35 lbs. I want less. HELP?!

[sanderson]

So, I am starting my hike one the fourth of March and just today pcked all my gear together. Seeing as how my goal weight was 20-25 lbs without water, I was stunned to see 35 lbs on the scale. I would love to take some things out but honestly, I don't know what I could possibly weed out. Is there anyone who could edit my list as they see fit? Here's what I have packed so far:

1 Synthetic 15+ Sleeping Bag
1 MSR Hubba Tent
1 Lite Core Sleeping Pad
1 fleece vest
1 Long Sleeve Fleece Zip-Up
2 Pair synthetic pants/long underwear
2 pair fleece pants (one to hike in, one for camp)
1 water proof rain gear set, jacket and pants
2 winter underarmour shirts
2 sports bras
1 thru-hike guide book
6.5 lbs food (first four days)
2- 32 oz. nalgene water bottles (filled)
1 waterproof pack cover
3-3.53 oz. fuel canisters
1 hat
1 fleece neck gator
1 pair gloves
1 pair synthetic capri's (for sleeping)
1 pair fleece socks (for sleeping) -I won't leave these home, I hate having
cold feet
2 pair liner socks
3 pair smartwool trekking socks
compass
flashlight
head lamp
1 first aid kit-bandaids, advil, matches, 1 small roll gauze and 1 small roll tape to secure bandaids

That's all I have and at this point I don't want to have a 35 lb pack but I don't know what I can get rid of. Help? Also, how does everyone prevent and treat blisters? Well, if there are any suggestions, they'd be appreciated.

Sarah Louise

[Footslogger]

Don't know the individual weight of your clothing items but the first things that you might look at are:

3 Fuel Cannisters ?? Why 3 ??

2 Nalgenes ? There are lighter alternatives

2 pair of fleece pants ? Thinking you could manage with one pair.

Fleece zip-up - There are lighter alternatives that are just as warm.

'Slogger

[Appalachian Tater]

1 Synthetic 15+ Sleeping Bag down would be lighter
1 MSR Hubba Tent
1 Lite Core Sleeping Pad
1 fleece vest get rid of, you have the zip up
1 Long Sleeve Fleece Zip-Up
2 Pair synthetic pants/long underwear get rid of one, you have rain pants
2 pair fleece pants (one to hike in, one for camp) get rid of both, you have rain paints
1 water proof rain gear set, jacket and pants
2 winter underarmour shirts
2 sports bras get rid of one
1 thru-hike guide book just take one section at a time
6.5 lbs food (first four days)
2- 32 oz. nalgene water bottles (filled) use gatorade bottles or platypus instead. You may need to be able to carry more water in certain places.
1 waterproof pack cover
3-3.53 oz. fuel canisters take one canister, or better, use alcohol and a cat stove list your kitchen equipment too, list everything
1 hat
1 fleece neck gator
1 pair gloves
1 pair synthetic capri's (for sleeping) get rid of, wear your long underwear
1 pair fleece socks (for sleeping) -I won't leave these home, I hate having
cold feet wool socks are lighter, more compact, warmer, you have three pair
2 pair liner socks
3 pair smartwool trekking socks
compass
flashlight you have a headlamp, you don't need this
head lamp
1 first aid kit-bandaids, advil, matches, 1 small roll gauze and 1 small roll tape to secure bandaids

list everything, with weights if possible, go to the post office during off hours if you don't have a scale.

[hopefulhiker]

If you have any extra money, you could save the tent for bug season and get a tarp, also if you have the money get a used down sleeping bag..

Anyway you could use a platypus or gatoraid bottles instead of the Nalgene.. Should be able to carry at least 3 liters.. we have had a drought down here..

I think you might have too many clothes.. Consider just one pair of fleece pants.. I hiked in my rain pants and long underwear..
You will be able to wash clothes about once a week or ten days..

Consider an alcohol stove. they really are the lightest way to go..

Cut pages out of your trail guide and mail drop the rest..

You might find treking poles useful.. as well as a water filter, (because of the drought)

You dont need a flashlight if you have a headlamp... I just used two of those push button lights,, but I did not do much night hiking.

Some do not use liner socks.

