Fast and light tips

I'm looking for tips how to save weight backpacking and doing long approaches to climbing areas. Any suggestions on light camping gear are wellcome I have a bivi sack and a decent sleeping pad what about super light sleeping bag for Colorado and Midwest states? What light approach boots are you all using?

Sleep on the rope instead of a sleeping pad.

I prefer to wear my lightweight approach shoes instead of my heavier hiking boots on long approaches, and backpacking trips. Probably not the best way to go for some (especially if they are prone to ankle problems) as approach shoes don't offer much ankle support ,but that's how I roll to save weight ( when I'm already carrying 25-40 lbs of gear, and water on my back).

Whenever I get new stuff I try to pay close attention to the specs/ weight of items ; which usually means you'll end up paying more for the lighter newer, innovations!

Edit to add: I used to be stubborn, and just deal with carrying my heavy crap, until I had it drilled into me (in a loving way) by my other half to look at the weight of just about everything I was bringing along on backpacking trips. It would tickle me when I would be looking to buy stuff on-line, and he'd happen to walk by, and would say, "Check the weight, look at the specs.." This has saved me many a pound of weight off my back so I can hike faster. ; )

Ditch the boots and sleeping bag.

If you don't sleep in all the clothes you brought...you brought too much.

Yeah, no sleeping pad. Pull the pad out of your pack that you trimmed to just fit under your hips while you sleep.

Climb in your approach shoes...

superlight bag... check out western mountaineering, expensive and entirely worth it

as for boots, I only wear them if I need crampons... the red sportiva trango light boots are pretty popular... if you don't need crampons don't wear boots... a pound on the foot is like three in the pack

1. Dont pack any water if there will be some down the trail. Hydrate at the car and bring Aquamira treatment instead of a filter. Water is your heaviest item.
2. We use freezer bag meals that we prepared. Cook pasta, rice, veggies, etc or whatever at home... dehydrate, put in freezer bag and make a cozie(sp) with flap out of metallic bubble wrap from lowes and duck tape(we use the metal tape. Boil water and put in the freezer bag in the cozie for 10 minutes or so. we use knor pasta sauce with them. no clean up and light weight. Only 1 (titanium) pot needed. drink coffee out of it when done.
3.ditch the jet boil or pocket rocket. Pepsi can stove (denatured alcohol)... look it up. ULTRA light. People will say they dont burn when cold but no fuel likes to burn when its cold. just put your fuel bottle in your sleeping bag at night or in your jacket pocket and it works fine. Ive used mine well below freezing. dont forget the windscreen. Generally uses less than an ounce or so to boil water for a single meal.
4. sleep on pack. the closed cell foam pads are the lightest sleeping pads so if you need more cut a small section to supplement with the pack.
5. Cary tricams and more passive gear.
6. agreed, no boots. Most of you "ankle support" comes from under foot so when looking for hiking shoes you want one that will flex enough but does not tend to twist. torque the heel and the ball opposite directions to test. generally the price is higher. grab a 80$ merrell and a 130$ merrell and compare, you will see what I mean.
6. If its suposed to be a clear night, cowboy camp or find a bivy cave. Tarp if necessary. BD's beta light is pretty bad ass but you need trekking poles unless you use sticks or something to pitch.
7. Look into the benefits of a good high fill power down bag. I would recommend western mountaineering. Expensive but you will have it forever and it will become your favorite piece of gear, yes even better than your aliens. And yes sleep in your clothes if the bag doesn't cut it. (ultralight 20deg, Ive camped close to 0 in mine with my down jacket and down pants inside)
8. leave the 70 at home if you dont plan on using the extra length.

All this stuff is mainly my lightweight backpacking gear and I have only backpacked to climb a few times so there may be some ways to improve on it. This stuff is not for everyone and it took me a while of geeking out to get my system down. Hope something in this list helps

I made a sleeping bag with 850fill 2.5 inch baffels.. 9 ounces. Kept me warm enough down to 15 or so with my parka and clothes on. The bag and my mattress (neo air by thermarest, size sm) packs down smaller than a cantaloupe. Cumfy setup and super light! Nunatak makes something like it I think.. expect to pay high dollar tho, but the quality is there.

• 'Cumfy' is important if you want to be rested to send the next day, so save sleeping on your ropes for the unexpected night out IMO. The BD betamid is a good 2 person shelter... it's earned my respect after one ridiculously windy night.
• get in touch if you want info on making your own sleepoing bag.

