Sierra Nevada Summer Backpacking Solo Gear List - Version II

This is 4th is a series on backpacking base weight reduction.

• In my first post, A Gear List for Two, I listed out everything I carried for me and my daughter on a recent backpacking trip in Southern California, base weight 20.2 lbs (9.2 kg).
• In my second post, Lightweight Solo Backpacking Gear List for Southern California, I deleted out all of my daughter's items and created a solo gear list, base weight 15.2 lbs (6.9 kg).
• In my third post, Sierra Nevada Summer Backpacking Solo Gear List - Version I, I converted my Southern California gear list into a gear list for a week long trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, base weight 18.8 lbs (8.5 kg).
• This post is Version II of my Sierra Nevada Summer Backpacking Solo Gear List, base weight 14.7 lbs (6.7 kg).
• My next post will be Version III, contents yet to be determined, but with a base weight hopefully in the 13 pound range.

The weight gain in the Sierra Nevada version was primarily due to the addition of a bear canister, a mandatory item in the Sierra Nevada.

Lower Rae Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, June 2014

For a week trip in the Sierra, I figure I'm going to carry a dozen or so pounds of food, a couple of pounds of water, and about a pound of fuel, for a total weight of about 15 pounds (6.8 kg) for my consumables.  Total pack weight = consumables + base weight, so with a consumables weight of 15 lbs and a base weight of essentially 19 lbs, my total pack weight would be 34 lbs (15.4 kg), placing me, a 220 lbs/100 kg person, in the "moderate" category based on a proportional weight schema as follows:

Proportional Total Pack Weight
	Ultra Heavy	Very Heavy	Heavy	Moderate	Light	Very Light	Ultra Light	Super Ultralight	Extremely Ultralight
Body weight	1/3rd	1/4th	1/5th	1/6th	1/8th	1/10th	1/12th	1/15th	1/20th
225	75.0	56.3	45.0	37.5	28.1	22.5	18.8	15.0	11.3
220	73.3	55.0	44.0	36.7	27.5	22.0	18.3	14.7	11.0
200	66.7	50.0	40.0	33.3	25.0	20.0	16.7	13.3	10.0
175	58.3	43.8	35.0	29.2	21.9	17.5	14.6	11.7	8.8
150	50.0	37.5	30.0	25.0	18.8	15.0	12.5	10.0	7.5
125	41.7	31.3	25.0	20.8	15.6	12.5	10.4	8.3	6.3
100	33.3	25.0	20.0	16.7	12.5	10.0	8.3	6.7	5.0

Now, 34 lbs/15.4 kg is doable, but I know I'll be a lot happier if I can move down into the "light" category, particularly since my plan is to ascend to 14,500'/4400m in elevation.  No need to drag a lot of weight that high!  

Peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

So, I've done my first pass in lightening up my gear, and ... I've been able to cut 4.1 lbs off my gear!  Huzzah! That moves me just below 30 lbs total pack weight, which would be great.  I'd like to cut another couple of pounds off; we'll see.  I hope to post a couple more versions before my trip in August, each lighter still.  My current list is below my "signature".  My comments on the current list:

First, I've swapped out my "sweater weight" down hoodie.  Man!  I love that thing, but it is a full pound.  The down vest cuts that weight roughly in half.  Now, will a vest (with no hood and no sleeves) be warm enough?  We'll see.  I'll have to keep a close eye on the weather as the trip approaches.

Likewise, I've swapped out my Capilene 2 top and bottom base layers for silk ones, saving over a quarter pound.  Will these uber sheer silk ones be warm enough?  Again, I'll have to watch the weather reports.

I've deleted any water treatment for this trip.  Some people will think that's crazy, particularly if they've been reading the marketing spiel of the filter companies, but tests by an MD/PhD backpacker have shown the water in the Sierra to have less giardia than city water except in areas with heavy human use or livestock.  I've gone without water treatment before in the Sierra, and I believe I'll be fine.

I've dropped my Isuka map case which I purchased in a mountain shop in Japan.  That one sucks, because I really like that map case, but I'm going on well marked main trails, and I need to get the weight down.  If I were doing off trail routes or sketchy trails, I would keep the case.

I've dropped spare batteries for my phone and camera.  Instead I'll carry a single external battery and recharge my phone and camera as needed.

