I don't think you necessarily "freeze at night."

I'm thinking of the gear I have sitting here. let's see,


as long as I am ABOVE FREEZING:

Sleeping Exped Wallcreeper synthetic: 33 Oz
CCF pad 10 Oz

Shelter/Rain Gear/Packcover
ID Silponcho 16 Oz

Pack: MEC Alpinelite 30 18 oz
Penny Stove + 3 cup pot + stand + cozy + foil windscreen 7 oz

2L platypus 2oz
little thing of pristine 2 oz


Clothing
MEC northern lite pullover 11 oz
Extra socks and liners 4 oz
Ragg Wool gloves 2 oz
2 merino wool shirts 10 oz
midweight long johns 6 oz
Wind Shirt 3 oz
Fleece toque 2 oz
Mosquito headnet 1 oz

First Aid Kit, Swiss Army knife, lighter, micro light, lip balm, bug dope, sunscreen
in ditty bag 8 oz

Stuff sacks + ziplocs 3 oz

There, that totals to 138 oz, - so roughly an 8 pound base.

I know I wont freeze in it, because it's basically my spring/summer/early fall rig for the rockies without the second tarp and hammock. Now, I'll probably be kinda uncomfortable sleeping on the ground, but I aint gonna freeze, I know I'm comfortable in that clothing and bag at night.

I haven't included food, water, or what I'm wearing while hiking. (a poly shirt, convertible pants, brim hat, boots or trailrunners, and poles)

I could probably add food for a couple of days and a litre of water for another 5-6 pounds, so I'd be carrying a 14 pound pack. Will I do that? hell no, I'll carry a 22 pound
pack and be comfy. Any fool can be uncomfortable <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Grunt - Now I just picked up my packed bag to go to jasper in the morning for an overnighter in the snow.... snow and -10 puts a whole different dimension on things <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Heck, just the 70 litre MEC pack to hold it all weighs 7 pounds <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

grunt grunt grunt... If I didn't have to stop and be sedentary I wouldn't need all this clothing....

A ranger friend of mine said they usually only brought a gortex bivy and a poncho liner to sleep in, plus some rain gear. Add a few MREs and a little snivel gear, and that is it for personal stuff. In the end, their pack weighs around 100lbs. That is without the 30lb flack Jacket and ammo vest.

Sometimes I am glad I didn't do it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Eric, I agree. Your list consists of a bit less gear than I carry. I have added extra fuel, extra cloths, extra food and I carry 2 liters of water and 2 sources of light, a Petzel and a AAA mini mag flashlight. My pack weight is right at 26 lbs. and that is as light as I'm comfortable with. That weight DOES NOT include me, my clothes or boots or hiking staff etc., only my loaded pack.

Well, I'm not a fool and I'm not intentionaly going to make myself uncomfortable while pursueing something that's supposed to be enjoyable. 26 lbs, includes a 3 lb 3400 C.I. pack. 26 lbs is the weight of the pack on the start of the trip.
I just bought a food dehydrator so my pack weight will probably go up with all the extra lightweight snacks I can now carry. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Daisy,

Your "equations" on lighter being balanced by safety, comfort and fun are exactamundo! I couldn't have said it as well, English teacher that I am.

Not only will "dishonesty" be revealed 5 miles up the trail as the weight tells its tale when overloaded, but it will also tell in an all day downpour, frigid or buggy night when under equipped.

Yeah, the Boy Scouts and their equipment in the '50s taught me what "roughing it" really meant. Mercifully that era is long gone.

Thanks to all the backpacking innovators beginning with Kelty we are now in an era of lightweight comfort that just keeps getting better. Think just ten years ago. No I-Pods, no SteriPens, no sil nylon ready made tents, no Caldera Cones, etc., etc.

I remember seeing an Explorer Scout wearing a new Kelty frame pack in 1960. I was stunned at its obvious comfort and innovation. My heavy Army Bergans style surplus pack looked like an anvil in comparison. ESPECIALLY without a padded hip belt.

