Bogley

[Sombeech]

Here is my backpacking list, to be leaving in one week. My goal is to stay at or below 45 lbs, which is 20 lbs lighter than normal. I am doing pretty good for now on reaching that goal, but hopefully somebody can point out something on my list, or absent from my list.

This will be for @5 nights, and won't include what I wear on the hike in:
1 pair pants
1 pair thin shorts
2 short sleeve shirts
1 long sleeve shirt
1 pair sandals
fishing gear
mess kit, stove, fuel, lighter
foil for cooking
camera, with lithium batteries
handgun w/ extra ammo
tent
sleeping bag
light air mattress (single)
2 empty milk jugs (for water storage)
headlamp
wet wipes
toothbrush, toothpaste
hammock ( 1.25 lbs )
day pack (camelback hawg)
100 oz bladder (7 lbs full)

Food:
10 packs dried oatmeal for breakfast
5 packs dried mashed potatoes
6 lipton chicken noodle soup bags
2 cup o noodles
POSSIBLY 2-3 Mountain House bags
2 18 oz Gatorade powder containers

I could go lighter by exchanging the air mattress for a foam pad, but dang they're comfy. I've thought about leaving a daypack home, but it will be nice to haul the fishing gear in on the day hikes.

[Shan]

tarp for under tent?
water tablets or purifier?
sunscreen?
rain gear?
bear rope?


do you need more protein for your food? how about those foil chicken pouches? no draining and add to mashed taters and maybe a gravy pouch?
how about some midday snacks, like granola or power bars or jerky? all the food looks like mealtime food.

oh, and do you fire up the stove for lunches?

[Sombeech]

Oops, I forgot. I've got a poncho, and I'll be bringing some sunscreen/mosquito repellant lotion.

There will be water purifiers there, but I'm still thinking of buying one. The rope will be added to the list as well.

[Shan]

Duct tape!

[accadacca]

Shan wrote: Duct tape!
:naughty: What's that for?? :haha:

[Shan]

accadacca wrote: Shan wrote: Duct tape!
:naughty: What's that for?? :haha:
Uh, I don't know what you're thinking!

[accadacca]

All this talk of mtn house has made me start to consider. I have never really used them much. I am always able to find things at a regular grocery store. :ne_nau:

[TreeHugger]

OK, I'm leaving at the end of the month for 5 nights backpacking in the Cascades (Enchantment Lakes area)

I'd like my pack to be 30-35 pounds tops.

What I wont be bringing that is on your list:

~The extra pair of pants - replaced with something clean to sleep in like long johns which can also be worn under pants for cold nights.
~The fishing gear
~The gun
~The foil (although a great idea, I dont know if open fires are allowed)
~Hammock - love it though!
~Water jugs - but I like the idea, may think about that one.
~Day pack as the top of my backpack can be used as such

I will add:
~A journal/sketchbook
~A fleece for warmth and pillow
~First aid kit/emergency stuff
~Bear Canister/rope

And as mentioned: rain gear/sunscreen/water purifier and iodine in case it breaks (that happened to me at the botton of the Grand Canyon!!)

We usually do the prepackaged food for convenience with some store bought stuff thrown in. Havent gotten that all figured out yet. Always bring powdered gatorade or something similar as I get tired of plain water for so long.

[Sombeech]

I'll tell you what, those milk jugs are awesome. They're super light when they're empty, and you just put the strap through the handle to pack them, so they don't take up space inside.

You can fill them up with water, or you can mix gatorade in them. It's nice to have them around, because they're easy to pour from, rather than pouring from your bladder.

I do like the long johns idea instead of pants though. hmmm...

[stefan]

YMMV, but bladders and pouches are nice in many circumstances, since they are not only superlight but can be rolled up into something very small (more true for pouches, i.e. thin membrane bladders).

for me this is useful on a backpacking trip when it's clear to me that only part of the trip will be waterless and on the other parts i can easily stash the pouches out of the way. they're also nice if you are going hiking and want to get water on the way back to bring to camp, since they don't take too much space. but all this is resting on the fact that i can't stand things that take up too much space unnecessarily ... but again YMMV.

milkjugs on the other hand ... i met one guy in the buckskin gulch once, who was on the very final leg of his trip on the Arizona trail, which goes from mexico to utah, and he was continuing to page after the buckskin and lower paria (what a hike :2thumbs:) .... anyhow, he said at one point in arizona he was going to be 5 days without water and packing up a mountain, so he had 5 one-gallon milkjugs additionally tied to the outside of his pack, which he shlepped across the desert. one thing he mentioned was that the handles of these jugs was strong enough to make this less of a problem. kudos

[Sombeech]

stefan wrote: YMMV,
Sorry man, what does that stand for again?

[Alex]

One thing I always pack with me is Crazy Creek PowerLounger Air, I got mine for 35 bucks at REI. It goes over your existing matress, so you don't have to haul it seperatly and you get a comfy camp chair to sit on.

Also, you might want to bring a GPS, spare batteries for both gps and camera. I'd recommend getting Jungle Juice from REI. I have the older kind with 98% deet and that stuff works wonders against mosquitos.

I also bring zip off pants, then you have shorts and pants in one package.

[accadacca]

Yup, good idea on the zip off pants...those will be in my pack. I also don’t screw around will cheap repellents either. Ya just never know how bad the bugs are going to be. I don’t have to worry either way. I have been using the Repel 100 for years and years. It claims 100% deet. :naughty:

[JamisJockey]

Shan wrote: Duct tape!

Duct tape is good, but electrical tape will do almost anything that duct tape will do, and comes in a smaller roll.

[Alex]

Plus electrical tape is smaller and lighter, and it doesn't leave the glue crap all over.