Cut toothbrush in quarters. Cut all shirts into belly shirts. Use leaves as blanket. Cut sunglasses in half- only need monocle. Shave head/legs. Bring only olive oil for food
Well... 1. Skip the sit pad, or cut it down so it's just big enough for your backside and no more. You can use a bit of Tyvek or something instead, or just a Dyneema bag that you can fill with vegetation. 2. I know you said you don't like to carry trekking poles, however for the climbs I saw on your map, and them being void of vegetation, I think you're going to want trekking poles. IMO the Durston Icelines might be the right option as they're tent poles as well and they're very light (though not as light as the Z-flick poles which I think is what you have there). They'll be safer though. 3. Get a multi-head charge 'octopus' vs the longer multiple cables you see there. They're lighter and more compact in your pack. 4. You could skip the ditty bag pouch. Do the double-bag thing. On the inner bag, after you get your down inside, compress it and give a twist, then put your electronics in there, twist and tuck. This way they're organized and truly waterproof and protected. 5. The 10kmAh battery should be enough. I think folks in your line like to go with more camera than you really need. Most of what most people watch between each other is on cell phone video anyway; I'd say a Go-Pro is more than enough and the quality is just fine. It's really the audio that makes a video. 6. Don't change your 1st aid kit. You know what's in it and I presume it's been tailored down to what you find usable and useful. Those passes are going to be rife with tricky steps that are plenty easy enough to do some damage to yourself. 7. Why not skip the Sawyer (I know you said it was a place-holder) but there's no reason you can just use a drop-in filter on one of your 500ml HydraPak soft bottles. That'll let you filter into one and drink from the other trough the filter directly. Carry a CNOC bag or something if you feel like you'll need to camel some water between points here and there. 8. Food bag. You could skip this as well and just do the same method I recommend for the electronics. After you seal the electronics, drop the food in; it's already sealed so no leak worries, and even if it did, you'd be in a separate bag. If you need to hang it, you can hang your whole pack or just use one of the primary bags tied off and used as a food bag in a tree. 9. You're going to be at altitude and I doubt you'll really be desperate for a meal RIGHT NOW! so maybe consider taking Esbit tablets. They'll burn at high altitude, don't take up much space, are easy to pack, and you really don't even need a stand for the pot; just use some rocks or dig a little hole. I've got the same setup you have, but honestly I've just started to get away from isobutane stoves; they're noisy and bulky (the canister at least). You can always snuff them from burning, and they do double duty as fire starters in an emergency. They pack smaller and are a diminishing weight as you go. 10. I doubt you're eager to add much, but I'd STRONGLY recommend some gloves. You're looking at a lot of rocky terrain and likely loose footing, so I'd add a pair of gloves.
I find using a gear list tool like PackWizard super useful for planning out my gear when trying to have an ultralight pack. I like the ability to virtually "swap" items or remove them completely. I am also really excited to try out the Rockfront system. The price is great and I like that their standalone quilts have a draft tube along the sides.
@@BackcountryExposure @JustinOutdoors Did you actually order this gear from Rockfront, or did they send it to you for review? I don't see a way to purchase from them here in the U.S.
@@BobbyBergie for me, they did send samples of gear for testing. They do ship worldwide, and I was told that they potentially are going to be available on GGG. But when I put my address in the check out it gives USA as an option.
You need to start pushing the bidet again. It is cleaner and lighter, and the majority of the world uses water rather than TP. But mainstream backpackers just can't imagine using a bidet...
Lots of solid recommendations already. I havent seen an important one though: Repack your food. All the wrappers, bags, packaging and so forth adds up and is bulky. Think of how much bag there is in your average freeze dried meal compared to how much space the food actually takes. The ziplock bags that can stand boiling water (ironically enough the freezer ones) can substitute a ton of those packagings for much lighter and compact form factor. One of those reflectix cozies can also help a ton in holding heat for the meals while you wait for it to rehydrate and are pretty light. The greatest thing about this tip is that the bigger the amount of food, the more weight you end up saving, so when it matters most, multi-day food carries, is when you save the most. A single wrapper might not seem like much, but once you save the weight of several of them, thats when it starts paying off. Im not saying you will save pounds of weight of your food carry, but when going ultralight, its usually the small wins all combined that allow you to shave off that extra pound or 2.
I keep my freeze dried meals in their original packaging but I do rip off the tops and chuck the desiccant package before hand. Then I squeeze all the air out and seal them up. It saves minimal weight but reduces my trash and surprisingly saves quite a bit of space.
First of all, great kit. Excellent items, very minimal list, excellent weights. Many would love to have this light a kit. Here are a few suggestions to simply get it down to the minimum. Obviously this would take a significant invest to do all the suggestions, but if you just want the minimum kit these suggestions might help. Some take no investment at all. Gear List Review Backpack - Change to Gossamer Gear Murmur 36 with sit pad - 13 ozs, save 6 ozs Sit Pad (one included with above pack or just don't take one.) Either way, Delete - save 4.25 ozs Instead of using hand wipes and Hand Sanitizer in your poop kit, buy alcohol based, individually packaged Wet Wipes like they hand out in restaurants. In total they are quite light especially compared to the weight of liquid hand sanitizer and the bottle. Also, typical hand wipes are also quite heavy. Carry only the number you will need for the trip. First Aid Kit - As a general rule almost all of us carry more than we need. Eric Hanson (I think) showed a first aid/gear repair kit in his last video that had only the essentials and weight only about 4 ozs. - save about 3 ozs Cook kit - Cut the pack towel in half or fourths. Electronics - Only take the 10,000 milliamp bank. Don’t need more for 3 days generally. Will you even need to charge anything during a three day trip? Consider only 1 cable and an adapter that will fit all your equipment. I think Jupiter Hikes carries a special adapter that has 3 or 4 adapters tips to fit almost anything. Leave the leggings - save 3.90 ozs Leave the extra underwear - save 2.70 ozs Leave the insulation layer. Use the midlayer and the rain jacket. - save 6.65 ozs Tent - ZPacks Plex Lite Solo tent plus only 1 tent pole. - save 10.8 ozs Leave the quilt sheet home - save 5 ozs (estimated) This is a total of about 3 lbs. As my statistics professor would say, “Not an insignificant amount.” Or he would say “Practically significant, not just statistically significant.” Again, a great kit. You are to be applauded.
If you're bringing a rain jacket anyway, I'd ditch the mid-layer OV hoody AND the puffy for an Alpha 90 (or 120 depending on what temps you expect) hoody which fills both those roles. That would be good down to freezing with the rain jacket over it, and is much more comfortable to hike in for those early morning starts. Sleep system looks really interesting, but again if you're looking to cut weight ditch the sheet for the pad and just bring the quilt. A 1/8" Thinlight pad from gossamer gear is lighter than your sit pad, gives the same cushioning for sitting, and is more flexible if you need another layer under your sleeping pad due to unexpectedly cold temps. Personally I love using mine in the vestibule of my Xmid, nice to have something clean(ish) and soft to kneel on as you get into and out of the tent.
I do a lot of scrambling and peakbagging out in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Its rare I carry less than 20 lbs for a day trip, so I would say your pack is already crazy light. I don't know exactly the level of scrambling your going to be doing, but a few possible things to consider; 1. I rarely do much without bringing a helmet. In scrambling terrain, there is a chance you fall, and a traumatic brain injury is possible. Much more significant risk is if anyone is above you scrambling the same route, they can, and often do, knock loose rocks down at you. Heck, I've had a raven hanging out on a cliff edge, and when he took off, he incidentally chucked a fist sized rock off the cliff right in to my path. 2. Gaiters help a lot with scree getting in your shoes. They are basically essential in some terrain. You can look in to lightweight/trail gaiters, but in my experience they shred pretty fast. 3. Don't underestimate how much EXTRA water and food you will consume. I usually pack 3500 calories per day for a multiday mountaineering trip. I typically drink 4-5 liters of water. I'm probably carrying more weight and doing more work, so you probably don't need to pack as much as I do, but just keep in mind your calorie and water needs will increase. 4. I never wear shorts in alpine terrain. Your legs can get pretty ripped up in rocky or boulder terrain if you are wearing shorts. I like convertible pants for summer scrambling. 5. Satellite imagery can make terrain look less technical than it actually is. Honestly, those images make me think they are pretty serious scrambling terrain. It doesn't look to me like its a simple scree slope. Make sure your route is actually something you have the skill to do. 6. I don't spend time in the Uintas, so idk how they compare to the Cascades. But here in the Cascades, when you get to high elevation, temp differences between day and night grow quite large. It can be a 70F day, and below freezing at night. 7. I think that pack is frameless? If you insist on using a frameless pack, make absolutely sure it doesn't move or shift when you lean to the side, forward, or back. A mobile backpack is not good for balance when scrambling steep terrain. 8. A lightweight pair of breathable gloves with leather palms for scrambling, to protect your hands from being ripped up. Leather is by far preferred, as it provides the best grip, but you want only the palms and fingers to be leather, not the backs. biking gloves might work really well. The gloves I use are from Outdoor Research and are no longer being sold.
Thanks! I won’t down play the importance of a helmet in situations that impose the risk. I come from 20+ years of climbing experience and a helmet is a critical piece of my kit, even when sport climbing. That said, I’m omitting a helmet in this case as the route isn’t much in terms of class 4 scrambling. Rather just steep scree and a little class 3 in sections. I’ve spent many many years bagging peaks in the Uintas and am very familiar with the terrain and such. So I have high confidence in myself and skill, but keeping caution and smart decision making employed. Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective. Love the discussion!
If you decide you need 20k of battery, 2 Nitecore 10k weigh less than a single Nitecore 20k. Cold soaking would save a bunch of weight, but if you’re going to cook, don’t ditch the pot lid. For the minimal weight, you will lose a lot of efficiency. You didn’t specifically mention sunscreen. Don’t forget that. If you aren’t sure about the warmth of your sleep pad, putting the sit pad under your butt/ hip area can help a bunch.
I think part of the struggle here is I am still a few weeks out so some of the final gear choices will come down to what the forecast shows. This was at least a starting point and gathering everyone’s suggestions will be super helpful. I’m going to seriously consider a no cook/cold soaking option.
I'm also a cross country fan, but the usual backpack is designed to carry with the center of mass somewhere close to your back -- and somewhat high. Your small pack probably won't utilise a hip strap, but that's fine since they're okay for the trail and poor when scrambling. What I'd be looking for is not necessarily less gear, but a better way to carry it. The Savotta Askare 7L hip bag could take 7-9 lbs of weight right off your shoulders for the whole trip. Water, food, compact heavier items like camera and electronics. Plus, it makes a perfect shelf under your top pack at a moments notice whenever needed!
rockfront products are really great quality for very reasonable price. I own their rockfront 600 sleeping bag and I love it. very versatile with two-way zipper in the middle which may be fully opened to make it a quilt/blanket, or open just the bottom part to regulate temperature. they have a lot other unique solutions. brand definately worth checking out.
"Ask yourself and yourself only if your path has heart." -Don Juan. That said, you asked US. You could ditch the electronics altogether while temporarily saddling loved ones with grief, the kind they might forget about eventually, like if you made it back. Going bare old school is equivalent to climbing Everest without oxygen, ask anyone.