Also consider trail runners instead of boots.. The weight on your feet makes a big difference...

You will have plenty of chances to swap out your gear along the way.. The first being Neals Gap.... if you are going North bound,

[Skidsteer]

Is money an issue?

1 Synthetic 15+ Sleeping Bag

Down is lighter and warmer.

1 MSR Hubba Tent

Tarptent?

1 fleece vest
1 Long Sleeve Fleece Zip-Up

Fleece is warm, but heavy and bulky to pack.

2 Pair synthetic pants/long underwear

Try one pair on a shakedown hike.

2 pair fleece pants (one to hike in, one for camp)

Probably unneeded if you have rainpants and a baselayer.

2- 32 oz. nalgene water bottles (filled)

Try gatorade bottles.

3-3.53 oz. fuel canisters

1-2 will probably be plenty for 4-6 day resupply intervals.

flashlight
head lamp

Just take the headlamp.

[quasarr]

You have a ton of clothes, especially pants!

you say you have 2 fleece pants, one for hiking and one for camp. But you also have 2 long underwear, and a pair of capris for sleeping? That's 5 pairs of pants. How many times a day are you planning to change your pants? I think you should only bring 2 pairs of pants - one for sleeping, one for hiking. You're gonna get dirty, and having extra clothes to dirty up is pointless in my opinion!

Also you have lots of fleece layers. Fleece is heavy. Maybe replace your fleece vest and long-sleeve with a "poofy" coat, either down or synthetic insulation. Poofy coats are warmer and much lighter than fleece. If you get a down jacket, it will probably weigh less than your fleece vest but will be warmer than the vest and long sleeve combined.

You have 3 pairs of smartwools, plus 2 liner socks, plus 1 pair fleece socks. That's 6 pairs! I think 3 pairs is the most you need. 2 for hiking (so you can change them once in a while) and 1 for sleeping.

What is your rain gear made of? I hope it's not Gore Tex! Check out Frogg Toggs rain suits, the jacket and pants together weigh about a pound.

I don't see a pack, unless I'm reading your list carelessly and missed it. If your pack is in the 5-6 lbs range, you can easily shave pounds by switching to a 3lbs pack. When you lighten your load, you don't need such a sturdy (aka heavy) pack.

[The Weasel]

SUGGESTIONS IN CAPS. SORRY IF THESE ARE DUPLICATES OF ANYONE ELSE:

So, I am starting my hike one the fourth of March and just today pcked all my gear together. Seeing as how my goal weight was 20-25 lbs without water, I was stunned to see 35 lbs on the scale. I would love to take some things out but honestly, I don't know what I could possibly weed out. Is there anyone who could edit my list as they see fit? Here's what I have packed so far:

1 Synthetic 15+ Sleeping Bag
1 MSR Hubba Tent CHANGE PEGS TO ALUMINUM GUTTER NAILS
1 Lite Core Sleeping Pad
1 fleece vest
1 Long Sleeve Fleece Zip-Up REDUNDANT WITH VEST, DISCARD
2 Pair synthetic pants/long underwear ONE PAIR ONLY
2 pair fleece pants (one to hike in, one for camp) ONE PAIR ONLY
1 water proof rain gear set, jacket and pants DISCARD PANTS
2 winter underarmour shirts ONE ONLY
2 sports bras POSSIBLY ONE ONLY
1 thru-hike guide book CARRY ONLY PAGES FOR SECTIONS BEING WALKED
6.5 lbs food (first four days)
2- 32 oz. nalgene water bottles (filled) USE 1 LITER POP BOTTLES, TWO
1 waterproof pack cover NOT NEEDED, DISCARD
3-3.53 oz. fuel canisters ONE PER WEEK SHOULD BE ENOUGH. CONSIDER ALCOHOL
1 hat
1 fleece neck gator NOT NEEDED, USE BANDANA
1 pair gloves NOT NEEDED, USE SOCKS AS MITTENS
1 pair synthetic capri's (for sleeping) USE FLEECE PANTS INSTEAD
1 pair fleece socks (for sleeping) -I won't leave these home, I hate having
cold feet
2 pair liner socks
3 pair smartwool trekking socks TWO PAIR IS ADEQUATE
compass
flashlight NOT NEEDED IF CARRYING HEAD LAMP
head lamp
1 first aid kit-bandaids, advil, matches, 1 small roll gauze and 1 small roll tape to secure bandaids GAUZE ROLL NOT NEEDED, USE BANDANA. DUCT TAPE INSTEAD OF MED TAPE FOR OTHER USES AS WELL

CUT OFF ALL LABELS. HONEST.

