Ditch which gear?

[vickietyer]

I think I have heard to ditch the brain, is that right? Just leave my bad pulled shut with the string?
Bag rain cover - not needed? Just use the trash compactor bag?
Compass? follow the blaze? Use my compass on my phone?
What else can I ditch?
Thanks
Vickie 2020's my year

[Another Kevin]

My current pack didn't come with a brain, so it has a rolltop cover. But I never ditched the brain on my old one.

I bring my pack cover.

You'll pry my compass from my cold dead fingers. Then again, about a third of my hikes involve at least some off-trail travel. I also bring a paper map, a pressure altimeter (on my wristwatch, which I also consider essential navigation gear), and a notebook and pencil. My phone GPS is a useful cross check but is NOT primary navigation.

Best advice: Take a few trips. What gear didn't you use? For what gear could you make do with something lighter, or make something else do double duty? Don't try to "get it right" based on someone else's hiking style. I have an eccentric hiking style that has me carrying heavier than some. 1azarus or Malto would say that I'm carrying crazy heavy, but I don't try to make the miles they do, and I don't think I'd ever figure out 1azarus's quirky system, which works splendidly for him.

[George]

how about this:

if you did not have it and you lived, you did not need it

[BuckeyeBill]

how about this:

if you did not have it and you lived, you did not need it

This sounds like saying if you did not have insurance and lived, you did not need it

[CalebJ]

how about this:

if you did not have it and you lived, you did not need it

Perhaps 'if you did not have it and regretted it'? Or, if 'x' happened and you'd die without it?

[DownYonder]

A list of what you were planning to take would help.

[Captain Panda]

It seems that the most common source of unnecessary extra packweight is too much clothing, and too much food and water. Avoid worrying about redundancy in your gear. One set of hiking clothes, a base layer if you are starting in the March-April window, a puffy jacket, Rain gear (jacket and pants), and an extra pair of socks/liners. That's it !! Rarely do you need to carry more than 3 days worth of food at anytime. There are a few exceptions on the AT when more food is called for; but too many hikers begin their hike with WAY too much food. Usually in the spring water is plentiful so no need to carry alot. Once you begin your hike, if there is something besides a first aid kit in your pack that you haven't used in a week; send it home or find it a home in a hiker box.

[Time Zone]

I think I have heard to ditch the brain, is that right? Just leave my bad pulled shut with the string?
Bag rain cover - not needed? Just use the trash compactor bag?
Compass? follow the blaze? Use my compass on my phone?
What else can I ditch?
Thanks
Vickie 2020's my year

What is your goal? As light as possible?
just a few observations:

phone batteries run down. analog compasses don't. Follow the blaze works mostly for the AT until you go off trail. As everyone here knows, there are places where, once you go off trail to find some privacy to do #1 or #2, every direction looks the same. Judicious use of a compass can help you get back on the trail after that kind of a break/detour.

rain cover - Yes, you can probably do without one if you've already got your "must stay dry" stuff kept dry in a compactor bag. However, as others have noted, a wet backpack is heavier than a dry one - sometimes considerably so. So although a rain cover doesn't 100% save the bag from getting wet (due to wicking action via the exposed straps), it may reduce how wet your bag gets - perhaps considerably. So it may still have some value. However, if your rain gear happens to be a poncho - or better yet, a poncho tarp - then the rain cover is fully redundant. (technically the compactor bag would be too, except for the risk of getting your "must stay dry" stuff wet by immersion, say in a creek crossing). Also, if you plan to have bulky stuff like a CCF pad strapped to the outside of your pack, a rain cover isn't going to fit anyway.

Anyway, we need more information to make a recommendation. How many miles do you hope to cover each day? Basically, the more ambitious you are, w/r/t daily miles, the more of a payoff you'll get by going light. What's your risk tolerance?

Ditching the brain/lid: this falls under the general advice of "buy your backpack last". Ditching the brain of your backpack only makes sense if you don't need it for storage, or don't want it for convenience.

Provide more details, you'll get more specific advice.

[Kittyslayer]

rain cover - Yes, you can probably do without one if you've already got your "must stay dry" stuff kept dry in a compactor bag. However, as others have noted, a wet backpack is heavier than a dry one - sometimes considerably so.

Does applying something like Scotchguard shed enough water to avoid a heavier wet backpack?

[DownYonder]

Does applying something like Scotchguard shed enough water to avoid a heavier wet backpack?

Coming from a boating background, we tried several different waterproofing product on our bimini and none of them worked 100% in a drenching rain. However, this one did do the best job of those we (and other cruisers) tried.

https://www.wholesalemarine.com/star...ing-with-ptef/

I will be interested to see what others say.

