How about the duplex, looks pretty good.

I'd like the Plus, but then the staked footprint gets even bigger and a slight increase in weight. I did not like the footprint of the Solo Hex, but never tried to see if I could adjust that.
Off to bed.
Duane

Too busy to really think this out right now, but few mentioned rain jacket. Are you only going if the weather report is for no rain? TP - do not need- for one night use the wash with leaves method. Water filter - I would not take it in most the areas that I backpack. Obviously no-cook food eliminates stove and pots. Only take your hiking water bottle and finger food. One of those filter/squeeze bottle combinations might be nice, but is that technically two items? First aid kit? Meds? I once forgot my allergy pills and suffered greatly. I know some folks have meds that they HAVE to have. Poncho-that-doubles-for-tarp is probably a good item. Also, if you had a tarp, you could wrap it around you for a rain jacket. You get your rain jacket plus shelter all in one. No steaks needed either. I never use a compass - just map. I suppose if you use a GPS, that could be one item for maps, watch, etc. I like my trekking poles, but they are not a necessity. One night only- ditch the toothbrush and paste- in fact all personal gear. I left my ditty bag in the trunk of my car once on a 3-day trip and although it was not pleasant, it was not a deal breaker. Headlamp- I often do not take any artificial light on my regular trips - even 10 day trips.

You need very little, really. BUT, at some point you are leaving out stuff that may be needed in emergency. The risk goes up.

What is this "rain" of which you speak? We don't do that round here, anymore.

Cheers,

Oh, no doubt with more commitment to lighter gear I could squeeze into the profile. The wife and I always go as a team and with that in mind I think 12lbs between us would be doable. Items like the shelter become more like 1lb a piece instead of 2 lbs. for one. I like the challenge of items carried rather than total weight. I would be more strict in that regard. Then you really have to weigh out what is more important and if you are willing to carry the penalty of weight. You're fabrication skills become a great value as yours making poles and tent stakes. That's where it could be a lot of fun. Also makes it easier for all types backpackers unlimited, light weight, ultra light weight and super ultra's to join in the fun.

I do find the thread fun to think about and what I REALLY value when left to making skinny choices of gear.

jimmyb

As far as personal meds. IMO it would be foolish for anyone organizing such a challenge to penalize anyone for taking health or possibly life sustaining meds. That would be begging for trouble.

Well unless they considered something like their sleeping bag as a pill box/bottle.

jimmyb

I would love to hear your list WD!

Now THIS is a good thread!!! Speculate smeculate....I say lets do it! Assuming the clothes on your back don't count here is my first pass list.

1) backpack
2) sleeping bag
3) pad (could do without this but I hate getting sap on my sleeping bag now. As a kid it didn't seem to matter)
4) gatewood cape style/ poncho (if no rain could do without) (for multi day could replace with one pair of spare underpants)
5) food (eat with fingers)
6) headlamp
7) matches or lighter
8) knife
9) Water bottle
10) filtration/water purification (I have gotten away without this but in drought conditions I think I will be hesitant to do it say this summer in the Sierra)
11) Flask of fine scotch wiskey....medicinal use only of course

Running out of time...got to get to work. I know I'm missing something but that is my first pass.

I find it interesting that so many folks take a headlamp and a water filter. If I take a light it is just a little proton squeeze light and I take chlorine dioxide tablets.

Obviously different strokes for different folks.

Ok. I think I remember how this works ... I used to use the large poncho as a multipurpose item; rain gear, ground cloth, and shelter. But I needed some line with it to pull it off as shelter. So, assuming the clothes on my back don't count, and ignoring food for now, here is what I have.

1) backpack 1.5 lbs
2) sleeping bag 2lbs
3) poncho (extra long as I am tall) 0.75lbs
4) paracord (handy stuff, but If I need to bring a bear canister and it doesn't look like rain, this item is out-a-there!)
5) extra pair of socks (I can go commando on multiday while the undies are drying, BUT I have to take care of my feet. Bottom line is I need 2 pair to switch out each day now) If the trip is overnight I can go without for sure. Otherwise I need to be able to peel off socks, wash and dry them at the end of the day. Could be optional depending upon conditions.
6) fire starting kit (I always carry one JIC)
7) knife (I always carry one JIC)
8) headlamp (I could do without this but would rather not)
9) 2 liter plastic bottle or platy under 2 oz
10) water filtration/purification (under typical Sierra Nevada conditions I could do without this) this is somewhat location/condition dependent for me
11) Well, this is food. Waaaaaaa......sniff sniff. no room for scotch I guess the spare socks are out after all.

Concerning food. Many areas do not require a bear canister and my stuff bag for the sleeping bag plus paracord equals food storage. Where we need a canister, I need to drop another item. Boo.... there goes the scotch again.

Are we assuming set up for solo? period? I am a little unclear on the "rules" to be honest.

edit: just read through the entire post. Depending on the "final rules", I may have to change my list quite a bit . And I got a few good ideas. For the shelter, does the cord count like the stakes ect.?

I think the cord for the shelter should not have to count as an item, many shelters have the cords attached.

As far as a head lamp goes, I use mine almost every day, around the house, at work, camping. It has become such a useful tool I just don't see going without. I have a tiny LED cord lock light that replaces my main cord lock on my pack to see gear inside the pack. I really like multipurpose items. Like the poncho tarp, rain gear and shelter rolled into one, same with the trekking pole.

