Fiddlehead's Travel Blog

My Gear List for Lightweight Backpacking

Cold weather & Warm weather hiking What we carry when Lightweight hiking.

Gear List
The gear we carry varies depending on the weather, temperature, how many days we’re between supply points, etc.

Keep in mind this is for lightweight backpacking and we are geared to move fast. Our goal usually is to complete one of the big 3 in the US.

Here’s a list of what we carry for an overnight in the winter, follwed by a warm weather list. We’ve found that even when we are out for the day with an 8 lb. load, (mostly food) every ounce counts.
By the way, any item followed by an asterisk *, is sold on fiddlehead’s web site: www.adventurelite.com


Cold Weather (10-30 degree Fahrenheit nights)
Pack: “Go-Lite Breeze” 12 oz

Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends?: Snowbunting 3lbs 2 oz.

Foam Sleeping Pad (1/3 cut off) 3 oz.

Raingear: Patagonia : Torrentshell, Frogg Togg? bottoms both: 2 lbs.

Cooking Pot: Aluminum 1 1/2 ltre pot, Beer can stove, 2 oz. alcohol: 10 oz total

Tent: Integral Designs: Sil-shelter with 7 stakes 14 oz.
Clothes:
Down vest: Feathered Friends: Helio vest 11oz.
Fleece pants: Open Air? wind block fleece 20 oz.
Fleece socks: wear one pr., carry 1 spare 3 oz/pr. 6oz *
Powerstretch top: wear it (always) 7 oz.

200 wt Polartec? Fleece top: 12 ½ oz

Balacalava Wind Bloc (200 wt Fleece) 2 oz *
Gloves (200 wt. Fleece) 2 oz
Camara Nikon CoolPix 10 oz
Tyvek Ground sheet (tent has no floor) 3 ½ ‘ X 7 ‘ 4 oz.
3 Sil / Nylon Stuff Sacks 2 oz *
Water Bottle 1 litre Mt. Dew 1 ½ oz
Pack cover: Sil / Nylon Adventurelite.com 3 oz *
Water bag: 5 litre from a wine box 3 oz
Cup Plastic, from a Thrift Store 1 ½ oz
Small Ditty Bag Contains the following:
Knife and Spoon Ginsu and Aluminum spoon 1 ½ oz
Toothbrush ¼ oz
Toothpaste 1 oz.
Reading glasses 1 oz.
Chlorine (water treatment in visine bottle) ½ oz. Knife and
Lighter Bic ¾ oz.
Bottle with Aspirin, Dental Floss and Sewing needle 1 ½ oz.
Flashlight Photon II Microlite ¼ oz. *

Total wt. Of Ditty bag contents 6 ¾ oz
Total Weight of Cold Weather Gear: 13.6 lbs (no food or water)
Warm Weather Gear List
Pack: Go-Lite? Day Pack 9.5 oz
Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends?: Hummingbird 1 lb. 13 oz
Raingear: Frogg Toggs Tops and Bottoms 12 oz

Cooking Pot: Aluminum 1 qt. Pot, Beer can stove, 2 oz alcohol: 10 oz. total
Tent: Integral Designs?: Sil-shelter with 7 stakes 14 oz.

Clothes:
Bergalene (a midweight fabric that is very light yet warm) Long Underwear Bottoms 4 oz.

Lightweight Polypro Top 5 oz
Nylon Socks 1 pr. / Fleece socks 1 pr. 4 ½ oz *
200 wt. Fleece top 12 ½ oz *
Camara Nikon CoolPix w/ batteries 10 oz
Tyvek 3 ½ by 7 ‘ 4 oz
3 Sil / Nylon Stuff Sacks 2 oz *
Water Bottle 1 litre Mt. Dew 1 ½ oz
Pack cover: Sil ? Nylon Adventurelite.com 2 ½ oz. *
Water bag: 5 litre from a wine box 3 oz.
Cup plastic (from Thrift Store) 1 ½ oz.
Small Ditty Bag (sil nylon) contains the following:
Knife and Spoon Ginsu and Aluminum spoon 1 ½ oz
Toothbrush ¼ oz
Toothpaste 1 oz. (full)
Reading glasses 1 oz.
Chlorine (water treatment in Visine
bottle) ½ oz.
Lighter Bic ¾ oz.
Bottle with Aspirin, Dental Floss and Sewing needle 1 ½ oz.
Flashlight Photon II Microlite ¼ oz. *

Total weight of Ditty Bag contents 6 ¾ oz.
Total Weight of Warm Weather Gear 8 lbs. (no food or water)

A few words about our gear,
Tyvek can usually be obtained for free or a small charge from a construction site where you see it being used, it comes in 9’ widths (usually) .
Buy a Mt. Dew or Coke plastic litre bottle instead of the Nalgene? and you get the bonus of a litre of soft drink! (and save 4 oz.)
If you really want a lighter pack, use a styrofoam cup (with lid), I’ve had one last 35 days already, but,….. be careful!
I understand that Titanium cookpots are the same weight as aluminum, but they cost 5 times more and aluminum heats water quicker. I took my handle off the EverNew? and riveted it to a hardware store 1 litre pot.
We’ve both been using chlorine for water treatment for years with no problems. Here’s our rule 1-2 drops per litre, (depending on water quality, and temperature) and wait 20 minutes. (The colder the water, the longer you should wait)

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