25 litre challenge

[slparker]

Heresy! repent O Blasphemer!

[Macca81]

The last overnighter i went on, i had my 80l OP Strezaleki. I was taking all fresh food so i put it all in a cooler bag and i was feeling a bit soft so i packed my full sized pillow from my bed... i am certain i could comfortably use a 40l pack, and i think if i tried hard enough i could squeeze into a 25l... i would be confidant of that when i get off my *&%$#! and make a down UQ for my hammock rather than the bulky synthetic one i am using now... Over the winter project i think, to get a weekend out of a 25l pack...

[Bluegum Mic]

Well whilst mucking round with my gear for another thread I've discovered I can do this with ease now. This is for an overnight hammock trip and Id be toasty to around minus 3.

What's in the pack is what I would take for a normal overnighter.

Hammock gear quilt
Leighlo underquilt
Arrowhead equipment cub pillow
Dangerbird hammock with whoopie slings and tree huggers with elephant hooks.
Terra Rosa Gear Sil Adventuring tarp with suspension and self adjusting pullouts.
Down jacket, down beenie, down booties.
Thermal top and bottoms and spare sox n undies.
Head torch and spare batteries.
Full medical kit.
4 pegs
Titanium pot, spork, S2S collapsing cup.
Strive Thai chicken and rice, 2 protein bars, 2 apricot and almond bars, beef jerky, striker salami stick, 2 fruit straps, hot choc sachet and endura electrolyte sachet. I would also chuck in a snaplock bag of nut museli with powdered milk.
Packafeather XL metho stove, lighter and small fuel bottle with metho, windshield and round silicon mat to cook on.
Mountain Hardware epic rain pants
OR helium jacket
Montane Featherlite wind smock
Sawyer squeeze filter and tablets
Map, compass, Garmin Dakota 20 GPS.
Spot 2, whistle and pocket knife
Sunscreen.
2x 1L water bottles
Small piece of blue ccf that doubles as seat, foot insulation in hammock and slides into the hydration sleeve of the pack.

[mattmacman]

AS IF ALL THAT FITS IN THERE!!!

[Bluegum Mic]

It did. Both the quilt and under quilt disappear to nothing. I've got this amazing big agnes stuff sac that's roll top with a toggle bottom. The bottom can be used to make it a pump bag, or its great for pushing every last bit of air out of the sac to compress the contents right down. As you can see the only thing on the outside pockets was my tarp and two water bottles on the side. In one hip pocket was my filter and the other had my gps. I actually still had room in them and would normally have snacks in there (they were in the main compartment). Clothing etc fills the gaps around the bag with TQ/UQ and my hammock. Then food and cook pot (with stove, fuel, folding spork and cup inside). Everything is inside a 20L S2S utrasil liner bag rolled closed. Then my medical kit and map sits on top of that (but still in the main compartment) so I can grab it quickly. Pocket of the underside of the lid had deoderant, aeroguard and 4 pegs. Top outside pocket of the lid had my rain pants. My jacket is the orange thing on the biner with my whistle, suncream and pocket knife.

[Miyata610]

Impressive.

What does it weigh?

[wayno]

Impressive.

What does it weigh?

like a 25 litre pack stuffed to the absolute max

[ULWalkingPhil]

Well done on getting the volume down to 25 litre. The only thing I don't like is the fact you have to compress your down items even more than the stuff sacks.

I done the same, was curious if I could fit my overnight gear into my daypack. It fit, but I had to really squash my down items, which I was not happy with. It did not feel comfortable.

[Bluegum Mic]

Agreed phillip. I've actually bought a Ribz front pack that I put the smaller nick nack items in, snacks, maps...things I need on the go. It was more a curiosity thing to see if it all fit. With my front pack on (which then distributes weight front and back like your aarn) the rest fits in my 25L pack with ease and the down items would be in individual stuff sacks. I did this exact system the other weekend.

As for weight I thought about grabbing my scales but didn't do it. I hadn't filled my water bottles but it really didn't weight much. I didn't feel compelled to want to do the hip belt up. The hammock with suspension is 750g from memory, tarp 350g plus suspension, UQ and top quilt are each in the 400ish grams, down jacket is light, so it would have been 5-7kgs. I've obviously unpacked it and put the down items back in their lofty homes but can re pack it if you like. The only change I would normally make to that line up for an overnighter is a) I would carry my fuel in a slightly bigger tougher bottle ie one that doesn't fit in the pot and b) I would carry my slightly heavier goretex jacket vs the 170g helium. I actually use the helium as a day to day jacket, cycling etc. I would only use it on open bushtracks

[jackhinde]

i used to take a 'monitor 3l hydration' pack out fairly regularly, typically sleeping in gibbergunyahs, but a few times with a tent strapped to the back. no comfort involved except that provided by half a bottle of spirits!

the ribz packs are fun, easy to abseil in one and good for wearing round camp to keep all those nick nacks handy. i used ribz on a 8 day wander in conjunction with my regular 35l overnight pack.

[ninjapuppet]

Mic, your 25L appears like it's about to burst, well done!
Might be more comfy going the next size up pack, but if it does the job, dont fix it.

The newer version ribz released last year are much higher quality and better designed than my 2010 versions. Mine have frayed everywhere

[Bluegum Mic]

Ha yes it was full but it actually wasn't stressing seams etc. It was also one pack ie I would normally fiddle with the layout of contents more before a trip replacking a few times to see where things work best. Truth be told I don't actually plan to just take the Amp 25 alone for an overnighter, I simply wanted to see if it fit and it did.

The new Ribz is great. I wanted to wait for the 2012 one to be released (even though there was some good specials on the old one). Very handy round camp and also for hammock setup etc. Just chuck what you need in the pockets and potter about. Im also planning to use it on snow this year instead of my backpack for resort stuff.

[Lizzy]

Good job Mic!
a little off topic but saw you have a Sawyer squeeze- very interested? Any comments, how do yo like it? I guess you bought it from O/S?
Cheers
Liz

[Bluegum Mic]

Thanks Lizzy.

I really like it. No fuss, comes with the 0.5, 1 and 2 litre attachments, easily maintained in field with a syringe that you dont need to do that often. Id prob only carry the syringe for long walks or areas the water is expected to be really grubby. I got mine cheap off ebay and it was delivered in a week. The water reservoirs are a little flimsy possibly long term but just screw it on a platypus/source hydration one instead. So compact and weighs next to nothing. Really very happy with it. Plus you can squeeze it through, drink direct from it or let it drip filter so very flexible. That and I always carry micropur tabs in my medical kit so its all covered (well pretty much what id expect to encounter in Oz). Definitely worth it in my opinion.