My Current Gear

I’ve updated and changed my gear (a little) and thought I would do a post on that.

Backpack, sleeping bag, pad and tent (100 ounces or about 6 1/4 pounds).

• Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 3400 31.7 oz. | 899g
• Custom sized Feathered Friends Swallow 20 degree (zips to my wife’s Egret). 1 lb 11 oz / 761 g — includes the weight of the zpacks dyneema pack liner. I saved a small amount of weight by downsizing the bag to fit my 5’5″ height.
• Thermarest NeoAir 12.5 ounces | 353 g.
• Zpacks Triplex with pole cups and MSR groundhog tent stakes. 28.9 ounces | 818 grams — it is 21 ounces without the stuff sack, pole caps and tent stakes. The pole cups are a major improvement on the Triplex in use.

Thoughts. I’ve used a Gregory Baltoro (before they started shrinking the weight), an Osprey Exos and then a Levity before moving to the Hyperlite. The Baltoro was heavy — an expedition pack, not a thru-hiking pack. The Exos was ok, I was able to sell mine (with hip belt pockets) for more than the new ones were selling for. The Levity just did not hold up and Osprey didn’t repair it completely. The Hyperlite is an ounce heavier, but so much more durable.

The Triplex replaced our Copper Spur 2p. The Copper Spur was 48 ounces and only 28^2 feet. The Triplex is larger and lighter. It also is made from Dyneema and as a result does not absorb water from the ground or mist or rain. That meant I could skip the polycro tarp/rainfly I was using, saving additional weight.

Clothing

• Polartek Silkweight Baselayer. 10.4 ounces (for a top & bottom). I’ve worn baselayers on the trail and sent them home too. This set is lighter than most of the baselayers I have (I weighed the bottoms against my wool and capilene bottoms and the top against my midweight wool top. The Silkweight set was lighter).
• Timmermade Fleece. 5.0 ounces.
• Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket with stuff sack. Sil-poly, will not wet out. 6.6 ounces
• Montbell Rain Pants with Stuff sack. 4.0 ounces.
• Two pair Darn Tough Socks. 5 ounces.
• Buff & Beanie. 4.8 ounces (alternative, two buffs, 4.2 ounces). I have a wool beanie that is just not quite as useable as the one I’ve switched to. Both were found on the trail, abandoned off to the side.
• Sun Hoody. 9.1 ounces. I keep considering a lighter (about 4.1 ounces) sun hoody. I’ve tried out some sun shirts, including the new 32 degree one, since I’m going to carry a hat and a bandana anyway. In practice, the hood has been worth it.
• White Sierra Convertible Pants, with my own belt. 12.6 ounces.
• Pillow. The cover is separate from the pillow and that allows me to wash the cover easily. 4.3 ounces.
• Gaiters I’ve reinforced mine where they had holes wearing through. They really make a difference in just how much in the way of rocks and twigs and such end up in my shoes. 1.1 ounces.
• Hiking Shorts. Umbro. (lighter than my other hiking shorts). Got them from a hiker box. 4.6 ounces.
• Two pairs of shorts. 5.2 ounces.
• Sleep socks. (InsectShield treated). 2.0 ounces.
• Eos Puffy. 12.4 ounces.

I go back and forth with the baselayer, or just using my hiking top (the sun hoody) and convertible pants to sleep in. The same for just unzipping the convertible pants or using the hiking shorts instead. Long pants are great for colder weather and for sun exposure. The shorts are great for laundry days, if nothing else. The long pants are great for whenever the mosquitoes are significant.

When I’m wearing the pants as pants, I don’t need the gaiters. But they are pretty significant when I’m in shorts.

Other Gear

[this post will be updated. I’ve my bear cannister, trowel, power pack, etc. to include.]