Am I carrying too much gear.
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Your load depends on what you want to do, how you want to do it, when you want to do it and where you want to do it ...
I have done weekend trips that only needed what I could fit into one cargo pocket and equally I have done weekend trips that needed a full van load of kit...
Any fool can be uncomfortable - some by struggling into camp with a huge and heavy pack, some by going so lightweight that they do not have enough to ensure basic comfort.
Basically, pack weight depends on personal choice but that selection shown looks pretty light weight to me...
but then I like a luxury camp and do not walk very far...
I have done weekend trips that only needed what I could fit into one cargo pocket and equally I have done weekend trips that needed a full van load of kit...
Any fool can be uncomfortable - some by struggling into camp with a huge and heavy pack, some by going so lightweight that they do not have enough to ensure basic comfort.
Basically, pack weight depends on personal choice but that selection shown looks pretty light weight to me...
but then I like a luxury camp and do not walk very far...
I feel your pain!
Some questions on apparent duplication (which may be intentional given the one is none concept):
1. First aid kit as well as one which appears to be mounted to the front of your pack?
2. Cups/pots look to be quite a few of those
3. The extra bags like what looks to be some kind of MOLLE pouch plus the dry bag, they're bulky to fit inside your main pack, perhaps a thinner drybag or even Industrial bin bag to cut to cut down on the space and weight they take up?
Also, what is your sleeping situation? Hard to tell but it looks like no sleep mat? Though as that's an external thing often perhaps you're not showing it. But then if you're on the ground, it looks like you have two sleeping bags, one on the left and one on the right?
I'm envious of you heading out, having just come back from a weekend's camping. But I was essentially car camping with a 10 minute walk to the patch so had very few space or weight limitations! I'm terrible at choosing what kit to take.
Some questions on apparent duplication (which may be intentional given the one is none concept):
1. First aid kit as well as one which appears to be mounted to the front of your pack?
2. Cups/pots look to be quite a few of those
3. The extra bags like what looks to be some kind of MOLLE pouch plus the dry bag, they're bulky to fit inside your main pack, perhaps a thinner drybag or even Industrial bin bag to cut to cut down on the space and weight they take up?
Also, what is your sleeping situation? Hard to tell but it looks like no sleep mat? Though as that's an external thing often perhaps you're not showing it. But then if you're on the ground, it looks like you have two sleeping bags, one on the left and one on the right?
I'm envious of you heading out, having just come back from a weekend's camping. But I was essentially car camping with a 10 minute walk to the patch so had very few space or weight limitations! I'm terrible at choosing what kit to take.
Thank you Hugh
Should have put an inventory on it. Sleep mat is on the far right. Molle gear is too store the Stanley cup, gas burner and triangia.
Should have put an inventory on it. Sleep mat is on the far right. Molle gear is too store the Stanley cup, gas burner and triangia.
Also first aid kit pouch is empty. Simply to store the first aid kit as shown in the pic.
John as you know I live not far from the old bush moot so my camping is down there. About an hour's walk for me now since I've lived the other side of town. Probably looking at a 20 kl pack taking it with me
One too many stove systems. One too many metal pots. Green cups, looks like they nest, which suggests one too many. Arguably the orange survival bag is excess when you are that close to people in a popular low level area while carrying a tarp and sleeping bag already. What looks like a grey dry bag looks quite heavy duty compared to the light Exped roll top liners.
Metal water bottles are heavy. Bags inside bags inside bags are heavy, and most stuff sacks are a lot heavier than they need be.
Metal water bottles are heavy. Bags inside bags inside bags are heavy, and most stuff sacks are a lot heavier than they need be.
Totally agree. Cut the pots down. I'm not going to Snowdon so I don't need the emergency bivvy bag. The metal bottle is aluminium but I need just to take the 2l plastic helikon tex onem
As Chris says, dump the heavy liner bag in favour of a rubble bin bag. If you swap out the nasty orange bag for a bivvy bag it adds some extra warmth to your sleeping bag and keeps it dry if you slide off a mat. Might also enable a smaller lighter sleeping bag for some folk.
