Trimming weight

[AWTtrekker]

So I am curious whether anyone has come up with any clever tricks or substitutions to cut a few hundred grams here and there in order to get total weight down. I am not opposed to replacing/buying additional gear. I already have a very light tent option and have just ordered a THermarest neoair xlite which takes about 120g off my current sleeping mat set up. I have a good lightweight sleeping bag and stove also. I need options that will still keep me alive in relative comfort in potential 4 season weather(starting AAWT in October) so getting rid of the tent in favour of a tarp for example is really not an option. I am at the stage of trimming toothbrushes in half, etc

[Mickl]

Put your list of gear up so we can check it out and might be able to give you some ideas.

[ChrisJHC]

Have a look at the "201 ultralight backpacking tips" thread. That should give you some tips!


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[AWTtrekker]

OK so I am not intending to take all of these items(particularly in the clothing section and in that section some items may have more than one or the item will be worn rather than carried), I have just been weighing everything and entering it in to a table so I can play around with combos. There are a couple of small things yet to be weighed before final decisions are made and probably a few things yet to be added to this list, it is quite early stages yet. Everything that is currently on this list adds up to just over 10kg
Sleeping
tent
1200
sleeping bag
1230
sleeping mat
340
pillow
84
fly sheet
709
Clothing

LS wool shirt
239
wool t-shirt
116
cotton shirt
98
balaclava
40
wool gloves
162
underpants
38
sports bra
70
hike pants
250
socks
100
raincoat
794
waterproof pants
230
quick dry t-shirt
115
thermal top
152
thermal pants
140
down jacket

Assorted

schnozel dry bag
58
8L dry bag

15L dry bag

shaker
80
camera
186


boot chains
135
towel
135
survival kit/knife
210
toiletry kit
127
seat pad
27
pack
1840
cooking/eating kit
560
gas bottle

laundry bag
38
water shoes
189
gators
245
compass
59
water bladder and filter kit
235
Food

water bottle
152

[andrewa]

My immediate thoughts are

Tent at 1200g is heavy for one, unless winter ski touring. My Z packs Thingy us 4-500g, and my recent purchase Terra Nova Laser comp 1 is about 700g.

Sleeping bag at 1230 is also heavy. In summer I sleep under a 450-500g quilt (in clothes, if needed). In winter (ski touring, camping in snow) sleep under a 750g quilt, again with clothes - down jacket, pants and booties.

Sleeping mat is reasonable weight.

I think my exped pillow is lighter, or use a plastic 10l wine bladder, which also gets used for water carriage.

Fly sheet. - I'm now down to about 250g for a tarp made from Cuban, approx 12 x8 ft

Would never take anything cotton - doesn't dry out.

Pack is reasonably light, but my own home made 90l pack (bigger volume for carting skitouring boots and packrafting stuff) is only 1500 g.

I'd trim tent, and sleeping bag - these days I don't take any spare clothes - I just sleep in my clothes, which allows them to dry out, and makes getting up for a pee much easier. I've even slept in my waterproof outer layers , just to increase the insulation.

A

[AWTtrekker]

There is a reasonable chance of snow and a very good chance of it just being bitterly cold at night and we are out for 50 days so while I could take a teeny one person tent I have made the call that I want enough space to be able to sit up inside and cook out the door if the weather is revolting, I have already traded my previous tent in that was 1.8kg for this one. As far as the sleeping bag, being a slim female I feel the cold a lot more than a bloke, I feel it would be unwise to take a less warm bag. This one is -17 rated(-9 comfort) and I have been cold in it in my clothes(and it's a good quality sea to summit bag) I am pretty well willing to compromise on or replace most everything else but these are two items where I am prepared to carry the additional weight for the extra comfort they will provide. The flysheet is very optional at this stage.

