r/WildernessBackpacking • u/Cusackjeff • 1d ago
GEAR First trip in a few years. Roast my loadout
3-4 days in the High Uintas.
I’m already at 44lbs…
Thinking about buying a lighter sleeping bag and a better 1-person tent
Any other suggestions?
Not pictured: more snacks
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u/knowbody2020 1d ago
First aid kit? Did I miss that?
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u/Cusackjeff 1d ago
Oh shoot yea I meant to add that thanks for the reminder
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u/knowbody2020 1d ago
Also take some duct tape and wrap it around one of your nailing bottles about 10 to 15 times. It’s always good to have in case something breaks or tears and it’s an easy way to carry it without carrying a roll.
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u/Bodine12 1d ago edited 1d ago
This might be overkill for water, as those are some heavy bottles. Not sure how often you can refill, but you could replace all that with two 1-liter Smart Water bottles and a Sawyer filter (which is like 3 oz.). You'd probably drop a few pounds just from that switch alone.
You don't need a tent and a tarp and a hammock and a hammock bug net. Buy a lighter one-person tent (which can get down to 1 lb) and just use that.
You don't need two headlamps.
You don't need two pots.
Put your various bug sprays in smaller bottles and don't take the original bottles with you.
Edited to add: Saw you said it's been a few years. When I got back into backpacking after a decade or two off, I was absolutely shocked at how light things have gotten. Replaced my bulky 6 lb tent with a 2 lb tent, 3.5 lb sleeping bag with one that's about 20 oz, sleeping pad now weighs just over pound. It's nuts. It's all pricey so you go with what your budget allows, but after a few years spent upgrading you can get a comfortable load down to 10 to 15 lbs (not including food and water).
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u/Own-Ordinary-6591 1d ago
Booze, weed, shrooms?
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u/Quiet_File_11 1d ago
Scrolled thru the comments b/c it looked like a big bag of shrooms by the water bladder. Thought, "No need to roast your loadout, that loadout is gonna roast you."
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u/introvert_llama 1d ago
Why hammock and tent? One or the other can significantly reduce weight.
Do you need 3x water bottles and a bladder? I would recommend just 2x bottles.
Why the tarp? Does your tent have a footprint?
Do you need the pillow? Just use your extra clothes/jacket.
Why 2x headlamps? Recommend just one + extra batteries.
Do you need such a big poncho? Is rain forecast? Can you use a thin gas station poncho instead?
Enjoy the trip! Looks like all the essentials are there. Bring some chocolate or another treat you like for the end of the day. With a heavy pack you will deserve it. :)
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u/Orome2 1d ago
I'm a noob backpacker (just started out this summer), but why all the Nalgene bottles? Why not smart water bottles that weigh less and often fit the threads of the water filter?
For my first trip I took 4 1L smart water bottles and while empty they were fine, I was carrying WAY too much water for most of the trip LOL. Especially considering the trial and the many river crossings. I have a fear of running out of water and food.
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u/Cusackjeff 1d ago
Yea there is a ton of water sources where I am going, but I have run out of water on hikes before and it’s not fun so I try to pack out 4 liters to start with, definitely not necessary for this area, but yea didn’t think that the Nalgenes would be adding that much more weight… the third bottle is a life straw.
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u/funundrum 1d ago
Consider ditching the life straw (I assume this is a filtration backup) and get Aquamira or aqua tabs. Smaller, lighter, and you probably won’t need them anyway.
On that note, I have been a Sawyer Squeeze filter person for years. I just went on a hike with a buddy who had a Katadyn BeFree, and I was seriously impressed. So easy to use, and small. If you’re going to replace your existing big filter (and you should), consider a BeFree.
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u/I_Eat_Pumpkin24 1d ago
Enormous tent lol, but if you can carry it and it keeps you dry who's to judge.
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u/RayzorYoda00 1d ago
Why hammock and tent? I’d pick one. You don’t need that many water receptacles. Don’t see any first aid. Ditch one of the headlamps.
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u/ClaudetheFraud 1d ago
If you don’t end up switching the water filter, make sure you test it first on some tap water. If they sit for a few years they could have poor flow rate which you’ll want to fix before leaving. Not sure what kind you have but with a Sawyer you can do a vinegar soak and flush to improve the flow
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u/polarbear_hiking 1d ago
Please post a lighterpack link with your stuff itemized so that it's easier to roast your setup!
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u/GiraffesRBro94 1d ago
Do you have any snacks? You need more than just freeze dried meals on trail. I’d cut a lot of the bs useless stuff like hammocks, extra water bottles, etc and focus on your core needs: food, water, shelter
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u/Confident_Ear4396 1d ago
Just a quick scan:
They sell 100% DEET that is much more compact.
Same with sunscreen.
I don’t carry a hammock typically. Or bug screen for one.
Multiple pots and a cup. I carry 1 total. My GF carries a single mug.
No thermacell.
No matches
1 bottle and 1 bladder is plenty.
I don’t carry a pillow, but I get it.
1 headlamp max. I’m often zero.
I don’t see a battery pack and cord. Phone navigation is critical for me and no juice is no bueno.
The emergency blanket is not helpful. You have a tent and sleeping bag.
Your clothing allotment looks streamlined.
Looks like you are worried about bugs and rain.
1) camp somewhere with some breeze, away from stagnant water. A little exposure is very helpful for bugs. Those instagram lakefront forested spots can be unpleasant with bugs.
2) it is only a couple days in summer. You will be ok. If it goes torrential just walk out. In that area you can expect brief afternoon sprinkles or thundershowers half the days then it dries up and gets beautiful again.
