Ultralight Full Comfort Pack List: Gear, Food, & Clothes

[alifeoutdoors]

Thanks for the rundown, great video. If you don't mind me asking what are the "patches" built into your tarp?

[coldfeet]

Thank you for sharing....could you mention the footwear. That's my biggest fear, thus my avatar name.

[Otter1]

Thanks for the rundown, great video. If you don't mind me asking what are the "patches" built into your tarp?

My question as well!

Very good video. How exactly, is the tarp connected to the straps? Thank you for putting all the effort into this.

[FireInMyBones]

Brother Bones!As always, Very Impressive! Thank you for taking the time, and sharing.I've been impressed with your hammock/quilt set-up & that pack, since you first made and showed them years ago now.I am a little surprised it didn't "take off" and turn into the "have to have" long distance hiking hammock set-up. Perhaps now is a better time.Hadn't ever heard of the Morsel spoon/sporks, but like the looks of them. The Levi videos bring a smile to my face, and lightness to my heart too,
willin'

Thank you for your kind words. I have to say, I'm a huge fan of my hammock set up, but I'm obviously biased. I sold the design for the Whisper to Alex at Sheltowee Gear and I'm looking forward to seeing his take on it.
I backed the Kickstarter for Morsel Spork. I keep the full sized one as it came for car camping trips and group hangs. The modified mini works great for keeping my pot clean.

I hope to have another trip out with Levi within the next month. He makes me smile daily (and other faces sometimes). He's a sweet kid. We're very blessed.

9.5lbs...I'm around 16. I constantly ask myself "what am I doing wrong?" Well not really "wrong" but you know what I mean.Some day I'll get it down.

I've been down to 5# and up to 40# as a base weight. I am usually in the 9.5-12# range. The best thing I've found is that little things add up. Ever extra strap, chance to go to a thinner cord, slighter fabric, whatever, all adds up in the end. If you're comfortable with 16#, great!

Very informative, thanks!

You are welcome, sir.

Super impressed on how much thought went into this system. That's a lot of comfort for only 9.5 lbs.Just curious, a lighter was placed in the hip belt pocket and not enclosed in a plastic bag. Is that because the pocket is made of dyneema or would any material have been protection enough?This is a really well made video.

This particular kit has been a long time in the making. I have my eyes set on a ten day trip on the JMT within the next ten years (five would be awesome). This kit (swapping out the stove for a canister) will get me close. If I can be fast, light, and comfy, I'm in. I've never had an issue with a soaked lighter before, so it normally just hangs out there, but the while the top of the pocket is waterproof, the side is just lycra mesh. Since all of my food can be prepared no-cook, if the lighter fails, I'm not in the worst condition and can still get calories. Since my canister stove uses the piezo igniter, I'm not used to carrying the lighter anymore, but I might start carrying both. I'll consider putting the lighter in a small bag with some tinder for a safety.
Thank you for watching.

Thanks for the rundown, great video. If you don't mind me asking what are the "patches" built into your tarp?

You're welcome. Thanks for watching. The patches are waterproof/breathable cuben. It adds weight, but makes it possible to close the tarp almost fully around me and low to the ground in really cold and stormy conditions.

Thank you for sharing....could you mention the footwear. That's my biggest fear, thus my avatar name.

Usually, I wear Darn Tough wool socks (1/4 crew light cushion) and inov8 trail runners. I swap out the laces for bungee cord (the shoes in the video are using Hickies lacing). If it's gonna get below freezing and snowy, I'll pack a set of DIY cuben VPL socks (.9oz worn under socks when slogging through slush) and a spare pair of wool socks to alternate days while the wet pair dry on my pack. In those conditions I also use a pair of my Igneous Socks for in the hammock/ around camp.

My question as well!Very good video. How exactly, is the tarp connected to the straps? Thank you for putting all the effort into this.

I hope I answered your first questions above, since I couldn't tell which it was. For the question on the tarp to the strap connection, I use my Deluxe Suspension. Essentially, it consists of a Ti Cinch Buckle with a loop of Amsteel and Whoopie Hook for the hammock. Spliced onto the Amsteel at the larkshead to the buckle is a Dutch hook for securing the tarp. The tarp connects to the Dutch hook with a small loop of cord. I used some geometry to run the math on connection so that the tarp gets tighter when the hammock is occupied (rather than looser like the Hennessy). The Cinch buckle and Whoopie Hook act as water breaks.
You are more than welcome.

