Not even CLOSE!Originally Posted by Shewie
you're telling me that a hammock, tarp, TQ and UQ, take up more space than a sleeping bag, pad, 3-season tent, and tarp/footprint?
Not a chance.
That said I used to use a Gregory 65L pack, I am now able to use a smaller 40L pack for short trips after switching to a hammock setup.
Last edited by Hammonkey; 02-22-2013 at 09:31.
Ahhh, just what I needed...an excuse to post up my latest WIMP vid...
I get my full 25lb load into the Granite Gear Crown VC60 L pack.
25lbs includes 2L water, food, fuel and more clothing than I actually need in average winter temps
I think I'll re-christen this pack my "Crown Vic"
For more see my blog at http://hikingillinois.blogspot.com
Last edited by Jcavenagh; 02-23-2013 at 16:32.
The road to success is always under construction.
http://hikingillinois.blogspot.com/
I've tried small and large. I have a better trip with a smaller pack. It forces me to take less, which equals less weight, less tired, more miles = Kennedy Meadows to Horseshoe Meadows in 1.5 days.
Big pack, more gear, better food, slower and much more tired at days end. The end comes sooner, because I'm so tired I just want to stop. Same trip 2 days.
my norht face ligero 50 is supposedly a 50 l pack but there is now way i use a z lite on outside of pack.down bag compresses to nothin down jacket compresses to nothin,cook kit is tiny can carry 3-5 days of food easily.My weakness and biggest redundancy is fire starting gear fire steel matches lighters and my trusty zippo.also have a headlight and a small flashlite all led stuff. mini leatherman and pocket knife and glock26 on me,tarp and hammock are the hardest things to pack into my bag cuz they dont compress well Its just what you consider essential I use aqua mira instead of bulky filters and do my best not to carry anything that doesnt have two uses. all in all my winter pack weight is 16 lbs without water
For 3s using about 35L, including small bear can.
I would actually like to see your whole gear list... i suspect the issue is not with the hammock or hammock-related gear.
I have an old Go-Lite Gust. I have no idea how big it is... roughly 3600 cu inches according to Dr Google, or 56 liters, and I guess the expansion collar is another 1000cu inches, which brings it to 75.
I can carry my gear and enough food for a 5 day trip in it. Did it a couple summers ago in the Adirondacks. That included a totally un-needed hatchet and saw.
My hammock rig consists of a Hennessy ULB-A with Zipper Queen's excellent Mod 4, i think it was called, a MacCat Std tarp, and a JRB original underquilt. My sleeping bag (not quilt) is a WM Caribou. It and the UQ are both rated to 35*F.
The rest of my gear consisted of a single cook pot, lexan spoon, MSR Simmerlite stove, Kool-aid jar/bowl, a fleece, 2 pairs of socks, a cotton shirt to sleep in, a pair of long johns, a knit hat, soap/washcloth/toothbrush/paste rolled up in a towel, a USGI poncho, a small first aid kit, headlamp, compass, map, lighter, camera, TP, 2x 32oz water bottles, iodine treatment, and a repair kit (altoids tin-ful). My foodbag is an old red sleeping bag stuff sack. Oh, and i carried about 40' of 3/16" line to bear bag with.
There was room and to spare in my pack, though i did use about half of the expansion collar the first couple days for food. Was able to roll it part of the way up. I think the whole thing was about 25lbs.
I was also carrying a canoe, paddle, life jacket, canoe yoke, fishing pole, small tackle case, and a pair of rubber boots (it was fall, and the water's cold. Up through early September, i go without the boots). I portaged about as far as i paddled (St Regis Canoe Wilderness, if you know the area). The canoe was 32lbs. I figure the whole load was about 40lbs, plus the pack mentioned earlier. I managed to single all the portages.
Reading thru these postings I see a lot of weight being carried. There's no reason you can't go 2-3 lbs on a pack for winter in the ula variety. If you can't a sled takes care of that. My ula p2 from a few years back is around 3lbs fully loaded with all the accessories and It hauls a ton comfortably. I guess cost is an initial expense but after 10 yrs or so of use it is without flaw.
Now cost aside I plan to get a Zpacks arc blast next week so we are talking fully loaded with options about one pound. I have no concerns about how it carries with the carbon fiber supports. Should be interesting. For me it's an investment into several years of hiking since I am not a thru hiker.
Work toward shrinking the big 3, pack/ shelter/ bag and you will come a long way. Also wearing much of your insulation helps also. Think soft shell insulation that allows you to zip down and dump hot air. Lessening the load means you won't be starring at your feet as much and enjoying your surroundings more.
Oh and the arc blast is for summer but I plan to test out how well it handles my winter gear.
My recommendation is keep your pack for winter trips and get about a 60 liter pack for summer. If you work at it, you could get much smaller, but it doesn't sound like your ready for that yet. The ULA Circuit is about 60 liters and is a very good pack, but there are plenty of others. Make sure what ever pack you get is designed to carry the weight you have, including food and water. The Circuit is designed for a max of 35 lbs and will be very uncomfortable above that.
How easily do the KAQs fit? I have both of those quilts, and I am debating both a switch to the Circuit and a switch to down quilts. For now, it would be great if I could switch packs, but keep using the quilts, since changing them all is a bunch of money. Do you compress them, keep them loose in the bottom, regular stuff sacks, etc..? Thanks.
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