For six years I’ve been slowly building up a collection of hiking and camping gear. Christmas gifts helped with much of this, though at times I would venture out and pick up something from a sporting goods store when finances and the wife would allow. I used this gear for a variety of deep woods hikes in the Upper Peninsula and it was far from lightweight. It wasn’t until this summer that I started to be concerned about the weight of my pack. I have a nine-day excursion to Isle Royale in a few weeks and I don’t want any unnecessary ounces.
For nine days I’m aiming to keep my base pack around 25 pounds. Food and water will easily add 12-15 pounds on that, bringing my starting weight to about 40. Which isn’t too bad for a week and a half, I guess. Here’s a breakdown of where my gear is at right now.
Packing & Camping
| Backpack | Scheels Classic 4500 | 74 oz |
|---|---|---|
| Shelter | Kelty Scheels Classic 2 Man | 66 oz |
| Sleeping Bag | Kelty Dualist 20 | 49 oz |
| Compression Sack | Alps Compression (S) | 10 oz |
| Pad | Klymite X-Lite | 6.1 oz |
| Pack Pillow | Klymite X-Pillow | 2.6 oz |
| Subtotal | 12 lbs 15.7 oz |
This category has seen a lot of improvement over the last few months. I’ve shaved off over four pounds by upgrading the bag and pad alone. I’m not in a huge rush on the rest. The pack was a gift from my parents and is really nice, even if it is heavy, and the tent has been with my for a very long time. The inside is smeared with dirt and squashed mosquito blood from dozens of weekend outings. Maybe when some irreparable damage shows up in five years from now I’ll look for a lighter pack and tent.
Packed Clothing
| Jacket | Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer | 7.2 oz |
|---|---|---|
| Hat | Smartwool Balaclava | 1.6 oz |
| Gloves | REI Minimalist | 3.5 oz |
| Poncho | Outdoor Backpacking Poncho | 12.3 oz |
| Rain Pants | Columbia Tall Rebel Roamer | 12.2 oz |
| Shirt | Runners World Long Sleve | 8 oz |
| Boxers | Underarmour Boxerjocks (2) | 5.2 oz |
| Socks | Smart Wool (2) | 7.8 oz |
| Socks | (ancient wool socks) | 4.2 oz |
| Sandals | Teva Terra Fi Lite | 26 oz |
| Knee Brace | Mueller Knee Brace | 10 oz |
| Stuff Sack | 8 L Stuff Sack | 0.7 oz |
| Subtotal | 6 lbs 2.7 oz |
This gear is newer. I’ve never worried about a poncho, or the right clothing to last through multiple days of changing weather, or really anything outside of a few extra t-shirts. After a lot of research and questions it looks like most people interested in the weight of their pack will just rotate through a few sets of wool or synthetic clothes, switching out wet for dry, and do laundry every couple of days.
Will a combination of base layer, long sleeve shirt, and mid-layer wool jacket be enough for the cool temperatures of Lake Superior? I sure hope so. It’ll definitely last through the other types of backpacking that Arizona has to offer. Phoenix only gets below fifty at night for a short portion of the year and more appealing locations like Payson and Flagstaff do dip below freezing. I remember all too well what a brisk wind, cold drizzle, and freezing temperatures feel like from Michigan.
Cooking & Water
| Stove | MSR Pocket Rocket | 3.9 oz |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | IsoPro 8oz | 12.2 oz |
| Cookpot | TOAKS 600 ML | 2.9 oz |
| Utensil | Light my Fire Spork | 0.9 oz |
| Mug | (cheap plastic from Walmart) | 1.3 oz |
| Matches | (tbd) | 0.4 oz |
| Filter | MSR Miniworks | 16 oz |
| Container | 1 L Hydro Flask | 16 oz |
| Sack | 12 L Stuff Sack | 0.9 oz |
| Sack | 5 L Stuff Sack | 0.5 oz |
| Subtotal | 3 lbs 7oz |
A gas stove is a terrifying and wonderful new addition to my gear. For years I would start a little fire from birch bark and twigs just large enough to boil some water in my old teapot, huddling over the meager heat that it offered. Dangling a teapot with one hand and keeping the fire going with the other was standard pre-dinner fare, and it would often take more than ten minutes before I was ready to mix things together.