There are other changes, which are detailed below in the gear list, but the last major change I'll mention is swapping out my deluxe Stratospire I tarp tent for a minimalist Gatewood Cape.  The Gatewood is not as weather proof, so I'll have to be really thinking in terms of site selection and such.   One can use a "Serenity Bug Net" with the Gatewood Cape, but the Serenity Bug net is in my opinion poorly designed and really cuts down the interior volume of the cape unnecessarily, so I'll be leaving it behind.  I could sleep in a head net, if needed, uber minimalism at its finest.

More to follow I'm sure, but here's where I am at today.  I thank you for joining me.

HJ

The author, backpacking in the Grand Canyon, May 2015

	One Person Gear List (Base Weight Only)
	Sierra Nevada Mountains, Summer 2015, Day time high 80F/27C, Overnight low 40F/5C
	Category	Old Item	New Item	Old Grams	Old Ounces	Old Pounds	New Grams	New Ounces	New Pounds	Grams Saved	Ounces Saved	Pounds Saved
1	Clothing	Patagonia down hoodie sweater	Eddie Bauer First Ascent Down Vest	473	16.7	1.0	272	9.6	0.6	201	7.1	0.4
2	Clothing	Long john top (Capilene 2)	Terramar silk long john top	175	6.2	0.4	101	3.6	0.2	74	2.6	0.2
3	Clothing	Long john bottom (Capilene 2)	Terramar silk long john bottom	170	6.0	0.4	110	3.9	0.2	60	2.1	0.1
4	Clothing	Flip flops	No change	134	4.7	0.3	134	4.7	0.3	0	0.0	0.0
5	Clothing	Golite wind pants	No change	120	4.2	0.3	120	4.2	0.3	0	0.0	0.0
6	Clothing	Fleece glove/mittens	No change	100	3.5	0.2	100	3.5	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
7	Clothing	Montane wind shirt	No change	95	3.4	0.2	95	3.4	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
8	Clothing	Underwear, 1 pair	No change	90	3.2	0.2	90	3.2	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
9	Clothing	socks, 1 pair, midweight	No change	75	2.6	0.2	75	2.6	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
10	Clothing	Ghost Whisperer shell	No change	73	2.6	0.2	73	2.6	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
11	Clothing	socks, 1 pair, midweight	Deleted	68	2.4	0.1	0	0.0	0.0	68	2.4	0.1
12	Clothing	Fleece hat	No change	40	1.4	0.1	40	1.4	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
13	Hydration	Steri Pen with batteries	Deleted	123	4.3	0.3	0	0.0	0.0	123	4.3	0.3
14	Hydration	4 x Platypus bladder 1L	Only carry 2 x Playtypus bladder 1L	100	3.5	0.2	50	1.8	0.1	50	1.8	0.1
15	Hydration	Plastic "basin" (for Steri Pen treatment)	Deleted	18	0.6	0.0	0	0.0	0.0	18	0.6	0.0
16	Kitchen	Garcia Bear Canister	BV350 Bear Canister	1280	45.2	2.8	923	32.6	2.0	357	12.6	0.8
17	Kitchen	Trail Designs Ti-Tri Stove & 1.3 L Evernew UL Ti Pot	No change	248	8.7	0.5	248	8.7	0.5	0	0.0	0.0
18	Kitchen	GSI Plastic bowl	Ziploc plastic bowl	45	1.6	0.1	26	0.9	0.1	19	0.7	0.0
19	Kitchen	Titanium Sierra cup/measuring cup	No change	43	1.5	0.1	43	1.5	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
20	Kitchen	12 fl oz (355 ml) alcohol bottle	No change	39	1.4	0.1	39	1.4	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
21	Kitchen	Sea to Summit Aluminum spoon	No change	9	0.3	0.0	9	0.3	0.0	0	0.0	0.0
22	Misc	AMK Optimist First Aid Kit (FAK) + 1 x roller gauze	No change	244	8.6	0.5	244	8.6	0.5	0	0.0	0.0
23	Misc	Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)	No change	196	6.9	0.4	196	6.9	0.4	0	0.0	0.0
