Ultralight Gear Options

**MCBushbaby** · 03-19-2008, 12:19 PM

I spent a good portion of last night critically analyzing my pack weight. Although I can't do much on my budget with my 4lb 9oz pack and 5-6lb sleeping bag, I figured I might as well save a few ounces here and there on other items. Aside from going into detail, because this is not an ultralight backpacking forum, I'll just cover some general equipment that can save a ton of weight at limited cost to you.

Replace your pot's cover with a pie tin.
The pie tin lid for my .9L pot weighed in at 4.5g (grams!). I used a needle nose pliers to kink the edges so it formed a lip and fit perfect on the pot. The stock lid weighed 50g, a savings of 45.5g (1.6oz).

Platypus water reservoir ($9 for 2.5L)
I came across these last night. A 2.5L reservoir weighs 1.2oz! Compare that to my 3L camelbak at 7oz, you can easily see a weight saving potential here.

Throw away your Nalgenes
An empty Nalgene easily weighs 1/3 lb each but an empty Gatoraid bottle weighs 1.7oz and will last almost as long. The only difference is I don't think the Gatoraid bottles can stand up to boiled water, though I could be wrong. If I am, Gatoraid is the obvious winner.

Mesh ditty bags
Although using your fancy lightweight stuffsacks may seen obvious, a simple mesh nylon ditty bag (drawstring kind) can weigh as little or even less! Use them as container bags for misc items like your first aid kit, carabiners, toilet paper (though I'd recommend a ziplock for waterproofing), etc. These ditty bags usually come with your cooking pot or some other equipment and are easy to find. I weighed mine at 9.9g (0.35oz) and haven't even replaced the nylon cord and friction stopper with a lighter option!

Fleece > Wool
Although I have yet to do extensive field tests, polar fleece (commonly referred to as simply 'fleece') is a synthetic copy of wool and is supposed to be better, lighter, and more recyclable than wool. It still repels water, provided thermal insulation when wet, dries quickly, is cheaper, and weighs a lot less.

Multiuse items
Multiuse items saves a ton of weight. Those spare wool socks? Mittens! Don't bother bringing mittens unless it's winter while you have spare wool socks at hand (haha, pun). Those spare bootlaces? Drop em if you have some paracord on a lanyard or in your pack. Redundancy is stupid.

So let's say you replaced your items following the ideas above... how much weight would you really save and how much of an investment would that be? Well, on average, you save 11oz (.687lbs) at a cost of only $10 (assuming you can find a free pie tin)! This does not include the weight savings from a ditty bag, fleece clothing or multiuse items so you could be saving 5x as much weight!

So those are a few simple, cheap ideas to lighten your load by pounds! Try as I might, I can't get my pack weight (including water, food and fuel) below 25lbs for a weeklong trip. I blame this on my 6lb sleeping bag (free, I'm too cheap to buy a new one) and my almost 5lb pack. Oh well, live and learn.

**beerrunner13** · 03-19-2008, 01:48 PM

I don't know I think I would rather hump a few extra pounds then be cold,wet or hungry. But then I never got the whole ultra light thing I still use my old Army ruck andhave an ECW sleeping bag. Seems when you give up weight you give up durability. I do agree with you and the multi use items. If I was looking to cut weight I reckon I could cut back on the ammo I carry or leave Jim Beam at home, but no don't think thay's going to happen.

**MCBushbaby** · 03-19-2008, 01:57 PM

That's a common misconception associated with going ultralight, where people think they'll be sacrificing durability, comfort, warmth, and food in exchange for a few less pounds. However ultralight's only true drawback is it's expense when you begin to expand your gram-counting to backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents (each of which can run you $200-400). True, you have to be more careful with a silnyl tarp than with a kevlar, triple-stitched bag, but not by much. But switching out heavy Nalgenes for Gatoraid bottles or replacing the factory pot lid with a lighter option doesn't negatively affect your experience, or at least it shouldn't. Freezer bag cooking, which is basically arranging your daily meals in freezer bags and just having to add boiling water, can give you gourmet food on the trail at a fraction of the weight compared to someone cooking beans from a can, and in less time. Likewise, using a homemade pepsi can stove has it's drawbacks (bad in winter, high elevations) but for most camping trips the $0.20 20g stove is a better option than a $100 multifuel stove weighing more than a pound.

I do agree with you about comfort if you are taking it to the extreme such as using a bivy sack or getting some thin, lightweight sleeping bag instead of a good all-weather tent and a 0deg-rated bag. However that is the extreme end of UL backpacking, much the same as "knife, flint, canteen" is the extreme end of wilderness survival.

**Rick** · 03-19-2008, 02:03 PM

Mitch - Good information. I agree with you on the ultra light. You can have your cake and eat it too if you're will to pay the money. My son tries to go that direction and he has it down to an art. Me not so much. I'm much more like Sam. I will be getting away from the sleeping bag now that winter is almost over and going with a blanket to cut weight.

I guess it's a lot like others things in the outdoors. Whatever you are comfortable with. Beo and Frank seem to go with not much more than the Wild Turkey. Now there's a multi-use product. I have to backpack with a mule pack. Some others use the RV. To each his own.

**beerrunner13** · 03-19-2008, 02:35 PM

Yeah I reckon I am just to cheap.I either go bare min which is pretty much out with the wife or everything, and sometimes I do use a mule,when we take the horses love my cast iron. And wild Turkey is every bit as welcome at my fire as Jim Beam.

