[pct-l] My Gear List - Need Some Experienced Thoughts

[John Abela]

Hey All,

Thanks for all of the on-going comments about gear (both my own, my
directions, and your own!!)

At this point I have dropped the money for the ZPacks tent/insert and the
ZPacks Blast26. It ends up being a difference of 29.33 total ounces by
making the switch (from 52.6 to 23.17 ounces) which enables me to go down
1.83 pounds just by switching one great pack for another great pack, and one
great tent for another great tent. Cost will be nullified as I can easily
resell my other gear for more than what I am paying for the ZPacks gear.

Pretty much *everybody* has told me to ditch the MontBell UL Down Inner
Parka and go with the Western Mountaineering Hooded Flash Jacket/Pants so I
guess I will check out that jacket. Makes sense when you consider the baffle
design differences between MB and WM - and they are a couple ounces lighter.

And I got a rather amazing amount of people saying I should check out the
Western Mountaineering HiLite Bag (16 ounces / 35-degree) and a few saying I
should go with the WM SummerLite (19 ounces / 32-degree) bag. I have no
objections to switching to a bag from my quilts, I just had no idea these WM
bags existed at this weight, so thanks for all the recommendations. I think
if I combine the WM HiLite with the Western Mountaineering Flash
Jacket/Pants I should be able to take the 35-degree bag down into the
twenties. That is, if the WM Flash products are as good as (and everybody
says better) the MB UL Down Inner jacket/pants. I have been out in 27 degree
weather with the jacket and a t-shirt on under it. So one would think I
should be able to get another 10 degrees with it inside of my bad, right??
Thoughts?? Cost difference on this will not matter as I know my sister would
love to have the MB jacket.

By going with the WM Flash combo (16 oz) I can also ditch the Patagonia
Capilene 3 setup (15.2 oz) I had, plus get considerably more heat out of
them. I was already planning on taking the jacket, so if you figure I add in
the WM pants and subtrack the Patagonia C3 setup, I come out 8.2 ounces
ahead - plus with a lot more room in my pack, as the PC3's just do not
compress very well. Maybe now I will have room for my ear-muffs - giggle
(j/k)

So anywaaaaay, these changes put me down to 6.6 pounds for the packweight -
and I am still figuring a half-ounce to an ounce here-or-there for things
unaccounted for.

Huge thanks to those who have shared a part of their day over the last few
days writing emails me to on their thoughts. I know from private emails that
I have gotten that the comments over the last few days have been helping a
lot more people than just myself - so for everybody who has taken the time
to share, thank you, thank you! With just a few simple changes (which I had
not considered and came from all of you) I have ditched 2.2 pounds and broke
into 6-pound range. I think that is low enough for at this point in my
experience.

Thanks everybody (again).

John