I've refrained from doing gear list critiques for a few years but thought I'd take a look at this one. These are just random comparisons to my gear list. Mine is based on the 7-day, 27-lb. list on the home page of this site, left hand column. However, my base weight is a couple of pounds lighter, mostly due to lighter shelter and pack.

I am not a hammock person, so I won't critique your shelter/sleeping system in detail. I did note a few comparisons, though: Your top and bottom quilt together weigh exactly double the weight of my 20*F sleeping bag. Your tarp and bug net together--without the hammock--weigh more than my 2-person tent. You might consider looking for lighter versions of same (perhaps down quilts rather than synthetic?). Also, why a ground cloth with a hammock?

For toiletries/sundries, take just enough for the trip, in tiny bottles. Sunscreen and bug repellent should be decanted into tiny dropper bottles, not kept in their original containers. That also seems like a lot of wet wipes and hand sanitizer for a 3-day trip. That's what I take for 10 days. Again, use smaller containers and leave the rest in the car to clean up when you get back to the trailhead.

Navigation--get a better compass that can be used with the map (which is an essential but not listed). I use a Silva Starter compass--simple, lightweight, but allows for magnetic declination and has a straight edge. It has far more degree detail than the "button" compass on your whistle. If you don't know what I'm talking about, there are lots of books, classes, online info on simple map reading and navigation. Don't have your map on an electronic gadget--they tend to malfunction when most needed! At least have a good paper map and a halfway decent compass--and the skills to use them--as backup!

Headlamp--for that short a trip, start with fresh batteries so you don't need spares. If you have a headlamp with a regulator that can use lithium batteries, they last a lot longer.

Trekking pole--hopefully, for that weight, you have two of them? My pair weigh 14 oz.

My cooking kit weighs half as much. I suspect you may have a larger pot than you need for a solo trip? I don't take a cup but drink out of my pot. (Your Mileage May, of course, Vary.)

For a weekend trip, you don't need spare clothes (except a pair of socks)--leave spares in the car to change to for on the way home..

I use my base layer for sleeping (I normally won't wear it while hiking, so it stays relatively clean).

That fleece pullover is really heavy. Save up for a synthetic fill puffy jacket for half the weight. You can also find rain jackets for half the weight. I personally won't go out without rain pants, which will of course make up for the weight savings of a lighter rain jacket. I personally prefer a zip-front jacket to a pullover--it's easier to get on and off and if it's a bit too warm I can undo the zipper for ventilation.

Dinner for the last day? I treat myself to pizza and ice cream on the way home. If it's too far from the trailhead to the pizza parlor, then leave the Day 3 dinner in the car and cook it at the trailhead or at a rest area on the way home. For emergency "extra food," a few snack bars are fine (preferably something not too appetizing so you're not tempted to eat during the trip). It takes weeks to starve to death.

Those smart water bottles (which I also use) do weigh something.

Unless you have a rather expensive bathroom scale that weighs to the nearest 0.1 lb., they aren't that accurate. Also, bathroom scales aren't designed for weights much lighter than the human body. Weigh yourself with and without the pack and calculate the difference. Even then, it it will be an approximate number.

More on spreadsheet math vs. total pack weight on scale: I once spent an extra half day unpacking and rechecking off my gear list because the actual weight of my 10-day pack was 2 lbs. less than my spreadsheet total and I thought for sure I'd left out something important! After a half day of frustration, I found that the average weight I'd used for a day's food was overstated, probably because I deliberately chose lighter-weight meals for that long a trip. My total food for 10 days was therefore 2 lbs. less than what my spreadsheet showed! Even so, I ended up packing out leftover food.

If you're comparing with other gear lists, note that the clothing/shoes you wear and your trekking poles are not included in "base weight" (defined as everything but fuel, food and water). Of course the most important weight is the total you're carrying on your feet--defined as "skin-out weight."




Edited by OregonMouse (03/16/16 05:06 PM)
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey