from that a bit.
I'm also trying to formulate a plan around caloric needs, such as 3,000 calories per day, to really hone in on calorie-dense foods and minimize what I take. Kinda thinking about building a plan around a small jar of peanut butter. Anybody have experience with this? Maybe I'll post in the food forum.