1) 1.5L or 2L Evernew bag is lighter but you’d have to use that Sawyer or a Platypus 2) Yinow Combination Set USB-C w/ your Nitecore 10k. 3) no extra bottoms, you'll be fine. 4) nyloflume liner 5) reduce med kit by half at least 6) sit pad is heavy for what it is and you should consider 1/8" thin light pad (gossamer or outdoor vitals) 7) food isn't "bad" but for 2 nights, try cold soaking if even just ramen and oatmeal, which is probably in your pantry already. Context: I have a SWD w/ nashville vest straps. so similar pack and just did 8 days w/ buddy going PCT. so same pack style and i have ALL the above and used many times. I cold soaked for 8 days to reduce weight as i took 8 days of food. i usually cold soak in summer.
My husband and I were just camping 1/2 miles below Gunsite pass/Kings Peak area and he took the Nemo insulated tensor pad and it was a cold sleep. My Termarest Xlite was warm sleeping on the ground. Temps were low 40's. For a three day hike I would ditch the stove and cold soak or take bars and don't take the mid-layer fleece. I just took my Montbell puffy and it was enough, plus Patagonia leggings. Ditch the sit pad. Have fun, it was smokey even in the Henry's Fork basin. Lots of Moose.
Awesome! That’s great info. August in the Uintas can be wild with monsoon season. So I’m being cautious. But knowing you were good just below gunsite with those layers is helpful. Thank you!
Seems like a solid setup already. You had a lot of ideas already about what to leave behind, and of course that would be my reco as well. You can obviously go lighter than what you have, but that's assuming you want to spend the money. Options for lighter on the big 3: ZPacks Hexamid pocket tarp (157 g), which would also eliminate one of the two CF poles you're bringing. Gossamer Gear Thinlight foam 1/8" pad (76g), Trailheadz Ethereal 1000 fp down 40 degree top quilt (15 oz or 425g) Also, I realize it's summer in Utah so it might be colder at elevation, but do you really need a mid layer AND the puffy? Anyway, thanks for engaging with your audience! :)
Great video! It’s a superb list but I’m going to make you happy by cutting weight yet improving comfort - I would only exchange the pillow for the big sky international one, it’s only 1 and a half ounce pillow and it’s super comfy. And I would add one more extra pair of socks for camp - Farpointe Outdoor Gear has Alpha Camp Socks that weigh 12 grams per pair. It makes a huge difference to get into a clean and warm pair of Alpha socks at night.
Hi Devin! Way lighter than the load-out you had for the Sawtooths. I’m always looking for ways to cut weight, but I also like my comfort. 😉 The Katadyn filter fits on the Hydropack water bladders. Mine leaked quite a bit, so I stuck with the Sawyer Squeeze. I’m excited for you! This looks like it will be an epic trip. Have a blast!
1. Some type of sit kneeling pad is going to handy in that extremely rocky area Devin. I’ve seen some people like Darwin use a shortened, foldable version of the 1/8 pad that OV and Gossamer supply. I don’t remember what company sells it. You’d have to call/text Darwin and ask. Also, your small ground sheet that is similar to Matador’s expensive one could be an option. 2. I think Miranda has a CNOC collapsible water bottle and it, I think, fit the sawyer. The sawyer is just to reliable for a long trip like this (don’t forget the plunger, lol). 3. Eric is really good at conversing his phone’s battery during longer trips. And if you need battery juice for all your rechargeables I found out two 10,000 Nitecore battery banks, combined, is still smaller and lighter than one 20,000 battery bank. 4. I’m curious about the longevity of a new rain jacket. I’d OV’s more weight? Did Darwin come out with his own version from his company of a rain jacket? I again ask Darwin, or Kyle, what their picks might be. 5. I can’t tell if the pack towel is micro fiber blend or a nano fiber, but REI sells nano fiber towels for about $9.00 in I think three colors. I carry one for my pot or pan and one to wipe my face, neck and head. They are EXTREMELY LIGHT. I also ditch the mesh bag they come with. Matador also has one, but as much I love 90% of their products their pricing can higher than other competitors. 6. Might be more than you need. I seem to be able to keep my lower body warm as they working the hardest. (Excited to hear/learn more about OV’s newest mid layer fleece hoodie. All of us have loved their last a lot). Is Decathlon’s Forclav $100 jacket, or OV’s Vario lighter than that jacket from Cumulus? 7. Eeee…. The zoom UL. I don’t think that is going to be great Devin. Is either of Zen’s newest pad’s lighter that the zoom? Gosh what else… I don’t think OV’s pad is lighter and I am not sure about any of NEMO’s newest iterations. Justin is the king of hardcore pad comparison. He would probably recommend the REI Helix. But again I don’t know the weight compared to BA’s Zoom with out Google searching/researching. 8. Oh wow! The Rock Front full sleep system is very cool (yiu know I am the biggest advocate for Zen’s similar sleep system, lol). I know you want to test gear on this trip, but long hard trips… … Regarding weight savings is ANY of Zen’s mix and match quilt and half sheet combo systems lighter than this? 9. Sawyer’s permethrin bug spray comes in a small bottle. I go to the travel TSA section of Kroger, or Target and buy a TSA approved spritz bottle and fill it with Sawyer’s bug spray. It is extremely small and light weight. Plus Eric uses a more natural lemon and eucalyptus product that other already comes in a small bottle or again can be poured into the small airplane friendly bottle I mentioned. Call Eric about that one and see what he thinks. Last note to LONG comment. That section is OV’s super test area, as you know. Talk to Tas about anything that you might not or could be googled to learn about. And brother, have fun and be careful. ❤
Absolutely soak your Sawyer filter and test it the night before your hike. I didn't realize they can dry out and won't filter very good, especially for a drier hike. Sea to summit straps are really nice for outside the pack, and they don't add much weight. Consider some gators if it's super dusty.
A good ol’ pack shakedown! Lots of fun things to try in the comments. Like Mike Clelland said “you actually NEED very little…. we are all too easily swayed by our WANTS…” I like to list all of the potential weight savings options, then order them in descending order of weight. For example, your cook kit vs. no cook is possibly the most weight savings. Same with optimizing calorie density of the foods you bring. Optimizing water carries when possible. Maybe the puffy coat is mostly redundant with your quilt if you’re not going to be outside much in camp. Katadyn tablets in disposable water bottles instead of water filters and fiddly bladders.
This is a pretty dialled in kit already. İ think you'll want a sit pad of some sort however the one you have there is over 5oz. You could do the 1/8" foam pad from Gossamer Gear for less weight and more functionality (it'll add about 1 r value under your Big Anges pad and allows you to stretch out when used as a sit mat). İ think you mentioned any other adjustments i would have suggested (def could cut a couple of ounces on your first aid kit)... Pretty nit picky but you could cut a cable out with an adapter (i have a tiny micro usb/usb C adaptor that i can use to charge my İnReach since everything else i carry is type C). Bug spray/lotion or a head net for sure to be added. Hard to know about possible colder weather items without knowing what temps you are expecting but gloves maybe if it'll be chilly in the morning. İ always take a few aquamira tabs just as a back up/redundancy for water in case my filter fails but you maybe have this in your first aid kit?
All your gear is top notch as far as I’m concerned but as you asked… Ditch the filter and bladder and use either purification tabs or Lugols iodine solution, doesn’t taste great but you get used to it. You can use some LMNT to mask the taste. It’s summer, is a head lamp really necessary? You could use your phone in a pinch. Peanut butter is highly calorific for it’s weight, you might be able to lighten you food pack by including a non glass jar or just a plastic bag. A tarp will be lighter than the tent if you can bear it and you can still use those nice carbon fiber poles. Don’t take a pillow, use your down jacket. It really is a balance between weight and comfort though so my suggestions might be a bit extreme for some.
Fun video to watch! Only thing I can think of that you did not mention is replacing the mid layers with alpha direct materials. Repackaging the freeze dried meals into ziplock bags and using a fozzils snappable bowl is what I do to save bulk, but this won’t affect weight much
Obviously you have a great idea on what is and isn't needed. I don't think I could provide much more advice on your load out as you are more experienced than me, but it is fun thought experiment as to what should and shouldn't be changed. Trekking Poles: I would personally take trekking poles due to the elevation changes on your trip even though you do not prefer them. Might be useful when going off-trail. You know the Uintah region and your own physical limits better than me. You might run into some inconvenience when you need to quickly store them away when scrambling, but I personally would take them to relieve my knees, provide extra stability, and accelerate going uphill on trail. Cooking: Looks like your setting up in two campsites based on that quick route you flashed of onX. Can you go without preparing freeze dried meals? Not using precious water to prepare cooked meals might be nice. Seems like your water storage capacity (~2 L) is on the low end and if it's that hot and dry during the day, you might want to carry more water between water sources. A Swedish dish cloth is lighter and absorbs more water than the PackTowl. Electronics: 10,000 mAh if you can, but I don't know how much juice your camera gear needs as I don't take camera gear to record my hikes. I really like the Rolling Square charging cables. They're compact and combine multiple cables into one. Not sure if you're bringing the Flextail Zero Pump, but I probably wouldn't take it in this application in combination with the battery capacity suggestion. Poop Kit: Summit Suds can reduce weight compared to hand sanitizer and cleans your body. You can use it to wash your face too. Liquids weigh more than powdered soaps. Sleep: You could lose the pillow and roll with bundling up your clothes in a storage sack if it has enough height. I like the pillow, so I don't blame you. That Rock Front quilt is neat. Try it out for us! Clothing: I don't like to carry thermal leggings, but it depends on the temperature. I find that my legs don't get too cold even down to 45 F. As long as my core is relatively warm, I'm fine with my legs slightly chilly. I would take the fleece over the down pullover if I was going to be hiking in it in the early morning and felt that it was warm enough for around camp. The hoodie would be strictly for camp use for me and if I felt it was needed to get down to even lower temperatures than my fleece can provide. So maybe remove the fleece or down hoodie based on the expected temperatures, conditions, and activity you see yourself using them in. But you already know that! The Rock Front rain jacket also looks pretty neat. Clothing is a personal choice mostly. Miscellaneous: Can you drop some extra carabiners attached to your electronics? I like how your food is packed. Not much I would change if you're trying to to as light as possibly in combination with your preferences. Thanks for sharing, Devin!
I do have a lot of experience, but I think there's a lot that can be learned from others who have tried different things and have unique experience as well. Yeah with trekking poles, the boulder fields on the passes don't mix well with poles. I like being a bit more flexible with my hands, and the lighter pack makes things easier too. Ahh yes, summit suds. I've got some of those. I am hesitant to drop the pillow as I really like my sleep, especially as a side sleeper. So with the aggressiveness of this route, im gonna keep it for better sleep. Thanks for sharing all your thoughts. Definitely keeps the wheels turning on adjustments I can make.
