Thank you all...

I put a pack together for a quick overnighter this weekend, and decided to get into my gear spreadsheets and see how much I was carrying. Imagine my suprise when I discovered that my base weight is 7.875 pounds!

It's a long way from where I started...I joined up on this site after an overnight trip in the same area I'm going this weekend. I didn't measure my pack for that trip, but it was a sufferfest, and I'm sure that my base weight was well over 20 pounds. I'm at sub-10 pounds now largely due to all the advice I picked up on this site. So, a very big thank you to you all. I enjoy backpacking a whole lot more now!

Good on you! What's your gear list?

impressive, wuts in there?

Here's the list copied from my Excel spreadsheet...and it appears I screwed up my math, total weight is in at 8 lbs. 10 oz. Stupid addition

Item Weight (oz.)
Clothing
Duofold midweight baselayer bottom 5.8
OR Transcendant jacket 12.2
OR PL 100 gloves 1.5
Marmot toboggan hat 2.2
Smartwool light hikers 3
Equinox silnylon poncho 10

Shelter/Sleeping System
Equinox silnylon bivy (used with poncho) 6.4
Therm-a-Rest Ridgerest pad (full-length) 12.2
Nunatak Arc Ghost down quilt 16.7
stakes/cordage 6.4

Packing
Gossamer Gear G4 (with foam inserts) 16.1
industrial trash bag 2.1
stuff sacks and baggies 0.6

Cooking/Water
2 1L Platypus bottles 1.8
2L Platypus bottle (for cooking water) 1.2
Aqua Mira bottles 3.1
Snow Peak 600mL titanium cup 3
Caldera Keg system with container/cozy 4.6
spork 0.4
squishy bowl 1.6
food storage bag with 50' p-cord 5.4

Essentials/Misc.
small mesh bag 6
firestarter *
tinder *
bug dope *
sunscreen *
toilet bag 5.7
t.p. *
alcohol gel *
alcohol prep pads *
PI pads *
tent stake (trowel) 0.8
Petzl e-Lite 1
map 3
Silva Ranger compass 2.5
first aid kit 2.8
Base Weight 138.1 or 8 lbs. 10.1 oz.

You got too much toilet paper, take soap instead...
Jim

How do you like your silva ranger? I have been thinking of getting that one.

To be honest, it's more than I need for the trips I take (which have minimal, if any, off-trail travel). I bought it for SAR use, and it makes better sense for me to haul it along rather than spend more on a different one. But as far as features and quality go, I like it a lot. I had a problem with my original one a few months back, the needle kept sticking and not swinging. Sent it off to Silva and got a new one with no problems. Works great for serious off-trail travel.

The new Silva Rangers have a BLACK inclinometer needle, which I like better than the red one on my old Ranger. Easier to see & not get it confused W/ the compass North needle. Great for asessing slope angle in avalanche country.

Eric