Ultra light kit

[mattmacman]

Hey guys, long story short iv'e been converted to the idea of Ultra Lighting. Im looking to more or less completely replace my kit.
I already have a decent jacket, a Outdoor Research Helium and a exped UL7 sleep mat, also on that note has anyone had any experience with this mat as im worried about the material bursting, suggestions?
Im not too worried about a shelter at this stage (but suggestions are appreciated) as my local track has huts. For a pack I have been looking at the gossamer gear mariposa + as I havent seen many other options. For a cook set i have been looking at the caldera cone range. My sleep system will be a down quilt or top bag, i have been looking at the hammockgear.com range of quilts. As for everything else ill burn that bridge when I get to it. Thanks to everyone in advance for input.

[wayno]

i had exped's standard weight exped mat one, it punctured, and that was using it for a spare mattress at home.....
it's a problem fixing pinhole punctures in the bush, it's a problem with all inflatable mats though....

for a pack i preferred a black diamond infinity 60l, it's not ultra light, 1.7 kilos, fanstastic comfortable pivoting harness and shoulder strap system, couldnt bring myself to sacrifice that for going lighter.

[Bluegum Mic]

I can tell you golite have their jam for $69 on their website and pinnacle for $79. I quite like the ULA packs too.

[Mark F]

There are many light packs but first you need to work out what capacity you need. As you transition to lighter walking you will reduce the capacity you require. While most packs have an ability to adjust the capacity, but this ability is really only useful for around 20% of the capacity. My own pack is a Six Moons Swift which I now find too large for weekends, (I have a base weight of under 4kg for my 3 seasons walking) and am currently making my own which will have a capacity of around 35 litres which will do me for 3 -4 days. Remember that when you are carrying light loads you don't need "pivoting harnesses" and vast amounts of padding these are just excess weight (they are useful when still carrying 20 kg)

As you go further into UL don't make decisions too hastily; make sure you analyze your needs and then practice with the gear. UL has quite a bit to to with technique and knowledge (both SUL) to get the most out of it. For one start reading the forums at www.backpackinglight.com This will expose you to a very wide range of lightweight gear and techniques, but bear in mind the conditions you walk in as you read the posts.

Some brands you might like to consider:
www.sixmoonsdesigns.com
www.zpacks.com
www.mountainlaureldesigns.com
www.gossamergear.com
ULA has already been mentioned
For something a little more mainstream consider Osprey - they have some very comfortable packs that come in around 1 - 1.3kg

[Aushiker]

Hi

If you are a BackpackingLight member you might want to have a read of Mark's experience, assuming of course you haven't seen it yet. Mark is from Perth so his experience has an Australian focus to it. His blog can be found here.

Andrew

[Mountain Rocket]

The best lightweight gear "recommendation" I can make is to sign up for Backpackinglight.com, if you haven't already.
I know that is not entirely useful for you at this stage as far as the goals of this thread goes, but it is entirely relevant to your light weight ambitions.

[mattmacman]

Thanks guys I will be sure to check out all the stuff you have suggested.When looking at the Caldera keg it is around 750ml, is that enough to cook a small meal for one in?

[Aushiker]

Thanks guys I will be sure to check out all the stuff you have suggested.When looking at the Caldera keg it is around 750ml, is that enough to cook a small meal for one in?

Depends how you define cook I use a Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri which is a Caldera stove. It weighs in well under 750 g at 62 grams and my whole cooking kit comes in at 403 grams. It is detailed here (Excel spreadsheet).

Andrew

[hikingoz]

Hi mattmacman. Just to state the obvious UL gear is not nearly as durable as standard gear. Make sure you have the right equipment for each trip. My 2c for free.

I second bluegum about the golite packs. a great way to cut some weight. (although the mesh pockets won't last long)

[mattmacman]

Thanks abceight, im aware of this and I will take my normal kit on the more rugged hikes. As for quilts does anyone have any other suggestions apart from hammockgear.com, i have recently discovered that I very much resemble a rock in my sleep when im tired from hiking. Preferable around -3 to allow for flexibility.

[Penguin]

Hi mattmacman. Just to state the obvious UL gear is not nearly as durable as standard gear. Make sure you have the right equipment for each trip. My 2c for free.

I second bluegum about the golite packs. a great way to cut some weight. (although the mesh pockets won't last long)

Just did a trial pack for an impending eight day walk using a Golite Jam. Just on 8.1kg without food. No just need a way to fit the fit the food in.

The Jam is a great and comfortable pack for me. It will be a challenge to fit in the required things for a longer hike, but I love a challenge.

