A Challenge 2nd attempt at a lightweight overnight

[Van-Wild]

I was supposed to go lightweight a while ago but something came up that was much more important. Now that everything has settled down I will be having a go at reducing the weight on my back. What better way to start than the end of October.....?

The plan is to walk out into the local area and wild camp, before returning home early doors the following morning ready to help with the usual family activities of school runs and the like.

With regards to going lightweight, what has actually happened is I've just looked at all my gear and chosen the lightest option. There's no luxuries, just the essentials. I haven't the money to go out spending cash on sexy titanium sporks or ultralight cooksets, everything I packed I already owned, less the rucksack which I must admit was a purchase off here but at the cost of selling other stuff so really I didn't lose money. I will enjoy it I'm sure. I like wild camping in the colder months . For those interested, here's my gear. No need to post recommendations of lighter/better/decathlon options, I haven't the money to buy it and I'm happy with what I have! Cheers

So, from the left, top to bottom:

British army tarp.
Down sleeping bag in dry bag
British army inflatable mat
Down jacket
Snugpak Bivi Bag (next to roll mat)
Lixada wood stove (little bug clone in canvas slip made by John Fenna )
Cuts kit (in small ortleib bag)
Toilet kit and Israeli dressing(next to above)
Food (cup a soup pasta, oat cakes, cheese, 2 coffee sachets, 1 tea bag, dried mango, blueberry oats)
Trangia stove with spare fuel and lighter (in small camo pouch)
Sawyer mini filter
Candle
Silva Compass
Pocket knife (Rangergrip 78)
Fallkniven DC4
Mamut head torch
Ferro rod on 1m para cord
30ft of 2mm bank line
Metal spoon
2 x 1ltr nalgene bottles
750ml metal cup (nested with a bottle)
Lid for metal cup
Yellow folding cup
Karrimor dry bag
Thermal top and leggings (nice....)
Possum fur merino hat
Goretex socks (for sleeping and resting)
Merino wool buff
Sealskin waterproof breathable gloves.

All packed into this:

My new to me deuter groden 32ltr pack. You'll maybe notice I don't have a waterproof jacket. If it looks like rain I'll swap out my down jacket for a primaloft Hyvent jacket by berghaus.

I'm going tomorrow. I will update this thread Thursday afternoon and you can all see how my first lightweight trip goes!

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[oldtimer]

Just love kit lists, especially as I have found reducing weight a life long challenge. Well done in getting it into 35 litres, but how much does it weigh?

Enjoy the trip!

 

[Van-Wild]

Just love kit lists, especially as I have found reducing weight a life long challenge. Well done in getting it into 35 litres, but how much does it weigh?

Enjoy the trip!

I'm not sure on the weight but at a guess (lifts pack up and down one handed...) I'd say somewhere near 8-9kg all in including water. Considering my usual weight is around 15-16kg I'm happy!

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[Janne]

I think that is a good pack. Everything you need to be comfy. To be truthful, not much difference between that 'overnighter' and a 'week long' packlist, apart from more food?
apart from the cooking and sleeping thingies, mine looks the same.
what more can you need?

 

[Robson Valley]

Bog roll. Double the food, fuel and water, you never know.
Fire-making toys to play with.
Show us what you see from your camp site (Some sort of camera.)

 

[Paul_B]

Once got overnight kit into a 20 litres alpkit gourdon dry rucksack. More usual I packed into a 32 litre with extra storage space. Longer trips or for comfort I use a 50 litre +15 litre climbing sack from berghaus that's 20 plus years old. Pre dates modern ultra light movement but less than 1.6kg sack capable of carrying up to 28 kg load in as comfortable as that weight can be. More usual 6.5kg base kit weight.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Looks like a good kit load out. I think there's a lot more fun to be had from lightening your kit by thinking more carefully about what you really need to take camping as opposed to throwing cash at superlight stuff. Enjoy your overnighter and when you return have a look at what you didn't use and whether you can get by without it next time (notwithstanding your First Aid Kit of course!)

 

[Paul_B]

You can get by without a lot but goes without saying it's a personal choice as to where your limits are with kit. Many factors from level of comfort/discomfort, experience, money for lighter kit, etc.

Personally I started backpacking knowing my existing kit was really car camping kit. So I got a lighter 2 man tent 2.6kg but lightest in a magazine comparison that I could afford. It was after a few overnighters I found a lighter, bigger, better temp rated sleeping bag for not much money. Then I realised a rucksack bought for combined winter walking and one day reduced weight/ bulk backpacking actually made a great weight reduction for a stable carry and the right capacity. I hadn't used it for almost 10 years as too big for day walks and I hadn't got into backpacking.

Gradually as money came in, it went out on better kit for reducing weight. Best bang for bucks after leaving kit out was a quilt bought fit £100. Tip, keep checking out bargain threads on outdoors websites. I saw my quilt reduced from £280 to £100 and it was in xl too.

 

[Erbswurst]

Do you take a wood stove and a Trangia stove with you?
Why that?

Why don't you leave the sharpening stone at home?

Why don't you carry the sleeping bag in the bivvy bag in the dry bag?

You could boil water in the metal mug, put it back in the bottle and make coffee or tea there in. So you could avoid that rubber duck.

Edit:

Ah, sorry, rubber cup, of course.

2.Edit:

No, Janne!
It might be Swedish, but it isn't really necessary!

 

[Paul_B]

Sharpening stone! Didn't spot that.

Sharpen your knives at home and use them when out and about. Just how blunt will you make it on an overnight trip? I would suggest that if you really need a sharpening stone on such a trip you might benefit from changing how you use your knife.

Small weight saving though so I put that under the luxuries list and personal choice. Earplugs and mp3 player were my luxuries.

