Kit weight

[Wander]

Blimey riley, but that kit list (and picture) does look like a heck of a lot of kit.
A power station!?
What on earth do you need a power station for?
In all my time camping I have never needed a power station.
The OEX Salamander I presume is a tent?
That and a tarp?
Depends on time of year, so a tent may be necessary, but I wouldn't take both. If the weather is fine then the tent would get left behind. If a tent is needed (and I can also see why a tarp might be needed - to create a porch) then I would marry it up with a much smaller, and therefore lighter, tarp.
Saws and axes?
Nope, goodbye to the axe.
Camera and tripod?
Again, nope. As said above, if I'm going to do photography then I'm not camping. And if I want a camera when camping (and I get that you may) then a decent pocket camera is more than adequate.
A 12cm Zebra AND a mug? 12cm is too big for one person - get the 10cm. But, personally, I never use a Billy. I boil water in the drinking mug and if I need to cook food I'd sooner use a shallow pan of some sort.
A full change of clothes?
Again, I suppose it depends on time of year. But I wonder if just undies is all you really need to take? Even then, what's a couple of days between friends, eh?

I think the best advice you were given, also above, is to take it easy.
If you've been unwell for so long then ease yourself back in gently. Go out for the day, for a simple over-nighter. Re-learn about yourself and what it is you like doing. Your health issues will have had a psychological effect as well, and maybe your ideals and needs have changed. Your physical health certainly will have and it's unreasonable to expect you to go back to what you once did.
Step back.
Think.
Reappraise.
I reckon that's the best advice on working out what you need to cut back on.

 

[Pattree]

I think you’ve had as much advice as you need or want already but that’s never stopped me before

I rely on a Kelly Kettle so I’m always going to be cutting a little wood,
and
I enjoy whittling
so
No saw
No axe
I take my Opinel Explore folding knife (don’t mock - we all use what works)
And
A pair of cheap secateurs. (Oh stop frowning you lot. ). I can cut up to 40mm (inch and a half?) just by ringing the stick and stamping on it. I can split wood by biting the secs into the end of a branch and twisting.
It’s not very Rambo but it is the lightest fuel gathering tool you will ever carry. There are even sheaths for them.

Very very best of luck. Every step is an achievement and that goes for all of us!

 

[Watch-keeper]

Don't throw the towel in yet figuring out your kit is half the fun....isnt it ?

I agree with FixSwords and Woody girl maybe do some shorter trips close to home with an easy get out so you can you iron out fitness/equipment issues over a few easier trips.
Also try being brutal with your equipment requirements and ditch absolutely everything that wont compromise safety or is duplicated in anyway.
In my experience we all over pack and it takes time to refine your kit list to the equipment you really need instead of kit that we probably need.

Alternatively if you can afford to change out some of your kit search ultralight backpacking for ways to lighten the load, there are tons of resources online for this type of backpacking especially from our American cousins. I too looked to lighten my kit and over time managed(at some expense) to get my kit down to 6kg 32L (summer 2-4 day dry-ish) for the barebones basics i.e. sleep-eat-drink-admin. My kit includes a tiny fully enclosed ultralight tent, down blanket, kip mat, a tiny alco stove+ti pot but excludes food and water and I don't take much spare clothing only a warm layer and spare socks. There are compromises to shedding this much weight though like expense and lower robustness and lower long-term comfort if conditions are crap but I can live with those as long as it lets me go further with less fatigue.

 

[Woody girl]

Is there a campsite near you that you could get to? Try an overnighter there, just to iron out what you could possibly do without, and at least you'd have a few comforts if things get difficult, like a nice warm shower and a loo...oh, that's a point, a cheap plastic trowel for burying your body waste!
Don't do that on the campsite tho!
My kit comprises of..

DD superlight pyramid tent, using a walking pole for support.
I can then dump the tarp and bivvy bag

A mountain equipment 600fill down bag.

Robens zig zag mat for insulation

A treckology mat, pillow and pump sac (Comfort needed)

A pocket rocket stove and gas can.

A small msr pan with minni washing up liquid, scrubby pad cut in hald and a j cloth for drying up. Can also be used as a bowl for washing up or self if needed.

Plastic mug and plate, cheapies from the charity shop.

Titanium spork and mug so I can boil water for a brew or dehydrated meal .

A flat pack wood stove, a recent addition for both cooking and an evening fire off the ground.


First aid kit. Covers cuts blisters and pain meds

Toilet trowel, wet wipes and tooth care, small talcum tin.

Waterproofs, and change of undies, t shirt and thin cotton shirt, warm sweater, (wool), two sets of spare wool socks.

Add to that a ferro rod, mora knife, some cordage, (bankline is my choice.)

2xWater bottles and sawyer mini.

I'm aiming to get down as near to dave Canterbury's packlist for his basic course, except I will have my sleeping bag rather than blankets, and my sleeping mats and pillow..... I'm older and more kucked up than he is!!!!!
Work in progress!

