Lightweight backpacking

[ppine]

Has anyone tried any new equipment to save weight? Are you leaving more things out? I just bought a new pack after seeing the through hikers with them a lot. It is a ULA circuit made by a small company in Utah. It will carry 35 pounds plus and weighs 2 1/2 pounds.

 

[Grandpa]

That sounds like an excellent pack, Ppine. I'm anxious to hear a report. I have a small Gregory that works well to 30 lbs. My only cutback was replacing a 650 down bag with an 800. That shaved half a pound in summer and a pound in fall and spring by eliminating a fleece liner.

 

[ponderosa]

Some of both. It's getting time to replace our backpacking tents, & the new ones will be lighter. The kids will get down sleeping bags as they grow out of the kiddie bags they use now. The canister or alcohol stoves we use now are much lighter than the old liquid fuel stove they replaced. The other cooking gear has also been simplified & reduced. And since backpacking with kids means heavier packs anyway, I carry very little that isn't really essential.

 

[Simplify]

One move I made was during the warmer months I leave my conventional sleeping bag at home and take a mini sleeping bag, which rolls up to be only a little bit larger than standard water bottle. This saves a lot of space and shaves a few pounds off the bag. If the weather is iffy I will take along my bivy sack and put the sleeping bag inside of it for more insulation.