Many parks do not even allow campfires, or in the case of a state like Arizona, there just isn’t any fuel to burn. With the gas and stove it takes less time and I don’t have to do anything. I just light it and step back and feel incredibly luxurious.
Miscellaneous
| Map | Nat Geo Topo | 3 oz |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Petzl Tikka Plus | 2.7 oz |
| First Aid | Medical Kit .7 | 3.7 oz |
| Knife | (generic jacknife) | 4 oz |
| Cord | Paracord 30' | 2.3 oz |
| Body Wash | Sea to Summit Body Wash | 0.7 oz |
| Laundry | Sea to Summit Laundry | 0.5 oz |
| Meds | Excedrin | 0.5 oz |
| Foot Powder | Gold Bond | 1.4 oz |
| Cloth | REI Cloth | 0.8 oz |
| Towel | REI Towel | 9.6 oz |
| Chapstick | (generic chapstick) | 0.5 oz |
| Toothbrush | (generic travel toothbrush) | 0.5 oz |
| Sack | 8 L Stuff Sack | 0.7 oz |
| Subtotal | 1 lb 14.9 oz |
This is the basic list of hygeine-related things with nothing too ground-breaking in it. Soap could be bundled into a single entry (using the same stuff to wash both me and my laundry) but the Sea to Summit stuff is so light it’s not worth fretting over. I plan on swimming in Lake Superior near every night so I’m okay with a heavy, absorbant towel. Other than that, standard fare.
Luxury Items
| Camera | Olympus XZ-2 | 12.6 oz |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Case | USA Gear Camera Case | 1.8 oz |
| Kindle | Kindle Paperwhite | 11.9 oz |
| Travel Journal | (cheap half-journal from Wal-Mart) | 3.3 oz |
| Alarm Clock | Casio PQ-13 | 2.2 oz |
| Subtotal | 1 lb 15.8 oz |
There are a few interesting things here (like the Kindle) that I’m bringing along just because. If I’m on the Minong Trail for a few days and don’t see any one at the camp, or if I’m just feeling antisocial, I’d rather bring along a few books to help pass the time. One of my weaknesses is an impatience - I don’t like to waste daylight. I’d rather hike from sun up to sun down. Reading a book on a Lake Superior beach will hopefully slow me down a bit and give my body a chance to recover.
Another thing to point out is what’s not on this list. I’m not bringing my GPS. Nor am I bringing a phone. I don’t want to be contacted or accessible during this trip. I don’t want to be obsessively checking my GPS to track my distance. Instead, I want to rely on a physical map and my rudimentary route-finding skills. Plus, it’ll be nice to not worry about battery life.
Worn Clothing
| Base Layer | Terramer Silk Baselayer | 6.8 oz |
|---|---|---|
| Shirt | Runner’s World Long Sleve | 8 oz |
| Pants | Scheels Convertible | 15 oz |
| Belt | Bison Last Chance | 3.8 oz |
| Underwear | Ex-Officio Boxer Briefs | 3.2 oz |
| Socks | (ancient wool socks) | 4.2 oz |
| Boots | Vasque Breeze Boots | 58.4 oz |
| Hat | REI Boonie Hat | 2.5 oz |
| Trekking Poles | Komperdell Carbon Vario 4 | 31 oz |
| Subtotal | 8 lbs 4.9 oz |
Even though this isn’t packed gear, and shouldn’t count towards my weight, there are some good pieces here I wanted to include. My pants have lasted a solid four years already and have yet to tear or show signs of wear. And my boots, for how heavy and old they are getting, is one of my favorite pieces of gear.
Trekking Poles are new. I had hoped to do some experimenting with them before hauling them along and had considered them a worthless accessory that only scratches up the trail. After talking to a few experienced hikers I began to realize that they may have strong benefits, especially for distributing the weight of a backpack. I’ve only used them once so far with mixed results. Hopefully they’ll worth the hassle of bringing along.
