Backpacking Checklist - 18-Pound, 3-Day Backpack

A Backpacking Gear Checklist

The Backpacking Checklist - 18-Pound, 3-Day Backpack, is essentially a full-three-season, backcountry gear checklist configured for a three-day weekend in the Cascade Mountains.
In some cases, I have lighter, less rugged gear, but I'm not confident that it would keep me reasonably comfortable in harsh weather, during an extended multi-day outing.
Depending on weather conditions and traveling conditions & situations (e.g., lay-over days, availability of water, etc.), this backpacking gear list will change. The gear list pack weight could be several pounds more or less, accordingly.

The 18-pound, 3-Day Pack
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The Gear I Wear
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Options That Add Weight
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Lightweight Gear Suggestions
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Other Useful Gear Lists
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- BACKPACKING FOOD & MEALS -

The 18-pound, 3-Day Gear Checklist

CLOTHES WEIGHT in OUNCES ___ extra socks(1)smartwool l.h. & (1)wigwam liners 3.77 ___ marmot lightweight DriClime thermal bottom 5.11 ___ patagonia expedition fleece gloves 1.62 ___ OR gore-tex "lobster claw" rain mitts 1.31 ___ rei windstop fleece cap (covers ears & neck) 1.62 ___ mec northern lite primaloft vest 7.94 ___ mec northern lite primaloft pullover 11.70 ___ marmot precip rain/wind parka w/stuff sack 12.88 ___ marmot precip rain/wind pants w/stuff sack 7.80 _______ Subtotal for Clothes: 53.75 SHELTER & SLEEPING SYSTEM ___ western mountaineering caribou sleeping bag, in the stuff sack (instead of WM Ultralite) 22.00 ___ bibler bivy sack (in place of tent) 20.00 ___ mt.washington closed-cell mattress 7.37 _______ Subtotal for Shelter & Sleeping System: 49.37 PACKING ___ mountainsmith mountainlight 4000 pack (approx 4000 cu in) 41.87 ___ equinox pack rain cover 3.67 ___ stuff sacks, freezer bags, & garbage sacks (not already accounted for), 3.23 _______ Subtotal for Packing: 48.77 COOKING & WATER ___ katadyn hiker water filter w/stuff sack 11.00 ___ 2 platypus 1-liter water bottles 2.00 ___ evernew titanium cook pot w/lid (.9 liter) 4.87 ___ mesh “kitchen” bag (includes condiments, lexan spoon, toothbrush & powder) 2.80 ___ primus micron cook stove w/piezo starter 3.46 ___ matches (backup for cook stove) 0.35 ___ bear bag 3.49 _______ Subtotal for Cooking (without food & fuel): 25.19 NAVIGATION ___ zeiss monocular (in fleece pouch) 2.25 ___ suunto a1000 compass 0.78 ___ maps (2 @ .2 oz per map) 0.40 ___ paper, pencil, reading specs 0.49 ___ petzl zipka led headlamp w/ 6 AAA batteries (3 are xtra) 3.42 ___ (1) white photon micro light 0.21 _______ Subtotal for Navigation: 7.55 ESSENTIALS & OTHER ITEMS ___ first aid kit 6.00 ___ (*) swiss army classic knife ~ ___ (*) waterproof matches ~ ___ (*) firestarter ~ ___ (*) duct tape ~ ___ (*) fox plastic whistle ~ ___ all (*) items in small freezer bag 3.30 ___ sun glasses in hard case 2.61 ___ skin-so-soft bug guard/sun block 3.00 ___ sting-eze bug-bite/bee-sting relief 0.78 ___ spf-30 lip balm 0.35 ___ tent repair kit 0.49 ___ expedition sewing kit 0.74 ___ pack towel 1.52 ___ toilet paper 1.50 _______ Subtotal for Essentials & Other: 20.29 _______ Subtotal of Subtotals: 204.92 PACK WEIGHT AT START OF 7-DAY OUTING NOT INCLUDING FOOD, WATER & FUEL: 12 lbs 12.92 oz ============================================================== ___ Fuel for 3 days: (3.5 oz of fuel + canister) 6.65 ___ Food for 3 days (20 oz per day x 2 "full" days): 40.00 (first morning, fill-up with high-octane food at the trailhead & the third night, feast at the local pizzeria) ___ Water 32.00 (average amount carried at any given time) _______ Total Weight in Ounces: 283.57 __________________________________________________________________ TOTAL PACK WEIGHT AT START OF 3-DAY OUTING: 17 lbs 11.57 oz ================ ----------------------------------------------------

THE GEAR I WOULD BE WEARING This is typically what I would be wearing while carrying the 18 pound pack. Weight in Ounces ___ cotton or wool baseball cap 2.00 ___ marmot lightweight DriClime thermal top 4.85 ___ patagonia activent vest 5.00 ___ altimeter with neck lanyard 2.00 ___ hiking shorts 6.25 ___ smartwool light hiker socks & liners 3.77 ___ montrail hurricane ridge gtx shoes 30.00 ___ msr pure carbon trekking poles 17.00

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OPTIONS THAT REDUCE WEIGHT Weight in Ounces ----------------------------------------------------
OPTIONS THAT ADD WEIGHT Weight in Ounces ___ extra socks(1)thorlo hiking & wigwam liners 4.80 ___ PUR hiker water filter 12.38 ___ two 16oz nalgene water bottles 6.03 ___ mini gaitors 3.70 ___ patagonia midweight thermal bottom 7.00 (instead of marmot lightweight bottom) ___ ground cloth / tarp 6.00 ___ bug mesh pants 3.00 ___ patagonia puffball micro-loft jacket 17.50 ___ feathered friends volant gtx/down jacket 18.95 ___ marmot gore-tex stormlight parka w/stuff sack 18.50 (instead of marmot pre-cip parka) ___ marmot gore-tex stormlight pants w/stuff sack 10.50 (instead of marmot pre-cip pants) ___ mountainlight 5200, 5200 cu in 49.00 (instead of mountainlight 4000) ___ large first aid kit 10.00 (instead of optimist first-aid kit) ___ cribbage game in fleece pouch 4.25 ___ insulated mug w/o lid 4.35 ___ insulated mug lid 0.50 ___ therm-a-rest ridgerest mattress 9.00 ___ therm-a-rest ultralite mattress 16.00 ___ slinglight chair w/o headrest 17.00 ___ therm-a-rest ultralite chair 10.15 ___ therm-a-rest open-cell sit pad 5.70 ___ streamline fishing hand-line & tackle 4.00 ___ telescopic fishing rod & daiwa UL7 reel 9.65 ___ olympus epic camera w/xtra film & mini-tripod 7.85 ___ leica 8x20 binocular (in its fleece pouch) 8.70 (instead of zeiss monocular) ___ camp 6-point crampons 8.00 ___ kahtoola KTS ultralight 10-point crampons 19.20 ___ camp XLA 210 ultralight ice axe 8.64 ___ voile ultralight snow shovel 23.00 ___ northernlites elite snowshoes 37.75