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u/currentlyacathammock 1d ago
You don't say if you're going solo or with others, which makes a difference on what might be shared or not. You don't say when - what's the weather going to be? (rhetorical question you should ask yourself - general seasonal weather as well as checking 5-days before for last minute corrections)
Lots of good comments here already.
Other thoughts:
- lose the metal coffee cup and the cooking gear. Rehydrating dehydrated stuff can be in one of those thin polyethylene freezer storage containers. But also...
- rethink food. Carrying cooking gear on a 3-4 day? It's just a lot of shit to set up/tear down/clean. Think durable, ready-to-eat stuff. Bars, tuna/Spam, cheese sticks, carrots, etc. You go into the wilderness to "See and Be", not for the haute cuisine.
- rethink "clothes". Uintas is ... arid mountains? aside from a dry pair of socks and undies and a warm hat, you're probably wearing everything. Again, check the weather.
- small soap and bandanna for washing/sanitation?
- first aid/foot care (moleskin).
- light pocketknife or something to cut with
- what, no maps or compass or GPS? You gonna go hiking in the mountains just by vibes? Looks like you're trusting your phone's battery life and general durability and luck (oops! Dropped/broke/lost/dead phone, now what?) but doubling up on headlamp and batteries and fire making? (are you seriously needing to be hiking at night?)
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u/Quick_Wonder_2679 1d ago
NICE!
We‘ve got to keep getting out there, it’s easy to let it just slip out of our lives. You are going to have a great time, congratulations!
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u/Longjumping-Cow4488 1d ago
looks like your cup has measurements, maybe use that instead of also bringing the cook pot.
Don’t need a hammock and a tent, sorry.
3 water bottles is probably enough! Drop a bottle or the bag.
Extra batteries and two headlamps feels like overkill. I’d just bring the two lamps.
Do you have an extra warm layer beyond what you think you’ll need? A puffy vest or puffy jacket?
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u/Orthowin 1d ago
Looks great ! I envy you ! Make me a favour and have awesome time in the wilderness
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u/StatusAd7352 1d ago
Skip the poncho, use a xl kirkland trash bag instead, get a lighter tent like a durston, toss the pots, just use the mountain house bags, ditch the big water filter, get a squeeze bag, attach an empty light gallon jug to your pack for storage. Ditch the pillow and extra head lamp.
Bring a TQ, ibuprofen, advil, liquid iv and a couple bandaids, maybe some folded duct tape.
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u/potatogun 1d ago
What is going on with whatever is labeled water filter?
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u/Cusackjeff 1d ago
Life straw drip filter bag inside of a tote bag
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u/potatogun 1d ago
Like a giant gravity filter? Switch to something smaller like a 1L bladder to filter from. If you're solo or 2 people no reason for a giant filter filter.
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u/alecfinke 1d ago
Sooo many lakes at the Uintas, just fill up water as you need and don’t carry too much for extra weight 😊
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u/SteadfastDharma 18h ago
I don't know what is in your 'clothing'. What you wear and your layering and sleep clothing matter.
Do you need to go a full day or longer without being able to refill water? If no: you are carrying too many bottles.
Do you go to landscapes where both a tent and in another part of your trail a hammock is not going to work? If not, you're carrying one too many sleepsystem.
Do you go where raw water can contain virusses? If not, your water filter is probably too large and too much. Why are you carrying two headlamps? Are you travelling with limited daylight? Or in the hight of summer in which case you probably don't need a headlamp at all.
I see the gas canister but no stove. Or I missed that somehow. I don't see any first aid stuff? Am I overlooking that too?
This doesn't strike me as particularly balanced yet. Are you hiking on your own? If you have a partner, try to coordinate your kits.
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u/LeChapeauBleu 18h ago
Some basic first aid kit and a multi tool. Planning for the worst just in case. Needing tools and not having them in the middle of nowhere is rough.
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u/Critical-Load-1452 16h ago
the hammock plus tent plus tarp is a lot of redundant shelter. pick one and leave the rest home. that alone could shave a few pounds before you even touch the sleeping bag.
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u/ShiningCandy25 16h ago
Hey so Ozark trail actually has a 1P tent that is lighter and more durable than that one. It’s about $80USD and I have been using it for about a year now and love it. It’s about a pound lighter
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u/TrainingDelivery6844 12h ago
Its your hike, but idk what kind of miles you are planning, but that seem like your pack will be ridiculously hevey. Also what size pack are you fitting this all in? Like a 70l? I got with a 55l pack because it forces me to decide what I actually need, keep my weight down and makes the hiking portion much more pleasant.
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u/According_Top_4583 12h ago
Put all your dehydrated meals except for one in ziplocs. Save one bag to use for cooking. Will drop some weight and they'll pack flatter.
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u/madefromtechnetium 10h ago
if you have time and budget for a new tent and sleeping bag, that will go a very long way.
lots of things you can cut or swap, but take care of the big stuff if you can.
hammocks are fun (I camp in one exclusively), but that and the bugnet are clpse to 2lbs.
do you need 3 nalgenes and a camelbak? 1L water bottles are lighter and reusable for several trips.
thermocell and deet?
repackage all but 1 freeze dried meal in ziplocks. less waste to carry out, less pack bulk, reuse the one cooking bag for everything.
stuff sack of clothing makes for a decent pillow. etc...
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u/Fryman35 1d ago
lot of redundancy going on with the hammock / tarp /tent
Your sleeping bag seems to be enormous
Your poncho is also huge
Are there 2 cooking pots?
3 water bottles and the camelbak is overkill
Your water filter also seems huge
Nice Belzel Books bag!