**crashdive123** · 03-19-2008, 03:25 PM

Mitch - the only area where I disagree with you is "Redundancy is stupid." Personally I like back-ups where practical, and in the case of fire - back-ups to my back-ups.

**Rick** · 03-19-2008, 04:17 PM

Ow! I missed that. I agree with Crash. I want three ways to do everything. Backups for my backups. Redundant is my middle name.

**MCBushbaby** · 03-19-2008, 04:47 PM

Redundancy in fire I agree. I have two butane lighters as well as my flint/steel when backpacking. As is redundancy in the basics is acceptable. But having a pot cozy while a spare hat wastes away in your stuff sack seems like a waste. Likewise with a spare bootlace while you have 50-100' of 550. I suppose redundancy in the nonessentials combines with multiuse items

**canid** · 03-19-2008, 04:59 PM

but 550 is an essential, and there's nothing you can't do with either it or duct tape. my next goal is a field expedient duct tape, visqueen and 550 cord hang glider...

**GVan** · 03-19-2008, 05:16 PM

I, for one, am still useing the kit I had in the army, back when L.B.J and "Tricky" Dick were around. I can't see sending a small fortune to those Godless commies in China for no good reason. Saveing weight is fine as long as you don't become a fanatic about it. Quality, in the long run, will end up saving you a considerable bit more than trying to be trendy or fashionable.

If you're worried about weight, try exercising ar working out at the gym. You'll never notice the weight difference if you're physically fit.

It's your life and kit, so,... you decide.

**Alpine_Sapper** · 03-20-2008, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by GVan

I, for one, am still useing the kit I had in the army, back when L.B.J and "Tricky" Dick were around. I can't see sending a small fortune to those Godless commies in China for no good reason. Saveing weight is fine as long as you don't become a fanatic about it. Quality, in the long run, will end up saving you a considerable bit more than trying to be trendy or fashionable.

If you're worried about weight, try exercising ar working out at the gym. You'll never notice the weight difference if you're physically fit.

It's your life and kit, so,... you decide.

While I agree with you about being physically fit and you won't notice the weight, I don't think you've done your research. Sure, quite a bit of gear is manufactured overseas, but the majority of the UltraLight companies are creating their own technologies and producing their stuff locally, whether that be the US, Canada, or the UK. There isn't a real "quality" difference in the ultralight stuff, it's just not as "robust" in that you can't treat it as roughly as you can 15 GI's putting up a canvas tent in the middle of a blizzard.

I also agree about the fanatic part of what you said....Going UL is fine....just don't become a "gram weenie". I try to find a nice balance between cost and weight. I'm not willing to shell out $600 for a 30 degree bag that weighs 1.5lbs when I can shell out $20 at the coleman outlet for a 20 degree bag that weighs 3lbs. That just seems ridiculous to me.

**Stony** · 03-20-2008, 09:19 AM

since we are frugal we don't spend big bucks on modern gear.
we just use what is at is at hand and what i use for guiding.
if all three woman are along, we make a nice bed with all our sleeping bags.
the 'mother ship' (pick-up or boat) are always close by, so weight is only an issue when
mountain hunting.
that is when our four-legged lawn mowers come in.

**Rick** · 03-20-2008, 09:44 AM

A lot depends on application, too. Someone like Hopeak that guides for a living and is in the bush sometimes for months might like the ultralight gear offered today. Mountain climbers or someone hitting the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Coast Trail might opt for the more expensive stuff.

It might be the only choice if you have some disability that would prevent you from carting much weight around. You're probably going to be a lot more concerned about weight if you've had a knee replacement, back surgery or an artificial leg.

**MCBushbaby** · 03-20-2008, 12:40 PM

I think too many people, when thinking of "ultralight backpacker," envision some kind of guy in 'hiking sandles', a silnyl rucksack that doubles as his tent, and $500 worth of ultralight gear... skipping along the AT like some elated hippy with too much money. But really ultralight is just finding small ways to reduce your load weight. You don't have to spend a ton of money buying the lightest pack, bag and tent to be considered UL... you just need to realize things like Nalgenes and stainless steel cooking pots can be easily, and fairly cheaply, replaced with ultralight options. That said, sometimes you don't need to spend a dime to drop 5lbs. A lot of homemade items work just as well, or better, than commerical UL options costing hundreds (case in point: alcohol pepsi can stove, clothes hanger pot stand, wax stove, hobo stove, home-made first aid/emergency kit, custom pot lids, home-made pot cozy, simple backpack modifications)

I think going UL or at least a weight-reduction route allows you to carry more home amenities. I know, I know. I'm a minimalist practicing survival trips in the dead of winter and I'm promoting home comforts... but I wouldn't think of brining my blocky digital camera, a book and .22 if my pack already weighed 50lb.

**Assassin Pilot** · 03-20-2008, 03:15 PM

Often when finding lightweight containers of any sort, the best place to look at is "free" containers. These are things that companies make as complementary items, and are make as cheap as possible to limit its actual cost. As stated here, some good examples are pie tins, Gatorade bottles, and mesh bags that may come w/ a sleeping bag or something. Some others I can think of are soup tins for small pots, newspaper for insulation (if carrying something that shouldn't be frozen through freezing weather), and even shopping bags to carry awkward shaped items that don't have handles (small stoves and stuff that dont come with containers)

Basically, try thinking like a homeless guy and use simple stuff that is easily at your disposal that is lightweight and inexpensive.