New To Ultralight

Hey guys, im sort of new to Backpacking. Im 21 and have been out probably 3 times and plan on spending at least a month out this summer. All of this ultralight talk has got me wondering tho...Im taking a few friends out on a little stretch of the PCT for like 3 days, and im thinking about whats in my pack. I have a tent, sleeping bag, one pair of shorts, 2 shorts, burners and extra propane, freeze dried foor for 2 nights and 3 guys, and a knife. Would you guys look at this load and say ultralight? Im trying to get a zero in on where i stand in the backpacking world.

I hike in boots and have a Gregory Baltoro 70, which i often do not fill up all the way when i go out for weekend trips. I have little gadgets, like knife and headlamp and a battery phone charger (just incase).

What could i do better to shed weight from that, if i do in fact have extra stuff?

the best advice anyone gave me starting out was every time you come back from a trip break down your gear into two piles,

pile one. the stuff you used and needed to be safe

pile two. the stuff you brought that you either didnt use or didnt need

eliminate pile two and presto instant room in the pack for a footlong sub and a fosters oilcan

as far as your pack goes when hikeing with others i like having a lardger pack that can carry bigloads incases someone has an injurry or ailement and i need to take on more weight

good luck Samoset

There's really no need to figure out where you stand in relation to other backpackers in terms of weight or some imaginary scale of ultralight-to-ultraheavy. Concentrate on taking exactly what you need and no more.

To figure out exactly what you need takes time and experience, but Samoset's advice is an excellent place to start. Stuff you didn't use is immediately suspect as being unnecessary, especially if it was there "just in case" and you can't think of a plausible scenario where it could save your life.

One place where most people could cut back on weight are changes of clothes. You'll need enough clothes to stay warm enough, a change of sox, and probably very little else. Clean sox count as necessary because dirty ones promote blisters and other foot problems you don't want; just wash the pair you aren't wearing and wear them the next day. By contrast, dirty pants are not a big problem; everything you wear gets dirty soon enough. More than that is a luxury that comes with an obvious luxury tax: extra weight.

Once you have a clear picture of what type and amount of stuff is really necessary for a hike, you can slowly replace heavy versions of that stuff with lighter versions. That's the stage where hikers become gearheads, but it is not a stage you need to enter right away. Where you are now, the most important thing is just to get out there, to enjoy and learn. Gear is only there to facilitate that enjoyment, not create it.

Have fun!

Great advice by the two previous posters. That pretty much sums it up right there!

I am curious though, what type of stuff do you have? Tent, bag, etc. etc. IMO right off the bat I can say leave the phone charger in the car...no outlets in the outdoors. Just leave your phone off (full charged) in case an emergency.

DP

Have you read the articles on the home page of this site? They are listed in the left hand column. There are lots of ideas for lightening up and several gear lists. These lists are lightweight (base weight about 15 lbs.) rather than ultralight, but they are a good place to start, and a good model for your own gear list! I was able to cut my pack weight by more than half by using these lists.

Have a look at the 18 pound three day list, and 27 pound 7 day list on the home page of this site. A number of us also publish lists (see my signature).

What you might want to do (and what I have done in the distant past) is put a piece of masking tape on everything in your pack that you take. When you use it in the field - take the tape off. when you get home some of it will have tape on it. look at, and think critically about anything with tape left on it. (some stuff, like f'rinstance my bear spray or plb, I am glad to have but never use - but some stuff, like the pair of extra shorts I never use is worth reconisidering taking)

The other place is look carefully at the weight of your "big three" - pack, shelter, and sleeping. - most weight savings can be had there - but be careful - some of that is contingent on your hiking style.

For example, I regularly take a Granite Gear Virga pack - it weighs slightly over a pound - most big packs with heavy frames weight something like 4-7 pounds. *HOWEVER* - all my gear before food and water typically weighs about 10-15 pounds - so I can get away with, and be comfortable with, the light frameless pack. I don't reccomend such a pack to a new hiker unless they are using the same gear as me, although I do reccomend keeping your pack lighter and smaller. a smaller pack means you are less tempted to take extra junk

That is my philosophy as well. My frequent backpacking buddy has a huge pack and crams all these things in it that he doesn't need and some of it never uses. He is a bigger guy and all, but still, why bother overbearing yourself with extra weight with items you don't need?

