your ultra light gear.

C

coping

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3 questions.


What ultra light backpacking gear have you accumulated.?
What ultra light item has helped you the most and has really changed your backpacking life.?
What disomforts do you endure to go ultra light?

-Coping
 
coping said:
3 questions.

What ultra light backpacking gear have you accumulated.?
Click to expand...

Packs, sleeping bags, shelters - getting "the big 3" into a manageable weight and size makes a huge difference. Other than those items, I choose lightweight footwear, insulating clothing, and cookware.

coping said:
What ultra light item has helped you the most and has really changed your backpacking life.?
Click to expand...

I'd have to say the pack(s) mostly. Choosing a SMALL and simple lightweight pack keeps me from carrying too much bulky, unnecessary, and unused stuff.

coping said:
What disomforts do you endure to go ultra light?

-Coping
Click to expand...

It really makes everything much more comfortable during the hike, packing, unpacking, and getting to what I need inside the pack.

The biggest change is that I rarely use any solo shelter that is "free-standing" unless you consider a bivy to be freestanding. I learned how to pick better campsites after getting wet and muddy a couple of times.

I was a little OCD with caring for the down and the superlightweight shelters at first, but now I have a pretty good system and understand what the equipment can take.

I still use a full-size toothbrush.

Is there anything in particular that you might want to know?
 
coping said:
3 questions.


What ultra light backpacking gear have you accumulated.?
What ultra light item has helped you the most and has really changed your backpacking life.?
What disomforts do you endure to go ultra light?

-Coping
Click to expand...

I’m still in the evolution of getting lighter, so I may not be the best source. For backpacks, I like Osprey and Gregory…these aren’t off-trail, bush-whacking packs, but solid packs for typical trail-backpacking.

For late-spring through early fall, I prefer hammocks. I’ve shed a lot of weight with a quality hammock and sil-nylon combo; my preference is Warbonnet’s Blackbird.

Sleeping bag has been a Kifaru Woobie. I can go down to about 40-45 degrees pretty comfortably.

Hiking shoes verse boots; if I keep my pack weight under 40 pounds, I can get away with lighter hiking shoes…Merrell Chameleons have been my choice the past few months.

Cook gear can add a lot of weight and it really depends if you’re restricted from open fires. If I’m just boiling water, I’ll go with my wife’s Crux or Jetboil stoves. If we plan to do a lot of cooking or it is colder temperatures I’ll add the weight of my Optimus or Primus omni-fuel stoves. Another great option is the Emberlit (titanium version) with a Trangia alcohol stove...a lot of options with little weight.

Clothing often becomes too redundant and heavy. I pretty much wear layers and pack a thermal set for sleeping in cooler weather and an extra pair of wool socks; add a fleece watch cap and I’m pretty set for 4-5 days…able scale my layers but it requires focus on staying clean and dry.

My wife and I are going to try a Tarptent StratoSpire-2 for a few trips planned this fall and winter. It’s a pretty light set up and will use our already-carried hiking poles. Milani74 has been using a single and has given it positive reviews.

I have about a dozen sleeping pads, but still go back to the closed-cell Thermarest-Z folding pads.

Cooking kits can add a lot of weight. It really depends if I’m packing for a solo trip, group of two, three or four. I like the Mor’s Bushpot, 5-cup (or larger version if there is a group of three or four). I still pack along a Carbon steel skillet for a lot of campfire cooking, but it’s not needed for instant, freeze-dried meals and longer hiking distances.

My Zebra AA (or CR123) headlamp is by far my most coveted illumination device when backpacking.

The LMF titanium spork is a my preferred utensil.

Normal trips, I’ll pack my Glock 23. If I’m really going light-weight, I’ll go to my S&W 438 .38 SPL or even the diminutive NAA mini .22LR revolver…firearms are just part of my routine load-outs :D

ROCK6
 
Lighter tent, bag, back and stove/cookit My pad is the same weight but way more comfortable (big agnes q core) also way more expensive! Really I am not ultralight, my full pack weighs 25-30 lbs for a 4-6 day trip; it used to weigh 40-45. I don't have any reduction in comfort, actually the opposite, but my wallet is a bit thinner!
 