Summary
| Packing & Camping | 12 lbs 15.7 oz | |
|---|---|---|
| Packed Clothing | 6 lbs 2.7 oz | |
| Miscellaneous | 1 lb 14.9 oz | |
| Luxury Items | 1 lb 15.8 oz | |
| Base Weight | 26 lbs 8.1 oz | |
| Food | 9 days of food | 10 lbs |
| Water | 1 liter | 2 lbs 3 oz |
| Total Weight | 38 lbs 11.1 oz |
Will this be enough? I sure hope so. Food is a bit light, though I’ve done a few trials and don’t really need more than a pound a day. I aim for a very high calorie to weight ratio and have yet to feel hungry at the end of a hike. On my last backpack I tried eating 2500 calories on the second date and felt disgustingly overstuffed at the end of the day. I don’t mind going a little hungry here and there, especially if the trip has potential resupply stations (Windigo is right in the middle of my planned route).
40 lbs is still quite a bit. There are some items that I don’t want to let go of quite yet and some gear that I should upgrade. For a week and a half this could work. Hopefully. When I get back I’ll probably have a much better idea of what did and didn’t work out.
dcclark
40 pounds sounds quite good for 9 days. Here are my totally unsolicited comments:
Clothing: For our 5-day Porkies trip, I brought 3 sets of: shirt, pants, underwear, and socks (plus one fluffy layer and one jacket). Two of those sets were for hiking, alternating them to let them air out and dry. The 3rd was ONLY for use around camp -- cooking and generally hanging out. I'd never used a camp-only set of clothes before, and it was wonderful. Helps you feel more human after a long day on the trails.
Cooking: I own a Pocket Rocket and LOVE it. In the Porkies, we boiled about 2L of water per day, and 1/2 of a large canister sufficed. (We only boiled for breakfast oatmeal/tea and freeze-dried meals. Drinking water was entirely pumped or chlorinated.) Consider getting some lightweight wet-light matches. They're worth their weight in gold.
Phone: Not to worry, you won't be contactable on Isle Royal anyhow. :P I always bring one in the Porkies in case of emergency -- there's enough cell coverage that a text could get through on occasion. I also bring a GPS for emergencies -- heck, that's the only reason I *own* a GPS (after getting severely turned around once in the backcountry, I decided to throw in the towel on that fight). I think it's worth seriously considering bringing a GPS at least.
I don't own trekking poles and consider them completely pointless. Not useless, mind you -- they're very very useful. But in the kind of forests you'll be in, it's extremely easy to find sturdy sticks lying on the ground. If you don't need them or they get too heavy, you'll be more willing to toss them aside.
Food: I always lose my appetite when packing. I know exactly what you mean about feeling horribly overstuffed. One thing I've started to bring are rice cake-and-peanut butter sandwiches. HUGE on calories, protein, and carbs, and extremely light (although a bit bulky). Don't forget the sweets too. There's nothing like chocolate after a long day. Oh, and SALT is a huge deal. Gorp is good for salt. I've also brought tiny Baybel cheese wheels which can be good, but heavy.
Jacob Emerick
Unsolicited? Maybe. Welcomed? Definitely.
Camp clothes is definitely interesting. I'm a big fan of camp sandals/shoes though it could be seen as worthless ounces for people wearing sandals/trail runners all day. A full set of clothes, though? It'd make laundry every couple of days much more practical. Sweat through two sets of hiking clothes and then change into relatively clean camp stuff and do both pair.
Pocket Rockets are awesome! I'm thinking of getting 2 4oz cans, just in case one leaks and I have to switch out at Windigo. But yeah, same boat. I'll only need a few cups for oatmeal/coffee and then for freeze-dried food. Speaking of, I should do a post about food. I've spent a lot of time counting calories over the last few weeks and would love to do a post-mortem on what did and didn't work. And I'm curious what you think :P
That's a good point on the GPS with one small catch - I can't upload maps to the darn thing anymore. The software is deprecated. I've managed to upload routes to it through some creative hacks, so I could track how far off trail as long as I have accurate routes (which seem hard to get for Isle Royale). I'll definitely think about it. I really like that my pack is less than 40 (and will be under 30 by the time I boat off) so it may be a question on what to drop.