Pretty dialed in a few more things could be removed or replaced with slightly lighter alternatives. I’ve listed the changes I would make by priority order. 1. Shelter system could be lighter by using a tarp and mosquito headnet, this would also remove your carbon poles, use sticks or trees. (Mosquito protection would likely be sufficient if you keep the whole quilt system to seal you in) 2. Get rid of the stove, personally not a big cold soaker, just eat bars and whatnot, if you need something soft and mushy without a jar my go to is the instant potato packets and tuna/chicken creation packets. If you’re going to keep the stove setup get some aluminum foil and layer it up about 4 or 5 times and use that as a lid, cheap, lightweight and efficient. 3. Consider a full or half a gossamer gear 1/8 in pad. This item could potentially drop the weight of your sleep system if you have a lighter air pad it could be combined with and you could still maintain a sufficient r value. could also be used as a siesta pad and/or improved pack frame as well as a protective barrier for your air pad. 4. I know you’re pretty well seasoned so don’t go too slim on the FAK, carry what you know how to use and keep in mind what else you’re carrying or in the backcountry that can be used as a reliable alternative. 5. Zippers are heavier than a cinch string and remove a few of your stuff sacks especially the tent and pillow stuff sack. I know, pretty gram weenie stuff but it reduces chances of failed/broken gear and slightly lightens the pack.
These are great suggestions, thank you! I've never cold soaked myself, so that would be new and interesting to try. I'm considering going with an alcohol stove instead too. I'll look at removing stuff sacks too. Had done that with the pad, but not the tent. So good catch there. Thank you!
Maybe someone already mentioned this, but for the sleeping pad, could you add a Gossamer Gear 1/8 foam pad underneath to improve the R-value? Only weighs ~2 oz and could double as a sit pad so you can chuck the Chipper.
Love pondering an UL kit. If I'm going as light as possible, I'd skip cooking, for 3-days - 1 pair of undies, reduce your First Aid to half, get a bidet rather than TP and use a 750ml SmartWater bottle to replace one soft flask (or 2 for both), you could ditch the sit pad and inflatable sleeping pad and use two 1/8" foam pads - overlapped for sleeping - strapped on top, however, that may impact your quilt/bag, I'd still use a pack liner because wet gear would be a disaster, did I see a spoon, tiny knife, lighter, toiletries like toothbrush and baking soda, bear hanging kit or Ursack, head cover for sun and/or warmth, watch, sunglasses, wallet, credit cards, cash, car key, etc. So many little things add up when you really include everything. You might checkout my full Fastpacking Kit video for more ideas. Best of luck!
Yeah I think the no cook route might be worth considering here. High calorie foods per ounce. I’m also going to be using the Tailwind Endurance fuel, which is over 200 calories in 500ml of water. So that should be good for keeping calories going while ascending these passes. Thanks for all the other suggestions too!
This Rock Front Ukrainian ultralight company looks really good... I checked their website and they have some nice gear for fairy decent prices... Also, this OV Skyline 30 backpack looks really good.... Don't know if I could fit all my self but this might try 😄
A lot of talk about AlphaDirect...a good (& cheaper) alternative is from OMM, using Primaloft’s version, which actually a number of people (myself included) prefer. My other suggestion is actually to carry 2x NB10000 gen2 powerbanks instead of the single 20k unit. It’s approx 5g heavier to do so but you can charge one quicker on the go, if a unit failed/damaged then you still have 1 working unit & if you needed to charge your phone for example while hiking, it’s a smaller unit in your pocket as you do. Plus you could nominate 1 unit for your filming gear & other for electronic essentials, allowing to charge both same time if needed. I only carry a 20k powerbank in winter because of battery drain from cold.
Yeah it’s possible that I don’t need that much power. I won’t be carrying my full frame camera for this trip. Likely just my phone, but possibly a DJI Pocket 3, which keeps charging to a minimum. I like your approach to two power banks as opposed to one. 👍🏻
Nice adventure man! Take actual trekking poles, you are carrying single purpose weight with those tent poles, while you could be walking with something slightly heavier that brings a whole lot more to the table. That route looks like you’ll want trekking poles. "Really steep faces and risks", dude, a few more contact points with the ground would serve you well then. Take the sit pad, you dont have a chair, you'll be cooking off your tired mountain scaling butt, or kneeling on your inflamed knees after a hard day. That thing weighs nothing, take it. Cnoc bag and saywer, ditch the Katadyn. Then you have a spare way to carry exta water if you need and a trickling suspended tree shower if you must. Get a 5 inch 3in1 charging cable. Fyi. That BRS3000 burns inefficiently compared to a Pocket rocket, on 100gr the BRS will barely do 7 boils, the Pocket Rocket almost 12. Which means if you take a better stove, the gas and stove can be split, one carries the stove, one the gas, and there is still enough boils for 2 people... just a thought. Take the thermals, carrying it wont suck as much as missing it. I have a natural sunscreen that doubles as chapstick, bug repellant and antibacterial ointment. Maybe look into something like that. Have fun buddy! Take a space blanket in your firstaid/emergency kit, use it under your Big Agnes sleeping pad if you feel cold.
I can guarantee you've got stacks more hiking/backpacking experience than myself. Based on your plans wirh loadsa variation in elevation and what sounds like fairly steep gains and declines I'd definitely bring trekking poles. For your safety man! Especially when going downwards they're gonna be invaluable for balancing and limiting the risk of stepping on dodgy (loose, slippwry etc) rocks. You might end up not maximising the multi purpose feature, like bringing a trekking pole shelter. However IMhumbleO once you're out there conquering the steep mountains you're gonna be happy about taking the weight penalty. BTW asking your audience to make suggestions in the comments section: what a super slick way to stir up some engagement👌. Asking for help, explaining the type of hike you're planning while simultaneously sharing that you're going trekking pole-less... very clever!
Yeah I've still got a few weeks before this trip happens. So I am really trying to take all the suggestions and opinions shared to dial in exactly what I want to carry as the final gear list. Trekking poles might come. That said, with all the peak bagging I've done in the Uintas over the years, trekking poles have been more of a pain than helpful. So not sure I'll use them. Thanks for engaging and being here! I really wanted to connect with my audience on this one.
Durston Wapta 30 pack might save 100g or so. You didn’t say how you were going to inflate your sleep pad (or maybe I missed it) but a PadPal at 11g is lighter than a flextail pump or a pump sack.
Suggestions: for the poop kit, add some of those compressed towelettes. They can double as wet wipes, since they need to be wet to expand. If you really want wet wipes, though, dry them out first and they rehydrate before using. You save the weight and they work just about as well. A small bidet that fits on your water bottle is also a good idea and saves on the amount of wipes you might need. The Holey Hiker Bidet by Paul the Backpacker (on TH-cam) is very small and light and works well. For your charging cables, unless you need long cables or are planning to charge multiple things at once, you might consider a keychain multicharger, like this one: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CDWT1JL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 It's only about 3" long when folded, closes magnetically, and has USB-A, C, micro, and lightning. You might want to bring a swedish cloth for wiping dew or condensation from your tent. For a 3-day trip, it might be lighter weight for an alcohol stove. There's a very small lightweight Titanium one on Amazon, and the fuel shouldn't weigh much. Plus, it gets noticeably lighter after each use, unlike a cannister. Do you have a lighter?
I'd drop the stove/cook system since weight is a priority (personally I love the salads from Outdoor Herbivore and they're super filling ... Mojo Mango Bowl & Open Sky Yasi are two of my favorites - and they ship pretty fast). I'd also drop the sit pad. If you're wanting to spend money to save weight ... I'd recommend swapping your thermal layers for some alpha 90gsm hoody & pants (check Senchi or Garage Grown Gear ... I'd also recommend Farpointe Outdoor but they're typically sold out). The sleeping quilt/sheet seems like it'd be heavy-ish ... I'd just do the quilt. That pack gets a bit uncomfy past 17-18lbs - so definitely smart to limit the weight to 16lbs. Not sure if you did it just for the video ... but I wouldn't pack the tent on the bottom because you don't want to have to unpack all your stuff just to get to the tent. I hope you have a fantastic trip!
Thank you! I've never gone no cook on any trip. So that would be new for me, which is wild since I have decades of backpacking under my belt. The tent isn't right at the bottom, but more mid way down. Thank you!
@@BackcountryExposure it’s definitely different! It’s not something I usually do but found it’s great for summer trips when it’s crazy hot or trips where there isn’t a ton of water. I actually did an entire 4 day trip cold soaking … it actually worked out well and it’s great to save weight & space! 😊
Toaks 550 *light* pot is about 10 grams lighter than your mug AND more volume. That fleece is also way heavy and in all likelihood nowhere near the performance of alpha or airmesh. Also, cheap no-brand sit pads are like 90g lighter than the one you have. Regarding poop kit, not that hand sanitizer is not recommended for viruses (such as noro), you should carry powdered soap like Justin Outdoors; also like him, carry a bidet. That would save like 80 grams on your poop kit. Upgrade to a Garmin messenger and a lighter pack and you have over 1lbs savings right there.
Great video man! I too am looking to put my Skyline to the test on a fast-packing trip I have coming up this fall. To shed some weight, but gain a few features, I would swap the Nemo Chipper with a 1/8'' pad. It is a bit lighter (especially if trimmed down any) and will allow more surface area to work with if needed. I am looking for that OV fleece to come out. I love their apparel.
@@BackcountryExposure I always take one for multiple uses, that I’m sure you know of, but the main thing I take it for is under my sleeping pad. I am always worried of popping my pad out there.
Swap: the nemo recycled sit pad (its heavy) for a folded peice of foam. Swap: fleece for alpha 90 (lighter and with rain jacket very warm) Ditch: bed sheet Add: PLB please.
I missed the Zoleo. As long as it has a way to contact emerency responders. Having missed hearing the item (i was listening durring a commute) my thought was "saftey, even in non snow conditions".
First Aid kit is pretty heavy. Upgrade your sleeping pad, and your sleeping bag is pretty heavy, but don't know the specs and if you really like that system. Your sit pad is stupid heavy. They make super cheap generic ones like the ones sold by Z-packs that are like an ounce. Check out Alpha mid-layer/leggings for ultra-light. I would bring a hat and sunscreen for high altitude exposure. I would bring a buff for sweat rag/general purpose. The BRS stove is gonna SUUUUUUUCK at that altitude and with wind. I would recommend a better stove with a regulator such as Soto Windmaster or MSR pocket Rocket. It will weigh more, but will actually work. Your water/filtration system is kinda weird. Don't know why you don't just have a Katadyn BeFree filter with the bag, and having two smaller bottles on your shoulder straps doesn't make much sense to me. I get you probably are used to that for immediate use, but you probably only need one on shoulder strap on the side you usually prefer and maybe snacks/bars on the other shoulder. Those little bottles with caps and bit nozzles are a lot heavier per oz of carry than something like a smart water bottle. The BeFree fits those smaller squeeze bottle threads, so you could use one of those for your filter bag and just carry the filter with another lighter option for big bottle. (will take a bit more time to set up and fill multiple times, but it would work fine). Get Nyoflume bag for waterproof packliner.
I would love to hear how the trip goes. I have used my Skyline Fastpack on several 1-2 day trips and if I am completely honest, I don't love it. There are so many things I really love about it but I just want to know what you think about it after a trip like the one you are about to do. I have so many great things to say about it and I had hoped it would have been my perfect bag for shorter trips but I want changes made to it. By the way, there's nothing there that I would change. It is the perfect system for fastpacking and it all fits too!
