struggiling to get gear down to 35 litres

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drewdunnrespect

On a new journey
Aug 29, 2007
4,788
2
teesside
www.drewdunnrespect.com
Hiya gang

I am struggling to get my gear down to 35 litres the reason for it is my DD underblanket takes up all the room in the main compartment and that's after I squash it in a dry bag.
So I wondered would it be better to stick it back in its stuff sack then put it in a dry bag

Your advice please
 

SimonD

Settler
Oct 4, 2010
639
1
Lincolnshire
whatever way you do it your underblanket is gonna take up a big chunk of your bag. i have tried both ways and i get it smaller with the compression sack. however, if you stuff it loose in your bag it seems to be the most economical, space-wise, way of doing it as it fills all the corners of your pack.
 

SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
6
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
Forget the trend for smaller and smaller rucksacs is my advice. If you end up strapping stuff to the outside, you run the risk of losing or damaging kit and affect the balance of the pack which makes walking difficult.

Buy a bag that will fit all your gear INSIDE...you know it makes sense!

Simon
 

The Big Lebowski

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 11, 2010
2,320
6
Sunny Wales!
Cant you strap it under the rucksack..? If its in a drybag?

I used to do that with my sleeping bag and straps through the securing loops of the drybag (airlok extra) and you would never know it was there weight-wise.

al.
 

SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
6
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
Why 120L Drew? Why not get something like a Sabre 45? You can always expand with the side pouches if you need more space, but the main body is still a very usable size...I know cos I have one, well daughter has - but I borrow it:eek:

Simon
 

shovel reccy

Forager
Feb 22, 2007
129
0
53
cambridge
there does seem to be a fad to get all your gear into the smallest pack these day ,i have been out with people that have a 35 lt pack stuffed full . yes it may look small untill i got my scales out ,40 pound to my 24pound in a plce bergen just go with a larger bergen dont over fill it and its much better for your back,every thing has its place in the pack and no more trying to squese it all in.
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Just take a bigger pack Drew, if your equipment is too large to fit in the 35 then there's not much you can do about it mate. I know when I had the Snugpak UB and Elite 4 bag that was half of my Sabre 75 taken up already. The only way you'll get your hammock rig in a 35L is if you swap the UB for a 3/4 down version like one of Unsponsored's. It's getting warm enough now though mate that you could drop the UB and go back to a mat.
 
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shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
from 120 down to 35 is a bit of jump drew, i think that as others have suggested maybe something in between the two might be a good iea. i used to use a PLCE bergen (120litres i think) for single nights out, these days i can get away with a shoulder bag and a bed-roll and be just as comfortable (if not more so) as i was with all the kit in the world. but as well as about 3stone and maybe 90litres difference there's also a good ten years between the two. don't try to go from one extreme to the other would be my advice, lose one item at a time from your pack until you can do away with the side pockets, once you've managed that you'll be down to 100litres. after that you can find an 80litres rucksack that you can add your bergan side pockets to so that you can bring it up to 100litres, then simply start again, lose one item at a time until you don't need the side pockets then you'll be down to 80litres, repeat.

IMHO (and i fully expect that the tree swingers will tell me i'm wrong here) 35litres is probably unatainable with hammock/tarp/underquilt/sleeping bag/blanket/gear hammock/enough cord to rig a tall ship/84 carabiners/all the shock cord in the western world etc. (did i miss anything that's essential to hammocking?). much easier with sleeping bag/bivi bag/tarp

stuart
 

SimonM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
4,015
6
East Lancashire
www.wood-sage.co.uk
Simon the reason for 120 litres is in winter I carry a snugpack Antarctic re so need
The space cos that bugger don't squash small buy any standeds

Not a problem Drew...but do you need that in Summer?

Take a look at your gear mate, I bet you coud do without some of it and so get your packing down to a smaller size.

I started with a Sabre 60 - 100, plus side pouches, then a 75 plus side pouches, now I can get all my gear for hammocking in a Lowe Alpine Sting (55l) without side pouches, with room to spare.

Simon
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
I'm packing for a six day trip at the moment, and I've got an old Karrimor Panther 75 that handles everything I need to carry (admittedly I'm a ground dweller), including packing two stoves and some dry wood. I've just picked it up, and it was a lot lighter than expected, although there is food to add yet.

For most of us, if you are planning an overnighter, and all of your kit fits into a 35litre pack, then you've probably forgotten something.
 

drewdunnrespect

On a new journey
Aug 29, 2007
4,788
2
teesside
www.drewdunnrespect.com
Cheers Simon for the advice now I agree and its what I am trying to do and in summer
I can fit everything in the 120 food and all but in winter I have no chance food has to come separate and this is why I am asking these questions
 

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