As far as shoes, I swear by the 5.10 Camp 4 approach shoes. They have a beefier sole underfoot so your feet won't be sore after a long hike with a pack, they can take a contact strap crampon ok, and they climb amazing.. in fact, they replaced my climbing shoes (saves weight) for the most part when I was guiding and climbing in the Sierra. Here's a couple video's if your interested in seein them in action, although you probably don't care: youtube.com/watch?v=XzEdBIj… youtube.com/watch?v=4D_anJw…

aluminum crampons if you can get by

.... i gotta run.. maybe mor elater

Please post instructions about how to make your own sleeping bag I'm sure everybody else would appreciate your innovative thinking. Thank you everybody and keep on giving good ideas. You guys are ingenious!

We usually share what gear we bring no toothbrushes. They sell those things at wallmart called brushups they have toothpaste in them already. And gum!

Here is pretty good place to look for making gear: backpacking.net/makegear.html. A yahoo group/forum called backpackinglight maybe of some use? ( groups.yahoo.com/group/Back…) A fair amount of them are not necessarily climbing but most of the knowledge is transferable.

Take a dump before you leave the trailhead, instant 2lb savings.

Mitch, these books have great advice:

and


If you are looking at winter camping also, consider


My regular cragging pack, fully loaded (except food and water) usually weighs around 20 lbs. My backpacking pack without food and water weighs 10 lbs. I often see people carrying 30-40 lbs to the crags and 50+ lbs backpacking.

Here are the most important pieces of advice from those books:
1. First, reduce the weight in the big four --- pack, shelter, sleeping, and cooking. These are the largest contributors to weight, and offer the greatest savings. Aim for less than 2 lbs in each of the first 3, and less than 1 lb in your cooking system. (These are ballpark; in my setup, all four total 6 lbs, but my sleep system is almost half of that.)

2. Buy a scale. It is easier to reduce the weight if you know what things weigh. Get a 5-lb capacity digital food scale for $20.

3. Food and water weigh a LOT. Most backpacking books suggest 2 lbs of food per day. That is too much. 1.4 to 1.5 lbs of food per day is plenty. Aim for between 125 to 150 calories per ounce. Only carry as much water as you need to get to the next source. In the Cascades, I usually only have 500mL of water on me at any given time.

To answer your specific questions: look at GoLite quilts and mummy bags, or if you have extra cash consider Feathered Friends or Western Mountaineering bags. For 3-season conditions, a 20-degree down bag should suffice.

Ditch the boots. As others have said, wear tennies or approach shoes (I have lightweight trail-runners re-soled with 5.10 dot rubber).

Adam Paashaus wrote:3.ditch the jet boil or pocket rocket. Pepsi can stove (denatured alcohol)... look it up. ULTRA light. People will say they dont burn when cold but no fuel likes to burn when its cold. just put your fuel bottle in your sleeping bag at night or in your jacket pocket and it works fine. Ive used mine well below freezing. dont forget the windscreen. Generally uses less than an ounce or so to boil water for a single meal.

Unless you're climbing something of consequence and you don't want to rely on chopped up pop cans and jar of rubbing alcohol.

Some suggestions here are great, some could have dire consequences.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Unless you're climbing something of consequence and you don't want to rely on chopped up pop cans and jar of rubbing alcohol. Some suggestions here are great, some could have dire consequences.

Care to elaborate. I said these may not be for everyone but i'm not sure what the "consequences" may be. Ive used these things to death and never had one fail. Have you ever used one? ever met a thruhiker? chances are he or she is using one.

Adam Paashaus wrote: Care to elaborate. I said these may not be for everyone but i'm not sure what the "consequences" may be. Ive used these things to death and never had one fail. Have you ever used one? ever met a thruhiker? chances are he or she is using one.

Sure, the OP mixed topics, one is a lightweight/long range backpacking, the other is a long approach to a climb. If the topic is fast and light in an alpine environment where finishing the climb in a small window of time is the key to your success (or health) then that I would consider a climb of consequence. A makeshift stove has no place in this scenario and it is fast and light as the OP suggested.

In your scenario where you are doing long range through hiking it makes sense and if something goes wrong you have options. Distinguishing between the two is important.

kBobby wrote:Only carry as much water as you need to get to the next source. In the Cascades, I usually only have 500mL of water on me at any given time.

You really only carry 16 ounces of water on you at a time? That is barely more than a bottle of soda...

I would drink that much water in an hour of hard hiking. Do you really stop to fill up water every hour? Seems like that would waste more time than just carrying the extra water weight....

