Hello everyone, I am getting back into backpacking, I haven't done it since I was a kid, and I am putting together my gear and was wanting some input on my selections if you all don't mind. I will be doing mostly 2-3 man trips in the Pacific Northwest, probably 1-3 day outings.

So far here is the gear I have selected and why:

Pack: Dueter Futura Pro 42 (loved the fit & cooling)
Bladder: Platypus Bigzip 3L (liked the top loading feature)
Tent: Marmot Limelite 2p (light and cheap, came with footprint)
Bag: Kelty Light Year 20 (compresses nice, light weight)
Pad: Big Agnes Air Core (recommend by REI employee, felt nice)
Filtration: Katadyn Pocket (based on reviews, also wanted something tough in case of emergency at home)
Stove: Jetboil Flash (based on reviews and REI recommendation)
Boots: Soloman Quest 4d (loved the fit, found on sale my size only :))
Knife: SOG Seal Pup (wanted a light fixed blade)
Flashlight: Icon Rouge 1 (made by SureFire)
Utensil: REI Titanium Spork

Does this look like a pretty good loadout so far for what and where I will be doing? And is there anything I am missing?

Also I was wondering about jackets, I currently own a North Face Apex II and a North Face Summit Series 800 down. I know the Summit is light enough to take, but I would prefer to pack my Apex, but I am concerned with the size and weight. Does anyone backpack with an Apex?

Thanks for the help.

You have the basics covered and it'll all work. Some of your choices aren't necessarily that light, but it's work for you.

if you're looking to lighten up, carrying a nearly 7 pound tent
might be the first place to look for a place to change what you're taking.. - you've got 10 and a half pounds there in just tent and backpack.

-Tent-- Heavy!

-Bladder- nix and just use gatorade or similar bottles and save a couple of ounces.

-BA Aircore-- I am not a fan, it is uninsulated (R1) and weighs 22oz which is an awful weight to warmth ratio. I would return to REI and avoid that sales rep. Look at the Ridgerest or Z-lite and you can save money also if you return the product.

- You can lighten your stove by switching to an alcohol stove or even a lighter canister stove and save yourself 7 ounces or more and save yourself over $50 if you return this product.

- SOG Seal Pup-- 5oz if a lot of knife. My Gerber Evo Jnr is 1.8oz and that is seen as heavy by most.

- I have no idea what the flashligh weighs, but a headlamp is less than 3oz and it more useful.

NB: I would be a little concerned about fitting all of this gear, plus your clothing and your 3-5 days worth of food in your current 42L pack-- it may be a tight fit. I have you tried?

Thanks for the info Chris, I have not tried a test fit yet since I do not have my clothes yet. Tent will be split across two people though, so that will minimize space weight.

Just saw your filter too. The Katadyn Pocket Filter with Hose is 1lb 3oz and costs nearly $300 at REI.

http://www.rei.com/product/653573

Personally I would return this, and pick up the Cleanstream gravity filter and some Portable Aqua, saving yourself $150,7oz and space in your pack.

As for jackets. The two jackets you mentioned are used for different purposes. The down is as an insulating layer-- great for those cold mornings or sitting around in camp when it gets cool. Wear over a baselayer and you should be very comfortable down to freezing with a fleece hat and gloves.

The Apex is worn as an outer shell and is more suited to winter use. In the three-seasons it will not only be heavy, but it will also be overkill.

Personally I would ditch the Apex jacket and purchase a lightweight rain-jacket (Marmot Precip etc) and a lightweight wind jacket (Golite Wisp, Marmot Ion etc) and if you haven't got some already a couple of good baselayers (Merino wool, Capilene etc) This would save you money, lower your weight and make your clothing more versatile, than just one heavy and not very breathable soft-shell.

Basically my 3-season layering system looks like this:

-Baselayer
-Wind Jacket
-Pants
This is about all I need to wear while on the move (minus trail runners, boxers and socks).

In the pack for my I carry:
-Insulation top
-Insulation bottom
-Rain Jacket
-Rain Pants
-Sleep wear (optional)
-Fleece hat
-Fleece gloves

How much water are you likely to encounter on an outing? Not sure where you'll be hiking, or the situation in the PNW in general, but down here I can typically get away with carrying two 1L Platypus for drinking water, with a 2L rolled up for either the long stretch without water or to pack water from the last stop to my campsite for cooking dinner/breakfast. I ask because I have a few hydration bladders, and I know I always want to keep them brimming, and water is heavy

Not much to add beyond what others have posted...ditto losing the $300 filter. There are definitely cheaper options, some probably lighter too! I use AquaMira solution (3 oz., $20) personally.

No specific advice from me because I don't know you and your preferences. Do you favor comfort over weight? Do you prefer convenience over weight? Are you on a budget? Would you spend $300 to save 3 ounces? Where do you draw the line? Sure, I could recommend an alcohol stove over the Jetboil to save weight but do you want to give up the convenience? Do you actually cook or just boil water? What is your idea of "light"? You said your Kelty bag is light but 2 pounds 10 ounces is a ton to folks here who carry 15oz quilts. What works in June may not work in December. There are a huge number of variables here.

My point is, there is no substitute for field experience. Go out and see what works for YOU. There will be a learning curve and it will not be free. Keep what works and for everything else, God created Ebay.