Things like cotton shirt might be left in a later food drop to be grabbed in late November if I want it, a really thin cotton shirt is my preferred summer walking attire(and drying less of a problem then) but I have wool and quickdry nylon type options that I will look at mainly. I think I have about 4 different shirts on that list and obviously won't be taking that many.

I will probably just sleep in my thermals and throw the down jacket on if I am freezing.

[Mickl]

I didn't think the tent weight was too bad. Unless you're prepared to spend big $ for a tent 1200g is pretty light still for a decent size tent. Which tent is it?

Fly sheet I wouldn't bother with if you're tents big enough to sit and cook in when the weather is bad.If the weather is good then you won't need the fly sheet anyway. If you do need something maybe get something smaller and lighter from Terra Rossa or Tier gear locally which wouldn't cost a huge amount.

The rain jacket stood out to me. I would think you could more than halve that without spending a huge amount and thats where I would start. Pillow could be lighter but I carry a heavier one than that as I sleep well on it. I figure its better to carry a bit of extra weight and sleep well than have a light pillow and sleep badly (which was the case when I used the Exped UL pillow).

Gloves seem heavy? Could you get away with a lighter set of liner gloves which would be a cheap change.

Couldn't see the weight for your down jacket. That could be worth looking at depending on what you have and its weight.

[Moondog55]

152 g for a water bottle? Use a coke bottle there plus a wine bladder?
Change woollen shirt for a nanopuff or is it a LS underwear? in which case ditch one other layer somewhere?
I can see the point of the fly if constant rain is expected but it is 700g.
Does he downie fit inside the sleeping bag>??

[AWTtrekker]

Yeah as I said these weights are just the things that I pulled out of my box of hiking gear, I have a couple of other water bottles up in the cupboard yet to be weighed. I like a long line bushwalking rain coat and this was the only one I could find when I went to buy. It's a Mont mid thigh length goretex. I was a little surprised at the weight.

I have only got a cheap down jacket at the moment so that is one thing I am looking at buying hence no weight currently.

The woollen shirt listed there is one that could be worn either as a base layer or as an outer single layer on a cool day.

[Neo]

Hi the pack is a bit heavy could save 500g+ there and still be comfortable, same with the others suggestions: save 500g on the fly/tarp, 100g on the water bottle, 100g on the bladder (can get a hose for soft platys), try/test a rain kilt or garbage bag save 200g on the rain pants. Check if the survival kit/knife is actually going to be useful, a small pocket knife is under 100g.
Thats about 1.5kg less.
Add in torch and batteries, basic first aid?

[crollsurf]

I second leaving the fly at home unless the tent needs it to stay dry. In which case that is shelter for near 2kg which is way heavy. Don't know the Vic end of the track but there is a heap of huts on the NSW side so cannot see any need for a tarp in NSW.

I'm planning to walk Tharwa - Dead House Gap anytime from the October Long Weekend so might see you on the track. I'm taking a Tarptent Protrail (700g + trekking pole) which is not 4 seasons. Other than the Main Range, it will be fine plus I can wait a day or 2 for the weather to clear if I have to. I'm not missing the highlight of the walk by walking in a blizzard.

[Moondog55]

Bare in mind that I am not a LW walker and tend to err on the side of comfort.
You do have to be able to survive the worst that the weather can throw at you and I see no reason not to use what you already own if it is servicable. But trim the items carried down to what you can wear all at once, replace the slow drying woolens with quick drying synthetics and weigh up the change in total.
Plan to sleep in all of your clothes if it gets cold.
Plan to take more mattress and less sleeping bag and see if the total weight changes.
Which S2S sleeping bag? as 1200g for a comfort level of -9 is on the heavier side these days [ but not unreasonable] but would a lighter SB + all your layers be lighter choice?
Is the sleeping mat a comfortable unit or simply warm? Sleeping comfort isn't given as much thought as it should, sleeping well being a serious issue over a long term walk

[ChrisJHC]

I found that changing from a tent to a hammock system saved exactly a kilo in weight. Add on the advantages of much better sleep and I'm well ahead. You do have to be a bit more relaxed about being in the open (i.e. no wall or doors) but that suits me.

