almostthere
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putting on my hiking shoes....
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Post by almostthere on Feb 14, 2016 9:59:12 GMT -8
I can get a bear can, food, 2 liter hydration setup and all my gear in my 45 liter Gregory. But that's if I take the tarp and not the tent or hammock. I usually take the ULA Circuit which can hold 68 liters using all the external storage pockets, and it's plenty big enough.
The gear for me is the same whether I go for one night or ten. If I have more fuel and a bigger bear canister, plus extra little doodads for the hammock (I love my hammock but you can go a little crazy adding extras to it), the Circuit still works great. Since my gear doesn't weigh any different (less than 15 lbs before you start throwing in food and water and fuel) I can do well with a lighter pack.
Your cooking style and the gear choices will determine the pack and its size - and its features. I don't need a pack lid with the Circuit, as all the junk that would go in the lid fits in the side pockets with room to spare. Nor do I bother with large or multiple pots, a full place setting, a bunch of spices, or anything else that would be in a kitchen for someone who cooks -- just a pot and spork, and a cup, thank you. Boiling water is the one thing I do. Cooking, cleaning, and making things in bowls -- fuhgeddaboutit. Not on your life. NOT doing dishes out there. So no cleanup junk either. The simpler the kitchen, the less you pack.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2016 10:35:07 GMT -8
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almostthere
Trail Wise!
putting on my hiking shoes....
Posts: 696
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Post by almostthere on Feb 14, 2016 12:17:10 GMT -8
Yeah, "expedition" backpacks of 100 liters or more? Not happening in my world. I've seen those before. Dude with his entire kitchen, tent, sleeping pad, various jackets and a spare pair of boots on the outside of the pack swinging while he walked -- no idea how many hot tubs he had inside the thing, but just say no to too much gear....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2016 12:29:37 GMT -8
almostthereI figured the article would give some assistance to the orginal poster. Me, I am sitting at a gear weight of 10.8 pounds, though there was a time when I was a spooner.
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Post by paula53 on Feb 14, 2016 17:24:17 GMT -8
It takes time and a lot of money to get the weight down. Tarp tents are not that expensive for the weight savings. What will get you is the sleepingbag. A good light weight 800 down bag is very expensive. Most of the weight you will carry is from the bag, the next is from the food. Do your homework, and look for sales. Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, Marmot and others offer quality, en rated bags, that are light and built to last a lifetime.
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zeke
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Peekaboo slot 2023
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Post by zeke on Feb 14, 2016 18:16:55 GMT -8
For anything more than a single overnight, the heaviest item in my pack is the food, even without a bear canister. I have also found that while a little trimming can be done there by not taking more than 1 day's extra food, it really can't be reduced beyond a certain point. I hate bonking due to a lack of calories. If I return home with more than 1 lb of extra food, I reconsider what I took. Ideally, I am not starving upon my return, but stopping at the first good cheeseburger joint is a sign of just the right amount of food taken.Most of the weight you will carry is from the bag, the next is from the food.
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jazzmom
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a.k.a. TigerFan
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Post by jazzmom on Feb 15, 2016 9:04:58 GMT -8
daveb, there are a lot of numbers you've tossed around except for what I think is probably the most important, which is how much your gear weighs. It's generally pretty easy to guess what your base weight is going to be based on key gear items, like sleeping bag, shelter, pad, but once you start talking specialty gear like cameras, you really need to nail down the weight range. For beginners, that first trailhead pack weight will invariably be MUCH heavier than you thought it would be when you were considering a 4lb tent and wondering if it's too small... Trust me on that one. I *strongly* recommend that you weigh your photography equipment, and then start making a list of the major gear pieces you're considering buying. Believe it or not, your non-major "incidental" gear items, like your kitchen, water treatment and containers, first aid and emergency, plus clothes will typically weigh more than your big three combined (shelter, bag, pad). I usually figure 1.25lb per day for consumables -- that's food, fuel, toilet paper. That's on the low side for food; most guys would probably be around 2lb per day or more. Water is 2.2 lb per litre. When you do the exercise above, I'm going to guess that your first list adds up to about 40lb for maybe a 4-5 day hike. Before you add your photography equipment. You really want to make sure that the pack can carry that ballpark weight comfortably. Your pack isn't where you want to start saving weight. Then go to a gear shop, have them weight a pack with 50lb and walk around the store for a while. Chances are good that it will make you re-think some of your gear choices. It's worth doing this before you find that you've bought a $500 car-camping tent.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Feb 15, 2016 10:14:22 GMT -8
Zeke and Jazzmom between them have nailed it. We've trimmed the weight of the "big three" very well, and I've managed to get us down to about 1.25 lb/person/day for food (including dessert most nights!)", but when I sat down and weighed every single item that goes into my pack, I started to sweat. Little stuff adds up. And yet...I use all of that stuff. Then I start wondering if I can have a lighter version of things. This is why we always end up spending that entire huge REI dividend! Well, that and having to buy packs etc for the offspring. Which reminds me. Second Son needs a pack...
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idahobob
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many are cold, but few are frozen
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Post by idahobob on Feb 15, 2016 14:53:20 GMT -8
You don't determine the size (capacity) of your backpack. Your gear decides that. I can do a weekend backpack using 2/3 of my 50L backpack. I could probably do a 7 day trip with it also, if no bear canister. But my sleeping bag (quilt) packs to the size of a nalgene bottle and my tent is as big as a cantaloupe. My camera is a point and shoot, with no extra lenses. No tripod.
As advised above, you need to go into REI or some other store with some selection, with all your actual gear in a box, and pack up your actual gear into some packs of different capacities. Leave room for food and clothes, add weight for the food (2 lb per day for me) and see what works. For me on a 6 day trip, half of my 62 L pack is filled with food.
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amaruq
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Call me Little Spoon
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Post by amaruq on Feb 16, 2016 12:21:24 GMT -8
A good general purpose size for starting out is about 60-75L. I primarily pack a 75L bag that gets cinched down as needed.
My camera equipment is kept to its own bag strapped somewhere outside the main pack; to it or to me.
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