Nepal gear list

[horsecat]

I just make a pair of micro spikes to go under my runners if it gets a bit icy. Seems to grip great at 15gm each

Would you mind posting a pic of those?

[Supertramp]

How many of the people replying to my gear list actually use ultralight gear in their normal backpacking? Anyone? Some of the suggestions do not seem to be relevant in a ultralight backpacking forum.

Of course I would check and I would not do any pass with reports of bad ice, heavy snow the day before or a bad weather forecast. With all these conditions are met I feel runners are fine. Runners and a light pack means you can move very fast if need be. At times I have walked on snow and a icy trail with runners in Nepal and NZ.

Gee that post from a guy that did the 3 passes in 5 fingers must be mad!

Much thanks for all the comments. I do remember some years ago posting my gear list for the Western Arthurs on this forum and I got abusive replies. Things have improved!

I have an ultra light setup that I usually use backpacking.
To say you will rely on a weather forecast makes you sound like some pathetic amateur. If you want to go and risk your life, go for it, do not however try and have a go at the people that have replied stating that they think your list is lacking somewhat.

I'm not saying you can't do this trip with the gear listed, but if by chance the weather changes you may have a good chance of dying.
So good luck to you & try not to be so rude in the future if/when people don't agree with what you want to do, with the limited gear you're willing to take.

[wayno]

if you are going ultralight, your margins for safety are tighter, end of story.
none of this "oh well i'll go faster and get out of trouble faster" business.
its not a hundred percent guaranted you wont be disabled or slowed down by injury or illness or food poisoning, hypoxia, altitude sickness, lack of sleep, inability to eat enough and hey you dont have enough warm gear for the conditions and even your survival is no longer a given...

honestly, some ultralighters seem to treat the pastime as though its a religion with a commandment that says though shalt stay beneath a stated baseweight at all times and thats all that matters... if they were offered a trip to antarctica, all they would care about was staying within the ultralight base weight range...
thats your choice, but from a lot of peoples extensive experience in the outdoors its not a very good one...
weather varies from place to place, forecasts are regional and even within that region the forecast can vary
yesterday there was a reasonable weather forecast on lake tepako NZ, unforecast high winds hit suddenly and capsized eleven kayakers, killing two of them and leaving the rest with severe hypothermia. so i didnt need to search very far back at all in the news to find an example of bad weather. so dont tell me it was just bad luck, because if thats the case bad luck happens extremely frequently , its just that it doesnt always make the news..

[Moondog55]

You can be Ultralight for the conditions
But even 20 kilos could be considered Ultralight at times
Your trip Your life; it's just I personally would want a bigger margin of safety as I have personal experience of things going bad rapidly because I had too little adequate gear for the worst scenario

[walkerchris77]

I agree with moondog and i think people are just being honest from their experiences. After all you did ask people for their opinion on your kit. Everyone hopes u have a great safe trip and take lots of photos for us.
I was once told take all the advice you can get, good or bad and then do it your way.
Good luck

[wayno]

ultralight hiking started amongst hikers hiking mainly in the warmer months at lower altitudes in europe and the states.
trying to apply it to more severe conditions can be a real stretch..
i look at the clothes and sleeping gear ultralighters take and I know thats not going to keep me warm and may put my life at risk in anything but constant warm weather. in cold weather, thers no way i'm going down the ultralight path, i dont see it as a safe option for me based on my experience.
some of my kit is ultralight and i've used it enough to know what the limitations of it are for me and in what conditions i'm comfortable using it in

[Xplora]

What - No toothbrush??? No deodorant??? I suppose it doesn't matter if you are going solo. I have walked with some ultra-lighters and it annoys me when they borrow your stuff, share your nice nibbles and never offer to carry any of the load. Wayno is right but in the end it is not him or others risking death or injury. Most of the time I never use my extra gear and have thought about why I bother taking it but then I remember all the blizzards I have been caught out in that came from nowhere. I prefer not to rely on others and the authorities to get me out of trouble. An 820g sleeping bag? Not sure about that but you say you can get extra blankets and I suppose you can sleep in your clothes. Hope you have a uneventful (but eventful in the good sense) trip.

