Planning a light weight overnighter

Z

zhangmaster12

Joined
Sep 14, 2007
Messages
504
Hey WSS,
Im planning to do a light-weight overnight trip. I want everything to fit inside my Camelback HAWG, and around 25lb.

Weather: It will be on a nice hot, DRY day and night.

Packing List:
1) Cheap Comfy Sleeping Bag, just used on a car camping trip, perfect for the weather. + Thin blanket 5Lb
2) Byer the Moskito Traveller Hammock 1lb
3) Mora, BK9, Sven Saw 4LBs
4) Some rice, bannoc Mix, can o' beans, light pot 4lbs
5) 3 liters h2o 7lbs
6) 1st Aid + Bic 1lb

Total:
22lbs

Total: 21 lbs

Now, the most important question, water:
The weather, when I go will be around 96 during the day and around 75 at night.
I will be hiking for about 3 hrs in and 3 hrs out in moderate terrain.
More or less water? I dont mind bringing another 2 liters if needed.

Thanks
zhangmaster12

Edit:
slight chance i will be going with a friend, who will be having to haul his own stuff :D
 
Wouldnt hurt to bring more water. Beyond that seems like you thought of most of it...Bug spray? and dont forget to let people know where you are going and when to expect you back.
 
nate1714 said:
Wouldnt hurt to bring more water. Beyond that seems like you thought of most of it...Bug spray? and dont forget to let people know where you are going and when to expect you back.
Click to expand...

Ah, bug spray. Forgot that. add a couple ounces....
Yea, i extra water wont hurt, ill bring it.

Quick question:
Does soap or purell attract bears?
 
Last edited:
Not sure how your carrying the water but a stainless steel water bottle might be a good idea to have along. And a bandana to filter.

Soap or purell should be stored in with your food supply and hung up when your not there or sleeping.
 
Ditch the heavy/bulky sleeping bag and the BK-9 and replace them with the water you'll actually NEED. You'll be happy carrying less.

Carry a good blanket and you'll be fine in those temps. That's awful hot for nighttime temps.
 
I'm with oldpinecricker in that there's some stuff I'd ditch.

I'm not an ultralighter, in fact I enjoy the thought that carrying weight contributes to my fitness, but there's something in your numbers.

75 F is about 24 C to me. It's cooler here this week and that's exactly the temperature it is sitting here as I type this. As I'm sheltered by a tree I could quite happily put the 'puter down, roll up my shirt as a pillow, and just doze off.

4lbs of cutting tools seems a lot. I guess a Mora can't way much more than a couple of ounces or so. I don't have a clue about the weights of the other two tools but I know I could carry three goloks, a foot of bow saw and a small knife and still come to that weight. I'd definitely want to be making substitutions here.

Load up on water.
 
I am going to use a similar kit on a three day Appalachian Trail hike in a few weeks. I won't be taking a sleeping bag, but I will have a tarp, ground cloth and light blanket. I'll be using a HAWG as well. My pack should come in at about 24 pounds, with some extra on my belt, or around the shoulder.

Water will be three ltrs, and I'll have my Katadyn Hiker Pro. I know the area, it's a section I have hiked many times, and I know where to find water.

Probably taking way more sharp things than I will need, but I like to have stuff with me.
 
So no bag, just a light blanket, thats doable.
More water is def good. Bandanna is good too.
The 4 lbs for Mora, Saw, BK9 was estimated, as I have no clue the weight of the saw or BK9 (lighter than a tramontina 14"). In reality, the two might be anywhere between 2 and 4 lbs. I dont really want to relinquish my big knife, It makes me feel more comfortable to have it with me.

I wont bring a water filter pump or anything of that sort with me, simply because I dont have one, but I will bring pujrification tablets in case I need to get more water.
 
Aha, that's more like it. REI quotes a 15” Sven as 15 oz, and somewhere else says the BK9 is 1.05lbs. That's about what I'd allocate, only ramping up more if it's winter ax time. It just looked like you had 3*BK9s worth in there or a folding saw triple the weight of my little 12” bow.