My SAR team used to do a fanny packer overnight.

My list would be:

heavy duty contractor bag
first aid kit
water purification tabs
metal water bottle
fire starting item (matches, lighter)
food
cord
clothing layers
tarp
map
watch

with so little, stuff is carried in the bag, which also lines the bough shelter or keeps you dry in rain. A granite overhang and a long shallow trench with embers can be a pocket of warmth on a cold night. Water can be boiled in the fire or treated with a tablet.

edited to remove the compass. you can find north without it.

ProAmateur tip: I leave lines attached to my poncho so I don't have to rig it every time I string it up, so would consider it one item. Save that scotch!

Cheers,

Okie dokie, here's mine:

1. Poncho-shelter
2. Jacks or Better quilt-parka
3. Pad
4. Groundcloth
5. Knife
6. Lighter
7. Water in filter bottle
8. Cookmug
9. Headlamp
10. 1st aid kit
11. GPS

ETA: did I mention I'll be carrying a bindle? Step 1: find stick....

Cheers,

I have never been sold on knife and headlamp as essential, if considering only an overnight trip. Proper trip planning can make the headlamp non-essential on short trips. I always think about setting up camp long before it gets dark. On most nights, except the overcast no-moon nights, your eyes will adjust to night time lighting. As for knife, all I ever use mine for is to cut food!

I assume the list is for what you would take on regular overnight trips in your area. We know we can survive with nearly nothing, but the list is mainly about priorities. If I were limited to 11 items, I would check the weather report and simply not go out if the weather were iffy.

1. Sleeping bag
2. sleeping pad
3. shelter - bivy sack- can sling over me if it rains
4. backpack
5. water bottle
6. insulating/wind proof extra layer with hood
7. 3 pound chunk of finger food- like fruitcake! Ha ha
8. map
9. first aid- if one item only allowed- large roll of FA tape
10. wool long johns (if cold) - or trade for camera if not cold
11. wool balaclava

I would not want to go more than overnight without sunscreen, toothpaste and tooth brush, lip balm, matches (fire building stuff),kerchief (my do-all item for towel, first aid, etc. Also would not go without mosquito repellant on if bug season. TP for longer trip. I think I would go without a bear canister even if required. I would just eat all my food at dinner and walk out the next day without food- no food to store, so still legal. The whole first aid thing is problematic if only one first aid item is allowed.

"clothing layers" is more than one item.

1. Backpack
2. Tent
3. Quilt
4. Pad
5. Water filter
6. Stove
7. Food
8. Mug
9. Socks
10. First aid
11. Poncho

This list assumes I'm somewhere warm and I'll just hike naked. The poncho just to keep me dry in event of rain.

That would consist of a jacket.

If I am only allowed 11 items and there are Ten Essentials which should be taken on every hike, then I guess that leaves me only one more item beyond those ten, right? If so, then I choose a PLB.

More seriously, I may yet take a bit of time coming up with a list, but whatever I put on it, I will never take only eleven items, because there will never, ever be a need to confine my choices that drastically. On the contrary, if I voluntarily took so few items I would be unnecessarily endangering myself.

I think I'll try it. I probably won't sleep, but it was a training for SAR - the unplanned overnight, using your day pack. It's not necessarily endangering you if you're trained well enough to manage with skill what is often managed with gear.

I agree that this is something that you would try out as an overnighter first. I would even go one step further and say try it out in an area you are at least somewhat familiar with. I'm going to try this out after I give it a little more thought, although it'd be more fun to do this with someone else. I'll have to see if I can talk one of my friends into trying this (hehehe )

A short 2-3 mile hike in and try it out, except bring one extra item, a notebook and keep notes about what works and what doesn't . Better safe than sorry, a trip or 2 would tell you what works and what doesn't.

If the idea is to survive an unplanned overnight, then I suppose I should just list what I normally take on a day hike - but when it comes to that, I never count the items I bring with me; I just think about what it would take to survive if I had to stay out overnight, which varies depending on the expected weather and the hike location.

Long ago I noticed that most day hikers were woefully underprepared for an emergency night out and I now habitually pack for that possibility, no matter how familiar or populated the trail might be. I don't take enough to be especially comfortable, but I'd almost certainly survive the night.

Good point. If there's any chance at all of a quick weather change, I toss a bivy sack into my daypack in addition to the usual stuff. The combination is adequate to get me through any non-injury three-season misadventure I might encounter. Probably not comfortably, but adequate to make it through the night unscathed and ready to walk out. That's the goal, right?

cheers,

If the list must include the clothing worn, then it would be quite difficult as that is 4 items minimum right there, 7 items are typically worn by me (shoes, socks, pants, undies, base layer, wool shirt, hat). If those are excluded from the list of 10, it isn't hard for me to also stay under 6 lbs. This would be a minimalist kit, not one I would ever take.

1. Fanatic Fringe Backpack 9.6 oz
2. JRB Stealth Quilt 15 oz
3. Xtherm pad 15 oz
4. OES tarp 12.2 oz
5. 1 L platy 1.3 oz
6. cup 1 oz
7. knife 3.5 oz
8. lighter 1.1 oz
9. poncho 9.2 oz
10. bandana 1 oz

10 items 4.3 pounds, could make it lighter by dropping the tarp and using the poncho and swapping the xtherm with a ccf pad.
Like I mentioned, this is not a kit I would ever take on a trip. I like sleeping in my hammock too much and cooking food.