P

[Jellybean]

Hi Matt,

All of the lightweight packs that have been mentioned so far seem to get good reviews. I've also thought of trying the ULA or Gossamer Gear packs but have the Golite Ion (daypack, no longer made), Jam2 and Pinnacle (I think they have a good combo of light weight and durability). I'm now living in Perth so if you are interested in them and no stores stock them here you're welcome to have a look at mine. If you're just buying one lightweight pack and decide on a Golite, then I'd buy the Pinnacle. There's not much weight difference between the Jam2 and the Pinnacle, you can make the Pinnacle almost the same volume as the Jam2 by using the compactor straps, but also undo the compactor straps to get more volume - important in winter if you are carrying more gear. My 2 cents.

Cheers,

JB

P.S. How was your trip to India?

[mattmacman]

Hello there JB, first off the trip was awesome, thanks for those warm clothes, it got very cold up in the mountain! I was sick a few times over there including the last 3 days of the hike where I had to ride a donkey up and over some mountainous areas. Ill be sure to upload some pics and possibly vids soon but the SD card reader seems to have decided it would die so Ill get to that later, I got back on Christmas eve.
As for the gear im looking at im surprised by some of the suggestions, last time i bought up ultra lighting I felt very narrowed by the options and the weights etc, I kept getting told the stuff I was choosing from was too heavy! Maybe thats just my attitude towards UL changing.
As for the pack situation the Pinnaclelooks good but for UL is 825 grams too much? My only other real options is the mariposa+ at around 650 grams, but at the same time the golites are on sale at the moment, and really 175 grams is worth it for me for the more 'pack' like qualities that the golite poses's. I think it is a no brainer now, cheers everyone, especially you Jelly Bean (yet again )!
Onto the mater of a shelter, I dont intend on making the move to tarps for the moment, I know I could get used to them etc, but that isn't for me. I have been looking at the tarp tent range and I like the look of the TT Notch, the rainbow and the strato spire, they do weigh around 750 grams, 850 and 900 respectively. Is this too much? Thoughts?

[Jellybean]

Hello there JB, first off the trip was awesome, thanks for those warm clothes, it got very cold up in the mountain! I was sick a few times over there including the last 3 days of the hike where I had to ride a donkey up and over some mountainous areas. Ill be sure to upload some pics and possibly vids soon but the SD card reader seems to have decided it would die so Ill get to that later, I got back on Christmas eve.
As for the gear im looking at im surprised by some of the suggestions, last time i bought up ultra lighting I felt very narrowed by the options and the weights etc, I kept getting told the stuff I was choosing from was too heavy! Maybe thats just my attitude towards UL changing.
As for the pack situation the Pinnaclelooks good but for UL is 825 grams too much? My only other real options is the mariposa+ at around 650 grams, but at the same time the golites are on sale at the moment, and really 175 grams is worth it for me for the more 'pack' like qualities that the golite poses's. I think it is a no brainer now, cheers everyone, especially you Jelly Bean (yet again )!
Onto the mater of a shelter, I dont intend on making the move to tarps for the moment, I know I could get used to them etc, but that isn't for me. I have been looking at the tarp tent range and I like the look of the TT Notch, the rainbow and the strato spire, they do weigh around 750 grams, 850 and 900 respectively. Is this too much? Thoughts?

Hi Matt,

'Good to hear you had a great trip (apart from the sickness, seems hard to avoid there, no matter how careful you are). 'Look forward to seeing some pics!! The GoLite packs really fall into the LW rather than UL class but are much lighter than the "regular" backpack (which often weigh in the vicinity of 3kg+) and more durable than the UL packs. A good compromise in my book (although I'll probably still try an UL pack one day, for now I'm very happy with the GoLites).

You can trim some more weight from the GoLite packs by trimming some of the straps (cut with sharp scissors, then use a lit match to seal the ends to stop them fraying). Certainly the straps on my GoLite packs were very long. Once I'd used them a few times - with a range of loads, including max - I trimmed the straps to the longest length I needed. Some people also cut out the sleeve inside the pack that holds the bladder to reduce weight (not necessary if you don't use a bladder), however I've left mine there as I use a bladder and find the sleeve useful for keeping it in place.

The prices mentioned by Mic on the GoLite website are awesome! (I was really happy to get mine for $100AUD each on sale, they're normally close to $200AUD). Make sure you use the size guide to get the right size for your back (this is easily done).