I actually made a bad mistake right from the get go, buying a backpack first, the rest later. But it worked out for me. The pack was very comfortable and I knew I didn't want to lug a heavy loaded pack around as it was (potential for hip problems run in the family - so I don't want to aggravate it). I slowly built up my gear, then replaced gear that was heavier with lighter gear. I feel right now I have a great set up that works well for me. Though I am in the market for a new tarp to replace my stock rain fly that came with my Hennessey Hammock. But my Ospery Kestrel 48 (3,300 cu. in.) fits everything I need with plenty of space left over during warmer months, and cooler months it works well also, less space left over of course. My next area of upgrading will be my backpack and sleeping bag but that will be later down the road, I am content.

I have a Gregory Baltoro 70 (5lb 9oz), an ALPS Zephyr 2 tent (4lb 2oz), and a Kelty Cosmic 20 down bag (2lb 8oz).

My big three dont weigh too much, under 15 to start with. All the rest of my stuff is pretty old, like 10 year old burner/stove and mess kit and the like. Its not bad, all my dads old stuff, but it still works.

As far as I am concerned whatever weight others carry, as long as they are having some fun, it isn't any of my business.
However if you want to use a label like "ultralite" you should be aware that it is generally considered to be up to 10 lbs for everything in your pack except food.
This is really only possible having a pack, a shelter and a sleeping bag at under 2 pounds each, closer to 1 each.
Mind you most use a mat too , ultaliters typically have a short solid foam mat.
Light is for a pack around 20 lbs or less, again everything except for food and water.
At around 30 lbs we get into the traditional weight category.
Of course one could have the big four at a pound each and still end up with 35lbs by having loads of "light" stuff in the pack.
Also depends on location and temperature range. Not easy to have a base weight of 10lbs at below freezing.

Franco

Look critically at your electronic gagets. Why do you need a phone let alone a battery charger for a phone? If you are on the PCT, I doubt you need a GPS. Pretty hard to get lost on the PCT. Just take a map.

Knives are over-rated. I carry a small knife for first aid purposes (and cutting cheese). It weighs about 1 oz.

Unless you are anticipating snow, trail runners are usually just fine for the PCT.

No need for changes of clothing. You should have enough clothes so that if you put EVERYTHING on, you will be warm in your anticipated coldest condition. Ultra-light hikers take that down one more notch- warm enough to survive coldest condition- but not necessarily be comfortable.

Bottom line is that if you go ultra-light, you must tolerate some discomfort in camp to gain more comfort on the trail. And the line between comfort and survival is something that takes experinece to determine. I would aim for "light" and then work your way down to "ultra-light" as you gain experience.

works yes but my next advise is that you learn how to build one of Jim woods supercat stoves

Just for reference. My big three/four including a thermarest pad @ 1 lb, ground sheet, and dry bag pack liner, are a little over 5.5 lbs (6.8 lbs. with warmer/winter bag). I don't know what size your bag compresses to but sounds like you've got the most expensive part taken care of with your bag. The good thing is the other two are usually cheaper and lighter than traditional gear. If you don't mind tarping, your tarp and ground cloth can easily come in around a pound and a good light weight pack shouldn't be over 2. If you do a little searching, each of these can be had for around $100. I sold off some heavy stuff to pay for my lighweight gear and wasn't out much money.

Add in 2 lbs of extra clothes, first aid-toiletries at .5, map headlamp, cord, water bottles, aquamira, and a cook pot and I'm still under 10 lbs. for BPW. Depending on the menu, the cookpot might stay home. For two nights out, it's easy to be under 15 lbs. total. Having fun is more important than the numbers. Take what you want but understand everything has a weight cost. If you are a camper, it's not that important, if you are a hiker, you'll scrutinize your gear more closely.

You should definitely check out the alcoholy stoves.

www.zenstoves.net

Most likely another weight savings.