@@BackcountryExposureno kidding! That’s so awesome. We will have to plan one together in the future. I’d love to build more friendships locally and apparently we don’t live far from each other.
@@awakemyoutdoorsoul nice! Yeah I’m remembering now hearing about your channel after talking with Philip from Delicoats. Shoot me a message on IG and let’s connect!
I think the Nemo chipper is more comfortable than the thermorest z-seat, but my chipper is 3oz heavier than the z-seat. It doesn't sound like much but that could help with such a limited gear load out
Was considering the Chipper purely for the looks but the weight of it put me right off, couldn’t believe it at first. Got one from Temu instead, less than $2 and only 20g.
two 10k is lighter than your 20k battery. Get rid of the ditty bag and all those stuff sacks. and use two ziplocs, Durston iceline trekking poles are lighter than your tent poles. Zoleo carabiner is not needed. RAB Phantom rain jacket is 3oz. Repack food. ONE 1gal ZIPLOC BAG. cold soak and get rid of the stove fuel and cup. If you are in warm areas, wear the midlayer and rain jacket. Get rid of the puffy. 40 degrees is warm. Thermarest xlite is 13oz in a regular size. No pillow dude, roll up your pack and sleep on that or use the inner of that nemo elite only. You could easily save 1/2lb or even closer to a lb. No sit pad dude. Sit on your pack.
Great video detailing your planning. Thanks! 1. Do you use a ground sheet under your tent? 2. The Rock Front jacket is described on the website as a wind jacket and doesn’t mention any waterproof protection. Do you need an actual rain jacket?
I don’t typically use a ground sheet with my tents. The Rock Front rain jacket I have from them is brand new, so it’s not on their site yet. So I’ve just linked to their clothing section for now. That said, a wind breaker may be an option depending on the forecast. August is monsoon season where I’ll be, so afternoon rain is almost certainly going to happen.
How do you drink from those floppy bottles with one hand? Also, ditch the stove. I see you had Packit Gourmet in your pack, they have meals you can just add cold water to. You can also ditch the pot and fuel by bringing food you don't have to heat up. Why bring a puffy AND a fleece in summer when you admit it's going to be warm. Too many stuff sacks, just use ziplock bags. Also I lay out wet wipes in advance to dry, cut them to size I want to use, and splash water on them when I want to use them.
Me on a 1 overnight fishing trip with my packraft end up with Osprey 100l backpack and 23kg 😂.ANYWAYS Here is a tip! use emergency blanket as a ground sheet. It takes a big beating + low weight and it will prevent some of the cold ground temperatures.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but those Nemo Chipper sit pads are weirdly heavy for what they are. By contrast the thermarest Z-seat is 2oz and unbranded one they sell on Garage Grown Gear is 1oz.
I’d probably ditch the extra socks and underwear. The midlayer seems unnecessary and the I’d skip the sheet. I’d also look at the weather report and ditch the rain jacket if it’s not expected to rain.
Repackage your food, trekking poles instead of pack poles. You need a light. Zpacks has a new one that is great or the nitecore. Repackage with zip lock bags and the light big sky international soaking bag. Better yet heat food in your pot and take your lid. Just saved you over a pound.
You're going WAY lighter than I would ever consider, so I don't really have any valuable advice to offer. But I will say that I'm looking forward to your gear reviews of the products from Rockfront systems.
The sit pad is handy but 4.25 ounces is too heavy. You can find ultralight sit pads that weight just under one ounce and they are softer and more packable.
Not much of a weight savings but loose the pillow stuff sack. Just roll the pillow up with the mattress. And you won’t have to deal with getting it back into the stuff sack.
I look forward to seeing the rock front gear. Do they ship to the US? Seems like a good deal. I would consider swapping the befree for a lifestraw peak. The lifestraw can be used as a bottle filter combo just like the befree but it also has the same thread size as the sawyer squeeze so it can be used as a gravity filter.
If you have an iPhone 14 or 15 you don't need the satellite locator...your phone does that now. And can call or text emergency services via satellite too.
“Guys I can’t figure out how to cut weight” -brings full tent -brings pillow -brings cook kit -brings puffy -brings wonky zenbivy knockoff -brings sit pad -brings 20K battery bank Your big 3 isn’t close to optimized for weight. A tarp and bug net and an actual lightweight quilt and pad would probably shave a full pound. Assuming you don’t want to spend that kind of coin for a 30 mile loop, here are some cheap options to cut a few ounces: -Get shorts with a mesh liner, dump the undies -Replace the OV fleece with an alpha direct piece of even just a light weight 100wt fleece. -Go no cook and actually prioritize cals/oz in the food you select. -Check how warm a sil rain coat and fleece combo is, it’s likely you don’t need the puffy if you combine those as your insulation. -Dump the pillow. Get creative with your other equipment. -dump the sit pad. You are out there to hike, not to sit. Or if you really must bring it, consider incorporating it into your pillow system since you really should dump the pillow. -1 500ml soft flask and 1 1500ml container is lighter than your current configuration -that pack has a lot of superfluous straps dangling from it. Give it a trim. $100 and some time at home, I bet you shave a half pound from that kit.
Tangentially related, it’s good to see that OV has been doing mid layer R&D for like 4 years now and still can’t make something that beats a $30 thrift store find.
This should be fun. I'm going to treat this like a /r/ultralight shakedown lol. -Ditch the poles. Find a branch. -Ditch the soft flasks and filter. Switch to smart water bottles and AquaMira in tiny dropper bottles -Replace the 3 charging cables with 1 combo cable. -Replace the 20k bank with 10k -Ditch the toiletry bag & toilet paper. Use a bidet. -Ditch the cook system. Switch to a cold soaking jar. -Keep the socks. Ditch the underwear & leggings. Replace puffy with a Polartech Alpha Direct hoodie. It'd be nice if you had a lighterpack with everything listed. I put together a lighterpack for every trip.
Don’t need extra underwear. Just use a tight running short underneath your regular shorts or pants. Prevents rash. At camp there is no need to wear something underneath your shorts.
Ditch the seating pad, half the first aid kit, battery pack to big, water bottles to many just refill then drink out of the sawyer, ditch that cook system. Use alcohol bottle stove to many clothes extra underwear leggings mid layer just to much. mid summer way to many clothes x mid pro to heavy for 3 days. Definitely to much sleep system the blow up pad is to much just a folding pad is enough for summer 3 days
@@BackcountryExposure So probably possible to drop 20 lbs there? Also, not sure why you want to drop the poles, as they will save your legs on those climbs?
@@stigcc ha ha, the dad bod is definitely in full effect. I’d absolutely like to drop a few pounds. I’ve never been a big fan of trekking poles when navigating boulder fields and steep talus slopes.
How much lower than 16 could you expect to go? And to what benefit? The perceived weight of say 10lbs over 16lbs is pretty insignificant, but getting down to 10 isn’t even a reasonable expectation. Why create unnecessary suffering for a basically imperceptible or non-impacting difference?
Without the food and water weight I had in this specific list, I am at a 10 pound base weight. I think more important than anything is the discussion here in the comments. I enjoy hearing other’s perspectives and pulling from others own experiences. I also enjoy the challenge of maximizing comfort while also trying to be as light as possible for a route like I am doing.
Use a aluminum foil as a lid for the pot. It will spare some gas. The seat pad can be used as wind shield for boiling water. Just don’t keep it too close
You can be a responsible steward of the outdoors and hike off trail. Especially if you're moving through an area as a solo hiker or just a group of two. There's a lot of amazing places to explore that don't have established trails. Knowing how to minimize your impact is important.
@@BackcountryExposure I can agree with that but you are promoting off trail hiking. What if now everyone hikes off trail. I’m sure the National Park Service would prefer hikers to stay on trail and you see signs, please stay on trail.
@tim Your comment raises some interesting points. When I see a crowd of Everest hopefuls or a train of thru hikers on the PCT, the negative impact on the environment jumps up in front of my awareness. Much less so for those relative few in the Uintas, where a cessation of human activity would return the environment to a pristine state fairly soon. Even the most heavily travelled areas of the planet might heal in a few short decades. But what of the human species? Are they to be summarily disconnected from that very Nature which brought them into this life? Did She err blindly with her experiment? Or does our species not have an implicit role in the blossoming of terrestrial and cosmic harmony. After all, the term for complete isolation of life from Nature is easily recognised by all -- death.
![[UNCUT] The Loyal Pin ปิ่นภักดิ์ EP.15 (2/4)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qbHbshrA1f0/mqdefault.jpg)
Cut toothbrush in quarters. Cut all shirts into belly shirts. Use leaves as blanket. Cut sunglasses in half- only need monocle. Shave head/legs. Bring only olive oil for food
😂😂😂 can you freeze dry olive oil?
This guy gets it.
@@BackcountryExposure Personally I'm a fan of dehydrated water...
@@dcaudwellgot an Amazon link for that?
@@BackcountryExposure Hee hee!
Well...
1. Skip the sit pad, or cut it down so it's just big enough for your backside and no more. You can use a bit of Tyvek or something instead, or just a Dyneema bag that you can fill with vegetation.
2. I know you said you don't like to carry trekking poles, however for the climbs I saw on your map, and them being void of vegetation, I think you're going to want trekking poles. IMO the Durston Icelines might be the right option as they're tent poles as well and they're very light (though not as light as the Z-flick poles which I think is what you have there). They'll be safer though.
3. Get a multi-head charge 'octopus' vs the longer multiple cables you see there. They're lighter and more compact in your pack.
4. You could skip the ditty bag pouch. Do the double-bag thing. On the inner bag, after you get your down inside, compress it and give a twist, then put your electronics in there, twist and tuck. This way they're organized and truly waterproof and protected.
5. The 10kmAh battery should be enough. I think folks in your line like to go with more camera than you really need. Most of what most people watch between each other is on cell phone video anyway; I'd say a Go-Pro is more than enough and the quality is just fine. It's really the audio that makes a video.
6. Don't change your 1st aid kit. You know what's in it and I presume it's been tailored down to what you find usable and useful. Those passes are going to be rife with tricky steps that are plenty easy enough to do some damage to yourself.
7. Why not skip the Sawyer (I know you said it was a place-holder) but there's no reason you can just use a drop-in filter on one of your 500ml HydraPak soft bottles. That'll let you filter into one and drink from the other trough the filter directly. Carry a CNOC bag or something if you feel like you'll need to camel some water between points here and there.
8. Food bag. You could skip this as well and just do the same method I recommend for the electronics. After you seal the electronics, drop the food in; it's already sealed so no leak worries, and even if it did, you'd be in a separate bag. If you need to hang it, you can hang your whole pack or just use one of the primary bags tied off and used as a food bag in a tree.
9. You're going to be at altitude and I doubt you'll really be desperate for a meal RIGHT NOW! so maybe consider taking Esbit tablets. They'll burn at high altitude, don't take up much space, are easy to pack, and you really don't even need a stand for the pot; just use some rocks or dig a little hole. I've got the same setup you have, but honestly I've just started to get away from isobutane stoves; they're noisy and bulky (the canister at least). You can always snuff them from burning, and they do double duty as fire starters in an emergency. They pack smaller and are a diminishing weight as you go.