TOOTHBRUSH (CUT HANDLE), TOOTH POWDER, TP NOT ON YOUR LIST BUT SHOULD BE.

That's all I have and at this point I don't want to have a 35 lb pack but I don't know what I can get rid of. Help? Also, how does everyone prevent and treat blisters? Well, if there are any suggestions, they'd be appreciated.

Sarah Louise

[Appalachian Tater]

Maybe part of the problem is you think you will be able to stay clean and wear clean clothes.

No, you can't and won't. If it still bothers you after a couple of weeks you can quit.

The only time you will be clean is in town after showering and laundering, and you're going to have to scrub your armpits until they're almost raw to remove all the odor and rinse your socks a dozen times to get the rinse water clear. Everybody else will be just as dirty.

Think of the minimum amount of clothing you need to stay warm and have something dry to wear at night. Wicking base, insulating layer, shell.

Get rid of the extra stuff now, or you'll be mailing it home from Neel's Gap.

[shelterbuilder]

So, I am starting my hike one the fourth of March...how does everyone prevent and treat blisters? Well, if there are any suggestions, they'd be appreciated.

Sarah Louise

I'll defer on the equipment to everyone else, since it looks like they have all of THAT under control.

I don't have much trouble with blisters anymore - I wear polypro sock liners between my feet and my wool socks. I get "semi-hot spots" by the end of the day, but by morning, my feet are fine and ready to go. The sock liners tend to adhere to your feet and tend NOT to slip and slide around on your feet; instead, all of the blister-causing friction tends to take place between the sock liners and your socks.

Works for me!

[ScottP]

Ever seen a movie that includes stereotypical old British way of travelling? Where at the end of every day they set up for dinner, and pull out a tablecloth, china, silverware, and crystal? It seem to me that you're doing something along these lines--you're trying to bring everything you need to have your own little home in the woods as you hike. You could obviously, as others suggested above, refine your little home on a back kit, or you could take a different approach.

You could step out into the woods into a totally different lifestyle, where you carry most of what you need in your head and in your body, rather than on your back. You could change your expectations of a day rather than carry what is necessary to meet your current expectations. Why are you hiking?

[shelterbuilder]

Ever seen a movie that includes stereotypical old British way of travelling? Where at the end of every day they set up for dinner, and pull out a tablecloth, china, silverware, and crystal? It seem to me that you're doing something along these lines--you're trying to bring everything you need to have your own little home in the woods as you hike. You could obviously, as others suggested above, refine your little home on a back kit, or you could take a different approach.

You could step out into the woods into a totally different lifestyle, where you carry most of what you need in your head and in your body, rather than on your back. You could change your expectations of a day rather than carry what is necessary to meet your current expectations. Why are you hiking?

Or, to put it another way - are you camping so you can hike, or hiking so you can camp? Your pack will usually be heavier if it's the latter.

And neither way is superior to the other - it's just the difference of where your head and heart are. You make sacrifices and trade-offs either way.

[Yahtzee]

Start with what you got. You might be glad you did. It can still get mighty cold in Ga in March. So all those clothes might come in handy. That said, you will not need a 15 degree bag for long. And you will learn what Tater has said on your own and your clothes will be pared down. But if your wondering where the weight is coming from its the synth 15 degree bag and the clothes.

[gumball]

It would be very helpful if you would post the weights, if you really want to shave off pounds--take care of the ounces, they'll take care of the pounds.

A lot of lightening up your pack is a confidence issue, and--I don't know how much backpacking you've done--but you seem to want to be very prepared for anything. I agree with Tater and those who repeated him, as well as Yahtzee in that, if you start with a lighter bag and tent, it will help. How heavy is your pack itself, empty?

gum

[Heater]

What kind of pack do you have?

It would be helpful if you were to list the weights of each item.