-I'm nudging "ultralight", but it's just a word to me. I could spend more money, and drop more weight, but most of what I have now is <2yrs old, some <2 months old, so I'll worry about it in another decade. All of my newer gear purchases were very weight-conscious, but I did try to keep the costs reasonable(relatively speaking-you can spend an insane amount of money getting the lightest and "best").
Right now my 800wt down sleeping bags are 1.5 and 2.5lb, respectively, for 40F and 10F EN-rated bags. My shelter is a hair over 1.5lb including stakes and optional bug netting. My pack is 2lb 5oz, and weighs as little as 16lbs loaded with overnight gear and 2L of water. At this point the weight is immaterial to me, and I'm actually ok with adding in a few things that I don't necessarily need. I'm about to do a 3 day, 45 mile trip with a friend, and am taking a 7" fixed blade for splitting wood, and marshmallows to roast on the fire.

-Osprey packs with ventilated backs have made a huge difference in my comfort level while hiking. I couldn't care one bit less if an ultralight pack could save me another pound off my Exos 46. The ventilation is something I'll never do without now that I've experienced it.

-I give up no comforts. I've never been more comfortable in the woods, even car camping. I'm on a 2.5" air mattress in a puffy down sleeping bag protected by a well-ventilated waterproof shelter, and sleep both better and longer than at home.
 
You guys are cracking in some great resourcefull information, keep it up.

my most recent purchase was the primus omnilite ti stove at £175, I tried it out with some coleman fuel, can certainly hear it, im thinking itll last a good few hours while on maximum, feels strong and sturdy.

But I think I may need an alchaol stove to go with It, maybe a honey stove wh ich also takes wood and a alchaol stove. This will reduce noisee polution in some areas of conservation. But this leaves me having to reduce weight in shelter, so I need to re-buy shelter, im thinking just a bivi bag and a poncho tarp, should make it into about 1.2 kilos in shelter, could go less but I notice some bivvi bags seem to reduce strength for weight reduction and strength is something I need, this is something I need a load of education in still.

And im still trying decide on whether I buy a spyderco lionspy or a millitary or one of the other millions of folders out there lol, I think this is where a hobby in blades may appear to be ohnest lol.
 
I'm struggling w/applying the ultra-lite ethos to all areas of backpacking (ie winter).

I have localized my use of U/L gear to 'warm-temp' applications and for pots/pans.

So far, i'm using a Henry Shires "Tarptent" Cloudburst II shelter. It's a good tent given it's gossamer light fabric. Like all sil-nylon fabric it's not rain-deluge proof (unlike my customized Integral Designs MK1 XL which *really* is hard-core storm-proof), but good enough for most backpacking adventures. Also, i like the anodized aluminum pots since they're light and do a good job (i'll never splash out for titanium cookware - just not worth the extra $$$). I really like my MSR Pocket Rocket stove for strict solo use, but lately i'm preferring my Primus EtaPower EF.

Otherwise, i try to use season/terrain appropriate clothing and rarely bring extra items ('cept socks and 1 extra pr of boxer/briefs - ya never know.....ya know?)
 
I might be taking the etapower 1ltr, it has the coils under for better fuel savings too.
They retail at 35 £ which isnt bad an investment.
 
I wouldn't call myself an ultralight backpacker, although I would call myself a minimalist. I have been known to backpack an all steel dutch oven into a campsite but make my own shelter...

One of my greatest investments that has saved a lot of weight for me is my Clark Jungle Hammock. It's good for 4 seasons, is smaller than any tent I've owned, and with it you don't need a sleeping pad. It frees up plenty of space for the good food I like to take with...

JGON
 
I keep my base weight under 15 pounds, but continue to tweak :)

Tent: I have the six moon designs lunar solo 2012 and it is a great single wall tarptent. Went hiking in the red river gorge and had no condensation issues.

Pack: Osprey exos 46. Second the above comments. Great light pack that is durable.

Stoves: As for stoves I have the caldera cone by trail designs. It is very small and light and can be used with the alcohol stove or esbit tabs.

Knives: Unfortunately on that hike I lost my leatherman juice S2. I also carried my paramilitary 2 which was unnecessary if weight is a primary end point. Just ordered a wenger evolution S18 which is only 3.1 oz but has many useful tools that could have helped on the hike.
 
For me I try to bring just one pair of pants and then a shirt to sleep in that's clean.

I like to bring the smallest sleeping bag I have for the weather and also have long underwear in cold weather. That way it keeps me warm on the trail but I can still use a lighter bag.

Also a tent that you can use the outside and the inside separately is a plus.

On stoves it's touchy. I like the alcohol ones but if I have to simmer something I use the zip stove. If you have time a fire is the lightest stove.

One thing Joezilla turned me onto was the sporks and the Orikaso folding bowls.

http://www.orikaso.com/about.php
 
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