10. I doubt you're eager to add much, but I'd STRONGLY recommend some gloves. You're looking at a lot of rocky terrain and likely loose footing, so I'd add a pair of gloves.
I find using a gear list tool like PackWizard super useful for planning out my gear when trying to have an ultralight pack. I like the ability to virtually "swap" items or remove them completely.
I am also really excited to try out the Rockfront system. The price is great and I like that their standalone quilts have a draft tube along the sides.
Yes! Still need to drop everything into Packwizard to be more organized. Thanks, Justin!
Agreed, the Rock Front system is pretty slick.
@@BackcountryExposure @JustinOutdoors Did you actually order this gear from Rockfront, or did they send it to you for review? I don't see a way to purchase from them here in the U.S.
@@BobbyBergie for me, they did send samples of gear for testing. They do ship worldwide, and I was told that they potentially are going to be available on GGG. But when I put my address in the check out it gives USA as an option.
What a plug! Love it!
You need to start pushing the bidet again. It is cleaner and lighter, and the majority of the world uses water rather than TP. But mainstream backpackers just can't imagine using a bidet...
Lots of solid recommendations already. I havent seen an important one though:
Repack your food.
All the wrappers, bags, packaging and so forth adds up and is bulky. Think of how much bag there is in your average freeze dried meal compared to how much space the food actually takes. The ziplock bags that can stand boiling water (ironically enough the freezer ones) can substitute a ton of those packagings for much lighter and compact form factor.
One of those reflectix cozies can also help a ton in holding heat for the meals while you wait for it to rehydrate and are pretty light.
The greatest thing about this tip is that the bigger the amount of food, the more weight you end up saving, so when it matters most, multi-day food carries, is when you save the most. A single wrapper might not seem like much, but once you save the weight of several of them, thats when it starts paying off.
Im not saying you will save pounds of weight of your food carry, but when going ultralight, its usually the small wins all combined that allow you to shave off that extra pound or 2.
And the reduction in trash in your pack. Thank you!
I keep my freeze dried meals in their original packaging but I do rip off the tops and chuck the desiccant package before hand. Then I squeeze all the air out and seal them up. It saves minimal weight but reduces my trash and surprisingly saves quite a bit of space.
First of all, great kit. Excellent items, very minimal list, excellent weights. Many would love to have this light a kit.
Here are a few suggestions to simply get it down to the minimum. Obviously this would take a significant invest to do all the suggestions, but if you just want the minimum kit these suggestions might help. Some take no investment at all.
Gear List Review
Backpack - Change to Gossamer Gear Murmur 36 with sit pad - 13 ozs, save 6 ozs
Sit Pad (one included with above pack or just don't take one.) Either way, Delete - save 4.25 ozs
Instead of using hand wipes and Hand Sanitizer in your poop kit, buy alcohol based, individually packaged Wet Wipes like they hand out in restaurants. In total they are quite light especially compared to the weight of liquid hand sanitizer and the bottle. Also, typical hand wipes are also quite heavy. Carry only the number you will need for the trip.
First Aid Kit - As a general rule almost all of us carry more than we need. Eric Hanson (I think) showed a first aid/gear repair kit in his last video that had only the essentials and weight only about 4 ozs. - save about 3 ozs
Cook kit - Cut the pack towel in half or fourths.
Electronics - Only take the 10,000 milliamp bank. Don’t need more for 3 days generally. Will you even need to charge anything during a three day trip? Consider only 1 cable and an adapter that will fit all your equipment. I think Jupiter Hikes carries a special adapter that has 3 or 4 adapters tips to fit almost anything.
Leave the leggings - save 3.90 ozs
Leave the extra underwear - save 2.70 ozs
Leave the insulation layer. Use the midlayer and the rain jacket. - save 6.65 ozs
Tent - ZPacks Plex Lite Solo tent plus only 1 tent pole. - save 10.8 ozs
Leave the quilt sheet home - save 5 ozs (estimated)
This is a total of about 3 lbs. As my statistics professor would say, “Not an insignificant amount.” Or he would say “Practically significant, not just statistically significant.”
Again, a great kit. You are to be applauded.
If you're bringing a rain jacket anyway, I'd ditch the mid-layer OV hoody AND the puffy for an Alpha 90 (or 120 depending on what temps you expect) hoody which fills both those roles. That would be good down to freezing with the rain jacket over it, and is much more comfortable to hike in for those early morning starts.
Sleep system looks really interesting, but again if you're looking to cut weight ditch the sheet for the pad and just bring the quilt.
A 1/8" Thinlight pad from gossamer gear is lighter than your sit pad, gives the same cushioning for sitting, and is more flexible if you need another layer under your sleeping pad due to unexpectedly cold temps. Personally I love using mine in the vestibule of my Xmid, nice to have something clean(ish) and soft to kneel on as you get into and out of the tent.
I do a lot of scrambling and peakbagging out in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Its rare I carry less than 20 lbs for a day trip, so I would say your pack is already crazy light. I don't know exactly the level of scrambling your going to be doing, but a few possible things to consider;
1. I rarely do much without bringing a helmet. In scrambling terrain, there is a chance you fall, and a traumatic brain injury is possible. Much more significant risk is if anyone is above you scrambling the same route, they can, and often do, knock loose rocks down at you. Heck, I've had a raven hanging out on a cliff edge, and when he took off, he incidentally chucked a fist sized rock off the cliff right in to my path.
2. Gaiters help a lot with scree getting in your shoes. They are basically essential in some terrain. You can look in to lightweight/trail gaiters, but in my experience they shred pretty fast.
3. Don't underestimate how much EXTRA water and food you will consume. I usually pack 3500 calories per day for a multiday mountaineering trip. I typically drink 4-5 liters of water. I'm probably carrying more weight and doing more work, so you probably don't need to pack as much as I do, but just keep in mind your calorie and water needs will increase.
4. I never wear shorts in alpine terrain. Your legs can get pretty ripped up in rocky or boulder terrain if you are wearing shorts. I like convertible pants for summer scrambling.
5. Satellite imagery can make terrain look less technical than it actually is. Honestly, those images make me think they are pretty serious scrambling terrain. It doesn't look to me like its a simple scree slope. Make sure your route is actually something you have the skill to do.
6. I don't spend time in the Uintas, so idk how they compare to the Cascades. But here in the Cascades, when you get to high elevation, temp differences between day and night grow quite large. It can be a 70F day, and below freezing at night.
7. I think that pack is frameless? If you insist on using a frameless pack, make absolutely sure it doesn't move or shift when you lean to the side, forward, or back. A mobile backpack is not good for balance when scrambling steep terrain.
8. A lightweight pair of breathable gloves with leather palms for scrambling, to protect your hands from being ripped up. Leather is by far preferred, as it provides the best grip, but you want only the palms and fingers to be leather, not the backs. biking gloves might work really well. The gloves I use are from Outdoor Research and are no longer being sold.
Thanks! I won’t down play the importance of a helmet in situations that impose the risk. I come from 20+ years of climbing experience and a helmet is a critical piece of my kit, even when sport climbing.
That said, I’m omitting a helmet in this case as the route isn’t much in terms of class 4 scrambling. Rather just steep scree and a little class 3 in sections.
I’ve spent many many years bagging peaks in the Uintas and am very familiar with the terrain and such. So I have high confidence in myself and skill, but keeping caution and smart decision making employed. Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective. Love the discussion!
If you decide you need 20k of battery, 2 Nitecore 10k weigh less than a single Nitecore 20k.
Cold soaking would save a bunch of weight, but if you’re going to cook, don’t ditch the pot lid. For the minimal weight, you will lose a lot of efficiency.
You didn’t specifically mention sunscreen. Don’t forget that.
If you aren’t sure about the warmth of your sleep pad, putting the sit pad under your butt/ hip area can help a bunch.
I think part of the struggle here is I am still a few weeks out so some of the final gear choices will come down to what the forecast shows. This was at least a starting point and gathering everyone’s suggestions will be super helpful. I’m going to seriously consider a no cook/cold soaking option.
I'm also a cross country fan, but the usual backpack is designed to carry with the center of mass somewhere close to your back -- and somewhat high. Your small pack probably won't utilise a hip strap, but that's fine since they're okay for the trail and poor when scrambling. What I'd be looking for is not necessarily less gear, but a better way to carry it.
The Savotta Askare 7L hip bag could take 7-9 lbs of weight right off your shoulders for the whole trip. Water, food, compact heavier items like camera and electronics. Plus, it makes a perfect shelf under your top pack at a moments notice whenever needed!
Wow! I can't believe you have as much as you do at only 16 lb. That's great. Good luck with your trip. Cheers!
rockfront products are really great quality for very reasonable price. I own their rockfront 600 sleeping bag and I love it. very versatile with two-way zipper in the middle which may be fully opened to make it a quilt/blanket, or open just the bottom part to regulate temperature. they have a lot other unique solutions. brand definately worth checking out.
"Ask yourself and yourself only if your path has heart." -Don Juan.
That said, you asked US.
You could ditch the electronics altogether while temporarily saddling loved ones with grief, the kind they might forget about eventually, like if you made it back. Going bare old school is equivalent to climbing Everest without oxygen, ask anyone.
1) 1.5L or 2L Evernew bag is lighter but you’d have to use that Sawyer or a Platypus 2) Yinow Combination Set USB-C w/ your Nitecore 10k. 3) no extra bottoms, you'll be fine. 4) nyloflume liner 5) reduce med kit by half at least 6) sit pad is heavy for what it is and you should consider 1/8" thin light pad (gossamer or outdoor vitals) 7) food isn't "bad" but for 2 nights, try cold soaking if even just ramen and oatmeal, which is probably in your pantry already.
Context: I have a SWD w/ nashville vest straps. so similar pack and just did 8 days w/ buddy going PCT. so same pack style and i have ALL the above and used many times. I cold soaked for 8 days to reduce weight as i took 8 days of food. i usually cold soak in summer.
My husband and I were just camping 1/2 miles below Gunsite pass/Kings Peak area and he took the Nemo insulated tensor pad and it was a cold sleep. My Termarest Xlite was warm sleeping on the ground. Temps were low 40's. For a three day hike I would ditch the stove and cold soak or take bars and don't take the mid-layer fleece. I just took my Montbell puffy and it was enough, plus Patagonia leggings. Ditch the sit pad. Have fun, it was smokey even in the Henry's Fork basin. Lots of Moose.
Awesome! That’s great info. August in the Uintas can be wild with monsoon season. So I’m being cautious. But knowing you were good just below gunsite with those layers is helpful. Thank you!
Tnx for the video. Will try this Rockfront quilt, looks good
Seems like a solid setup already. You had a lot of ideas already about what to leave behind, and of course that would be my reco as well. You can obviously go lighter than what you have, but that's assuming you want to spend the money.
Options for lighter on the big 3: ZPacks Hexamid pocket tarp (157 g), which would also eliminate one of the two CF poles you're bringing. Gossamer Gear Thinlight foam 1/8" pad (76g), Trailheadz Ethereal 1000 fp down 40 degree top quilt (15 oz or 425g)
Also, I realize it's summer in Utah so it might be colder at elevation, but do you really need a mid layer AND the puffy? Anyway, thanks for engaging with your audience! :)
That rock front sleep system looks pretty cool!