Old system:
Tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag = 3610g

New system:
Hammock, tarp, under quilt, top quilt = 2630g
I could take this lower but it's the old comfort vs weight trade-off.

Haven't done it myself, but there's plenty of videos online about hammocking in the snow ( down to 0F and below).


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[undercling-mike]

What pad have you been using up to now? If you've been cold in your bag I'd be looking at the pad as a possible culprit, you loose a lot of heat to the ground with a not sufficiently insulating pad. Which version of xlite pad did you get? the womens version insulates better than the regular version and may be sufficient for the conditions you'll face (if you're a cold sleeper the womens xlite will probably be good to around freezing) but either version will ultimately be the limiting factor in the warmth of your sleep system because your bag is much warmer. Consider bringing a thin CCF mat to add to the xlite to boost the insulation, torso length to minimise bulk, use it on top of the xlite for the most warmth.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Pack - something like a ULA circuit or Ohm, should save 800 grams here

Rain jacket - could save about 400grams here

Sleeping bag - speak to forum member Undercling Mike, probably save about 400-500g here

About $1000 should save you close to two kilograms.

I also don't bother with fancy bladders. Two 1L "Snowy Mountain" water bottles from woolies is about 80 grams.

[Franco]

Tent 1200g , fly sheet 709 g.
What fly sheet ?

[Moondog55]

I assume it is to be used as an extensiom "Porch" Franco. I do this all the time; the smaller the tent the more worthwhile an extension is IMO

[madmacca]

I didn't think the tent weight was too bad. Unless you're prepared to spend big $ for a tent 1200g is pretty light still for a decent size tent. Which tent is it?

Fly sheet I wouldn't bother with if you're tents big enough to sit and cook in when the weather is bad.If the weather is good then you won't need the fly sheet anyway. If you do need something maybe get something smaller and lighter from Terra Rossa or Tier gear locally which wouldn't cost a huge amount.

The rain jacket stood out to me. I would think you could more than halve that without spending a huge amount and thats where I would start. Pillow could be lighter but I carry a heavier one than that as I sleep well on it. I figure its better to carry a bit of extra weight and sleep well than have a light pillow and sleep badly (which was the case when I used the Exped UL pillow).

Gloves seem heavy? Could you get away with a lighter set of liner gloves which would be a cheap change.

Couldn't see the weight for your down jacket. That could be worth looking at depending on what you have and its weight.

Agree with most of this.

Tent at 1200g seems OK. Tent + fly is heavy.

Rain jacket seems heavy. Halving that would be easy, and getting to 200-300g is doable with a little more. The key is to conceptually separate waterproof and insulation layers. You don't want an insulated rain jacket, as it is too warm to walk in.

Also, starting in October is 3 season, not 4 season. Yes you may well get snow, but not the sustained snow of winter. 3 season gear can cope with snow.

Agree that waterbottles are a cheap and easy way to reduce weight. 1.25 l soft drink bottles are light strong and free.

Also, a 230g gas bottle (replaced along the way from a food cache) will be lighter.

On an extended trip, moisture from sweat and damp clothing can build up in a down sleeping bag, and make it MUCH colder as your trip progresses. With the thermals, make sure you wear them ONLY for bed. And the down jacket you will naturally be trying to keep dry anyway. If you have rest day (or even a long lunch on a sunny day) take the opportunity to air out your bag.

Out of your big 3 (pack, bag and tent), it is probably the pack I would target, as there are a few options at about the 800g mark for $300-400. Although pack purchases should probably be deferred until you have a better idea of what other weight reductions you have achieved, and also your resupply strategy (which will affect how much food you carry).