Eric

I stumbled across this post during a search - and I liked it. But let me start by saying that what Rumsfeld said was 'You go to war with what you have' -- what he meant was ' You send someone else to war with what you have.' I really doubt that jerk would be willing to put himself in harms way, but he is eager to send others. And, yes I am ex-military.
Now that I got that off my chest - I totally agree with Daisy. I am somewhere in the mid range. I don't have a camp chair, but I take a good camera. I tarp camp because I like the openess. I might take some heavy food if it sounds good. That sorta person. I used to be a heavy weight packer -- man I brought everything. You should have seen some of my loads in the old days - real knee crushers. And that brings me to my current pack. I found this sight several years ago and lurked around. I had knee injury that I was nursing and rehabilitating and heard about this Jardine dude that carried a light pack - that sounded good to me. A google search and here I was. Learned a lot of good stuff. And now my pack is substantially lighter.
So I guess if I want to carry it, I will. Ever mindful of the knee leaves me with self imposed boundaries, but other than that I don't sweat it too much.

OK Honestly, below is what I take. And I am very, very comfy with it. I have been in deluges, and weathered slight snow with this set up. I have also been a little too warm with this set up in the summer. And if you notice I have quite the list of clothing taken, not worn. When I made this list I pulled everything out and wrote it up as If I was packing it, so as to give a true base weight and not leave anything out. Hence even the calcutlation fo rtp on a 3-4 day trek. I hope this is honest enough for you, becaue it doesn't get much more honest.

Gear List

Catagory Item Weight (grams) Notes

Backpack
Zilch 1800 ci 122 Custom
Sub Total 122

Shelter
6x9 Cuben Tarp 116 Seam sealed
Ground Cloth 48 Polycryo
Ti Stakes 50 8 Stakes
Guy Line kit 4
Cuben Stuff Sack 4 (6 x 6.5 in)

SubTotal 222

Sleeping
WM HightLIte 512 35F
Cuben Stuff Sack 8 (7 x 13.5 in)
Pad/Pack Frame 270 MB UL.90
Sub Total 790

Cooking
Heiny 350 20 W/Lid
Stove 8
Windscreen 10
Fuel Bottle 20 4.5 oz capacity
Matches 4 Paper Book
Spoon 18 Ti Long Handle
Cuben Food Bag 10 (11 x 5.5 x 12 in)
Trash Bag 12 Heavy Duty 1/2 Gal Ziplok
Sub Total 102

Hydraton
Platy Bladder 102 3L W/Hose
Treatment 18 Klear water 10cc
Sub Total 120

Clothing
Wind Shirt 90 Montane Aero
Down Jacket 232 MB U.L. Inner
Combi Hat 34 Turtle Fur
Gloves 30 Poly Pro
Cuben Stuff Sack 6 (6 x 12 in)
Sub Total 392

First Aid
First Aid Kit 58 In 4x7 AlokSak
Fire Starter 8 Mini Fire Steel
Tinder Quick 2 3 Tinders
Tooth Brush 16 Burts Bees Mini
Soap 6 3cc
DEET 6 3cc
Sunscreen 26 15cc
Cuben Stuff Sack 2 (4.5 x 6 in)
Sub Total 124

MISC.
TP 16 10 BLU Shop Towls 5x5
Towl 8 Lite Load 11x11
Light 24 Watch Battery Type
Knife 36 Gerber Mini
30 Gal Trash Bag 52 Rain Skirt/Poncho
Info Lanyard 48 Cmpss, Thermo, Wstl
Camera 136 Olympus FE 240
Aloksak 6 For Camera 5x4
I.D. & CC Card 8
Cuben Wallet 1 For ID & CC Card (3 x 4 in)
Sub Total 335

TOTAL 2207 Grams
2.2 Kilo
4.8 lbs