[Moondog55]

Ultra lite and very warm at a cost

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/rondoy-down-trousers

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/ultra-down-pullover-k-series
Or better yet something warm

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/yukon-down-pullover-k-series
Or any of the similar clothing from Western Mountaineering

Whatever you decide on. Good-luck and safe travels

[wayno]

What - No toothbrush??? No deodorant??? I suppose it doesn't matter if you are going solo. I have walked with some ultra-lighters and it annoys me when they borrow your stuff, share your nice nibbles and never offer to carry any of the load. Wayno is right but in the end it is not him or others risking death or injury. Most of the time I never use my extra gear and have thought about why I bother taking it but then I remember all the blizzards I have been caught out in that came from nowhere. I prefer not to rely on others and the authorities to get me out of trouble. An 820g sleeping bag? Not sure about that but you say you can get extra blankets and I suppose you can sleep in your clothes. Hope you have a uneventful (but eventful in the good sense) trip.

yeah i hiked with one ultralight guy, he needed to use my stove, fuel, cooking pot, spoon and mug. he did offer to carry the stove for a short stretch because he was so fast he would get to the hut first and get a brew going, he took off down the track, a while later he came up the track behind me having got himself lost because he was going so fast he wasnt paying enough attention to the track markers... then he handed the stove back to me before our big climb up the mountain.... oh and on the second night he pulled out a can of coke he'd been saving for himself...

[walkerchris77]

Id rather take my time enjoy the walk and the view.

[under10kg]

I will ask again. How many of the above posters use ultralight gear in their normal bushwalking?

If you do not GET OFF this ultralight forum. Moderator take note of one or two insulting replies.

I have used ultralight gear in Nepal for 8 weeks in heavy snow, high passes with snow and some ice, high winds etc. Based on my experience and comparing the performance of my gear with others on the same trip with heavy boots and 15 kg + packs I estimate my gear and careful approach is 30% to 50% SAFER! I will post why when I get back to Australia.

[corvus]

I will ask again. How many of the above posters use ultralight gear in their normal bushwalking?

If you do not GET OFF this ultralight forum. Moderator take note of one or two insulting replies.

I have used ultralight gear in Nepal for 8 weeks in heavy snow, high passes with snow and some ice, high winds etc. Based on my experience and comparing the performance of my gear with others on the same trip with heavy boots and 15 kg + packs I estimate my gear and careful approach is 30% to 50% SAFER! I will post why when I get back to Australia.

G'day again under10kg
Welcome back and interesting that you have managed once again to get some amusing, interesting and informative reply posts.
Are you still a Tantric Sex Teacher and does it still work ? and that is why you can carry such light weights

[corvus]

search.php?keywords=Tantra

[aloftas]

...right....no joking please

[Nuts]

C'mon guys, this particular forum sec was set up just so people can discuss ULW gear and techniques, particularly so they aren't harassed.
We all owe recent advancements to those at the edge of their comfort zone, if well beyond ours.

[wildlight]

I will ask again. How many of the above posters use ultralight gear in their normal bushwalking?

Me, big time. And my "normal" bushwalking spans everything from snow to deserts, and I tweak my kit (not by much) to suit.

So I see both sides of this- and the main point would be- if it works, if it keeps you alive, and devoid of un-necessary stuff in your kit- and excess risk on your trip- then go for it. Of course many of the items in the last sentence are open to interpretation- but at the end hopefully… you know what works for you, and you can operate confidently within those parameters.

People I meet on walks sometimes gasp at the minimal stuff I carry- see previous paragraph.

It would be rare to find a pack with contents that couldn't be sensibly lightened.

One day I will tell the story of the guy (from this forum) I assisted last week- he had 42KG (forty-two kilos) worth of stuff- and no sleeping mat at all, for an Alpine Trip. 5 spare cotton T-shirts… he barely made 5k of his 10 week plan. He was out of the forest in less than 24 hours, and on his way home.

"Planning it for 2 years"

I'm hoping he tells the story first, just respecting that it was not MY trip.

Always scope for "lightening up".

cheers
WildLight

**did edit a typo**

[robert allison]

as an ultralight backpacker i would love to hear how your trip went when you get back. as this forum has some very traditional ideas about bushwalking I'm not sure why you bothered posting your gear list here. I'm also thinking of doing a self-supported trip to nepal and wouldn't mind any tips from your experience.
kind regards
robert

[Moondog55]

I'm actually looking forward to the trip report and your evaluation of the trip and the gear you took.
I admit to being one of those dinosaurs but I do and can go liteweight when conditions are good with-in the limits of what I own or can afford to replace. It's simply that UL and Alpine Winter don't seem to gel in my head and my main intention of posting was to not see a forum member become a statistic.