24	Misc	External battery with mini cable	No change	170	6.0	0.4	170	6.0	0.4	0	0.0	0.0
25	Misc	Potty kit (TP + hand sanitizer)	No change	136	4.8	0.3	136	4.8	0.3	0	0.0	0.0
26	Misc	Map (topographic) and Isuka roll-up map case	Deleted	111	3.9	0.2	0	0.0	0.0	111	3.9	0.2
27	Misc	Glasses (distance only; Fresnel lens for reading)	No change	109	3.8	0.2	109	3.8	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
28	Misc	Misc Ziploc (chapstick, meds, matches, sewing kit, crazy glue, duct tape, tenacious tape)	No change	105	3.7	0.2	105	3.7	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
29	Misc	BP Bag (Cordage, Liquid soap, Thermarest patch kit, ear plugs)	No change	100	3.5	0.2	100	3.5	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
30	Misc	Spare phone batteries (2)	Deleted	76	2.7	0.2	0	0.0	0.0	76	2.7	0.2
31	Misc	Pouch (sunscreen, fire steel, tripod) Tripod weight, see below	No change	74	2.6	0.2	74	2.6	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
32	Misc	Mammut S-Flex headlamp	No change	49	1.7	0.1	49	1.7	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
33	Misc	Snow/sand stake (used as trowel and as tent stake)	No change	35	1.2	0.1	35	1.2	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
34	Misc	Dental Hygiene Kit (brush, paste, and floss)	No change	30	1.1	0.1	30	1.1	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
35	Misc	Mammut S-Flex headlamp case	No change	28	1.0	0.1	28	1.0	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
36	Misc	Spare camera battery	Deleted	27	1.0	0.1	0	0.0	0.0	27	1.0	0.1
37	Misc	Wilderness Permit in plastic Ziploc	No change	18	0.6	0.0	18	0.6	0.0	0	0.0	0.0
38	Misc	Spare Ziploc bag	No change	9	0.3	0.0	9	0.3	0.0	0	0.0	0.0
39	Misc	Trash bag	No change	9	0.3	0.0	9	0.3	0.0	0	0.0	0.0
40	Pack	Gossamer Gear Mariposa, Large	Cut off excess straps	884	31.2	1.9	863	30.4	1.9	21	0.7	0.0
41	Pack	Nylofume bag (as water proof liner)	No change	30	1.1	0.1	30	1.1	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
42	Photo	Camera with 1 battery	No change	250	8.8	0.6	250	8.8	0.6	0	0.0	0.0
43	Photo	Camera case	No change	84	3.0	0.2	84	3.0	0.2	0	0.0	0.0
44	Photo	Mini tripod	No change	45	1.6	0.1	45	1.6	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
45	Shelter	Stratospire I tarp tent with bug net inner (used for 2 ppl)	Gatewood Cape (no bug netting)	1000	35.3	2.2	482	17.0	1.1	518	18.3	1.1
46	Shelter	Tyvek ground sheet	No change	130	4.6	0.3	130	4.6	0.3	0	0.0	0.0
47	Shelter	8 x "V" Al stakes (could save 1.5 oz with Ti stakes)	Stakes now incl. with Gatewood	100	3.5	0.2	0	0.0	0.0	100	3.5	0.2
48	Sleep	Western Mountaineering Summerlite 6'0" sleeping bag	No change	580	20.5	1.3	580	20.5	1.3	0	0.0	0.0
49	Sleep	NeoAir X-Lite 3/4 pad & stuff sack	No change	240	8.5	0.5	240	8.5	0.5	0	0.0	0.0
50	Sleep	Dry bag, 10L (holds both sleeping bag and down hoodie)	Silnylon stuff sack + Ziploc bag	77	2.7	0.2	30	1.1	0.1	47	1.7	0.1
51	Sleep	NeoAir Pillow & stuff sack	No change	60	2.1	0.1	60	2.1	0.1	0	0.0	0.0
		Total		8524	300.7	18.8	6654	234.7	14.7	1870	66.0	4.1

TOTALS BY CATEGORY

	Shelter	Sleep	Pack	Clothing	Kitchen	Photo	Hydration	Misc
Grams	612	910	893	1210	1288	379	50	1312
Ounces	21.6	32.1	31.5	42.7	45.4	13.4	1.8	46.3
Pounds	1.3	2.0	2.0	2.7	2.8	0.8	0.1	2.9