Joe's Ultralight Backpacking

3-Season Gear List

Notes: This is my typical solo load as of August 2005. The only other item I plan to add is a pair of WindStopper fleece full-finger gloves. I have a detailed breakdown of item weights available for the curious. Overall it's about 3/4lb heavier than my base load of a few years ago, but gives me a lot more margin of comfort for the swing seasons. I could shave off half a pound going with a lighter bag for true Summer-only travel, but don't feel it's worth it to me. I like the extra margin. Besides, snow tends to follow me - been hit in April in the Grand Canyon, July in Idaho, August in the High Sierras.

Core changes over the past few years have included:

• My Feathered Friends 20F/-5C Swallow sleeping bag (2lb 8.7ozs/1.15kg incl. weather resistant stuff sack). I upgraded it to 800-fill, added a few ounces of "overfill" down, and an EPIC shell for better standalone water- and windproofing. (I love it! Great piece of gear!) This bag really helps me get into the swing seasons of Spring and Fall in the mountains with complete comfort and confidence. It's a very conservative 20F, quite comfortable at 20F vs. merely "not dying from hypothermia at 20F" like some bags that stretch their ratings. I always take a few minutes to fully fluff the down each night as well, getting about 8" of loft out of it. It also has continous baffles, so I can work all the down to the top of the bag when needed.
  
  
• Added a water filter (Cathy's old-school Sweetwater, 8.3ozs/235g). Works great, clean water on demand, no chemical taint, and my base load is still at 10lbs/4.6kg. I keep iodine and neutralizer as backup though, cheap insurance for a few ounces. Just for reference I am in agreement with current research that shows most cases of "beaver fever" in North America are actually due to self- or intra-group contamination resulting from poor hygiene on the trail, not infected water. That said, I've also had to use amazingly skanky water at times, more like micro-snail-and-algae soup than water. Better safe than sorry eh?
  
  
• Swapped one of my Photon LEDs for a Princeton Tec Impact II LED (2.8ozs incl. 4xAAA batteries). It has a burn time of over 75 hours, plus it has a focused lense that casts a bright beam of light a solid 50m ahead. I originally bought this for rock climbing - self-rescue, looking for rap bolts and walk-offs when caught in the dark, etc. Then I realized that while my dual Photons were adequate for my personal needs (I descended Whitney on a moonless night with them), what if I needed to take part in a rescue or something? Or with the kids in the backcountry lead an evacuation? This thing fits the bill, rather amazing for the weight.

When heading to the High Sierras or other lofty spots, I add in my favorite fuzzy synthetic fleece longsleeve shirt (12.1 ozs). Yeah, that's pretty heavy but 1) I really like it, and 2) I can't yet afford the down jacket I really want from Feathered Friends - the Hyperion down jacket, 1 oz lighter than my fuzzy shirt, plus EPIC shell and 800-fill option. Hopefully soon....

Also, thanks to fellow OTI member "Gunga Din" George, I now have a Black Diamond Lightsabre bivy to experiment with. I really like it! I'll be swapping between it and my tarp system (below) as whim and logistics dictate. The Lightsabre weighs about 1/4 lb more than my 8'x10' Siltarp (Campmor) plus A16 Bug Bivy combo, but it's a pretty sweet piece of gear.

As of August 2005

ON THE BOD

Hiking Shoes (Lowa Tempest Lo)             Hiking poles (duct tape wrapped around)
Nylon Longsleeve Shirt                     2 pair "SmartWool" Socks
Nylon Hiking Pants                         Sunglasses
Nylon Running Shorts                       Camera (in pocket when I bring it)
Hat ("Grandma gardening hat" - function over fashion ;-)


THE PACK

NOTE: Sleeping pad is inside the pack, providing some form.

CORE                                       CLOTHES
----                                       -------
Backpack (GoLite Breeze - Lg, 3000+ ci)    Nylon rain jacket w/ hood
Feathered Friends Swallow (20F, 800-fill)  Warm hat (Mountain Hardwear Windstopper fleece)
Siltarp (8'x10')                           Synthetic longsleeve undershirt
Tyvek groundsheet (7'x3')                  Gloves, Fleece (cutout fingertips)
A16 Bug Bivy                               Bandana
8 Kelty Nobendium stakes                   Long Underwear Bottoms
3/4-length Sleeping Pad (RidgeRest)        
GoLite Dome Umbrella                       
50' Nylon guy line (cut in pieces)         HOUSEKEEPING/KITCHEN
                                           --------------------
                                           MSR Pocket Rocket
SURVIVAL                                   Titanium pot w/ lid (1.3 liter)
--------                                   Spork, titanium
1st Aid Kit                                2 - 1 lt Water Bladders
Leatherman Micra                           Dental Floss (few feet - sewing/etc)
Map                                        Infant Toothbrush
Compass, Orienteering                      Toilet paper
"Hurricane" matches                       
Whistle (plastic)                         
Light, PrincetonTec Impact II LED          MISC
Light, Photon LED                          ----
Space Blanket                              Mosquito-netting hood
2 Candles                                  ID, Credit Card, Cash
Water filter (Sweetwater)                  Plastic garbage bag (many uses!)
Signal Mirror (coated plastic)             Pen
Sewing Needle                             
Iodine/Neutralizer Tablets                
                                          

OPTIONAL
--------
Digital camera (Canon A70)
Ursack or Bearvault bear-resistant container