Gear List for Art Loeb Trail, March 19-22

Howdy.

Here's the gear list and weights (as complete as I can be at the moment) for my upcoming trip to the Art Loeb Trail. I'm going a wee bit heavier than normal because I'm taking my youngest brother along. Here goes:

The Basics
Pack – JanSport Klamath 75 – 4lb, 0.4oz
Sleeping bag – NorthFace Blue Kazoo long – 3lb
Hammock – ENO Doublenest – 1lb, 6oz
Tarp – ENO – 1lb, 6.7oz
Slap straps – ENO – 10.3oz
7 stakes – ENO – 3.9oz
Total shelter: 3lbs, 3.9oz
Total Basics: 9lbs, 10.3oz

Kitchen
2 one-liter water bottles (Gatorade)
Water filter – Katadyn Hiker Pro – 14.7oz
Stove – Coleman Peak II – 6.5oz
Fuel – Coleman camp fuel, small cannister – 12.8oz (NOTE: This is a full cannister. I won't be necessarily taking a full cannister out, but I used this number as a jumping-off point.)
Wind screen
Pot – Walmart grease pot – 7.7oz
Lighter – Bic – .7oz
Cup – Sea to Summit Delta Mug – 2.3oz
Plate – Sea to Summit Delta Plate – 4.2oz
Spoon, knife, and fork – Sea to Summit Alpha Utensil Set – 1.4oz
Knife – Winchester folding pocket knife – 3.1oz
Total Kitchen: 3lbs, 5.4oz

Clothing – Packed
Extra socks – 2.8oz
Base layer – Cheapies from Walmart, synthetic – 1lb, 3.4oz
Rain/wind jacket – Marmot Precip – 13.5oz
Rain Pants – Red Ledge Thunderlight pants – 8.9oz
Fleece – Cheapie from thrift store – 1lb, 1.7oz
Toboggan – Cheapie from Walmart – 5oz
Bandanna – 0.9oz
Total packed clothing: 4lbs, 3.1oz

Accessories
Map and compass – 5.1oz (this of course varies depending on weights of maps)
Spare batteries – Energizer Lithium – 0.4oz
Headlamp – Energizer 6 LED – 2.9oz
Backup flashlight – small LED super bright – 3.3oz
Toilet paper in Ziploc bag – 6oz (I'm being generous here... most likely will take less)
Potty trowel – 2.6oz
Soap – Dr Bronner's – 2.5oz
Toothbrush and toothpaste – 1.8oz
First-aid kit – Looking for new one!
Paracord – 6.4oz (Used for hanging food, does not come along unless hanging is recommended)
Carabiner – 2.5oz (See above)
Sunglasses – 0.6oz
BlackBerry – 4.6 (Doubles as a GPS in some situations, but I rely on map and compass and common sense. Also can double as an MP3 player, but this saps battery.)
Inflatable pillow – 6.4oz
Cards – 3.4oz (Only for trips with my younger brother)
Total Accessories: 2lbs, 14oz* (NOTE: No FAK yet)

Total base weight, less water and food and worn clothing: 19lbs, 15.1oz

Notes:

• I'm not quite happy with my sleeping bag. It was a gift, so for the money it's great. But it's a long, and I'm decidedly not. I'm looking at a few on clearance at the moment, but haven't begun to make a final decision.
  
• I need a first aid kit. I'm thinking about starting with the Adventure Medical Ultralight & Watertight .5 First Aid Kit, and then tweaking it to better suit my needs. Input?
  
• I'm extremely satisfied with my ENO hammock system. It's maybe heavier than I'd like, but it's so comfy that the weight trade off is worth it to me.
  
• My pack is larger than needed, but I originally got it to accomodate a larger sleeping bag and a tent. I'm about to start looking for a new one, but I want to make sure the rest of my gear is set before buying the pack. Otherwise, I'm pretty darn happy with it.
  
• I know food isn't included here; figure for this trip I'll be hauling about 6lbs of food total (1.5lbs per day for 4 days). My brother will be carrying his own share.

Thanks for the input!

Ok, my nit picking weight reduction comments are inline.. before I say that, let me say first, you're doing ok. and from
your comments, you seem to know where you might make changes already and I think you probably don't need much advice here. what you are already thinking is probably your best places to improve.. having said that, here's silly nitpicking. just to give you ideas:



as you mentioned, your pack is big and heavy, you wisely will wait to replace it. splurge on your sleeping bag, you won't regret it in the long run. Slap straps look enormously heavy, you could use whoopies instead and that might save you some weight and still be nice in the hammock. you might be able to find some lighter stakes.. Of course you can ground dwell for lighter....