Personally, water filters are one of the cornerstone bits of my kit. I managed without for long enough but I've been a convert for years and years now. Better taste and reduced pack weight. Anyways, enjoy your trip.

fnwater20100512133844.jpg


:)
 
If it's dry and hot then you should be drinking about 1 liter per hour, but most rarely do. So that's 3 liters of water for the 3 hour hike in. Hopefully you have a water source where you're going. If there's no worry about heavy metals, alkali, and farm chemicals then you can just boil your water from your local water source. If that's the case then you only need to carry 3 liters with you and save some weight. If there is no water source then carry all that you think you will need for drinking and cooking. The rice you're using does require quite a bit of water.

Realistically, I would keep water in the car, chug a liter or so before you start your hike and have plenty for when you get back, which saves weight. If you're worried about weight and you chug water first then you could get away with 2 liters plus the 1 liter in your stomach (still assuming you'll be using a local water source at your camp). You can also save water weight by leaving early or late when it's cooler, so you won't require as much drinking water.

Bring an LED headlamp and spare lithium batteries if you have one. It's useful for so many things around camp, for hiking in after dark, etc. I'm an EMT and doing first aid in the dark sucks.

Those night time temps are toasty. I would go to Walmart/K-Mart/Target and get a cheap blue foam sleeping mat (the wider the better. Expensive Expeds and Thermarests don't matter so much for hammock camping, but wide does). Then you'll have insulation under you in your hammock to keep you warmer and you can lose the sleeping bag. You can even trim the mat down to a 2/3 or 3/4 mat to save a few ounces.

Do you need a map and compass, or is it all well marked trails. Regardless, I don't feel comfortable without a map and compass, even if it is never used. Better to need it and not have it...

Also make sure to leave a marked map and itinerary with someone you trust and what time you expect to be back, and what time to call for help. If you want to be really helpful, then step onto a piece of foil on your carpet to get a boot impression so that SAR knows what to look for. I used to do SAR and it's beyond helpful in busy areas.

Good luck and have fun!
 
Last edited:
If the BK-9 gives you an feeling of security then you'll probably take it. Another alternative is to pick up an staff out in the woods. It's helps you walk with stability and makes for an more formidable weapon than an BK-9 at distances. If you want to sharpen one end with the Mora you now have a spear.

Just a thought.
 
are there no sources of water the entire trip? if so you can cut back on your water (and weight) considerably, all you need is a filter or ClCO2 tabs

when I'm hiking I figure roughly ~ 6 liters/day, it's very rare (actually can't think of one instance) where I would have to pack that much water (we did pack 4.5 liters of water recently on a stretch of a hike in NM where water sources were ~ 15 miles apart)

I agree no need for a sleeping bag in 75 degree weather, they sell light fleece "sleeping bags" that should be more than adequate

don't overlook small but essential items- map/compass, an additional fire starter (and some good tinder), some extra cordage, small mirror, whistle, headlamp or flashlight, sunscreen, bug dope, small repair kit- these items when chosen properly weigh very little and take very little volume, but can make the difference between a good trip and a bad one

have fun on your trip! :)
 
Im hiking the trail tomorrow, so I will report back on H2O. I have chlorine tablets, do they work well? Do i need to keep one bottle specifically for gathered water?
 
if in chlorine you mean ClCO2 tabs (micropur, aquamira) yes they work great- it's all I use

no you can use any bottle, it takes some time (varies on temp/condition of water) for the treatment- so it's good to have some water that is ready to go and water that is the process of treatment
 
Weather Update:
Im going next week. Daytime: 86-90 Night: 60-65.

Will a fleece sleeping bag + foam be enough?

Has anyone used the STERIpen UV purifier? I have Potable Water purification tablets, and I have to wait 4 HOURS!!!!
 
