Any GoLite hikers out there? What do you carry?

Thanks Loco and others.... as I suspected the fleece bag would not be good for our colder months.
 
I do bring my fleece bag in the winter, as an inner layer for my sleeping bag. When the wife and kids come along, we bring bags rated to 20F and a tent, but the bigger load is fine, because I know we won't be doing any big mileage.
 
I'm just starting down the go-lite path as a means of extending my hunting range and to build my wilderness skills.

- 1 on the fleece sleeping bag for ultralight hiking. I have a couple, but fleece doesn't really compress, so they are pretty big. They also aren't very light for the amount of warmth they provide. They have been relegated to our vehicle kits.

I'm saving my pennies for an ultralight down bag and bivy bag.


-- FLIX
 
I do use my bag and OR bivy when I think it will be cold and wet, pretty much like what you have up there in Washington. The great thing about the fleece is that it also doubles as a poncho, and you can wear it around camp if its a bit cool, and it wrings out dry if it gets wet, unlike a down bag. But I'm in warmer weather, and the rain we get in the Sierra during the summer is fleeting, so the fleece bag definitely works for me.
 
I just got back from 8 days wandering around Wollemi National Park (near Sydney Australia) and was wracking my brain for ways to cut down my pack weight. Awesome holiday by the way. :D

I've discovered that you have to decide what is most important to you when hiking. I enjoy carrying around a light pack as physically I'm not a strong person but I have to have a good nights sleep and I prefer to eat meals that have some taste to them.
I have a -2 rated down sleeping bag, heavy duty hammock and thermarest sleeping mat, 87gram titanium stove etc. The main way I can cut down on weight is go camping in summer where I can drop the sleeping mat and sleeping bag if I wish or even just get a big poncho and ditch the hammock as well.
I could also eat less appetizing but lighter food.


Find out where you comfort level is and what gets used and what doesn't. There is survival stuff you always have to carry knowing you will hopefully never have to use it.

I'm looking forward to Summer when I can mooch about the place carrying little more than a daypack for a 2-3 day ramble.
 
"what are your thoughts of the trade off between a blade and the weight you have to carry"

I tend not to factor in any EDC stuff into pack weight. My leatherman is 99.9% always there.

Or you can just think your saving 7+ oz by not carrying a Dog Father :)

J.
 
I usually don't scrimp on my blades:)

The things I have found to lighten up my load are in the pack, sleeping bag, tent and stove areas.

I have been backpacking over 20 years and have a big stock of various things I can bring.

In the summer with no predicted rain I can go the lightest. A little heavier if rain is predicted. If it is going to be cold have to go a little heavier still, or bulky at least since you need more clothes, and I bring my larger sleeping bag.

One thing I haven't tried, that I would like to, speaking of food as we were previously, is to leave out at least one, possibly two meals and forage them. That would save weight too and be pretty fun.:thumbup:
 
Either one of these makes a great ultra light hiking small straight knife if you can find one. Get a small Kydex sheath for it and you're still probably under 3 oz.
 
Though I normally don't bother myself with aiming for ultralight carry, sometimes it's necessary, especially if I have other people with me less used to hiking long distances with heavy loads. In those cases, I tend to carry just one knife, perhaps two: a good Tommipuukko and a SAK, usually a Ranger. Not much to carry with those two, and you can do anything you'll reasonably need to do with those.
 
A couple of the major reasons that I have been migrating ultralight backpacking gear is to offset the weight of carrying a 6.5" .44 S&W 629 and my RAT-7!

-- FLIX
 
hollowdweller said:
One thing I haven't tried, that I would like to, speaking of food as we were previously, is to leave out at least one, possibly two meals and forage them. That would save weight too and be pretty fun.:thumbup:
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That is one of my favorite things to do and I have been doing it since I was a kid. You have to plan your trips around hunting and fishing seasons and seasonal plants, you also have carry more raw materials like flour and cornmeal, but with planning it's loads of fun. Honestly I have eaten some pretty bad stuff however, bluejays and cardinals taste bad, robins are very good, and a crawfish/catfish stew I made one time that my dog wouldn't touch. :D :barf: I have been reading up on historical trekking which seems to be a lot of fun also.

This fall I am planning a 3 or 4 day canoe trip carrying one MRE per day per person and supplementing the rest. I will carry a small fishing kit and my benjamin 392 air rifle, if things go well I should live like a king, if not I will stop at Hardees on the way home. :o Chris
 
FLIX said:
A couple of the major reasons that I have been migrating ultralight backpacking gear is to offset the weight of carrying a 6.5" .44 S&W 629 and my RAT-7!

-- FLIX
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My Redhawk gets damn heavy too but it never gets left home. Chris
 
Running. I know of a bog that has a lot of good stuff in the late Aug and Sept time period so I may try it then.
 
"my benjamin 392 air rifle"- Runningboar.

Got to love those bejamin sheridan air rifles. Classics. :) :)
 
Scottman said:
"my benjamin 392 air rifle"- Runningboar.

Got to love those bejamin sheridan air rifles. Classics. :) :)
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You better believe it, something about blued steel and walnut. And yes rusty is a camera whore.:D :D Chris

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My Spyderco Delica was a gift from my gf (wife now), but for years prior to that I carried a SAK (don't remember which model) with a blade about 1.5-2 inches long and a plastic toothpick that stored in it. I lost the toothpick long ago-chewed it up and wore it down, but that little sak was actually enough knife for me hiking the summer Sierra. I hiked a bulk of the PCT, was on the trail for a bit more than a month, did nearly 25 miles a day, and found no need for any other blade. But that Spyderco became a part of my body.
 
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