I think the best suggestion of all was to get a postage scale.
Here is what I found I could reduce easily at zero cost. The numbers don't show up well here, so here are the items I reduced. The total savings is 3,178 grams or 7.14 pounds.
This alone will get my pack weight from 43 to 36 pounds. For solo, I can reduce it another 4 pounds with a different tent and probably another pound with a new sleeping bag. Other odds and ends will probably save another pound, so it puts me at 30 pounds for a 4 day trip. As I'm real comfortable with 35 pounds, it puts a 7 day trip easily in reach.
Added: I just realized I'm the water mule, so I can reduce by another 4 bottles of water which is another 7 pounds. That would put me at 23 pounds for a 4 day trip. Now to actually pack a pack and see if it works out. (Is that ultralight yet?)
Full fuel bottle
Half fuel
underwear 2 pr
Commando
Fleece
Long johns
Lots of extra food
Exact food for 4 days
Pots
Not used
Parachute cord
Reduce parachute cord by half
5 pens I found in my pack
1 pencil
Small tube toothpaste
1/2 small tube
4 spare lighters
2 spare lighters
Backup flashlight
Smaller backup
Squirt tops for bottles x 5 bottles
Non Squirt top
Plastic coffee cup
No coffeecup
Toothbrush
smaller toothbrush
2 small camp towels
2 half small camp towels
Full roll Toilet paper
Half roll Toilet paper
Pillow case to hang food
Plastic bag to hang food
Edited by Gershon (08/29/11 02:26 PM)