[OneClick]

The best thing I've found is that little things add up. Ever extra strap, chance to go to a thinner cord, slighter fabric, whatever, all adds up in the end.

Still trying to get that through my head!

[cmoulder]

Still trying to get that through my head!

16lb base is actually not that bad.

But a complete gear list with accurate weights is the only way to figure out the "excess." If you require/desire a large buffer of extra clothing, a chair, a saw, etc, and it isn't holding you back from enjoying on-trail time then it's no problem. OTOH, if you sometimes find yourself on a big climb and are ready to start tossing those things off the side of a cliff, maybe think about evaluating "needs" and become a bit more ruthless when culling grams.

[OneClick]

16lb base is actually not that bad.

But a complete gear list with accurate weights is the only way to figure out the "excess." If you require/desire a large buffer of extra clothing, a chair, a saw, etc, and it isn't holding you back from enjoying on-trail time then it's no problem. OTOH, if you sometimes find yourself on a big climb and are ready to start tossing those things off the side of a cliff, maybe think about evaluating "needs" and become a bit more ruthless when culling grams.

I love my Excel list! Up to 59 tabs now. Almost every trip's list, weights, notes and weather forecast (screen shot pasted in the day before) since 2013. There's clearly progress, but the past 4 years hasn't changed much...but I want it to. I'm looking at a lighter pack (1lb dropped easy) and some other little things. Some trips, but not many, I skip the saw (7oz) and stool (17oz).

Clothing was a big one for me. I've since cut out the extra and just wear "dirty" underwear and socks...something I never thought I could do. I still take two hats in the winter though (sleep and daytime). I just can't wear that sweaty beanie to bed.

[cougarmeat]

>Since my canister stove uses the piezo igniter, I'm not used to carrying the lighter anymore

Piezo igniters fail - at least mine have. A Bic is cheap and light - yes, it weighs … something - and I believe waterproof-ish if you let it dry.

Belt and Suspenders Cougarmeat

[Fisc]

I'd like to know more about that pack and how that canister is attached.

[FireInMyBones]

I love my Excel list! Up to 59 tabs now. Almost every trip's list, weights, notes and weather forecast (screen shot pasted in the day before) since 2013. There's clearly progress, but the past 4 years hasn't changed much...but I want it to. I'm looking at a lighter pack (1lb dropped easy) and some other little things. Some trips, but not many, I skip the saw (7oz) and stool (17oz).
Clothing was a big one for me. I've since cut out the extra and just wear "dirty" underwear and socks...something I never thought I could do. I still take two hats in the winter though (sleep and daytime). I just can't wear that sweaty beanie to bed.

I have four different tabs in my spreadsheet. The first is my primary gear tab, and due to the layout and calculations, it has 180 rows. The second is for food and acts as a catalogue of my current food supply. The food I select populates my pack on the first tab and changes my final load calculation as well as displays my protein and calorie total for the trip.
If I bring extra clothes, it is a shirt to sleep in (usually), maybe a spare pair of socks (rarely), and a spare pair of underwear (trips over a week only). I don't hike in a beanie unless it's below 20F. I hike with my running cap and a Buff pulled over my ears until it gets really cold.

>Since my canister stove uses the piezo igniter, I'm not used to carrying the lighter anymorePiezo igniters fail - at least mine have. A Bic is cheap and light - yes, it weighs … something - and I believe waterproof-ish if you let it dry.
Belt and Suspenders Cougarmeat

That's why I'm contemplating just adding it back to the kit along with a fire starting cube.

I'd like to know more about that pack and how that canister is attached.

The pack is a combination design between the Bonefire Gear™ Sparrow (my first pack design, frameless) and the Bonefire Gear™ Eagle (my second pack design with a full frame, limited run only as it took almost 30hrs to make). I call it the Bonefire Gear™ Raven (being in between the two sizes). Since the bear canister has almost the same curve as the average human lumbar, it made sense to carry the heaviest load at the hips for most efficient load transfer while retaining comfort and assisting with spinal alignment on long treks. The Eagle and the Raven both have a pocket built into the base of the pack specially designed to hold the bear canister as part of the structure of the pack. The first and second prototypes held a BearVault500 (and one made for a good friend), all of the others are designed around the Bearikade Weekender. The Raven weighs 13oz, is waterproof enough for me not to worry about most water crossings or the pouring rain, and has an 14L capacity up top (plus the 11L Bear Canister).