Trekking poles: have you tried a pair yet? I've done one hike with them so far and was pleasantly surprised. Using them on Isle Royale will definitely be a trial by fire scenario so I may have a different opinion in a few weeks, but right now I'm pretty happy with them. The comfortable grip, lightweight strength, and collapsible nature really help. For my next tent I'll be looking for something that uses a trekking pole for support, I think.
Thanks sir :D
dcclark
First, good news -- after our 5-day Porkies trip, we decided that next year is the year we attempt Isle Royale! So although I'm very envious that you get to go in September (something that we could never do), I'll be following you there in just under a year. Ours will be much shorter than yours (probably just 3 or 4 nights, east end only).<br>
Side note: Trying to format my post with some more breaks. We'll see if it works.<br>
Camp clothes -- We bring water shoes or sandals for river crossings. Not sure you'll need those on Isle Royale, but they could also be good for evenings at lake campsites. They do get heavy, however.<br>
Food -- I made a spreadsheet for a "typical" day of nutrition in the Porkies. It doesn't look bad on paper: about 1800 calories, 100 grams of fat, and 45 grams of protein. A bit low on the calories and protein, but we didn't seem to have trouble. I consider the high fat intake a good thing for hiking, at least.<br>
More food -- We found that we prefer variety in our food *throughout a day*. Between days, we were happy to keep eating the same meals. For example, a typical day was: Breakfast of tea and oatmeal, Lunch of rice cake-peanut butter sandwiches, Dinner of freeze dried meal. In between, gorp and meat sticks (landjaeger). This year, we ate exactly 0 Clif bars, and few cheese wheels. We were planning on freeze-dried meals for some lunches, but couldn't face them for both lunch AND dinner.<br>
I haven't actually used trekking poles for backpacking -- because I like sticks so much. :) I understand all of the benefits, but still...<br>
Looking forward to your trip report!
Spencer Lindenberg
Do you use a site like Gear Grams or LighterPack to keep track of your weights? I weighed just about every piece of gear I have and put the numbers into my master gear list on LighterPack. Then, when I pack for a trip, I can create a list specific to that trip.
Jacob Emerick
Oh wow, I had no idea those resources existed! I've been using Google Sheets to track it for now, copy/pasting items from a master list to create per-trip weights. Will definitely be creating an account when I get back.
Spencer, do you use anything to track calories/nutritional value for backpacking food? My sheet for tracking that is getting very unwieldy.
Thanks sir!
Spencer Lindenberg
I actually don't really use anything to track calories other than writing the nutrition information down by hand. I take freeze-dried meals out of their packaging and dump the contents into a quart-size plastic bag, and on the outside of each bag I use a marker to write the calories, weight (including the bag), and how much water is required. Then I get a general idea of the calories of snacks by just estimating how many serving sizes I have and extrapolating the nutrition information from the per serving figures.
Last year at Pukaskwa my packed food came out to about 2,900 calories per day and averaged 114 calories per ounce. Since then I've tried to up that average to around 120 or 125 cal/oz. Make sure you bring enough food with sodium, as you lose so much salt due to sweat. I even bought packets of salt (like what you'd find in a fast food restaurant) and used a couple of those per day. Single serving size packets of olive oil are also great too - you can add them to almost meal, and they pack 240 calories in one ounce. Minimus.biz is a great place to find single-use sizes of almost anything - food, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, etc. Also make sure you bring some craving-busting food. I almost totally abstain from eating sweets during normal life, but my favorite backpacking snack is dark chocolate peanut M&M's, another calorie-dense food.
Spencer Lindenberg
My gear list from last year's Pukaskwa hike:
http://lighterpack.com/r/ebrtn7
Judd Wagstaff
This list is great, I got a few of these last year and my buddy loved them. However, you should add campcloud hammocks on here for sure. I found their site a few months ago after seeing they sponsored most outdoor trade shows. Their prices are half off other hammock companies and I think the designs are pretty awesome, but maybe that is just me! But quality is definitely amazing. It's www.campcloudcrew.com if you do another write-up!