Last edited:
Revised after weather update:

To me that's a jump from about 24 C to around 15 C and that's quite a lot. I'd definitely want some kind of bag for that. Not like one could die just the need for a bit of night time comfort. Personally I wouldn't bother going the fleece sleeping bag route. The advantages of a fleece sleeping bag are that they are tough and warm when wet. Neither of those things seem particularly salient for the trip you have in mind. That needs to be offset against weight and bulk. A good quality fleece [Malden Mills or something] isn't especially light and is particularly bulky. A cheapo light one that folds down small doesn't make for a particularly great sleeping bag, or anything really. In addition fleece by nature isn't especially windproof so it needs something else to stop the air you've warmed inside it just puthering out, be that a shell or Windstopper built in like Gore has. I believe you'd be much better with a happy bargain bin down bag from somewhere like Walmart. We don't have Walmart here but we do have Tesco, and the £30 Tesco down bag is a great starter bag. I've pointed a few people to those as festival bags and they've all been very happy. Sure it's no RAB, the construction is simple and I'd be thinking more along the lines of chicken feathers than premium goose down, but they are quite light and pack pretty small. Leaps and bounds ahead of a fleece bag in anything other than wet. I had one here for a bit and it compresses much smaller than any of my fleece jackets will.

Chlorine tablets work fine with a few precautions. Military, Red Cross, UNICEF amongst others use them. They are the ones I like least 'cos they make the water taste like public swimming pool. An alternative is Iodine based. They don't taste as bad but some people are sensitive to them. Either way something to dump in it to disguise it isn't a bad idea. I take my coffee strong and black so that helps, but I also use effervescent orange flavoured vitamin C tablets from a chemist. I don't give a hoot about the vitamin C it's just a convenient way to carry orange flavouring powder in a tube-of-mints format.

4hrs wait time for the tabs you have sounds huge. They are temperature dependent and the colder it is the longer they take to work. In the temps you are quoting, with the debris screened out, I'd expect about half an hours tops. Still, if that's what it says on the box...
 
this "fleece" bag will keep you warm into the 60's w/ no problem- it's light and packs small- I keep two these as part of my winter car kit (teamed w/ a AMK bivy)

http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/24

steri-pen works (it eats batteries fast- not a worry on a overnighter) if the water is clear, cloudy/murky water less effective

most folks don't wait the full four hours, if your water source is suspect then I would wait, if not an hour is typically what I wait

the wait is why I suggest at lest two bottles- one is ready to go, the other is being treated, the next source start treating the one you just drank- now the other is ready to go- repeat :)
 
You might want to upgrade those 4hr tabs to Aquatabs. These folk have them:



AQUATABS® Water Purification Tablets - International Aid Agencies & NGO's


* WHO specification (The New Emergency Health Kit 98)
* UNICEF code-S1588350/355 and S0003245 UNDP/IAPSO-UNCSS code-356461
* NATO Stock No. (NSN) 6850-99-225-1833
* International Red Cross, Red Crescent Society IFRC & ICRC-code DASDCHLA0005T/5000T
* Canadian Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Kits
* Médicines Sans Frontières DDISZBD001; DDISNADCIT; CWATYCHNST
* Water Supply Regulator 1989 No.1147/25/1 DWI 56.4.462
* European Standard EN12931: 2000


AQUATABS® Water Purification Tablets -Military & Police


* WHO specification (The New Emergency Health Kit 98)
* US Marines Special Ops Command
* British Navy, RAF and Army
* O.P.P. Provincial Emergency Response Team
* Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
* French Armed Forces
* French Foreign Legion
* German Armed Forces
* Russian Army
* Finnish Army
* Thai Army
* Singaporean Army
* Irish Armed Forces
* Indonesian Army


Q/A -

"In most situations, water treated with AQUATABS® is safe to drink after 30 minutes. In some temperatures and conditions, 60 minutes might be recommended. Please see the dosage chart included with each product for more information".

I'd be going the full hour for cysts or high threat areas only.
 
I hike in Florida, during all seasons. My utter minimum water consumption is 3L in summer, and 2L otherwise. That's uncomfortable at times (early symptoms of dehydration). I always stash recovery fluid in the car.

Bear
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top