need ultralight gear advice

i recently started backpacking and i have to say it is something i plan on doing all i can in the future. i plan on section hiking the AT with a few friends that are equally as excited as i am. i have purchased some start-out gear that is very inexpensive. after my last outing i developed a hernia and had to have surgery. all is better now and i am dreaming of getting back out there. the hernia is made aware that a 40 lb pack is a little heavy for a 2 night stay. i am working on shaving lbs and i will buy gear as i have money. i will purchase quality gear when i can because i don't want to have to constantly upgrade. from the posts on this site that i have read it seems like i should start with a sleeping bag first. does anyone have any suggestions on a bag that is ultralight, compact and durable?

There are many gear posts, topics etc. around here. Before going too far and with being new to the sport, I would start researching here, online, reading gear reviews etc. The more reading and research you do, the less you will have to have us rehash the topic. It will take a bit to research, but then you can get yourself up to speed on what works and what doesn't and for some stuff, experience will allow you to do with less. Enjoy yourself, lots of work ahead to be a responsible and prepared bper.

Hi Monkey...

Good to hear that you are so excited. And a sleeping bag is a good place to start purchasing equipement. I agree with duane that half the fun of buying this stuff is doing the research...take your time and make sure you know what you are getting.

It helps to start by knowing what kinds of conditions you are going to see on the trail. If you don't expect snow or freezing temperatures, then you can get by with a 30 degree bag pretty easily. WE have some HiPEak Extreme bags that cost us about $60 apiece, and they are small, light, and pretty durable. We like them when conditions aren't too grim.

But your budget will dictate some of this. If you can afford down, and aren't worried about getting the bag wet, then you can spend a ton of money and get something really good and lightweight. But good, lightweight, durable and cheap are mutually exlusives characteristics!

Moneymonk
First off you have to understand the distinction between light and ultra light.

Go to the home page of this site and read the articles listed in the left-hand column. There is lots of wisdom there about gear selection.

The "27-lb., 7-day Gear List" was responsible for cutting my load for a 9-day trip in half. Without it, I would no longer be able to backpack at my age.

OH James! You ssssilly sssavage! I just knew you were the thong type.

Eric

The cut offs are mine, the other belonged to my hiking partner.

Glad you told us that - I was on my to find a stick to shove in my eye, figuring that was the only way to erase the image of Jim in a thong!

Great way to get the concept of ultralight across - as usual, very succinct (even if a picture is supposed to be worth 1,000 words.)

Great picture - succinct, just enough to cover the subject!

I was in a position somewhat like you, and the way I got my weight down on a budget was by watching for used gear on forums like this, Whiteblaze, and BPL.

Glenn
og course I can't use any names, but now you know what they actually do wear under kilts...
Jim YMMV

check out www.appytrails.com very light. very practicle. not flashy. same design i used as a boy scout a long time ago...but greatly improved.

My recommendation for a sleeping bag would be an appropriately warm down bag from Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, PhD, or a quilt from NunatakUSA. Don't forget that your sleeping pad is just as important when it comes to both sleeping comfort and staying warm. For additional info take a look at my sleeping system page which is part of my recommended outdoor gear site.

--mark

Is it me or does JimShaws new avatar look surprisingly similar to this?:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/CMontoya82/911-714735.jpg

BF

Thanks for letting us know about your website. I just gave it a quick look and it is filled with a lot of good info.

I'm looking forward to checking it periodically to see what I can learn.

Don't forget about the do-it yourself pages here and elsewhere. Thru-Hiker, Ray-Jardine and others sell kits that you can use to make lightweight gear at much reduced monetary costs at the cost of you time and labor.

Going lightweight is a journey, and an evolution. Among others, I own a Western Mountaineering Megalite, and a Nunatak Arc Alpinist. They are the "creme de la creme".

If budget is an issue, I would recommend first buying a used decent quality bag on one of the many gear forums. With the experience gained from many trips, you could later buy one that you feel is better suited to the areas and seasons you visit. Someone else will want your first bag if it is a good one, and has been taken care of.

At some point in time, you may have a collection that you choose from depending on the anticipated trip needs.