I've been using hydrapak for a couple years now. I use the seeker 2l. Cut the strap off the cap. Replaced the cap with their cartridge filter
Great subject! I’ve been eyeing off a skyline for a while now
I’ve had it out on a couple of long day hikes so far and I’m really enjoying it.
Great video! It’s a superb list but I’m going to make you happy by cutting weight yet improving comfort - I would only exchange the pillow for the big sky international one, it’s only 1 and a half ounce pillow and it’s super comfy. And I would add one more extra pair of socks for camp - Farpointe Outdoor Gear has Alpha Camp Socks that weigh 12 grams per pair. It makes a huge difference to get into a clean and warm pair of Alpha socks at night.
Hi Devin! Way lighter than the load-out you had for the Sawtooths. I’m always looking for ways to cut weight, but I also like my comfort. 😉 The Katadyn filter fits on the Hydropack water bladders. Mine leaked quite a bit, so I stuck with the Sawyer Squeeze. I’m excited for you! This looks like it will be an epic trip. Have a blast!
1. Some type of sit kneeling pad is going to handy in that extremely rocky area Devin. I’ve seen some people like Darwin use a shortened, foldable version of the 1/8 pad that OV and Gossamer supply. I don’t remember what company sells it. You’d have to call/text Darwin and ask.
Also, your small ground sheet that is similar to Matador’s expensive one could be an option.
2. I think Miranda has a CNOC collapsible water bottle and it, I think, fit the sawyer. The sawyer is just to reliable for a long trip like this (don’t forget the plunger, lol).
3. Eric is really good at conversing his phone’s battery during longer trips. And if you need battery juice for all your rechargeables I found out two 10,000 Nitecore battery banks, combined, is still smaller and lighter than one 20,000 battery bank.
4. I’m curious about the longevity of a new rain jacket. I’d OV’s more weight? Did Darwin come out with his own version from his company of a rain jacket? I again ask Darwin, or Kyle, what their picks might be.
5. I can’t tell if the pack towel is micro fiber blend or a nano fiber, but REI sells nano fiber towels for about $9.00 in I think three colors. I carry one for my pot or pan and one to wipe my face, neck and head. They are EXTREMELY LIGHT. I also ditch the mesh bag they come with.
Matador also has one, but as much I love 90% of their products their pricing can higher than other competitors.
6. Might be more than you need. I seem to be able to keep my lower body warm as they working the hardest.
(Excited to hear/learn more about OV’s newest mid layer fleece hoodie. All of us have loved their last a lot).
Is Decathlon’s Forclav $100 jacket, or OV’s Vario lighter than that jacket from Cumulus?
7. Eeee…. The zoom UL. I don’t think that is going to be great Devin. Is either of Zen’s newest pad’s lighter that the zoom? Gosh what else… I don’t think OV’s pad is lighter and I am not sure about any of NEMO’s newest iterations. Justin is the king of hardcore pad comparison. He would probably recommend the REI Helix. But again I don’t know the weight compared to BA’s Zoom with out Google searching/researching.
8. Oh wow! The Rock Front full sleep system is very cool (yiu know I am the biggest advocate for Zen’s similar sleep system, lol). I know you want to test gear on this trip, but long hard trips… … Regarding weight savings is ANY of Zen’s mix and match quilt and half sheet combo systems lighter than this?
9. Sawyer’s permethrin bug spray comes in a small bottle. I go to the travel TSA section of Kroger, or Target and buy a TSA approved spritz bottle and fill it with Sawyer’s bug spray. It is extremely small and light weight. Plus Eric uses a more natural lemon and eucalyptus product that other already comes in a small bottle or again can be poured into the small airplane friendly bottle I mentioned. Call Eric about that one and see what he thinks.
Last note to LONG comment. That section is OV’s super test area, as you know. Talk to Tas about anything that you might not or could be googled to learn about.
And brother, have fun and be careful. ❤
How about a spoon, toothbrush or hat? Great video!
Absolutely soak your Sawyer filter and test it the night before your hike. I didn't realize they can dry out and won't filter very good, especially for a drier hike.
Sea to summit straps are really nice for outside the pack, and they don't add much weight. Consider some gators if it's super dusty.
A good ol’ pack shakedown!
Lots of fun things to try in the comments. Like Mike Clelland said “you actually NEED very little…. we are all too easily swayed by our WANTS…”
I like to list all of the potential weight savings options, then order them in descending order of weight. For example, your cook kit vs. no cook is possibly the most weight savings. Same with optimizing calorie density of the foods you bring. Optimizing water carries when possible. Maybe the puffy coat is mostly redundant with your quilt if you’re not going to be outside much in camp. Katadyn tablets in disposable water bottles instead of water filters and fiddly bladders.
This is a pretty dialled in kit already. İ think you'll want a sit pad of some sort however the one you have there is over 5oz. You could do the 1/8" foam pad from Gossamer Gear for less weight and more functionality (it'll add about 1 r value under your Big Anges pad and allows you to stretch out when used as a sit mat).
İ think you mentioned any other adjustments i would have suggested (def could cut a couple of ounces on your first aid kit)...
Pretty nit picky but you could cut a cable out with an adapter (i have a tiny micro usb/usb C adaptor that i can use to charge my İnReach since everything else i carry is type C).
Bug spray/lotion or a head net for sure to be added.
Hard to know about possible colder weather items without knowing what temps you are expecting but gloves maybe if it'll be chilly in the morning.
İ always take a few aquamira tabs just as a back up/redundancy for water in case my filter fails but you maybe have this in your first aid kit?
All your gear is top notch as far as I’m concerned but as you asked… Ditch the filter and bladder and use either purification tabs or Lugols iodine solution, doesn’t taste great but you get used to it. You can use some LMNT to mask the taste. It’s summer, is a head lamp really necessary? You could use your phone in a pinch. Peanut butter is highly calorific for it’s weight, you might be able to lighten you food pack by including a non glass jar or just a plastic bag. A tarp will be lighter than the tent if you can bear it and you can still use those nice carbon fiber poles. Don’t take a pillow, use your down jacket. It really is a balance between weight and comfort though so my suggestions might be a bit extreme for some.
Fun video to watch! Only thing I can think of that you did not mention is replacing the mid layers with alpha direct materials. Repackaging the freeze dried meals into ziplock bags and using a fozzils snappable bowl is what I do to save bulk, but this won’t affect weight much
I don’t currently have any alpha direct layers. Maybe in the future.
Obviously you have a great idea on what is and isn't needed. I don't think I could provide much more advice on your load out as you are more experienced than me, but it is fun thought experiment as to what should and shouldn't be changed.
Trekking Poles: I would personally take trekking poles due to the elevation changes on your trip even though you do not prefer them. Might be useful when going off-trail. You know the Uintah region and your own physical limits better than me. You might run into some inconvenience when you need to quickly store them away when scrambling, but I personally would take them to relieve my knees, provide extra stability, and accelerate going uphill on trail.
Cooking: Looks like your setting up in two campsites based on that quick route you flashed of onX. Can you go without preparing freeze dried meals? Not using precious water to prepare cooked meals might be nice. Seems like your water storage capacity (~2 L) is on the low end and if it's that hot and dry during the day, you might want to carry more water between water sources. A Swedish dish cloth is lighter and absorbs more water than the PackTowl.
Electronics: 10,000 mAh if you can, but I don't know how much juice your camera gear needs as I don't take camera gear to record my hikes. I really like the Rolling Square charging cables. They're compact and combine multiple cables into one. Not sure if you're bringing the Flextail Zero Pump, but I probably wouldn't take it in this application in combination with the battery capacity suggestion.
Poop Kit: Summit Suds can reduce weight compared to hand sanitizer and cleans your body. You can use it to wash your face too. Liquids weigh more than powdered soaps.
Sleep: You could lose the pillow and roll with bundling up your clothes in a storage sack if it has enough height. I like the pillow, so I don't blame you. That Rock Front quilt is neat. Try it out for us!
Clothing: I don't like to carry thermal leggings, but it depends on the temperature. I find that my legs don't get too cold even down to 45 F. As long as my core is relatively warm, I'm fine with my legs slightly chilly. I would take the fleece over the down pullover if I was going to be hiking in it in the early morning and felt that it was warm enough for around camp. The hoodie would be strictly for camp use for me and if I felt it was needed to get down to even lower temperatures than my fleece can provide. So maybe remove the fleece or down hoodie based on the expected temperatures, conditions, and activity you see yourself using them in. But you already know that! The Rock Front rain jacket also looks pretty neat. Clothing is a personal choice mostly.
Miscellaneous: Can you drop some extra carabiners attached to your electronics? I like how your food is packed. Not much I would change if you're trying to to as light as possibly in combination with your preferences.
Thanks for sharing, Devin!
I do have a lot of experience, but I think there's a lot that can be learned from others who have tried different things and have unique experience as well.
Yeah with trekking poles, the boulder fields on the passes don't mix well with poles. I like being a bit more flexible with my hands, and the lighter pack makes things easier too.
Ahh yes, summit suds. I've got some of those.
I am hesitant to drop the pillow as I really like my sleep, especially as a side sleeper. So with the aggressiveness of this route, im gonna keep it for better sleep.
Thanks for sharing all your thoughts. Definitely keeps the wheels turning on adjustments I can make.
Pretty dialed in a few more things could be removed or replaced with slightly lighter alternatives. I’ve listed the changes I would make by priority order.
1. Shelter system could be lighter by using a tarp and mosquito headnet, this would also remove your carbon poles, use sticks or trees. (Mosquito protection would likely be sufficient if you keep the whole quilt system to seal you in)
2. Get rid of the stove, personally not a big cold soaker, just eat bars and whatnot, if you need something soft and mushy without a jar my go to is the instant potato packets and tuna/chicken creation packets. If you’re going to keep the stove setup get some aluminum foil and layer it up about 4 or 5 times and use that as a lid, cheap, lightweight and efficient.
3. Consider a full or half a gossamer gear 1/8 in pad. This item could potentially drop the weight of your sleep system if you have a lighter air pad it could be combined with and you could still maintain a sufficient r value. could also be used as a siesta pad and/or improved pack frame as well as a protective barrier for your air pad.
4. I know you’re pretty well seasoned so don’t go too slim on the FAK, carry what you know how to use and keep in mind what else you’re carrying or in the backcountry that can be used as a reliable alternative.
5. Zippers are heavier than a cinch string and remove a few of your stuff sacks especially the tent and pillow stuff sack. I know, pretty gram weenie stuff but it reduces chances of failed/broken gear and slightly lightens the pack.
These are great suggestions, thank you! I've never cold soaked myself, so that would be new and interesting to try. I'm considering going with an alcohol stove instead too. I'll look at removing stuff sacks too. Had done that with the pad, but not the tent. So good catch there. Thank you!
Maybe someone already mentioned this, but for the sleeping pad, could you add a Gossamer Gear 1/8 foam pad underneath to improve the R-value? Only weighs ~2 oz and could double as a sit pad so you can chuck the Chipper.
