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Thread: Backpack progression list

  1. #21
    Site Supporter taadski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SLG View Post
    As far as shoes, I've done 30 mile days with 50# packs for work, more than a few times. Even a few times on my own for fun, but not in the last few years. I never use anything but runners. Solomon was my go to for the last 15 years, but today I wear a zero differential, usually minimalist shoe. Haven't done any real weight or distance with those yet, so no idea how they compare to the Solomons. I also have strong flexible ankles, so rolling my ankle has never been an issue.

    I've dabbled pretty extensively with the minimalist shoe thing. And I still fancy wearing them for a lot of activities. Hiking and climbing in the mountains with load is not one of them, however. On flatter terrain, I find them more plausible, but on longer slogs there is still a perceived fatigue increase for me over something with a touch more ramp and a touch more support. FWIW.

  2. #22
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    Homemade rain jacket 3.1 oz. If I can sew it anyone can. Patterns at the store. Sewing is easy once you get someone to balance the polyester thread in the machine. You can buy 1.1 oz silicon coated nylon and uncoated at a few online stores. I no longer know where though as this rain shirt has lasted years.

    Hint: make/buy the rain gear sized while you are wearing all your clothes. So I wear a hiking shirt and a zip-t insulating shirt. You don't want the rain jacket to compress any insulating clothing.

    No hood on this rain jacket. I walk wearing a 3 oz sun hat, even in the rain. It keeps the water off my face and neck.
    What you do right before you know you're going to be in a use of force incident, often determines the outcome of that use of force.

  3. #23
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    zpack.com 20 degree 900 power down sleeping bag. Notice no hood on this mummy bag. I just curl up the bag around my neck and use my fleece hat to cover my head, ears, upper neck and eyes. If it is brutally cold I will wrap my big old fashioned bandana (1.5 oz) around my face. I don't like breathing into my bag. Too much dampness occurs.

    If you are a back sleeper you could save weight by using a quilt instead of a mummy bag. I toss and turn from back to side all night. It just didn't work for me. If you can use a quilt it is easy to make your own. I made one for summer using 4 linear yards of 1.1 oz nylon (no coating) and 1 inch permaloft sport. It just looks like a mummy bag with no zipper and the width is just long enough to tuck under your sleeping mat. I got that idea from Ray Jardine's book Trail Life.

    If you are handy with a sewing machine and know what you want you can have a super ultralight backpacking list that costs about 10% what the fancy store bought stuff is. I'm lazy so just bought the stuff. This bag cost me $320 if I remember correctly.

    One great thing about these online gear makers is that most of them are actually AT/PCT/CDT thru hikers. They have used the stuff. They are willing to adapt their products for a small fee to what you want and need. Don't be afraid to ask.
    What you do right before you know you're going to be in a use of force incident, often determines the outcome of that use of force.

  4. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by SLG View Post
    Solomon was my go to for the last 15 years, but today I wear a zero differential, usually minimalist shoe. Haven't done any real weight or distance with those yet, so no idea how they compare to the Solomons. I also have strong flexible ankles, so rolling my ankle has never been an issue.
    Funny, I just made the same switch. My feet are still getting used to the transition, so no significant miles yet, but my toes are already a lot happier.

    Which minimalist shoe(s) are you running? Also, what are you running at work for training vs. call-out?

  5. #25
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    Last edited by JustOneGun; 01-20-2017 at 03:35 PM.

  6. #26
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    I usually go stoveless when hiking. But if I do take a stove this is my set up for cooking. The empty 6 oz capacity soda bottle is to carry my Heet alcohol from the yellow bottle. Don't use the red bottled Heet. It has a lot of water in it.

    The bottom can with holes in it is an aluminum potted meat can that I use as a stove. I punched holes in it using a paper punch. 1 oz of yellow can Heet will boil water and cook a mountain house/ramen type meal.

    The can above the stove is just what it looks like, it's a big(16-18 oz capacity?) can of Heineken. I used a steak sauce bottle to push the bottom of the beer can flat. Put the bottle inside the beer can and force down the curved bottom. This is important. The flat/flatter bottom of the can must seal on top of the stove. That creates pressure that forces the burning alcohol out of the holes. If done correctly it will look like the flame on your gas stove top. That is my water pot. I just drank the beer and used a can opener to remove the top. Sand papered the sharp edges.

    The sheet metal looking band on the outside of everything is heater ducting. It acts as a wind block for the stove. The entire set up is 6.2 oz including the bag under it.

