Backpacking Gear

Lightening Up

I've had problems with my back and legs since around 2002, when I took a bad fall while rollerblading and then later broke my leg when I slipped off a sidewalk in the rain. For that reason, I chose to invest in light or ultralight backpacking gear. The principles of lightweight backpacking are simple — take only what you need, choose the lightest item which retains its usefulness and dependability, and carry items which serve more than one purpose. Many backpackers begin "lightening up" by reducing the weight of the three heaviest pieces of gear: the pack, the shelter and the sleeping system.

The Pack — GoLite^® Jam²

Founded in 1999, GoLite^® has always been on the cutting edge of lightweight hiking gear technology. Their Jam² is made with super durable Dyneema^® gridstop. It features foam padding in the back and hip belt wings for support, and Brock^™ foam padding in the spacer mesh shoulder straps for long-lasting comfort. I can store items I want quick access to in the large front pocket with a watertight zip and two side angled stretch mesh pockets. Reducing excess pack room is easy with the two side compression straps. Inside is a sleeve for a 3 liter hydration bladder. This pack weighs only 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) and has a volume of 51 liters (3000 in³).

Dyneema® is stronger than steel and lighter than any other high-performance fiber. It makes for extremely durable and light polyethylene fibers — they even float on water! It's also 10-times stronger than steel and 2-times stronger than Kevlar by weight. The resulting pack fabric is extremely light and durable, and is somewhat water resistant.

This pack is amazingly light. It also sheds dirt and grime better than I ever would have expected. I also like that it is ready for a hydration system, right out of the box.

The Shelter — Mountain Safety Research^® (MSR) Zoid 1

My tent, as it was set up on Rabun Bald Mountain, May 24th, 2007.

This tent is so light! The whole package (tent, flysheet, stakes, tie-outs and poles) weights only 1.56 kg (3.44 lbs). It's the perfect size for my frame. The fly, poles, and footprint can be set up independently, if I'm camping somewhere warm and bug-free. It has a nice big door and it vents through a peak vent with kickstand support. It has a "bathtub floor" meaning it's waterproof across the bottom and a little way up the sides.

I've actually been able to sit up in this tent and get dressed, stow items in my pack, etc. I can also sleep with my head at either end. That's something you can't say for many coffin-type tents.

The Sleeping System — Part 1: Guide Gear^® Ultralight

The Guide Gear^® Ultralight Sleeping Bag folds smaller than a loaf of bread and weighs only 790 g (28 oz). It's filled with synthetic down and covered with a diamond rip-stop 190T nylon shell and 210T liner that are wind and water resistant. It features a full zipper for easy entry, drawstring baffle collar and an accessory pocket. It's rated to +50°F, and I'd say that's probably on the high side. What can I say? It was cheap, and there's something to be said for cheap. I'll probably buy a mummy bag for cooler weather, but this is a perfect bag for summer. I can also use it in fall and spring as long as I'm south of the Mason-Dixon.

The Sleeping System — Part 2: Therm-a-Rest^® ProLite^™ 4

Very few people like sleeping on the ground, and I'm no exception. Therm-a-Rest^® makes some of the best sleeping pads around. I chose the ProLite^™ 4, because I wanted plenty of cushion for my back, but at a reasonable weight. It adds about 680 g (1 lb 8 oz) to my pack weight, but that's well worth it. It's self-inflating, meaning that it has a valve at the foot end which can be used to allow air into the sealed cover. The inside is filled with a foam pad that helps it to inflate on its own. It still takes a few puffs of air to really make it firm, but it's better than huffing and puffing all day to fill up the whole pad, or sleeping on the ground.

I'm pretty happy with the trade-off of weight and comfort for these four items. Together they bring my base weight to about 3.8 kg (8.5 lb).

Click here to download my latest, but not comprehensive, gear list as an Excel spreadsheet.