[bigcranky]

Hi, Sarah Louise,

Let's assume that you have bought all your gear, and don't want to spend a lot of money on new, replacement gear. Like, say, a new down sleeping bag. You can save a lot of weight by dropping some of what you have now. Most of the above suggestions are spot-on; I'd like to expand on a couple.

Clothing:
Fleece pants are far too warm for hiking in. If you want to carry a pair for keeping warm in camp, that's fine -- but as others have pointed out, you may be warm enough wearing your long johns and rain pants in camp. You can also stick your legs in your bag while you eat or sit around in cold weather.

One set of long underwear is probably enough, especially if you decide to keep the fleece pants for camp. One pair of synthetic pants, too. Look at it this way -- you can hike in your hiking pants, then change into your fleece pants in camp. No need for 2 hiking pants that way. Two pairs of underwear is fine.

You can hike in one of the UA winter tops, and put on the long sleeve fleece zip tee in camp. Add the vest if you get cold in either case. If it were me, I would carry a puffy insulating top, maybe a down vest or some such.

Now your clothing list could look like this:

Wear while hiking: hiking pants, underwear, sports bra, Under Armor top.
Wear in camp: fleece pants, fleece zip-tee, fleece (or down) vest, fleece socks. Add rain shell and pants as necessary.
Wear in town while washing clothes: rain shell and pants.

I like to add a windshirt for hiking -- a Marmot DriClime jacket, or one of the 3-oz single-layer windshirts like a Patagonia Houdini or a Marmot Ion jacket. Great for hiking over a base layer in cool to cold weather.

I hate to add to your load, but in cold weather I bring two pairs of gloves -- a light pair for hiking and a heavier pair for camp. Ditto on hats.

Gear:
An 8-ounce canister is more weight-efficient than two 4-ounce canisters. The empty weights are about the same, so you end up carrying extra metal around. Be aware that the canister stove doesn't perform well in cold weather.

Nalgene bottles are heavier than necessary. A couple of 1-liter Aqua Fina bottles work just as well, and come pre-filled with free water!

Ditch the flashlight if you carry a (much more useful) headlamp. If you want a second light, carry a Photon squeeze light. Very useful on a lanyard around your neck at night (with your whistle.)

Finally, if you wanted to splurge on a major weight and space gain, you might be able to find a 15-F down sleeping bag on sale this time of year. Something like a Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15, a Western Mountaineering Ultralite Super, a Marmot Helium, that sort of thing. These are sub-2 pound bags that may save a significant chunk of space and weight in your pack.

Speaking of your pack, what are you carrying all this stuff in?

Remember that you can make some changes 30 miles up the trail at Neel Gap. So you could start with what you have, and send things home if you decide you aren't using them.

Happy trails.

[Heater]

What kind of pack do you have?

It would be helpful if you were to list the weights of each item.

Also, by weighing each item, you may decided for yourself which ones you really could do without.

[slowandlow]

Like everyone else said, its all the fleece and the 15 deg synth bag. Get a down bag and ditch most of the clothing and I promise you will immediately be many pounds lighter.

[Heater]

Like everyone else said, its all the fleece and the 15 deg synth bag. Get a down bag and ditch most of the clothing and I promise you will immediately be many pounds lighter.

Could be the pack itself. I have a 3 lb pack and one that is over 5 lbs with roughly the same capacity.

[fiddlehead]

When you get to Neels Gap, take everything out of your pack and put it on 3 piles:
1/ everything you used that day
2/ everything that you now (after 30 miles of hiking in the mtns) could possibly do without. and
3/ everything else that you think you really need but didn't use yet.

Send #2 and #3 home!
#1 is probably what you'll still have on your back when you make it to Maine. (presuming you're a NOBO) (2 flashlights?, good chance you will not need or use any)

[T-Dubs]

There are some good suggestions as to removing some pack weight, but I guess I'd need to know your planned schedule as to other recommendations. If you plan to enjoy your hike in some relative comfort, you're not doing so bad. If you plan to make Spartan-like run at the finish, cut some more of the marginal items. What's important, the journey or the destination? That should determine your load.

TWS

Ps. I'm not a thru-hiker. I don't have the mind-set any more.