    A rant about alcohol stoves. If you are not willing to learn how to use an alcohol stove prior to going into nature you might want to look for a canister stove. They have similar canister stove setups that look almost like my homemade one. Where and how you use an alcohol stove has a learning curve. Almost everyone spills the fire at some point. Do that in the wrong place and you will start a forest fire. There is no good way to put out the alcohol in the stove. You only use an ounce at a time and let it all burn out to boil the water. Learn to use it in a bbq pit or on a concrete/gravel driveway. I spilled it once before I got the hang of it.

    I only use the stove to boil water. Then I put the water into the dinner pouch.
    What you do right before you know you're going to be in a use of force incident, often determines the outcome of that use of force.

  7. #27
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    These are the clothing items that have been with me for years. I haven't weighed them in years. I will give ball park weights. 5.11 beanie size large, for my big head and so I can pull it down to cover my neck, ears, eyes etc. 2.0 oz(?)

    zip-t around 8 oz used as an insulating garment. It's synthetic and has silver thread running through it. It does keep the stink down between washes. I got this free when our shop let some soldiers use our shoot house for pre-Iraq training. Go Army.

    The gloves are some synthetic stuff I used as a police officer. I think they are 2-3 ounces.

    The rest of my clothes are a spare pair of Wal-Mart black 100% polyester socks. They are light, easy to clean, low priced and don't give me blisters. All "Hiking socks" give me hot spots that will lead to blisters.

    These socks are polyester version of cotton tube socks. Nothing special. Not thin, not thick. I wear them and size my shoes to be one full size too big. That gives my toes room to breath and move. I just progressively tighten the laces so the bottom has no tension on it and the top has enough to keep the shoe on. The only difference is when I go down long steep hills. I tighten the laces up a bit more so my foot doesn't slide down and press the toe onto the end of the shoe.

    I don't normally use any insulated bottoms or extra underwear. I wear a pair of socks, Railrider supplex nylon pants, a polyester shirt, a sun hat, and exofficio boxers. They dry overnight after laundry in the p.m. I also use a pair of polyester running shorts to sleep in and to hike in if it is cloudy and/or rainy. Nope I don't get cold. I've hiked in 30 degree weather in shorts and my rain jacket. As long as I'm moving it's not cold. If it's so cold that I can't hike comfortably it's time to put up the shelter and climb in a sleeping bag.

    Other than wearing shorts in rainy conditions I also limit any breaks. I usually take a 10 minute break every hour or two. When it is cold and rainy I just walk more and eat on the move.
    What you do right before you know you're going to be in a use of force incident, often determines the outcome of that use of force.

  8. #28
    Site Supporter Hambo's Avatar
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    JustOneGun, thanks for all the pics and gear descriptions. I prefer sleeping under a tarp, but I always used a full mummy bag even in summer. I'm probably even worse about that now that I live in FL.
    "Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA

  9. #29
    Member Peally's Avatar
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    You're pretty hard into the ultralight spectrum. Not a bad thing, it's good content, I just prefer my canister stove for dinner
    Semper Gumby, Always Flexible

  10. #30
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    That's all the big stuff. I haven't actually added it all up in a few years. It should be around 7 pounds. I do take 4-6 oz of little stuff. Pinch lights for camp and emergency night hiking. Vitamin I, bandaids, bandana, lotion on long hikes for the feet toothbrush, chapstick and of course TP. Smart phone and an extra battery might start taking me over 7 pounds. If I know I'm going to night hike then I take a 3 oz headlamp, etc.

    Since I stopped using hiking poles, just didn't need them anymore, I have slowed down on my tarp use. I need to buy a few carbon fiber poles to replace the hiking poles but might buy the gatewood cape from sixmoonsdesign.com instead. It has full tent coverage at a fraction of the weight. I think it's about 16 oz for the rain gear/tent/carbon pole and micro line locs with 1.1mm line. Add a sea to summit bug net and you've got it all for at or under 20oz.

    In my opinion the only real way to get under 7-8 pounds consistently for three season hiking it to dump the tent and/or use different materials. A tarp will save almost a pound over a tent. And Cuben fiber is outrageously light. It isn't as durable. Many people buy their weight savings by getting a cuben fiber tarp tent, cubin fiber jacket, pants, ect. That's great if you are wealthy but most people who thru hike the PCT throw much of that equipment away after 5 months of use. It has holes and is coming apart at that point. Not exactly disposable but close.

    1.1 per square yard is an incredibly strong ripstop fabric. 1.1 silicon coated nylon ripstop (actually it weighs 1.3 oz per square yard) is a water proof version of the same. It will last for years with reasonable care. I want to go light but am also cheap. So that's what I use.
    What you do right before you know you're going to be in a use of force incident, often determines the outcome of that use of force.

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