I haven't been out for a few years, and I've been going through my gear, trying to find ways to reduce weight. The gear list below is typical of what I've carried in the past, exclusive of food, fuel, and water, depending on length of trip and other variables. Total weight is 22.6lb, so real pack weight for, say, 4 days would be in the 30-32lb. range. I'd like to reduce this. I tried an experimental lightweight trip a few years ago, using a homemade Ray-Way style frameless pack (15oz), with a total pack weight of 22lbs, including food & fuel for 2 days and a quart of water. I had fun, but have some reservations about doing a longer trip (more weight) with this type of pack.
This list is clothes-heavy, but I get cold easily, and dislike being cold. So, I just about always take a down jacket and long pants, as well as long underwear.
Most of my backpacking has been in Oregon and Washington, and I like the higher elevations, so summer nighttime temps below freezing are pretty common.
Anyway, any ideas are welcome
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Foundations
Pack homemade 41.7
Rain cover homemade, silnylon 2.1
Trekking poles carried
Daypack homemade 7.7
Total 3.22lb.
Bedroom
Sleeping bag WM Ultralight 30.0
Stuff sack for bag Moonstone 1.8
Sleeping pad Thermarest Prolite 4 16.2
Pillow case homemade 0.4
Shelter Eureka Spitfire 1 56.2 incl. stakes, etc.
Total 6.54lb.
Kitchen
Stove w/o case Snow Peak Gigapower 3.7
Windscreen Snow Peak 1.9
Water bottle Stansport 3.1
Pot w/lid 1.3L titanium 5.8
Fuel varies
Bowl w/lid Ziploc 1.0
Bowl cozy homemade 0.6
Cup plastic 1.3
Spoon lexan 0.2
Sponge & soap 0.7
Food bag homemade 1.6
Hanging bag 0.00
Water filter Pur Hiker 12.1
Total 2.00lb.
Clothes
Shoes/boots Keen Targhee worn
Sandals/sneakers Tevas, New Balance, etc. 18.8
Undershorts Patagonia 1.7 sometimes carried
Long underwear bottoms REI MTS 4.3
Zip-T REI MTS 8.2
T-shirt Patagonia, etc. worn
Shorts homemade worn
Long pants Mountain Hardware, nylon 14.7
Socks Thorlo, 2pr 7.2 wear 3rd pair
Long-sleeved Shirt Nylon 8.7
Down jacket w/stuff sack Montbell Alpine Light 11.2
Fleece jacket homemade windpro 15.0
Rain jacket Marmot Precip Anorak 8.5
Rain pants Marmot Precip 7.7
Stocking cap OR windproof fleece 1.6
Gloves OR windproof fleece 2.6
Sun Hat Tilley worn
Wind shirt Marmot windshirt 4.6 sometimes carried
Belt homemade worn
Total 7.18lb.
Miscellaneous
Toothbrush & paste/powder 1.1
Towel PackTowl 13"x25" 1.9
First Aid Kit 6.4
Odds & Ends bag fire starter, etc. 5.6
ACE bandage 1.7
Sunblock 1.3
Insect repellent 1.4
Lip balm 0.3
Knife Gerber Gator Grip 2.2
Headlamp w/batteries Petzl Tikkina 2.9
Spare light micro light 0.2
Rope 1/8” nylon (~35ft) 1.5
Bandana 0.9
Trowel from Burgerville 2.0
Toilet paper 1.7
Lighter small Bic 0.4
Sunglasses Julbo 1.2
Compass 1.1
Whistle 0.1
Map typical 0.00
Total 2.12lb
Other
Camera w/case & batteries Canon A520 12.8
Tripod Ultrapod 4.1
Binoculars Tasco 10x25 10.5
Total 1.71lb.
Total 22.64lb.
You can save lots of weight Bill but as you suspected, you will probably have to pay out some money to do it. I've done a few calculations for you and you could have saved at least 3.5 lbs (about 1.5kg) just by buying a lighter sleeping bag, lighter sleeping pad, a lighter shelter/tent, a lighter stove, a lighter windshield, using a smartwater bottle instead, using a lighter pot and a lighter water filter and only using one pair of shoes (your walking boots). Your shelter is certainly one area where you can save significant weight.
You could get one that weighs half as much, if you are prepared to pay for it. You didn't say how much capacity your homemade backpack has...You could probably get a backpack weighing half as much for not too much cost. If you had done a bit more research and chosen a bit more wisely on the kit you already have you could have saved yourself a lot of money though...For instance, your WM Ultralight (minus 7 degree) sleeping bag costs £430 here in the UK but my Vango Venom 200 (minus 9 degree) sleeping bag, which is 150 grams lighter, only costs around £120...£310 cheaper!!! Swap out your sleeping pad for a standard Klymit Inertia X-Frame and you can save 7.7oz and it only costs about half as much. The X-frame is much quicker to inflate too, taking only about 4-5 breaths, so you can get ready for bed quicker.
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