Can I get a review of my base

Wanted to see if there is anything I can add/ Subtract/ Change out. Object is to go lighter. Not really interested in buying cuben fiber to save 6 oz. My base is just under 7 lbs. I am going to do a 2 night trip this weekend and just use reflectix as a ground pad. That will drop 10 oz off my pack weight. I know it gets a little ridiculous when you start getting into low ultralight weights. A 5lb pack or a 7 pound pack isnt going to feel much different. On a 3 day trip I wear the same clothes. Im in Texas. Coldest it gets is 25 degrees maybe twice during the winter. More average is in the 30's and 40s. On my Exos pack i can remove the brain and it has another cover which will save 4 oz. The reason for all this is I am toying with the Idea of a Haydukes trail thru hike. Its about 800 miles Temps will be in the 30's

Pack - Osprey Exos 38 large
Sleeping bag - EE revelation 850 downtek 20 degree
Shelter - SMD Deschute Plus Tarp / Polycro grown cloth
Sleeping pad - Thermarest Zlite
rain gear - Outdoor Research Helium 2
cooking pot/ stove - Snowpeak trek 700 / alcohol stove 5 oz fuel
Spoon - sea to summit titanium spork
knife - gerber 2.5 inch blade
water bottle - a couple of 24oz Smart Water bottles
First aid kit - altoid can
Matches - waterproof / small bic
emergency blanket- Sol emergency blanket
whistle - REI whistle. nothing special
Compass/ map
Sun screen
water purifier Sawyer mini + tabs just in case
toilet paper - Charmin Ultra *only the best*
garbage bag
headlamp - Black Diamond 200 lumes
Down jacket - REI Outlet brand 8oz
Beanie - Zpacks beanie
Insulated underwear REI light weight top /bottom polyester
Fire starter - cotton balls w vaseline
colgate wisp tooth brush
3 extra AAA batteries
Socks - One extra pair REI Marino Wool Heavy Weight socks

What are the AAA batteries for? headlamp? use a smaller headlamp. That's the only area I see....but then, I am not UL.

If you must have stand alone firstaid, you might think of nixing the can and just put the contents in a baggie

aww yeh, I have a quater size zip lock baggy. I can do that

For the head lamp. Just saw black diamond has a ion headlamp that weighs 1.2 oz and the battery life is 200 hours.

Like Balz, I'm not ultralight, so you already carry less than me. You seem to have stuff pretty dialed in. It is mostly nitpicking at this point.

I don't see something to dig a cathole. Do you plan to use tent stakes that are included with your shelter? If so, do you have an extra one for when your shelter is set up?

You have a few back-ups. You can play the what-if game. What if you didn't have it how bad would it be? For example: how often have you had trouble with your filter? How dangerous is drinking untreated water in the area you are going to? or.. Can you boil water if your filter failed? Example 2: What would happen if your headlamp went out and you didn't have batteries? Could you just go to bed early and wake up late?

I personally gave up on waterproof matches and bring a second bic mini. And as mentioned above, the Altoids tin looks cool, but doesn't much functionality. A Ziploc snack bag is better.

My base is just under 7 lbs.

Congratulations! If I were you, I would rest on my laurels.

I doubt there is enough 'wasted' weight in a 7 lb. base to make any appreciable difference on the trail, even if you were to find it and get rid of it. Unless maybe you are travelling ultra-long distances, on the order of 35 or 40 miles a day. In which case squeezing another quarter pound out of your base weight would save you a measurable amount of physical work over the course of the day. Otherwise, I recommend you stop obsessing over gear and start obsessing over getting the most days on the trail humanly possible!

My headlamp also uses 3 AAA batteries, but it is regulated so i can use lithium batteries, which last a lot longer. For short trips, I keep track of how long the batteries have been in. For longer trips, I put in a new set for the trip, and they last longer than even a 10-day trip--they would work fine for at least 14 days. The only extra batteries I carry are a set for my camera. BTW, I see no mention of a camera or of any navigation device such as map and compass.

Do you have bugs in Texas? I see no mention of bug netting or a headnet or bug repellent--I would think you'd want at least one of these!

Of course I may have missed the above. . . .

You'll need more--and larger--water containers for the Hayduke Trail. Remember that Platypus are not compatible with Sawyer Squeeze. Look for Evernew, which I believe are now, finally, available again. My own experience with the Sawyer Squeeze is that you definitely want those backup tablets!

You might want to test out that whistle with a friend. I gave my grandson an REI whistle a couple of years ago. When he sprained his ankle, he used it, but I only heard (from about 200 yards away) something sounding like a sick bird! He finally yelled, and that I heard distinctly. It's supposed to be the other way around!

Oregon Mouse

. Yes, there are plenty of bugs in Texas. The tarp i use actually has a bug net around the base that work pretty well but no bathrub floor. Can roll the polycro up on the bug netting which acts as a bath tub. https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/collections/tarps/products/deschutes-plus
And on the Hayduke trail I know the areas very well in the southern Utah portion. Surprisingly there are quite a few spings but I would need to carry at least a gallon and plan to cache a lot of my water. I would be caching my food too. Not many places to buy food. Also I listed compass and maps. I have maps of most of southern Utah. I would also use caltopo to create additional maps I have a GPS but it is worthless in tight canyons and most of that trip is canyon hikes. I am pretty good with my map reading skills. I was a forward observer in the army. Also I will probably carry a locating beacon though

BZH.

My tarp came with Titanian shepherd hooks. I would have to use something different in Utah because of the sand. In Texas I carry a couple of extra MSR ground hogs. Also I listed tab which i meant were Iodine tabs. No extra light source. I probably would avoid hiking at night because of the terrain

Aimless

You are probably right. I started getting obsessed after I bought my tarp. My old base wasnt that bad. 13 pounds. I have friends that carry 30 pound bases. If I go any less I would start lossing a lot of comfort. I probably should stop where I am at

Oh, I am. Did a 3 day trip last weekend and two weeks before that. doing a three day this weekend Kinda started seeing this lady. She is outdoorsy but doesnt backpack. She asked me tonight what I am doing this weekend. I told her. She never texted me back. Priorities!!

I've always thought that buying an insect tent ( yeah, bathtub type) and making my own tarp out of cuben would shed some Oz's. But when you have a serviceable set up, it's hard to justify the effort...in mycase once my tent has had it I'll attempt this. Working with cuben is easy since it's all cut n glue. But eye watering to buy the materials.