Lessons I learned (mostly about weight):
1a) 10ft x 12ft tarp is far too large. 10ft along the ridge is just fine, but I could easily have gotten away with just 6ft across the ridge for ground dwelling (with a 3ft ridge height and 3ft across the base). This would effectively half the weight of the tarp. Also, having now weighed the tarp, I've discovered that - with my additional wax coating - it works out as being 19oz canvas instead of 16oz as post-proofing stock!
1b) With the weather we had over this weekend (even if it had rained the entire time, the temperature was still well above freezing and the wind was practically nil) a canvas tarp isn't necessary at all. A light-weight nylon tarp would've been more than sufficient (probably the DD 3x3)
2) I didn't need to take the full med kit. I could easily have paired it down to about a quarter of the supplies I keep in there, especially given that we each bring our own med kit, so even should the worst have happened... between the lot of us there'd have been ample medical supplies to take care of it. I believe I could lose at least 1KG from my med kit when not doing a solo.
3) At this time of year, I could do without the sleeping bag if I just add a medium-weight blanket to complement the light-weight wool blanket I have currently. This would eliminate some of the bulk, and save at least 1.5KG in weight. It'd also enable me to carry a smaller pack (or basically just have a compact bedroll attached to my webbed gear)
4) I don't need to carry the full Zebra kit. I could just have easily done with two of the Tatonka mugs, one on the top of my 40oz canteen, one on the bottom. That way I'd have a pan to cook in while also having a cup to drink out of. This would save the better part of 1KG.
5) The wooden spoon (while light) is bulky and unnecessary. My long-handled titanium spoon is actually lighter and far more compact.
6) The grill was
very useful... so that's staying!
7) I packed far more food than I actually needed. I could've gotten away with just a third of that (saving more than 4KG)
8) I need to add a wire brush to my cook kit... so that I can deal with burned cookware as sadly happened to my Zebra on the Friday night
9) I have now replaced the
large bottle of alcohol wash in my cook kit with a nice small bottle such as the one I carry in my med kit. This saves a little over 800g in weight.
10) I have now found and packed my lighter-weight wool pullover instead of the thicker, heavier fleece one I brought this weekend. It has a better thermal protection value, weighs less, and takes up far less space.
11) Instead of bringing the full-length Thermarest, I should've just brought the three-quarter length. It would provide the necessary padding for my back, but taken far less space and about two-thirds the weight in the pack.
12) I brought 4 large squares of my home-made Hudson Bay Bread... I only ate two. They're very weighty and dense, so from now on I'll just bring the two.
13) A lot of the smaller items in my pack (such as the "snack" foods) would be better distributed on my person in various pockets, rather than carried along with the meal weight on my back.
14) I brought two knives, when really I should just practice more with the ESEE for intricate carving (until I am satisfied with my axe proficiency) so that I need only carry that one... and I should always carry the knife and folding saw on my belt instead of in the pack.
15) The Bergen itself (while usually quite comfortable to carry, despite my back problems, thanks to the adjustable suspension system) is very weighty even when empty. Trying to get my gear so that it carries comfortably on my harness system would be a significant weight saving in itself.
16) Rather than trying to judge the carry comfort of a pack by simply putting it on and walking around the house for 5 minutes, I should do at least a half mile walk with the pack... because most of the discomfort will occur after the first several hundred yards of walking. If it's comfortable for a 1-mile round trip.... then that's sufficiently comfortable imho.
17) I need to seriously think about whether it's worth carrying the video camera equipment at all, and when deciding to take it... I should get it down to the most basic kit adequately packed into a pocket on the bag... rather than taking the entire case. It's not a heavy kit, but the case adds a lot of weight and bulk. While I did record one short video over the weekend, it really didn't justify lugging the entire kit around.
18) I need to reinvest in a water bladder, because the plastic bottle was bulky and annoying. With my harness setup, I could easily attach a 3 litre bladder without breaking the bank on carry comfort. The 4 litres I had on the Friday (3 in the plastic bottle, 1 in the stainless canteen) was very sufficient for a day or two's supply.
19) I brought far more cordage than I ever would've needed. Admittedly, 100ft of Paracord in my Bergen I didn't even know was in there (because it's the same colour as the Bergen so I simply never saw it when going through the kit). Even so, the oversized ridgeline I made is far (far) longer than I'd ever need... so I'm cutting that down to half the size (which is still longer than most pitches I'd ever consider using, but not to the point of being "stupidly huge")
If any of you other boonie goonies have any thoughts on ways to improve the kit I brought with me, please feel free to chime in