Obviously I am not out hiking around with 2 gallons on me but only 16 ounces won't get ya very far.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Sure, the OP mixed topics, one is a lightweight/long range backpacking, the other is a long approach to a climb. If the topic is fast and light in an alpine environment where finishing the climb in a small window of time is the key to your success (or health) then that I would consider a climb of consequence. A makeshift stove has no place in this scenario and it is fast and light as the OP suggested. In your scenario where you are doing long range through hiking it makes sense and if something goes wrong you have options. Distinguishing between the two is important.

When it comes to fast and light I guess I agree but as far as the reliability of the stove I think you are misinformed. Ive been using "rubbing alcohol" stoves for over 10 years and never had one fail on me. There are no moving parts. Whats to go wrong? The one I use you can even stand on without it crushing. My wife and I did the JMT in 2008 and my wife did GA to VT on the AT with one. Never a problem. To each there own I guess. Oh and by the way its not just a gismo I invented, there are many retail sold denatured alcohol stoves, mine is just lighter and made for my cooking system.

There is some really great advice here.... Ditch your camera, the batteries, any thing else other than the main reason you are going... climbing. I think the biggest amount of weight was all the shit I used to carry, if you are headed to the wilderness do you really need your ipod or do you want silence.... Questions to ask yourself when packing, also ask yourself, after a hard day in the wilderness isn't it nice to relax and be comfortable? This is the compromise we make I think.... I have pretty sweet gear, but I could go lighter....

KBOBBY- Question what are your four items? as in gear wise? I want name brands because holy shit that is light... also ever camped with that at treeline? Also, I want to know what you pack when you are heading to altitude for say 10 days, and how heavy your bag is then? If you could do 30# pack for 10 day trip you would be my hero, but I also don't want to have to kill my food or eat berries/bear shit I scavenged for. I want to Climb and Hike and enjoy my vacation instead of survive it. The other question I have is what comfort items do you bring?

As far as the alcohol pepsi can burner goes.... They work well and anyone with any survival training knows that little trick.... Works well and light weight, some people seem to be too good for them but to save weight I would say hell yes.... The other thing is try bringing raw foods, then you dont need a stove or fuel.

Western Mountaineering makes great bags I have the Lynx for winter, and the Summerlite for the rest of the time.... Bivy great idea...

I think for extended 8-10 day trips I have done 52# minimum but also had the heavy 70m rope...

Oh yeah 500ml= 16.9oz. So good advice dorseyec

dorseyec wrote: You really only carry 16 ounces of water on you at a time? That is barely more than a bottle of soda... I would drink that much water in an hour of hard hiking. Do you really stop to fill up water every hour? Seems like that would waste more time than just carrying the extra water weight.... Obviously I am not out hiking around with 2 gallons on me but only 16 ounces won't get ya very far.

Yep, I stop for water about once an hour, more or less. It takes one minute to dip the water bottle into the stream, put in a few drops of Aqua Mira, shake and continue on my way. On most trips, I only carry two 500mL water bottles with me. I will fill both if I expect a longer distance between sources. I added a 1-L bottle when I hiked a circuit in the Box Death Hollow area near Escalante.

I guess if you live in an area where there is a stream every half hour... I guess I personally like to get in the groove and hike and not stop every 45 minutes to fill a water bottle.

KBOBBY- Question what are your four items? as in gear wise? I want name brands because holy shit that is light... also ever camped with that at treeline? Also, I want to know what you pack when you are heading to altitude for say 10 days, and how heavy your bag is then? If you could do 30# pack for 10 day trip you would be my hero, but I also don't want to have to kill my food or eat berries/bear shit I scavenged for. I want to Climb and Hike and enjoy my vacation instead of survive it. The other question I have is what comfort items do you bring?

Pack: an old GoLite frameless pack. 1.75 lb. The newer ones are heavier, and some of the cottage market packs are less than 0.5 lb.

Shelter: 8' x 10' silnylon tarp. With stakes, cord, etc., it is 1.3 lb. There are lighter options, but I'm happy with this one. You need a mosquito head net, though.

Sleeping: GoLite down quilt, 20-degree. Thermarest Pro torso pad (this is my comfort item). Combined weight 2.6 lb.

Cooking: including stove (cat can), windscreen (Al foil), pot (MSR titan), bowls, spoon, fork, knife, total weight: 0.7 lb.

I have camped with this gear above treeline in the Summer. I would be comfortable above treeline in the Fall, and late Spring. For Winter camping, I add more clothes, change to a synthetic bag, and (if there is not a frozen lake or stream nearby) I switch to a more robust stove (white gas or canister). If there is water available, even if it is under ice, I use a slightly larger alcohol stove.

I haven't done a 10-day trip. At 7 days, my starting pack weight was 23 lbs. A 10-day trip, my starting pack weight would be around 26 or 27 lbs.

Cheers