As many as I've now got, I still have desires for some others to add to my collection. I'd like a lighter (than 21 oz.) Nunatak Arc Edge (11 oz.) or Arc AT (8 oz.).

Good luck, and happy hoofing.

thanks for all the advice. i finally settled on a marmot hydrogen 30. found it onsale for $160. it weighs 1 pound 7 ounces. i'm excited about my upcoming trip!

OM stated there is an article in here called the "27 lb 7 day gear list" or something like that. I want to read this article but can't find it. Can someone show me the way please?

Hey OM,
I finally found this post again this morning! YEA!!!!!!! I can't seem to find the "27lb, 7 day gear list" article your speaking of and as you know, it will most likely serve me well to read it. Being new here I'm sure is getting in the way of navigating to this article. Can you help me find it please. Thanks a bunch! Cary

Not OM, but scroll on down to the bottom of the page, to where it says TLB home. Click on it and then study the left sidebar - the article mentioned should be listed there.

Go to the lower left hand corner of the page.

Select the link "TLB home".

It will take you to the home page of this website.

On the left hand side of that page (might have to scroll down) you will find the various gear lists.

Here you go:

18lbs - 3 day pack

27lbs - 7 day pack

Alternatively:

Try this link...

or this link..

I also have stuff in my gear list in my signature at the bottom of this post.

And while it's splitting hairs and kind of a ridiculous definition, I'd not call any of those lists "ultralight" - but rather "lightweight" - I'm a "lightweight but comfortable" backpacker.. I'm not really "ultralight".

"And while it's splitting hairs and kind of a ridiculous definition, I'd not call any of those lists "ultralight" - but rather "lightweight" - I'm a "lightweight but comfortable" backpacker.. I'm not really "ultralight"."

Me too. My baseweight is in the same general range of what's given in that 27 pound, 7 day list --- I think that list translated to something like a 15 pound 3-season baseweight, sort of the middle of the "light but not ultralight" zone.

For those who care, there is some commonly accepted terminology given on wikipedia about this, with the light/ultralight threshhold at 10 pounds of base weight.

The catch is that the "ultralight" term gets casually used by various people to mean all sorts of things, so if talking to a backpacker who is aware of the definition, I'll use the terminology correctly. But for casual acquaintances, folks who might hike or backpack with me --- they generally don't know nor care, to them I'm an "ultralight" backpacker because my gear is lighter than theirs and I have a good idea of the weights and trade-offs. Certainly not worth annoying people or getting into arguments about ... !

You really have to go to Backpacking Light to get those ultralight gear lists. IMHO, they don't have enough for me (and my dog) to be comfortable out there. For me, at least, backpacking is supposed to be a vacation, not a hardship test! I did get several ideas from them for cutting my base weight a couple of more pounds, but after last year's trips I ended up restoring most of the items I had cut! One example was using my baselayer top as a hiking shirt. I found that doesn't work at all well in mosquito or horsefly season--the critters considered the permethrin spray on the shirt as an appetizer and chomped away happily. I'm getting a supplex nylon shirt for bug season. The baselayer top worked fine as a shirt in October, though!

I can go out for 10 days with 25-27 lbs. (I don't eat as much food as most do) and I can carry that comfortably, although I do take it easier the first 2-3 days of a 7-10 day trip than I do for an overnighter where I'm starting with 16-17 lbs.

Anyone remember Bearpaw's article, "Not So Random Thoughts on Pack Weight"? I couldn't find it in a search here, but about a year and a half ago he posted it on PortlandHikers.org at my request-- Here it is!

And I sent Prospector a PM linking him to this page in response to his PM. EDIT: I hope, Prospector, you've found it by now!

I do wish the link to the TLB home page were at the top of the forum page, though. Nobody ever sees it where it is now.

Thanks for the directions folks. I found it and appreciate your help. I'll try to get this searching down quickly, but appreciate your patience and assistance in the mean time.
Cary

I agree with the "call it what you like" approach. I probably won't win any awards or make any new lifelong friendships for actually hitting a target weight as defined in some illustrious guide somewhere. I'll listen to all your ideas and suggestions, incorporate some and end up happy that my back appreciates the efforts I've made. That's good enough for me.