 

[Deleted member 56886]

Is there a campsite near you that you could get to? Try an overnighter there, just to iron out what you could possibly do without, and at least you'd have a few comforts if things get difficult, like a nice warm shower and a loo...oh, that's a point, a cheap plastic trowel for burying your body waste!
Don't do that on the campsite tho!
My kit comprises of..

DD superlight pyramid tent, using a walking pole for support.
I can then dump the tarp and bivvy bag

A mountain equipment 600fill down bag.

Robens zig zag mat for insulation

A treckology mat, pillow and pump sac (Comfort needed)

A pocket rocket stove and gas can.

A small msr pan with minni washing up liquid, scrubby pad cut in hald and a j cloth for drying up. Can also be used as a bowl for washing up or self if needed.

Plastic mug and plate, cheapies from the charity shop.

Titanium spork and mug so I can boil water for a brew or dehydrated meal .

A flat pack wood stove, a recent addition for both cooking and an evening fire off the ground.


First aid kit. Covers cuts blisters and pain meds

Toilet trowel, wet wipes and tooth care, small talcum tin.

Waterproofs, and change of undies, t shirt and thin cotton shirt, warm sweater, (wool), two sets of spare wool socks.

Add to that a ferro rod, mora knife, some cordage, (bankline is my choice.)

2xWater bottles and sawyer mini.

I'm aiming to get down as near to dave Canterbury's packlist for his basic course, except I will have my sleeping bag rather than blankets, and my sleeping mats and pillow..... I'm older and more kucked up than he is!!!!!
Work in progress!

I'm at a wild camping site today. All was going well till I went to get water. Farm effluent must be in the stream, because even after going through my sawyer filter and being boiled. It's yellow and smells awful. Doesn't show up in the photo but it's like pale urine

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[Woody girl]

Looks a nice set up.
Dump the water! Nasty!!!
I sometimes use from cattle troughs and then filter rather than streams.
At least if you push the ball cock down, and fill your bottle from the inlet, you can be sure it's fairly clean with no nasties. I still filter and boil though.
Think I might add a 3x3 tarp to my kit for admin space. Normaly I'm a fair weather camper, and rarely need it, but it could be usefull..but its another thing to carry...torn!

 

[Wander]

Yes, that does look a good set up.
Couple of observations regarding your original query about weight.
This time of year, in this weather, I'm not sure I'd bother with a tent.
Also, I see you've got a gas stove - which does make me wonder why you want to take an axe and saw. I assumed it was for processing firewood. But if you not having a fire why are you taking either?

 

[Van-Wild]

I use a website called Lighter Pack to see where my weight is building up.

LighterPack

lighterpack.com

This is a break down of a week hiking in Scotland this year. my base weight was 12kg plus food and water and I was hitting 18kg
View attachment 81562

Its a bit geeky but helpful to work out where you have extra weight.

That's a great tool! I'll use that

 

[Bishop]

Phone, camera and I vape. ( ex smoker I'm not quite there on quitting yet)
I don't use the phone when I'm out, battery drains searching for signal as I'm in a low signal area.

I also take CPAP ( breathing machine for sleeping) if needed

Hi Coedwigwr,

You got that whole Robinson Crusoe on Mars thing going on, hardcore kudos

Watch for free at the Internet Archive

Suggestions...
Nokia 3310, dirt cheap, indestructible phone that will run for week without a charge. No screen for the evening movie but I think it's got an FM radio.

If you smoke tobacco, that's your fire kit. Ferro rod and super tinders are nice but I think Nessmuk would say just take a Bic.

Out of curiosity I also searched for alternative vapes, after going down a rabbit hole of glass bulbed smoking aids did eventually discover Butane powered devices such as IOLITE

Your already rocking a gas stove so they could share fuel reducing your battery needs.

Would probably swap out the 3x3 tarp and waterproofs for just a poncho

May not significantly lighten the load but may give wiggle room to squeeze another day.

 

[Deleted member 56886]

Yes, that does look a good set up.
Couple of observations regarding your original query about weight.
This time of year, in this weather, I'm not sure I'd bother with a tent.
Also, I see you've got a gas stove - which does make me wonder why you want to take an axe and saw. I assumed it was for processing firewood. But if you not having a fire why are you taking either?

Its a hooped bivvy, but yes I suppose its a tiny tent really. The stove is liquid fuel, Primus Himalaya varifuel running on paraffin (kerosene). I used to be a hammock camper with open fire. All this is a new setup and a completely new learning curve for me.

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[Erbswurst]

From the Alpkit site:

"The MytiMug 600 is a lightweight titanium cooking mug, perfectly sized for solo backpacking and bikepacking. Titanium is lightweight like aluminium but strong like steel. It's also good conductor, making it ideal for camping cookware. The 600ml capacity allows you to boil enough water for most dehydrated food pouches. You can also fit a 100g gas canister and an ultralight Kraku camping stove inside for the ultimate lightweight cooking system – just 145g in total."

I own the Kraku. It is with just 45g the lightest well working gas stove on the market. The 100g gas cartridge is heavier than the 100g gas content, but worth to consider.

