I think this is going to have to be a two semester course.

The first semester will be learning how to build a pack. The final project will be to get a 4 day pack under 27 pounds including food and 2 liters of water with a BTS under .55. The cost of food WILL be included in the cost of the pack. The student will be required to carry 3,000 calories a day and no more than 1.5 pounds of food plus a very small allowance for packaging.

The student will purchase this setup and backpack a minimum of 30 nights in it during the summer.

The second semester will be to whittle down the pack weight using the cost per gram saved.

The student will first eliminate things they do not need and recalculate BTS based on the original cost of these items.

The student will be given a budget of $257. They will go through each item of their gear, research an alternative, and calculate the cost/gram saved.

Then they have a choice. They can purchase the gear or save the $248 for the next year to make a bigger purchase with a lower cost/gram saved.