Cheers,

JB

[Franco]

Just to go back to the Caldera Cone bit...
The Keg version is probably the lightest and about the most fragile.
Most people that use it do not cook in it, they just boil water and do the "freezer bag cooking" bit. That is just add boiling water to their dehydrated food mix inside one of those bags, seal up, cover (or use a "cozy") wait for 10-20 min and eat.
http://www.trailcooking.com/
I prefer the CC version with a Ti pot because it is a lot stronger for not much more weight. (TiTri 550ml version. http://www.titaniumgoat.com/TiTri.html)
For re-hydrating I use the bags that are made for vacuum packing, safer (for me) than the other kind.
As for the CC in general, have a look at the Hiking Jim articles.
Franco

[ninjapuppet]

Matt, sounds like an exciting trip you had there.

I have 2 caldera cone sets but find them a little troublesome and find that I don't use them any more. Into these gram counting weights, packability and size becomes more important to me than weight. The mountain laurel designs pot and its matching caldera kit packs much smaller than the keg with its hard case. It's also only a few grams more. I also replaced the caldera stove with a starlyte stove so I don't need the 2 stakes to hold the pot.

[mattmacman]

Cheers Franco and NP, I think Ill still go for the caldera cone but go for one of the pot variants, I'm thinking one of the 1L pots so I still have the flexibility of cooking in the pot, is a 1L pot enough to cook pasta? Also I think Ill give the freezer bag thing a shot, Id like to be able to come into camp, boil some water, chuck it in the bag, then use the rest for a brew straight from the cup. Is it worthwhile getting non stick or should I just get a regular pot so I don't have to worry about scratches etc?

[Franco]

Generally the pasta I cook is the instant noodle type (without the flavouring...) but some of the quick cook pasta with sauce meals are also OK
(can't think of the name at the moment but the macaroni and cheese type)
That you only need to cover with water or add some boiling water (the mac&cheese) unlike real pasta that needs to float about.
(you can cook two squares inside a 550ml pot)
Cous cous and pre cooked dried rice are the other two starting points for my hot meals.
I have a food dryer.
If you go the "freezer bag" way it is important that you find reliable bags (try them at home) or just get some of the pouches sold for "vacuuming " food or just a Decor type polyethylene container.
Polyethylene does not add that typical plastic taste other stuff does.
To successfully re-hydrate food after adding hot water , wrap the food pouch/container with something (I use a large Chux , my kitchen "towel") then you put that inside your sleeping bag .
That will trap the heat in Dutch oven style. Same for the freeze dried meals.
For a full solo meal the container needs to hold 700-900ml (700ml is enough for me)
I don't like the coated pots because when I cook I use dirt to clean them with (IE sand/soil) so that will scratch the coating off, however most coatings are not toxic (if you don't eat them by the spoonful)
BTW, the Ti version of the cone will last a lot longer and you can burn wood inside it if you have to.
Franco
I might shoot a video next week on how to prepare very simple and cheap hiking meals.

[mattmacman]

Cheers franco, the rigidity of the bags is the main worry for me! I have already tried to source the proper foil bags before but to no avail, what is the best option for bags? Id appreciate vacuum sealing the food in the same bag as i cook it in to save on rubbish, effort and weight.

[Franco]

Matt
Most, if not all, the bags used in the vacuum seal system hold boiling water, as a bonus I don't detect any taste from mine (can't remember the brand but I bought them from Myer..)
I have used some of the same pouches for 3 maybe 5 years , I just wash them when I come home.
Basically I use two ways .
One is I have a full meal , say risotto with mushroom and chicken, in a vacuumed pouch (much "longer"then it needs to be) . I open that , add the boiling water , fold the top, wrap with the Chux (or something...) and shove inside the sleeping bag. (I cook several portions, dry them , bag them and vacuum them)
This bag will be a bit shorter the next time but I get several uses out of one.
The other way is to empty a packet of cous cous (could be rice or pasta) in a pouch, add to it my dried veggies and some herbs/spices/olive oil , my dried meat, add the boiling water and fold.
Again the trick is to trap the heat inside that bag.
If out for more than 4 days I also buy freeze dried meals so that I can go on and on about how my meals are better anyway.
BTW, Often the pouch will sit inside my beanie as I eat
Franco

[mattmacman]

Ok, so now I think ill get the caldera cone ti tri (possibly switch the stove for a starlyte) with a evernew 1L deep pot that way I can still cook meals, but ill probably get into camp boil my water put some in the bag while getting on a brew or soup. Thanks for the ideas guys!

Any thoughts on the Tarp Tent Notch?

[mattmacman]

Bump =) Any thought on the Tarp Tent notch?

[Mountain Rocket]

Any thought on the Tarp Tent notch?

If you have not already have a read of http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... d_id=56180 and http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... d_id=56180

There should be some valuable information buried in there.

[mattmacman]

Didn't see those, cheers! Any personel thoughts/ opinions?