>SEASON/TEMP RANGE> summer at 50 F to 90 F

Heh. not here kimo - summer has to get me to freezingish and a little below <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

>SHELTER> At least a tarp(AND ground cloth), hammock or bivy.

Ground cloth.. bah.... may will disagree here if they take full pads.

>CLOTHING> One change of underwear & socks and one insulating item like a light vest which can be used to extend sleeping bag temp. range. These are absolute minimums for clothing.

Underwear? I though commando was lighter...

PACK> minimum size 2,500 cu. in.(?) or whatever ya kin git yer stuff to fit in.

2500? bah, I did 5 night trips last year on an 1800 CI pack. interestingly your choice of
timing matters here, on a 6 night out trip, I'd have had to resort to a bigger one.

>COOKING> One pot, one cup, one utensil, one stove, fuel (includes tinder for wood stoves) and "fire >starter" like lighter, matches, etc.

Cup? that's what the pot is for.. isn't fuel consumable?

>RAIN GEAR> Poncho or parka minimum. Pants/gaiters if ya like (NO Gatewood Cape/shelter deals.) >(Quit whining!)

I can think of lots of places I'd just do a windshirt and fleece.

>WATER PURIFICATION> If ya boil ya gotta consider fuel/tinder.

but it's consumable!!!! so I can have 3 litres of gas to save 125 ml of aquamira and my base
weight is lower!

>ROUTEFINGING STUFF> Map, compass (and - but not OR - GPS if ya like)

I never take this on posted trails I'm familiar with. I do elsewhere.

>TOILET KIT> of some sort.

Again - consumables.....

>That's it! No consumables weight, no water weight, no "what yer wearing" weight,
>Just what equipment yer carryin' weight.

You're counting fuel and TP, Tinder, etc. all consumables - at least judging by some of the
"mine is smaller than yours" base weight lists I've seen out there.

>These suggestions say that ALL must carry some version of what is listed. Yes, I realize you may >use a poncho/tarp combo but most don't. Yes I know many won't take a map or compass on a >blazed trail. But remember we are COMPAIRING and these are COMPARISON STANDARDS of >necessities for non-risky travel.

I don't think in particular a ponch/tarp combo is that far out there. I see where you're going, but I think then the comparison standards become somewhat restricting too. One of the reasons many of us are lighter is we trade on experience and a knowledge of where we are going to stay safe and comfy with less gear. Otherwise you get into the realm of carrying solar stills in the canadian rockies in case you get stuck without water - or my frobisher parka in arizona in case an ice age hits while you're out. Yes, I'm being somewhat ridiculous, but it's just taking the "standards" to the nth degree of the standards that have boy scout weight people taking cameras, a copy of their field guide, a rambo knife, GPS, cell phone, laptop, and expresso machine "just in case" - and I may take every single one
of those items on certain trips with certain goals in mind. Just definately not usually.

To me, context is everything. I'd much rather see lists like on the left side, with a general "notion" of
where and what they are to be used for, with a good idea of *everything* than base weights out of
context, and I don't think you can make one context for all - Certainly you'll have issues jamming people like Me, up north, with a context useful for Brum in mexico. Or frankly, even me and someone
from BC like mattress - For example, your specification of a ground cloth - I can and have slept under a poncho tarp in the rockies on a ccf pad. no ground cloth. In many of the places I go there I know this is absolutely fine in Alberta, where I'm going to have well drained decent ground to do it on. - Go to coastal BC and there's no way I'd do it - I'd want me a ground cloth. For that matter if there's fruit spiders forget it, I wanna be in my hammock, but that's my irrational phobias kicking in again..