[hobbitle]

Keen for a trip report and gear evaluation, under10kg.

[hobbitle]

It's simply that UL and Alpine Winter don't seem to gel in my head and my main intention of posting was to not see a forum member become a statistic.

It's all relative. You can be UL for Alpine Winter, or UL for aussie summer. They will be different weights. I don't actually like the breakdown by weight that is listed at the top of this forum (light/UL/super-UL etc). It might be a technical definition but if you can carry 15kg for a week long alpine expedition I would consider that ultralight but that's really *&%$#! heavy for a week strolling somewhere warm and not technical.

[wayno]

some of my gear is ultraliight, but the tramps i do i wouldnt want to use all ultralight gear because it won't do the job or it wouldnt last, can get windchill of minus twenty in NZ. i pick my gear according to the trip.. and i wouldnt be going ultralight to do the high passes in nepal at all, the risks of hypothermia , frostbite, trashed gear are too great.

[Moondog55]

It's simply that UL and Alpine Winter don't seem to gel in my head and my main intention of posting was to not see a forum member become a statistic.

It's all relative. You can be UL for Alpine Winter, or UL for aussie summer. They will be different weights. I don't actually like the breakdown by weight that is listed at the top of this forum (light/UL/super-UL etc). It might be a technical definition but if you can carry 15kg for a week long alpine expedition I would consider that ultralight but that's really *&%$#! heavy for a week strolling somewhere warm and not technical.

OK I get that totally and I thought I made that part clear in my post but it was outside of those arbitrary limits wasn't it.
There's a trade-off somewhere between keeping the weight down and still being safe and functional and I admit to being behind in my knowledge of the new UL gear but I'm always going to err on the side of caution. Perhaps because I simply like my comfort?
Or maybe I'm just no longer as fit and hard as I once was or too cautious?

[wayno]

You're not technically in a category for the relevant ul. sul xul unless you are below the stated weight. But you can say if you are using ultra light gear. People who adhere to the convention's can be strict about who qualifies.

[Moondog55]

You're not technically in a category for the relevant ul. sul xul unless you are below the stated weight. But you can say if you are using ultra light gear. People who adhere to the convention's can be strict about who qualifies.

My Bad
I wasn't aware of such a strict convention where safety was concerned

[Supertramp]

removed by admin

[Supertramp]

To give you all an idea as to weather I have UL gear, my overnight pack or multi day pack weighs 4-8kg, 4kg is the minimum if I want to move fast, 8 kg is if I want to take a fishing kit, solar kit, chair & many other luxuries. If I want to I can pack this into a smaller bag & remove what is not needed.
If I culled my kit I could go SUL easily, so please don't start comparing who has the better (or lighter) kit.

[corvus]

To give you all an idea as to weather I have UL gear, my overnight pack or multi day pack weighs 4-8kg, 4kg is the minimum if I want to move fast, 8 kg is if I want to take a fishing kit, solar kit, chair & many other luxuries. If I want to I can pack this into a smaller bag & remove what is not needed.
If I culled my kit I could go SUL easily, so please don't start comparing who has the better (or lighter) kit.

As an old fart you have me totally confused ? regardless of your UL gear what do you eat ,drink for a Day walk? I would have at the least 875g water and bottle and 250gm food so there goes 1Kg of your 4Kg then add ipood ,10 sheet pack tissues ,PLB = + 285g that would leave me with around only 2.9Kg for the rest of your UL gear ? what do you recommend I purchase that I can lighten the load on my old knees with a daypack and raincoat to achieve your 4Kg please.

[geoskid]

[quote="Supertramp"]

So you come on this forum to create trouble?
If you know your kit works well for you on a much longer trip in the exact area that you are going to again, then why post here asking if your kit is suitable? YOU already believe it is suitable from previous trips, so why seek approval from others?]quote]

Nailed it ST.
Handball to the Psychology Dept. and tell em' a sexologist is either doubting themselves, or stroking themselves.
See what they say.

[Moondog55]

Corvus I thought the categories did not count food, fuel or water, just base load weight from the skin out
I have trouble getting to 10kg in good weather I can't ever see me getting any lower But that's because my summer pack weighs 3kg I guess

[wayno]

Weight doesnt include consumables.