Your stove is surely very good but in my opinion a bit too much for a single hiker in the own backyard. The Kraku is still affordable as a lightweight one man option.

 

[Deleted member 56886]

From the Alpkit site:

"The MytiMug 600 is a lightweight titanium cooking mug, perfectly sized for solo backpacking and bikepacking. Titanium is lightweight like aluminium but strong like steel. It's also good conductor, making it ideal for camping cookware. The 600ml capacity allows you to boil enough water for most dehydrated food pouches. You can also fit a 100g gas canister and an ultralight Kraku camping stove inside for the ultimate lightweight cooking system – just 145g in total."

I own the Kraku. It is with just 45g the lightest well working gas stove on the market. The 100g gas cartridge is heavier than the 100g gas content, but worth to consider.

Your stove is surely very good but in my opinion a bit too much for a single hiker in the own backyard. The Kraku is still affordable as a lightweight one man option.

I don't like gas. I have 4 pocket gas stoves and the gas adapter for my trangia 25.
I have a scar next to my eye where a cannister blew up on me, I feel safer with paraffin.

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[Deleted member 56886]

Doggo has made himself comfy!
This is why the hooped instead of standard bivvy

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[MrEd]

Have you weighed you dry bags aswell? They loom fairly substantial. I weighed mine as part of a kit realignment exercise last year and was shocked how much they added up. I ditched them for either light weight dry bags or silnylon stuff sacks. Saved myself a over a KG by not using the heavy laminated ones

Others have mentioned the axe, the washbowl, the ridiculously heavy power bank so I won’t go over those but I reckon there is atleast a 7+kg saving you can make there by rationalising stuff.

One question, do you need the power a k to run the cpap machine? If so that’s a bit of a different kettle of fish

Also I use a hopped bivvy - a terra nova thing that I love, that’s a great bit of kit. I have a lightweight poncho I use as a tarp for an admin space if needed rather than carry my 3x3DD

 

[Pattree]

Do you use the inner dish of your Zebra pot?
I cook the stew or curry in the dish then perch it on top of those cracking wire clips you’ve made with the lid on. The spuds, pasta or rice + veg cook in the big pot and the meat, curry, sauce, stay hot above them!

Sorry if that’s old hat. I’ve made the clips like everyone else but only just recently realised the potential for the inner dish of the Zebra.

Thanks to @Mesquite and two others at Newark for telling me to keep the pot and pointing me at the YouTubes for making clips!


Why? Coz you can’t get the bloody thing out when it’s hot. When it sits flush on top of the pot neither pot gripper nor pliers can grip it!

 

[Erbswurst]

OK, I'll come along next weekend in order to borrow some of your equipment for a two days hiking tour.



Rucksack

Tarp, DD 3x3
Bivvy tent, OEX Salamanda
Sleep mat, OEX
Sleeping bag, Snugpack TSB
Spare clothing (1×) in dry bag as pillow

Waterproofs

Mug, Alpkit mytimug 650ml
Stove, Primus Himalaya
Fuel in bottle, 600ml
Bic lighter and Bic lighter mini as a spare
Bottles of 2 litres capacity for water
Pocket knive with saw, Victorinox Hiker
Spoon

Compass
Hiking map
Head lamp with new disposable batteries
Smart phone (fully charged /switched off)
------------------------------------------------------


6 x fire pot foods dehydrated meals
Brew kit
2 litres of water


What's the single weight of each item?
What's the total weight above the line?
Let's call that the base weight as usual and discuss only that for the beginning, because food, soap, water are confusing because depending on the duration of the tour.

 

[Deleted member 56886]

What's the single weight of each item?
What's the total weight above the line?

Can't say off hand till I get home, but I weighed the main bag which had my sleeping gear, cook kit, water purification kit and food in before leaving today and it was 18kg.
That was without 2 litres of water, and the dogs grub. As a guess I brought 22kg of kit with me today. I'm only doing 1 night instead.
Didn't bring clothes, axe or any of the other stuff

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[Pattree]

Hope you and Doggo are having a great time and that your phone doesn’t give out reading all this advice.

 

[Erbswurst]

I have two rucksacks readily packed.
One is for short tours in temperatures above the freezing point and that weighs without food and water approximately 7 kg.

But I know very well what you are talking about, as I have also a winter equipment rucksack and that indeed can reach easily 20 kg if I don't pay attention. My comfort limit on shorter distances is at approximately 16 to 17 kg though. Everything more is rather a torture than a nice walk.

I suggest to weigh your stuff seperately if you come home and think about my list here. I think it should be fine also for you for two days.

 

[Deleted member 56886]

I suggest to weigh your stuff seperately if you come home and think about my list here. I think it should be fine also for you for two days.

I will be taking every bit of advice and implementing it when I get back tomorrow.

To be honest I feel a bit embarrassed having to ask for help, but I'm just not the same as I used to be, finding simplest of things an issue.

The only thing I'm not prepared to shift on is the gas, it may be lightweight and reliable but I hate the stuff, gives me the heebie geebies

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