 

[Erbswurst]

A lightweight bushcraft equipment packing list should be a short list in my opinion.

As short as possible!

 

[Van-Wild]

Update....

I headed out late afternoon. Within a quarter of an hour I was in the forest. It's prime mushroom season so my main aim was finding the little jewels. I'm beginning to be an enthusiastic amateur photographer so armed with the camera I got in 2007 for my honeymoon, I was hoping for some practice with that as well as roaming about looking for shrooms.

Not long into the walk I came across a number of different mushrooms, some I know and some I don't. I wasn't there to forage so every single one was left where it was found.

After wandering about for just over an hour, with no destination in mind I took a rest, sitting on a fallen birch tree. I took a few sips of water. The pack wasn't feeling heavy at all. I normally carry about 15kg so this new lightweight set up was definately doing my lower back and shoulders some good. I was enjoying the walk. The area I was in is a mixture of pine and birch forest, with some up and down but nothing too taxing. It can change from close to open country pretty quickly.

By 5pm the temperature had dropped a few degrees and with the gentle breeze it felt a little chilly. The sky was overcast and rain during the night had been forecast. I started to look around for a place to pitch up the tarp. I had taken the army camo one purely because I have lost my venerable Jerven original, which was always my shelter of choice year round. I found a spot on a little spur. With the dense forest behind me and views out the front I was happy. The breeze through my camp would keep bugs away at least.

I laid my sleeping mat on the ground and lent against a tree. With my belly feeling ready I got a brew on.

The Little Bug clone by Lixada cost me £5 plus postage off ebay months ago and I love it. Light, durable and good with wood or with a Trangia it is very economical. Dinner was a cup of tea and a pasta meal. Easy to prepare and warming I enjoyed my dinner listening to the squirrels chatting, they clearly didn't like me being there!

After dinner the light was fading and a few drops of rain began to fall. I took the camera for a little circumnavigation of my camp and took a few pictures of the views and more mushrooms. I planned to come out over the next weekend maybe and collect some mushrooms.....

Once back in camp the darkness was upon me so I set the tarp up at waist hight. The breeze had picked up so I wanted it lower than normal to protect me.

With shelter sorted I got the sleeping bag inside the Bivi Bag and got myself comfortable. I changed out of my clothes and into my thermals. It was a bit of a faff under the low tarp. I should have just got changed outside! But 15 minutes later I was snuggled up inside my sleeping bag. It was early to bed and early to rise. I had to be home for 7.30am to get the kids ready for school.

I enjoyed myself. The lighter pack was much better to walk with. I didn't feel like I missed anything. I am more than happy with everything I carried and I'll be going out again in the near future.

Thanks.

 

[Erbswurst]

It would be interesting if you put your stuff on the kitchen skales and write the weight of every single piece behind in your list, and in the end the total base weight, what means all without water, food, soap and fuel.

Than I could write my stuff in a list here and people who want to buy equipment are able to compare piece for piece and see in the end the result for the complete packs.

It might be interesting to see the differences between your short packing list with more or less normal stuff and my a bit lighter stuff. So people can think about if it is worth to upgrade their equipment or just to choose the lighter stuff they own.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Update....

I headed out late afternoon. Within a quarter of an hour I was in the forest. It's prime mushroom season so my main aim was finding the little jewels. I'm beginning to be an enthusiastic amateur photographer so armed with the camera I got in 2007 for my honeymoon, I was hoping for some practice with that as well as roaming about looking for shrooms.

Not long into the walk I came across a number of different mushrooms, some I know and some I don't. I wasn't there to forage so every single one was left where it was found.

After wandering about for just over an hour, with no destination in mind I took a rest, sitting on a fallen birch tree. I took a few sips of water. The pack wasn't feeling heavy at all. I normally carry about 15kg so this new lightweight set up was definately doing my lower back and shoulders some good. I was enjoying the walk. The area I was in is a mixture of pine and birch forest, with some up and down but nothing too taxing. It can change from close to open country pretty quickly.

By 5pm the temperature had dropped a few degrees and with the gentle breeze it felt a little chilly. The sky was overcast and rain during the night had been forecast. I started to look around for a place to pitch up the tarp. I had taken the army camo one purely because I have lost my venerable Jerven original, which was always my shelter of choice year round. I found a spot on a little spur. With the dense forest behind me and views out the front I was happy. The breeze through my camp would keep bugs away at least.

I laid my sleeping mat on the ground and lent against a tree. With my belly feeling ready I got a brew on.

The Little Bug clone by Lixada cost me £5 plus postage off ebay months ago and I love it. Light, durable and good with wood or with a Trangia it is very economical. Dinner was a cup of tea and a pasta meal. Easy to prepare and warming I enjoyed my dinner listening to the squirrels chatting, they clearly didn't like me being there!

After dinner the light was fading and a few drops of rain began to fall. I took the camera for a little circumnavigation of my camp and took a few pictures of the views and more mushrooms. I planned to come out over the next weekend maybe and collect some mushrooms.....

Once back in camp the darkness was upon me so I set the tarp up at waist hight. The breeze had picked up so I wanted it lower than normal to protect me.

With shelter sorted I got the sleeping bag inside the Bivi Bag and got myself comfortable. I changed out of my clothes and into my thermals. It was a bit of a faff under the low tarp. I should have just got changed outside! But 15 minutes later I was snuggled up inside my sleeping bag. It was early to bed and early to rise. I had to be home for 7.30am to get the kids ready for school.

I enjoyed myself. The lighter pack was much better to walk with. I didn't feel like I missed anything. I am more than happy with everything I carried and I'll be going out again in the near future.

Thanks.

Thanks for sharing, some lovely snaps of the 'shrooms and forest. I rather think you get more pleasure out of a trip when you pair things down to the basics. It allows you to enjoy the simple pleasures in life.