[Burrhead]

Coming from a boating background, we tried several different waterproofing product on our bimini and none of them worked 100% in a drenching rain. However, this one did do the best job of those we (and other cruisers) tried.

https://www.wholesalemarine.com/star...ing-with-ptef/

I will be interested to see what others say.

I used the brush on version of that to redo the rainfly on my Eureka alpinelite 2xt. Working great so far. I have an old Gregory that I may try that on and see what happens.

[Jayne]

Does applying something like Scotchguard shed enough water to avoid a heavier wet backpack?

Buying a backpack made from cuben fiber/dyneema instead of Nylon is the only reliable the way to do that IMPE. It costs more but it saves a lot of weight and is much more weather resistant.

[Hikingjim]

I don't think you gave enough info to get proper answers. Some packs don't need a rain cover... a liner or trash compactor bag will work just fine. And other packs will need a cover to keep them from absorbing a ton of water
If your bag eats rain and gets heavier and dries slowly... then you should cover it

When you get close to finalizing your gear, post a full list and people will give you good feedback.

[vickietyer]

Thanks so much for all the tips. I'm going next week for 100 miles section hike on the AT in Shenandoah. I've got base weight down to 12-13 pounds with a tent, pad, quilt, camp cloths & shoes, puffy, rain jacket, Be Free filter, two Gatorade bottles and two one quart size ditty bags of stuff. I've got a bad foot so I'm lookin to go light, so I took out a backup charger for my phone and I'm wondering about the brain I have never used. And I have never used a compass, I have a tiny one I could trade it out with. And its summer so can I take something lighter than my quilt, I'm from Texas and I don't like sleeping cold. Thanks again!

[Time Zone]

Does applying something like Scotchguard shed enough water to avoid a heavier wet backpack?

I don't have experience using Scotchgard on a pack and then carrying it in the rain. However, I have used both Scotchgard and silicone waterproofing spray products on motorcycle riding gear (after the fabled "breatheable / waterproof" fabric started leaking water, which wasn't long at all) and in my experience, it provided only a marginal benefit in terms of water shedding. Water still got in, usually where the riding suit had wrinkles from my movement/positioning, or at seams. On flat areas it seemed to work OK.

What's more, it retained dirt (soot & road grime) much more - never could get it very clean. That may have been more with the silicone than the Scotchguard, I forget, but basically I did Scotchgard first and when that wasn't waterproof anymore, I went to the cheaper stuff. So by the time I went to the cheaper spray, the riding suit had more miles on it. So maybe not a fair comparison as far as discoloration goes. Note too - Scotchgard underwent reformulation in 2003. I'm not sure which one got sprayed on my gear, the old or new.

Bottom line, I wouldn't bother with either spray again for outdoor gear. Get a pack cover or poncho (or Packa, as noted).

[Venchka]

I think I have heard to ditch the brain, is that right? Just leave my bad pulled shut with the string?
Bag rain cover - not needed? Just use the trash compactor bag?
Compass? follow the blaze? Use my compass on my phone?
What else can I ditch?
Thanks
Vickie 2020's my year

That thinking is useless without knowing what you would still be carrying. The items that you mention might not total 1 pound. Insignificant if you’re still carrying a heavy tent and sleeping bag and multiple changes of clothes in a heavy pack.
More information needed.
Wayne

[lonehiker]

I have been carrying a compass for 35+ years. They do sell little tiny ones that just weigh a few grams for those times that you just have to know which direction north is.

[NJdreamer]

I think I have heard to ditch the brain, is that right? Just leave my bad pulled shut with the string?
Bag rain cover - not needed? Just use the trash compactor bag?
Compass? follow the blaze? Use my compass on my phone?
What else can I ditch?
Thanks
Vickie 2020's my year

Re pack cover, I use a compactor bag inside my pack always and bring the rain cover if rain is expected and for long trips.

My pack had a removable brain. I don't use it for 2 to 3 day trips, and for use it for longer ones.

Happy trails.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Dogwood]

You'll hear lots of things.

Granger XT Proofer or Nikwax TX Direct Spray on my Dyneema X or ULA 210 Robic packs makes them much more water resistant(WR)...shedding much more water. https://www.rei.com/product/794729/g...terproof-spray


When anticipating persistent rain or mixed weather on a longer hike, and because I like storing stuff outside my pack in the pack pockets without everything needing to be in Ziplocs or plastic bags, I may use a bag liner, a few WP or WR stuff sacks, AND a pack cover while also spraying my pack to make it WR.

[BuckeyeBill]

You can combine your pack cover and your rain jacket by using a Packa Rain Jacket. This will be on your pack and you don't have to take your pack off to get into your rain jacket. It also covers your pack straps and has large pocket for things you need to keep dry.