Love pondering an UL kit. If I'm going as light as possible, I'd skip cooking, for 3-days - 1 pair of undies, reduce your First Aid to half, get a bidet rather than TP and use a 750ml SmartWater bottle to replace one soft flask (or 2 for both), you could ditch the sit pad and inflatable sleeping pad and use two 1/8" foam pads - overlapped for sleeping - strapped on top, however, that may impact your quilt/bag, I'd still use a pack liner because wet gear would be a disaster, did I see a spoon, tiny knife, lighter, toiletries like toothbrush and baking soda, bear hanging kit or Ursack, head cover for sun and/or warmth, watch, sunglasses, wallet, credit cards, cash, car key, etc. So many little things add up when you really include everything. You might checkout my full Fastpacking Kit video for more ideas. Best of luck!
Yeah I think the no cook route might be worth considering here. High calorie foods per ounce. I’m also going to be using the Tailwind Endurance fuel, which is over 200 calories in 500ml of water. So that should be good for keeping calories going while ascending these passes. Thanks for all the other suggestions too!
Curious to hear how the soft flasks will work for ya. I like my UL kit but won’t make any suggestions. Got to figure out what works best for you!
This Rock Front Ukrainian ultralight company looks really good... I checked their website and they have some nice gear for fairy decent prices...
Also, this OV Skyline 30 backpack looks really good.... Don't know if I could fit all my self but this might try 😄
A lot of talk about AlphaDirect...a good (& cheaper) alternative is from OMM, using Primaloft’s version, which actually a number of people (myself included) prefer.
My other suggestion is actually to carry 2x NB10000 gen2 powerbanks instead of the single 20k unit. It’s approx 5g heavier to do so but you can charge one quicker on the go, if a unit failed/damaged then you still have 1 working unit & if you needed to charge your phone for example while hiking, it’s a smaller unit in your pocket as you do. Plus you could nominate 1 unit for your filming gear & other for electronic essentials, allowing to charge both same time if needed. I only carry a 20k powerbank in winter because of battery drain from cold.
Yeah it’s possible that I don’t need that much power. I won’t be carrying my full frame camera for this trip. Likely just my phone, but possibly a DJI Pocket 3, which keeps charging to a minimum. I like your approach to two power banks as opposed to one. 👍🏻
Nice adventure man!
Take actual trekking poles, you are carrying single purpose weight with those tent poles, while you could be walking with something slightly heavier that brings a whole lot more to the table. That route looks like you’ll want trekking poles. "Really steep faces and risks", dude, a few more contact points with the ground would serve you well then.
Take the sit pad, you dont have a chair, you'll be cooking off your tired mountain scaling butt, or kneeling on your inflamed knees after a hard day. That thing weighs nothing, take it.
Cnoc bag and saywer, ditch the Katadyn. Then you have a spare way to carry exta water if you need and a trickling suspended tree shower if you must.
Get a 5 inch 3in1 charging cable.
Fyi. That BRS3000 burns inefficiently compared to a Pocket rocket, on 100gr the BRS will barely do 7 boils, the Pocket Rocket almost 12.
Which means if you take a better stove, the gas and stove can be split, one carries the stove, one the gas, and there is still enough boils for 2 people... just a thought.
Take the thermals, carrying it wont suck as much as missing it.
I have a natural sunscreen that doubles as chapstick, bug repellant and antibacterial ointment. Maybe look into something like that.
Have fun buddy!
Take a space blanket in your firstaid/emergency kit, use it under your Big Agnes sleeping pad if you feel cold.
I can guarantee you've got stacks more hiking/backpacking experience than myself. Based on your plans wirh loadsa variation in elevation and what sounds like fairly steep gains and declines I'd definitely bring trekking poles. For your safety man! Especially when going downwards they're gonna be invaluable for balancing and limiting the risk of stepping on dodgy (loose, slippwry etc) rocks. You might end up not maximising the multi purpose feature, like bringing a trekking pole shelter. However IMhumbleO once you're out there conquering the steep mountains you're gonna be happy about taking the weight penalty.
BTW asking your audience to make suggestions in the comments section: what a super slick way to stir up some engagement👌. Asking for help, explaining the type of hike you're planning while simultaneously sharing that you're going trekking pole-less... very clever!
Yeah I've still got a few weeks before this trip happens. So I am really trying to take all the suggestions and opinions shared to dial in exactly what I want to carry as the final gear list. Trekking poles might come. That said, with all the peak bagging I've done in the Uintas over the years, trekking poles have been more of a pain than helpful. So not sure I'll use them. Thanks for engaging and being here! I really wanted to connect with my audience on this one.
Instead of wet wipes, track down some of those dry wipes that you put water on to expand. I’ve been using the Pact towels and they’re great.
Durston Wapta 30 pack might save 100g or so.
You didn’t say how you were going to inflate your sleep pad (or maybe I missed it) but a PadPal at 11g is lighter than a flextail pump or a pump sack.
Suggestions: for the poop kit, add some of those compressed towelettes. They can double as wet wipes, since they need to be wet to expand. If you really want wet wipes, though, dry them out first and they rehydrate before using. You save the weight and they work just about as well. A small bidet that fits on your water bottle is also a good idea and saves on the amount of wipes you might need. The Holey Hiker Bidet by Paul the Backpacker (on TH-cam) is very small and light and works well. For your charging cables, unless you need long cables or are planning to charge multiple things at once, you might consider a keychain multicharger, like this one:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CDWT1JL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
It's only about 3" long when folded, closes magnetically, and has USB-A, C, micro, and lightning.
You might want to bring a swedish cloth for wiping dew or condensation from your tent.
For a 3-day trip, it might be lighter weight for an alcohol stove. There's a very small lightweight Titanium one on Amazon, and the fuel shouldn't weigh much. Plus, it gets noticeably lighter after each use, unlike a cannister.
Do you have a lighter?
I'd drop the stove/cook system since weight is a priority (personally I love the salads from Outdoor Herbivore and they're super filling ... Mojo Mango Bowl & Open Sky Yasi are two of my favorites - and they ship pretty fast). I'd also drop the sit pad. If you're wanting to spend money to save weight ... I'd recommend swapping your thermal layers for some alpha 90gsm hoody & pants (check Senchi or Garage Grown Gear ... I'd also recommend Farpointe Outdoor but they're typically sold out). The sleeping quilt/sheet seems like it'd be heavy-ish ... I'd just do the quilt. That pack gets a bit uncomfy past 17-18lbs - so definitely smart to limit the weight to 16lbs. Not sure if you did it just for the video ... but I wouldn't pack the tent on the bottom because you don't want to have to unpack all your stuff just to get to the tent. I hope you have a fantastic trip!
Thank you! I've never gone no cook on any trip. So that would be new for me, which is wild since I have decades of backpacking under my belt. The tent isn't right at the bottom, but more mid way down. Thank you!
@@BackcountryExposure it’s definitely different! It’s not something I usually do but found it’s great for summer trips when it’s crazy hot or trips where there isn’t a ton of water. I actually did an entire 4 day trip cold soaking … it actually worked out well and it’s great to save weight & space! 😊
Toaks 550 *light* pot is about 10 grams lighter than your mug AND more volume. That fleece is also way heavy and in all likelihood nowhere near the performance of alpha or airmesh. Also, cheap no-brand sit pads are like 90g lighter than the one you have. Regarding poop kit, not that hand sanitizer is not recommended for viruses (such as noro), you should carry powdered soap like Justin Outdoors; also like him, carry a bidet. That would save like 80 grams on your poop kit. Upgrade to a Garmin messenger and a lighter pack and you have over 1lbs savings right there.
Great video man! I too am looking to put my Skyline to the test on a fast-packing trip I have coming up this fall. To shed some weight, but gain a few features, I would swap the Nemo Chipper with a 1/8'' pad. It is a bit lighter (especially if trimmed down any) and will allow more surface area to work with if needed. I am looking for that OV fleece to come out. I love their apparel.
I am thinking at this point that I just drop the sit pad all together.
@@BackcountryExposure I always take one for multiple uses, that I’m sure you know of, but the main thing I take it for is under my sleeping pad. I am always worried of popping my pad out there.
Definitely bring bug repellent! I was curious how you store your food bag when you use your smaller zippered food bag?
I use the Skalmo Ilforsen and can recommand it, its a bit lighter but very comfortable
Swap: the nemo recycled sit pad (its heavy) for a folded peice of foam.
Swap: fleece for alpha 90 (lighter and with rain jacket very warm)
Ditch: bed sheet
Add: PLB please.
Why a PLB? There is very little snow left in the Uinta mountains this time of year and he has a Zoleo.
I missed the Zoleo. As long as it has a way to contact emerency responders. Having missed hearing the item (i was listening durring a commute) my thought was "saftey, even in non snow
conditions".
First Aid kit is pretty heavy.
Upgrade your sleeping pad, and your sleeping bag is pretty heavy, but don't know the specs and if you really like that system.
Your sit pad is stupid heavy. They make super cheap generic ones like the ones sold by Z-packs that are like an ounce.
Check out Alpha mid-layer/leggings for ultra-light. I would bring a hat and sunscreen for high altitude exposure. I would bring a buff for sweat rag/general purpose.
The BRS stove is gonna SUUUUUUUCK at that altitude and with wind. I would recommend a better stove with a regulator such as Soto Windmaster or MSR pocket Rocket. It will weigh more, but will actually work.
Your water/filtration system is kinda weird. Don't know why you don't just have a Katadyn BeFree filter with the bag, and having two smaller bottles on your shoulder straps doesn't make much sense to me. I get you probably are used to that for immediate use, but you probably only need one on shoulder strap on the side you usually prefer and maybe snacks/bars on the other shoulder. Those little bottles with caps and bit nozzles are a lot heavier per oz of carry than something like a smart water bottle. The BeFree fits those smaller squeeze bottle threads, so you could use one of those for your filter bag and just carry the filter with another lighter option for big bottle. (will take a bit more time to set up and fill multiple times, but it would work fine).
Get Nyoflume bag for waterproof packliner.
I would love to hear how the trip goes. I have used my Skyline Fastpack on several 1-2 day trips and if I am completely honest, I don't love it. There are so many things I really love about it but I just want to know what you think about it after a trip like the one you are about to do. I have so many great things to say about it and I had hoped it would have been my perfect bag for shorter trips but I want changes made to it.
By the way, there's nothing there that I would change. It is the perfect system for fastpacking and it all fits too!
Thanks! I happen to be doing the trip with Brigham from OV, so there will be ample opportunity to share feedback and design changes with him.
@@BackcountryExposureno kidding! That’s so awesome. We will have to plan one together in the future. I’d love to build more friendships locally and apparently we don’t live far from each other.
@@awakemyoutdoorsoul nice! Yeah I’m remembering now hearing about your channel after talking with Philip from Delicoats. Shoot me a message on IG and let’s connect!
I think the Nemo chipper is more comfortable than the thermorest z-seat, but my chipper is 3oz heavier than the z-seat. It doesn't sound like much but that could help with such a limited gear load out
Was considering the Chipper purely for the looks but the weight of it put me right off, couldn’t believe it at first.