I take one knife and plastic spoon. My cup is a really light plastic thing, alternatively a disposable ziploc container works great. I take no plate, I eat out of the ziploc or the pot. you can probably save some weight with a lighter stove. ditch your water filter and go aquamira will save you a lot of weight.



looks good



do you really need spare batteries with a headlamp *and* a backup led? - you can get a very small backup led that is much lighter. Ditch the blackberry if it's only a backup GPS. (keep it if it's useful as a phone or reading device.) Do you take trekking poles? if so dig cathole with them and leave trowel at home. Are you actually going to use and entire 2.5 oz of soap? Cut it back, even if you run out it's not the end of the world.
My FAK is my knife, a 1/4 oz nalgene of iodine, a 1/4 oz nalgene of polysporin, 4 4x4's two maxi-pads, a dozen bandaids, a dozen blister dressings, a good bottle of drugs (anti-diahreaa, antihistamins, ibuprophen aleve, etc.) a roll of good tape, and all my clothing


I hate commercial first aid kits - they're full of sillyness. get a small silnylon sack, go to the grocery store, and make your own that is lighter, and more practical, for a fraction of the cost. Put in it what you know how to use and can practically make use of in the field in a realistic situation. You're not gonna be setting bones or doing surgery. if it comes to that the time is better spent having the other one walk out for professional help. (or call, or PLB, etc.)

Thanks, Phat.

The BlackBerry is my cell phone, so it has to come along, at least for now. It does whatever I can find an app for, so long as I have cell coverage, and it has better reception than most cell phones I've used. It'll sit in a ziplock inside my pack turned off until I need it.

For that matter, I forgot to add the weight of my truck key and cash/id/credit card roll. I estimate less than 3oz.

That's a good point about FAKs, and one I've been going round and round about. I need to purchase some basic things for home anyway, so I'll see what I can appropriate for backpacking.

Thanks again. Compared to when I began about 5 years ago, I've made great strides and lost about 30lbs off my pack weight. I'd like to start shaving another ten off over the next few years as I replace gear here and there.

oops, one more - a pillow? in a hammock? try adjusting your angle and see if you can do without.. I don't take one even on the ground, I use extra clothing in a stuff sack under my head. some folks use their backpack, etc.

Wow. Looks like you are covered for the most part. The only thing I can think to add is that you could use a single sided razor blade in your FAK instead of a knife. They come with a cardboard sheath that holds up pretty well if you put a piece of tape over the bottom. Very light and very sharp!

sK

Man Im super jealous of your hike! I need to get back to the ALT soon. My $.02 is inline with everyone else's. Lighter "The Basics" gear (pack, bag, etc.) will come in time but heres some inexpensive tips to try:

-Use rocks, sticks(already down on the ground and not cut green), or tie off to trees instead of stakes for your tarp. Save weight and no need to worry about losing or breaking your stakes. Saves 3.9oz

-Unless you need to simmer, get ya an alcohol stove and use denatured alcohol as fuel. This takes some practice but its great if all your doing is heating water for dehydrated meals or coffee. Check out the stoves and other stuff here: Anti-Gravity Gear.com Saves stove weight 6oz

-Go with Chemical H20 treatment instead of filter. Way lighter and wont malfunction or get broken, clogged, etc.Saves 13oz

-Unless you absoulutely gotta have it, leave the plate and cup at home. I use a super light plastic walmart bowl for everything and it works fine. I use my cookpot as a coffee/tea cup. A spork from any fastfood place is lighter than those multi-utensil sets and works as good too. Saves 7oz

-Dont over prepare. FAK's should contain only what you basically need and know how to use. Mine includes bandaids, random OTC drugs, my bandana, and duct tape wrapped around my mini rubbing alcohol bottle(used for all cleaning), and razor blade(instead of knife). Could save 6+ oz

-Leave the extra batteries and flashlight at home. If your using new batteries you should have more battery life than you need. Pay attention to what your doing at all times and you wont lose your headlamp. Saves 4oz

-Ditch the potty trowel and pillow. A good stick or hiking staff will dig a hole just fine. Use your rain coat, extra clothes, or pack for a pillow. Saves 9oz

-Unless you gotta take it, leave the phone in the car. Since you said you use map and compass (good on ya!), you shouldnt need the GPS and you probably wont get cell service on the ALT. For most of my buddies who are new to backpacking this is the hardest thing to give up. I think it helps by severing ties to the "modern world" which is why I go into the woods in the first place. Saves 4.6oz

Total Weight Saved: 3.3lbs (53.5oz)!!

As you can see that stuff adds up quick. I would rather carry 3 extra pounds of food than gear. Now imagine the weight savings with a newer lighter pack and sleeping bag. You could easily save 5+ pounds. I know your knees and back will appreciate it. By cutting back on some luxury items (IMO ), you can really scale back on the weight. Just something to think about. Good Luck!

Whups. Don't know how that snuck in there, lol.

I do need a pillow of some type because I'm a side sleeper. But my fleece will work just fine for this. Actually better, because that pillow has an annoying way of popping out of position just as I fall asleep.

Thanks also Banjopickin. I'll see what I can do about some of this.

I'm actually tickled that I'm on the right track. I've resisted posting gear lists before now, because I knew I still needed some important items. Now that I'm within some semblance of reason, I can begin whittling away those nagging ounces that add up so fast.