[pct-l] base weights and ultralight packs

[Jeffrey Olson]

I second the use of the Golite Gust, or similar pack of spectra cloth 
(or semi-spectra).  There seem to be three kinds of packs I've seen on 
the trail.  The first two are lightweight.  Most use one where you use 
the foam pad as a kind of frame - it goes in a slot next to your back.  
The other is the Gust, where you wrap your closed cell foam pad into a 
circle, put it in the pack, and pack everything inside of it.  My pack 
is 22 ounces.  I've carried 40 pounds this way and not been 
uncomfortable.  The other way is the ultra-light way where it's just a 
little sack with shoulder straps and mesh on its outside, no hipbelt, or 
only a webbing strap.  Warner Springs Monte can talk about this level of 
gear.  My base weight these days, including a book as extra, and not 
much else, is 12 pounds. 


I use a quilt (Nunatak Arc Alpinist) and a full-length blue foam pad and 
Tarptent Contrail.  The first thing that goes in is an airline plastic 
bag - the ones you use to protect your pack when you fly.  This is 
fairly thick plastic, and weighs a couple ounces, but boy is it 
waterproof and fairly bulletproof.  I never have to worry about a pack 
cover or my gear getting wet.  It is protected 100% of the time.  I 
don't carry long pants or rain pants either (except when hiking on snow). 


Then the blue foam pad goes in as a tube.  I put spare clothes on the 
bottom, then the food I won't be using that day, then miscellaneous 
gear, stove, water bottles, etc., and then the quilt in a plastic 
garbage bag.  (I've never stuffed the quilt and after six years of 
hiking, it still has its original loft and is good down into the 20s.)  
I'm always surprised that there is very little I don't use every day.  I 
have a couple ditty bags with drugs and fire and emergency garbage bags, 
duct tape, etc.  Together they weight in at 2lbs or so.  I don't carry 
much beyond the essentials, so the sleeping bag takes up one third to 
half the pack volume, depending on how many days of food I'm carrying.  
I've carried a bear vault cannister and hate every moment of it.


I think if I were in the market for a pack (I have two Gusts, one of 
which has over  1500 miles on it, and the other a couple hundred), I'd 
get the Blast with a belt.  My Gust is 4500 cu in or so.  The large 
Blast is 3200 cu in. I'd have to stuff my quilt more I guess... 


http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/blast.shtml


Jeff Olson
Martin, SD