42L seems a little small. I have a 65L with similar equipment and discovered there was no way I would be able to slip in 8 days food unless I was bringing a wheelbarrow.

And I can agree with this sentiment completely. Which is why in my original comment I said that what you had looked a little heavy, but in the end you have to decide what works for you. You are carrying a *much* heavier big three than most of us carry in most situations, but some people like bigger heavier gear for a comfort factor, some don't. What you have will be functional, just heavy (by my standards). You may want to consider returning the odd thing and going for something lighter if you are concerned about weight, but realisticly, get out and do it, and you can upgrade later to something lighter.

If you want examples of lighter weight gear lists, look at mine (below) and look at the "18 pound 3 day list" and the "27 pound 7 day list" on www.backpacking.net. Compare the weights of your components, with what is in those lists. It doesn't mean you need to buy exactly what is there, but you can consider gear of comparable weight if you want to get down to weights like that.

Thank you all so much for your advice. I guess I really wasn't clear on my intentions, and honestly, I didn't even realize this was an ultralight forum. Of course in any situation lighter gear would be better, but as of now it is not my focus to have the lightest gear possible. I am more focused on getting the highest quality gear in my price range. My pace will be slow, since I am just starting out, and haven't even had a pack on my back since I left the military and the 40 lbs of gear that went along with it. I really love the comfort of this pack compared to the others I tried on, I don't think I will be out for more than 3 days for a while, so should a 42 be good enough for that? And I do feel a little silly about buying that expensive and heavy of a filter (btw, found it on sale for $200), but the main reason I want that one is to also keep handy in case of a natural disaster or something. But my friend and I have planned an over nighter two weeks from now, so I guess I will take the advice of seeing what works for me while I am still in the window of the great REI return policy. Thanks again for the input, and also whoever gave me the insight on the jackets.

Hey yer from the wet side of the mountains. If you carry a water filter its easy to get water in most of Oregon. I carry a 23 ounce water bottle weighing 1.5 oz with a mini carabiner taped to it, I think it was a 23 ounce Evion bottle. I didn't see what you carry for a pan. Though I've a huge collection of pans I mostly carry only a one liter titanium pan without a lid, and a titanium coffee cup with a soda cap insulator on it. An Aluminum pan is just as good or better, cheaper though maybe not as tough in the long run.
Jim

Alright Jim, you've got my curiosity up. What is the carabiner taped to the water bottle used for?

T

Jim, the Jetboil is its own large cup, from what I am thinking about food so far, I will probably be eating the bag food, or something that can be prepared and eaten entirely in the Jetboil. I did consider the Jetboil group system though. It is the same base system with a pot instead of a cup. Do you think that would be a good idea instead? BTW I was just in Sisters last weekend, my parents live out there.

I use the Jetboil PCS a lot (same as Flash, without the little glow-panels to tell me when it's hot), and dump my freeze-dried meal into the pot to rehydrate (the neoprene sleeve keeps the food hot until it's ready to eat; pouring water into the bag lets it cool down too much, and I don't use a cozy.)

The system is heavy, by some standards; a Pocket Rocket and Titanium Kettle will weigh half a pound less. But, the Jetboil is convenient, and more fuel efficient. The efficiency comes into play on longer trips: last time I was out for a week, I took only one Jetboil cylinder; previously, I'd need a second cylinder for the Pocket Rocket setup I used - and the extra cylinder weighed half a pound, using up my weight savings.

Again, it all comes down to what works best for you, not a purely objective comparison of weight. I find myself reaching more and more often for the Jetboil, just because I like how it works in the field. It's a good system (it's really hard to find a bad stove nowadays), so there's no reason to reject it out of hand. The Group system is probably overkill for the solo cooking you describe - but would be a contender if you intend to go in a group and take only one stove.

You mentioned sharing the tent; if it's just you and one other person, buy a Companion Cup for the other person. You'd have to take turns cooking, but if that second person doesn't always go, you could leave the second cup behind. If you're both pouring water into a bag, you might not even need the second cup - though it might be handy. You can boil 24 ounces of water in the Jetboil cup, even if that fills it above the recommended fill line. I've found that the recommended fill line seems to be oriented toward actually cooking - fill it above the line with, say, a Lipton/Knorr side dish that has to be boiled, and you'll probably boil over. But fill it above the line with water only, and it will never boil hard enough to boil over.

its nice to see someone with similarities. i come from a military family although i cant join(im deaf). its good that you put quality/convience over weight, i have a jetboil pcs. people keep trying to convert me to alcohol, no way, had it for 4years its a snap, fun to watch peo still cooking when im already eating. personally i have the maxpedition pygmy falcon 2 pack 1500cu in 3lbs made out of 500d courdra. heavy to ultra lighters, perfect to me. have a katalyn hiker water filter, surefire6p original flashlight, hennesy scout hammock. essee knive's rat pack with their rc5 knife. all these items are like crazy heavy to a hiker but quality b4 weight. the pack is also my survival bag that i have with me in my car everyday

pdxsdo
I live in the old red house on the corner of Elm (three creeks road) and East saint Helen's at 118. Stop by when you're in town, maybe we can go for a ride up the road with my dog.

The minibiner taped to the water bottle makes it easy to hang it from my pack waist belt.
Jim