Got one from Temu instead, less than $2 and only 20g.
two 10k is lighter than your 20k battery. Get rid of the ditty bag and all those stuff sacks. and use two ziplocs, Durston iceline trekking poles are lighter than your tent poles. Zoleo carabiner is not needed. RAB Phantom rain jacket is 3oz. Repack food. ONE 1gal ZIPLOC BAG. cold soak and get rid of the stove fuel and cup. If you are in warm areas, wear the midlayer and rain jacket. Get rid of the puffy. 40 degrees is warm. Thermarest xlite is 13oz in a regular size. No pillow dude, roll up your pack and sleep on that or use the inner of that nemo elite only. You could easily save 1/2lb or even closer to a lb. No sit pad dude. Sit on your pack.
Great video detailing your planning. Thanks!
1. Do you use a ground sheet under your tent?
2. The Rock Front jacket is described on the website as a wind jacket and doesn’t mention any waterproof protection. Do you need an actual rain jacket?
I don’t typically use a ground sheet with my tents.
The Rock Front rain jacket I have from them is brand new, so it’s not on their site yet. So I’ve just linked to their clothing section for now.
That said, a wind breaker may be an option depending on the forecast. August is monsoon season where I’ll be, so afternoon rain is almost certainly going to happen.
How do you drink from those floppy bottles with one hand? Also, ditch the stove. I see you had Packit Gourmet in your pack, they have meals you can just add cold water to. You can also ditch the pot and fuel by bringing food you don't have to heat up. Why bring a puffy AND a fleece in summer when you admit it's going to be warm. Too many stuff sacks, just use ziplock bags. Also I lay out wet wipes in advance to dry, cut them to size I want to use, and splash water on them when I want to use them.
Me on a 1 overnight fishing trip with my packraft end up with Osprey 100l backpack and 23kg 😂.ANYWAYS Here is a tip! use emergency blanket as a ground sheet. It takes a big beating + low weight and it will prevent some of the cold ground temperatures.
I have a 70L SWD Big Wild Pack shipping soon. Been waiting since March to get it. So I can properly pack my packraft too. :)
@@BackcountryExposure make a video when you are ready for a trip. Keep up with your great videos. Greetings from Norway!
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but those Nemo Chipper sit pads are weirdly heavy for what they are. By contrast the thermarest Z-seat is 2oz and unbranded one they sell on Garage Grown Gear is 1oz.
I’d probably ditch the extra socks and underwear. The midlayer seems unnecessary and the I’d skip the sheet. I’d also look at the weather report and ditch the rain jacket if it’s not expected to rain.
Carbon fibre, tent pole. 👍
Try to use a shorter cable with 3 different plugs end so you will need just one cable for all your electronic items.
Good call. Will look into that.
Drop the pack and get a sub-nero, 9.7oz instead of your Outdoor Vitals at 19+ oz.
Repackage your food, trekking poles instead of pack poles. You need a light. Zpacks has a new one that is great or the nitecore. Repackage with zip lock bags and the light big sky international soaking bag. Better yet heat food in your pot and take your lid. Just saved you over a pound.
thats pretty light!
You're going WAY lighter than I would ever consider, so I don't really have any valuable advice to offer. But I will say that I'm looking forward to your gear reviews of the products from Rockfront systems.
The sit pad is handy but 4.25 ounces is too heavy. You can find ultralight sit pads that weight just under one ounce and they are softer and more packable.
Not much of a weight savings but loose the pillow stuff sack. Just roll the pillow up with the mattress. And you won’t have to deal with getting it back into the stuff sack.
I look forward to seeing the rock front gear. Do they ship to the US? Seems like a good deal. I would consider swapping the befree for a lifestraw peak. The lifestraw can be used as a bottle filter combo just like the befree but it also has the same thread size as the sawyer squeeze so it can be used as a gravity filter.
Yeah the Hydrapak filter fits inside the soft bottles and the befree bottle as they are all 42mm.
@@BackcountryExposure if you take the mouth piece off the lifestraw it’s actually 28mm on each end just like the sawyer squeeze
So only 2L water carry capacity? Will that be enough? The rest looks solid.
Yes, it ought to be plenty for this specific trip. There are streams and lakes in abundance and before each pass, I’ll be able to fill bottles.
@BackcountryExposure Nice. I’m a sit pad guy. I cut 2 panels off old Z-lite and it’s 2-3oz. Worth it.
Where did you gwt the OV soft flask water bottles?
I got them with my pack when I ordered it. I think they did a small run of them when the was first released and included them in the order.
If you have an iPhone 14 or 15 you don't need the satellite locator...your phone does that now. And can call or text emergency services via satellite too.
@@26parma I’m on an iPhone 13 Pro.
“Guys I can’t figure out how to cut weight”
-brings full tent
-brings pillow
-brings cook kit
-brings puffy
-brings wonky zenbivy knockoff
-brings sit pad
-brings 20K battery bank
Your big 3 isn’t close to optimized for weight. A tarp and bug net and an actual lightweight quilt and pad would probably shave a full pound.
Assuming you don’t want to spend that kind of coin for a 30 mile loop, here are some cheap options to cut a few ounces:
-Get shorts with a mesh liner, dump the undies
-Replace the OV fleece with an alpha direct piece of even just a light weight 100wt fleece.
-Go no cook and actually prioritize cals/oz in the food you select.
-Check how warm a sil rain coat and fleece combo is, it’s likely you don’t need the puffy if you combine those as your insulation.
-Dump the pillow. Get creative with your other equipment.
-dump the sit pad. You are out there to hike, not to sit. Or if you really must bring it, consider incorporating it into your pillow system since you really should dump the pillow.
-1 500ml soft flask and 1 1500ml container is lighter than your current configuration
-that pack has a lot of superfluous straps dangling from it. Give it a trim.
$100 and some time at home, I bet you shave a half pound from that kit.
Tangentially related, it’s good to see that OV has been doing mid layer R&D for like 4 years now and still can’t make something that beats a $30 thrift store find.
This should be fun. I'm going to treat this like a /r/ultralight shakedown lol.
-Ditch the poles. Find a branch.
-Ditch the soft flasks and filter. Switch to smart water bottles and AquaMira in tiny dropper bottles
-Replace the 3 charging cables with 1 combo cable.
-Replace the 20k bank with 10k
-Ditch the toiletry bag & toilet paper. Use a bidet.
-Ditch the cook system. Switch to a cold soaking jar.
-Keep the socks. Ditch the underwear & leggings. Replace puffy with a Polartech Alpha Direct hoodie.
It'd be nice if you had a lighterpack with everything listed. I put together a lighterpack for every trip.
Hoow myfrend notification and a good and interesting video to visit and watch wholeheartedly and share the beautiful 👏💯👍🙋🇮🇩
What he actually wants is that you diligently comment on his video so that the algorithm can push him better. 😂
What about a French press?
Go all Katadyn Be Free and ditch the bulky Sawyer filter
I've got the Hydrapak Filter that I'll be using.
Don’t need extra underwear. Just use a tight running short underneath your regular shorts or pants. Prevents rash. At camp there is no need to wear something underneath your shorts.
I have no clue. I purchased all the gear that one channel said was an 8 lbs base weight. That same gear on my back weighed 16 lbs 😂 😂 😂.
Store the eletronics inside a ziplock bag. Lighter and more waterproof
Watching the John Zahorian videos really changed my perspective of a gear loadout… th-cam.com/video/Skbe33rfTbI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-JJ_OoKGSNbchhoY
Poncho over Rain Jacket by far! Quilt suck!
Cold soak and lose the cook system should shave off some weight. Good video. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! I’m definitely considering it now with so many comments suggesting it from this.
Ditch the seating pad, half the first aid kit, battery pack to big, water bottles to many just refill then drink out of the sawyer, ditch that cook system. Use alcohol bottle stove to many clothes extra underwear leggings mid layer just to much. mid summer way to many clothes x mid pro to heavy for 3 days. Definitely to much sleep system the blow up pad is to much just a folding pad is enough for summer 3 days
I'd ditch the midlayer and go with a lighter quilt.
There's a chance I'll swap the quilt to the Zenbivy UL, which is a couple of ounces lighter.
What's your BMI?
24.5
@@BackcountryExposure So probably possible to drop 20 lbs there?
Also, not sure why you want to drop the poles, as they will save your legs on those climbs?
@@stigcc ha ha, the dad bod is definitely in full effect. I’d absolutely like to drop a few pounds. I’ve never been a big fan of trekking poles when navigating boulder fields and steep talus slopes.
Sun shirt
How much lower than 16 could you expect to go? And to what benefit? The perceived weight of say 10lbs over 16lbs is pretty insignificant, but getting down to 10 isn’t even a reasonable expectation. Why create unnecessary suffering for a basically imperceptible or non-impacting difference?
Without the food and water weight I had in this specific list, I am at a 10 pound base weight. I think more important than anything is the discussion here in the comments. I enjoy hearing other’s perspectives and pulling from others own experiences. I also enjoy the challenge of maximizing comfort while also trying to be as light as possible for a route like I am doing.
Bear Spray? 🐻
Bears aren’t a concern in this area, so it’s not needed.
Cut sit pad in half
I’ll likely ditch it all together or find a lighter option. 😁
The chipper is heavy
Man, what about hat? Sunburns or heat strokes are not what you want to have on a trip!
I'll have a hat. I didn't talk about my worn items, but a hat and sun hoodie will be worn.
Don’t be that guy that brings a guitar on a camping trip. We all know that guy and we don’t like him
You don’t want me to sing at you?
Use a aluminum foil as a lid for the pot. It will spare some gas. The seat pad can be used as wind shield for boiling water. Just don’t keep it too close
Ah yes, good call. I’ve done that in the past, I’ll do the same here if I don’t go the no cook method.
i mean you could go naked and barefoot and save some weight maybe buzz cut the hair,clip the toe nails
ha ha!
Adult circumcision?
@@robertphillips93 maybe only breath out and not in to save weight?
@@iscariotproject You may be on to something here . . . could even lead to an "out of body" experience -- the ultimate in weight loss!
Shouldn’t be hiking off trail. That is what trails are for. Hiking off trail is a negative impact on the environment.
You can be a responsible steward of the outdoors and hike off trail. Especially if you're moving through an area as a solo hiker or just a group of two. There's a lot of amazing places to explore that don't have established trails. Knowing how to minimize your impact is important.
@@BackcountryExposure I can agree with that but you are promoting off trail hiking. What if now everyone hikes off trail. I’m sure the National Park Service would prefer hikers to stay on trail and you see signs, please stay on trail.
@tim Your comment raises some interesting points. When I see a crowd of Everest hopefuls or a train of thru hikers on the PCT, the negative impact on the environment jumps up in front of my awareness. Much less so for those relative few in the Uintas, where a cessation of human activity would return the environment to a pristine state fairly soon. Even the most heavily travelled areas of the planet might heal in a few short decades.
But what of the human species? Are they to be summarily disconnected from that very Nature which brought them into this life? Did She err blindly with her experiment? Or does our species not have an implicit role in the blossoming of terrestrial and cosmic harmony. After all, the term for complete isolation of life from Nature is easily recognised by all -- death.