All this discussion made me dig out my old 10x10... it actually weigh 25.5 oz....still better than the coated ones, but not as light as my memories... guess I was a "little light headed" in post 22..
Pan
All this discussion made me dig out my old 10x10... it actually weigh 25.5 oz....still better than the coated ones, but not as light as my memories... guess I was a "little light headed" in post 22..
Pan
Ounces to Grams.
www.jacksrbetter.com ... Largest supplier of camping quilts and under quilts...Home of the Original Nest Under Quilt, and Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock. 800 595 0413
Ogri the trog,
I think this is the major factor in my shyness of the "Ultralight" principle. I prefer my camping equipment to be more rugged than anything in the home - its when I depend on it the most!
I started hiking with exactly the same idea that you have. I bought a bunch of really good, heavy duty stuff for the trial. After a bit of experience, I found that I was killing myself with my fat heavy pack. I am not a gram weenie yet, but I like to think that I am at least an ounce weenie. I probably still carry too much, but knocking maybe 1/3 off of my pack weight, I find hiking very much more enjoyable. And, I have found that the lighter weight stuff HAS held up in the woods just fine. On the other hand, switching to a hammock added a little bit of weight over what I had with a tent, but is very much worth it in comfort.
Last edited by Porkbutter; 12-16-2006 at 22:22.
My kingdom for my butt in the woods
Thanks for the words of wisdom folks - its is an avenue I'd like to explore but there are things that I can't fathom for now. For instance, do you forego things like a First Aid Kit or spare set of clothing; these are things that I seldom use, but take along always. eg, What happens if your primary gear gets soaked?
Please take my questions in the manner in which they are intended, I'm not knocking the lightweight principle, but shaving grams for the sake of comfort and safety are alien concepts to me at this time.
Yours
Ogri the trog
Well prepared gram weanies:
www.jacksrbetter.com/index_files/Gear%20List.htm
"Every day above ground is a good day"
those are really good questions. more people should ask them before taking off w/ all new light weight gear.
i`m no expert, i`m still learning all the time & hope i don`t quit learning. but i could share the opinions i`ve developed at this point.
with out going into great detail, i think most lightweight & ultralights carry a first aid kit, it`s just a lot smaller than what some traditionalist carry. the more your willing to learn about first aid, the more you can improvise.
some people do w/o a lot of stuff because you rarely need it & if that rare occasion ever arises, you just deal w/ it the best way you can until you get to help.
i have reduced my first aid kit considerably, but i still carry more than a lot of lightweight folks.
my FA kit weighs about 1 lb, but may weigh less by summer.
there are some great books on learning to go light, like "lighten up" by don ladgin, & "lightweight backpacking & camping" (authors may show up as jordan or cole).
also there`s a website, backpackinglight.com that is has more answers than you may want<g>. a lot of it can be viewed just by going to the site, but to read all the articles & get the reduced members cost on gear & supplies they offer, you have to pay a yearly $25.00 membership fee. in my opinion it`s well worth it.
then of course you can find most of your questions answered w/ varying opinions on whiteblaze for free.
I too will something make and joy in it's making
It is hard to say no to first aid. Bring that always. I carry lots more than most, but I have extra needs in that department. As for clothing, how much more do you need than what you can wear at once? They will get dirty , of course, but will function just fine. I do like extra socks, though. Dry feet are a good thing, particularly if you need then to sleep in cold weather.For instance, do you forego things like a First Aid Kit or spare set of clothing; these are things that I seldom use, but take along always
One easy rule to follow is if you don't use it, don't bring it. The extra "just in case" crap adds up up no end.
I'll second the recommendation for this book. Every backpacker should own a copy of this."lightweight backpacking & camping"
My kingdom for my butt in the woods
There is a lot of personal decisions here. I also am still learning and think I will always to tweaking something.
All of my clothes dry out pretty fast (only cotton I carry is my bandanna), so I am not very worried about getting what I am wearing wet. Wet clothes underneath my rain gear will still keep me warm when hiking. I have a synethic jacket and I am going to add syn pants. These insulate very well when wet. I do keep sleeping only clothes. This way I can sleep dry.
For first aid I carry Sodium Naperson, Tylenol, first aid cream, goss pad, stomach medicine of some kind, and mole skin. I can also see my TP and duct tape when needed. I figure anything that this can not treat I am going to have to go to the hospital anyways. This is a very personal decision.
Check out www.whiteblaze.net . A lot of us pst there, and I have learned a ton there.
Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".
I have an 8x10 Sil tarp for Equinox thats haging over my ENO single nest right now. It works real well. Here around Hagerstown we've had some strong winds here, and although I woke up because of the noise, the tarp kept me pretty well protected. Although during the summer Im thinking of going to my JRB 8x8.
NREMT-B, WEMT
CPR goes up and down, up and down......because my patient's dead.
Hanger Fromally Known as Ghost93.
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