[Moondog55]

Excepting that with a long line raincoat you do not always need rain pants and I have seen a lot of UL raincoats trashed by scrub, LW windpants over long thermals are pretty warm and a lot lighter and as said while snow is possible you would be smart to make camp and sit out a storm rather than trying to push through as I would be inclined to in winter.
If the pack is a comfortable one I'd be more inclined to save weight on the sleeping bag but that really is a big ticket item.

[Moondog55]

Also I can't rember if you ever told us your size and weight as any discussion of weights for items can fall down badly there, we wind up comparing Winter-Snow apples with Coxs Orange Pippins or Bramleys
I remeber having a semi heated discussion on another forum about weights of items until the other member and I worked out that I was an XXL and he was a medium/slim and could use shorter sleeping mats and sleeping bags etc, those differences soon add up to kilos

[AWTtrekker]

You are right Moondog in that I will often wear raincoat and shorts as a wet weather option. The raincoat is heavy but good quality, I may leave it and the pack to last and make a final decision on it once other items are weighed in. (the coat isn't lined, just goretex but fairly long)

The survival kit is just some basics, blind cord, whistle, compass, etc. Given I expertly tied someones pack together on the last hike I was on using said blind cord enabling them to complete the walk I feel it's a useful addition.

My height and weight, I am female, 5'10" and around 68kg, more muscle than fat due to the work I do.

[Moondog55]

So a short sleeping bag and mattress to save a few grams may or may not work there. Did you see that there was a One Planet Cocoon for sale here
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=25507
Good bag for the trip and perhaps a few grams lighter; well actually 550 grms lighter; add in the LW down parka and a set of thermal fleece and good to -20C
Uniqlo is the personal standard for my LW down parka as all my others are either Arctic weight or nanopuff
https://www.oneplanet.com.au/product/sl ... wn/cocoon/
If you use a fishing shirt it can act as both a wind breaker and for sun protection depending on how you button it up
Never leave out the needles and good strong thread

[Neo]

Ah I see, I've got 2.5mm blind cord too, for a guy line/shoelace/tie something together.
Thanks for this thread I'm buying scales today to check my gear properly!

[Moondog55]

I just weighed my raincoats
My old J&H CaneToad Goretex in XL, slim cut summer use 840g'
My current winter raincoat XXL for layering over everything but short cut 820 g

[crollsurf]

I'm trying to get as lightweight as possible but I'm with moondog when it comes comes to rain gear. I've got a Goretex MD Nimbus 12 that weights in at 700g but I'm not swapping it out. Walking all day in the mountains and staying dry is a beautiful thing. Getting cold and wet up there is potentially fatal, particularly if your tied and lost. Go for quality and sacrifice a few grams. You'll definitely want rain pants as well, shorts or a poncho in the mountains just wont cut it.

[roysta]

OK so I am not intending to take all of these items(particularly in the clothing section and in that section some items may have more than one or the item will be worn rather than carried), I have just been weighing everything and entering it in to a table so I can play around with combos. There are a couple of small things yet to be weighed before final decisions are made and probably a few things yet to be added to this list, it is quite early stages yet. Everything that is currently on this list adds up to just over 10kg
Sleeping
tent
1200
sleeping bag
1230
sleeping mat
340
pillow
84
fly sheet
709
Clothing

LS wool shirt
239
wool t-shirt
116
cotton shirt
98
balaclava
40
wool gloves
162
underpants
38
sports bra
70
hike pants
250
socks
100
raincoat
794
waterproof pants
230
quick dry t-shirt
115
thermal top
152
thermal pants
140
down jacket

Assorted

schnozel dry bag
58
8L dry bag

15L dry bag

shaker
80
camera
186


boot chains
135
towel
135
survival kit/knife
210
toiletry kit
127
seat pad
27
pack
1840
cooking/eating kit
560
gas bottle

laundry bag
38
water shoes
189
gators
245
compass
59
water bladder and filter kit
235
Food

water bottle
152

I reckon your sleeping bag is way too heavy. I have a Western Mountaineering Ultralite -7 at 910g in a compression bag.


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