I'd keep the metal pots as one of them with a lid is also a cup, and dump the plastic cups.
The fold up table is quite heavy but convenient - do you actually need it for food prep or is it a comfort item, nothing wrong with that so long as you know it.
I don't see your cordage, but is required and lightweight pegs make life a lot easier. Do you actually need a compass for this trip, and if yes, don't you then need a map/map case?
Is that a water filter or a hygiene kit top left? If a water filter, and presuming you need it, add a bundle of little sandwich bags to avoid cross contamination between dirty water wet items and clean wet items. If hygiene then dump the case in favour of a lighter flexible bag or resealable food bag.
I like having a 2nd quieter slower stove for brews etc but it's not really a necessary item, unless likely to run out of gas (weigh it before you go). Or dump the gas and save bulk and weight.
One item I would add is a small lightweight groundsheet, or building membrane cut off. It keeps your kit clean under the tarp, and somewhere to put stuff down so that you can see it and not lose it. You can take your boots off, let your feet air, and be able to move around without being marooned on the mattress in a sea of mud/wet stuff. It also can protect the mattress from punctures. Weight and bulk is minimal, comfort immense.
I'd keep the metal pots as one of them with a lid is also a cup, and dump the plastic cups.
The fold up table is quite heavy but convenient - do you actually need it for food prep or is it a comfort item, nothing wrong with that so long as you know it.
I don't see your cordage, but is required and lightweight pegs make life a lot easier. Do you actually need a compass for this trip, and if yes, don't you then need a map/map case?
Is that a water filter or a hygiene kit top left? If a water filter, and presuming you need it, add a bundle of little sandwich bags to avoid cross contamination between dirty water wet items and clean wet items. If hygiene then dump the case in favour of a lighter flexible bag or resealable food bag.
I like having a 2nd quieter slower stove for brews etc but it's not really a necessary item, unless likely to run out of gas (weigh it before you go). Or dump the gas and save bulk and weight.
One item I would add is a small lightweight groundsheet, or building membrane cut off. It keeps your kit clean under the tarp, and somewhere to put stuff down so that you can see it and not lose it. You can take your boots off, let your feet air, and be able to move around without being marooned on the mattress in a sea of mud/wet stuff. It also can protect the mattress from punctures. Weight and bulk is minimal, comfort immense.
2mm closed cell foam is absolutely fantastic for this job, with a couple of advantages over other options. If you fold it up a few times it makes a great sit mat, if you're in a tent it stops everything from sliding around in the night, it adds a little bit of warmth underneath you (a minimal amount admittedly), it works well as a windshield around a stove, or a "wafter" for a fire, it can add a bit of padding to the back of your pack (only really applies to the ultralight crowd), it's good for some first aid jobs, you can use it to make replacement insoles for your kid's wellies when they lose them in the mud (this one's quite specific).
It's cheap, and it lasts for years. One of my favourite bits of random kit, I used to use "building membrane" but I think that 2mm ccf is an upgrade in so many ways.
Thank you all for all your responses. I'll post an inventory of the items tomorrow. Yes Falstaff that is a sawyer water filterl. Over kill considering I'm carrying at least 2.6 p of water. But that's why I carry 2 stoves. One for water second for cooking to make meals easier to cook. Probably should just invest in some mre
Could you use this instead of e.g. silicone blobs on a sleep mat to stop it from sliding around? It seems I always end up on a slight slope and wake up periodically further and further off the groundsheet!
Ground sheet was in there shaggy but as I said I'll post an inventory tomorrow but thanks for the advice
Yes, it's great for the job. I put a piece of 2mm ccf between my thermarest and, well, whatever's underneath it really. Shiny sleeping bag and slippery tent floor can be a really annoying combination, silicone blobs work as you say, but ccf also works. I use a pretty short self-inflating mat, so my feet hang off the end, 2mm of foam is just enough to stop me from feeling the cold from the ground with my feet.
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