Last year I walked with a summer weight of just over 5 kilos / 11 pounds. Having nursed my weight obsession over the winter and wanting to get it under last years attempt this summer I not only got under 5 kilos which was my objective, but under 4 kilos / 8.4 pounds. In fact, it’s a decent margin under this coming in at 3.788 kilos or 8.35 pounds.
It has taken a load of research, looking at everything I owned, most of which was already light and making a few tweaks. My main weight savings have come from switching to a tarp, a new cooking set up from Trail Designs, the ZPacks Arc Blast pack and a Mountain Laurel Designs quilt. The rest is down to leaving out stuff that I just don’t use and refining other bits such as a new pot cosy wrapped in aluminium tape as opposed to duct tape. Yeah, it’s getting that obsessive.
I walked the South Downs Way again last week and took this equipment, albeit with a warmer Mountain Laurel Designs quilt and it was an absolute revelation. The freedom and feeling of not being weighed down produced results. I shaved 1/2 a day off what I walked the same route in last year, leaving early on a Saturday morning and finishing mid-afternoon on the Monday for the 100 mile route. I wasn’t particularly tired and felt great the following day.
This is now my standard pack list before a summer trip and of course it will be tweaked here and there. It is summer kit used when decent temperatures are expected with the ability to cope with rain but perhaps not constant downpours day after day. It would get tweaked depending on where and when I am going. For example, if the weather forecast predicted a lot of rain then I would include some ZPacks cuben waterproof trousers and overmits for my gloves. If I expected it to be a little colder then I may pack a warmer jacket and perhaps an extra top.
No one gear list will suffice for every trip and every destination, it has to be adaptable but this equipment is the result of knowing what works for me, and it does work.
I am lucky and very grateful to get a lot of my gear for free or subsidised so I can get hold off the lightest stuff out there. I realise many of you may not be able to do this but if you are thinking of buying or replacing gear, these items are well worth looking at as well as the other equipment these manufacturers offer.
It’s not for everyone, I realise a lot of people may not be comfortable under a tarp or happy with a poncho and an umbrella when it’s raining but if there is one thing I have learnt over the past few years is that ultralight gear may appear minimalist and not up to the job but once you have become used to its quirks, how it performs and how to adapt your life outdoors the rewards are well worth it.
This pack weight is the dry weight, ie – it does not include food, water or fuel. This is standard practice when measuring equipment weight. I have also listed items carried or worn as separate, also standard practice. All weights listed were measure on my scales and were not sourced from the manufacturers. I have shown grams and also ounces for our American chums over the pond.
Pack
ZPacks Arc Blast 60 litre (2 hip pockets & 1 shoulder pouch) – 515 gr / 18.2 oz
Total: 515 gr / 18.2 oz
ZPacks Arc Blast (Review)
Shelter
ZPacks Cuben Tarp 7’ x 9’
(including 1.5mm Dyneema lines, mini line locs & bag) – 191 gr / 6.73 oz
8 x titanium stakes & Zpacks cuben fibre bag – 70 gr / 2.5 oz
ZPacks poncho as ground sheet – 145 gr / 5.1 oz
Total shelter: 406 oz / 14.33 oz
I’m a relative newbie to just using a tarp for shelter but it’s a great way to shed some weight. Photo: ZPacks.com
Sleeping
Multimat Superlite Air, bag & repair kit – 345 gr / 12.2 oz
Klymit Pillow X pillow with bag – 65 gr / 2.3 oz
Mountain Laurel Designs Spirit Quilt 9C / 48F – 345 gr / 12.2 oz
Total sleeping: 755 gr / 26.7 oz
Klymit Pillow X pillow with bag – Tiny!
Cooking
Trail Designs Sidewinder bundle consisting of:
Toaks 900ml titanium pot – 100 gr / 3.5 oz
Toaks mesh bag – 20 gr / 0.7 oz
Zelph StarLyte alcohol stove – 16 gr / 0.56 oz
Titanium cone (windshield / pot support) in protective Tyvek sleeve – 34 gr / 1.2 oz
MSR titanium mug – 60gr / 2.1 oz
Fire Maple titanium spoon – 12 gr / 0.42 oz
Measuring cup – 2 gr / 0.07 oz
Homemade pot cosy – 40 gr / 1.4 oz
Fuel bottle – 25 gr / 0.9 oz
Lighter – 13 gr / 0.46 oz
Total cooking: 322 gr / 11.31 oz
The Toaks pan is well built, shallower but wider than my old MSR Titan kettle & lighter. Weight also saved on the new StarLyte burner, spoon & pot cosy.
Hydration
Sawyer Mini filter (dry weight) – 38 gr / 1.3 oz
Sawyer 32 oz squeeze bag – 30 gr / 1.06 oz
Sawyer 16 oz squeeze bag – 25 gr / 0.9 oz
500 ml Mineral water bottle – 18 gr / 0.6 oz
Total hydration: 111 gr / 3.9 oz
Crikey, are you saying you’re not using a Sawyer yet?
Clothing (carried)
Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic jacket – 261 gr / 9.2 oz
Rab Aeon t-shirt – 80 gr / 2.8 oz
Adidas nylon shorts – 90 gr / 3.2 oz
Montane Pertex Quantum jacket – 85 gr / 3.0 oz
Wool beanie – 60 gr / 2.1 oz
OR mitts – 55 gr / 1.9 oz
Camp socks – 61 gr / 2.2 oz
Total clothing: 692 gr / 24.4 oz
The Montane Quantum is used for light showers & as an extra layer. Note this photo shows a Rab Generator jacket, not the specified Mountan Hardwear Thermostatic
Rain gear
ZPacks poncho (weight already included under shelter)
Montbell UL trekking umbrella – 160 gr / 5.6 oz
Total rain gear: 160 gr / 5.6 oz
ZPacks poncho (genius) and the Montbell UL umbrella. If I’m expecting really foul weather I’ll take my ZPacks cuben waterproof trousers as well.
Electricals
iPhone 5 plus plastic case – 98 gr / 3.5 oz
Trent portable power pack – 126 gr / 4.4 oz
Petzyl E-Lite (including batteries) – 27 gr / 0.9 oz
Various charging leads – 70 gr / 2.5 oz
Total electrical: 321 gr / 11.3 oz
I’ve stopped using a camera which saves weight, the iPhone takes decent pics.
Storage bags
ZPacks Cuben quilt bag – 8 gr / 0.3 oz
Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben food bag – 20 gr / 0.7 oz
Anti Gravity Gear sil nylon clothes bag – 19 gr / 0.7 oz
Granite Gear for misc items – 35 gr / 1.2 oz
Total storage bags: 82 gr / 2.9 oz
Toiletries
Small tube toothpaste – 17 gr / 0.6 oz
Tooth brush – 12 gr / 0.4 oz
Toilet paper – 29 gr / 1.0 oz
Arnica tablets – 16 gr / 0.6 oz
Arnica cream – 35 gr / 1.2 oz
Sun cream – 51 gr / 1.8 oz
Ibuprofen tablets – 6 gr / 0.2 oz
Caffeine tablets – 6 gr / 0.2 oz
Gold Bond foot powder – 23 gr / 0.8 oz
Hand sanitizer – 14 gr / 0.5 oz
Toiletries total: 209 gr / 7.3 oz
Misc
Tyvek groundsheet for relaxing at camp / extra tent ground sheet – 135 gr / 4.8 oz
Victorinox Classic pen knife – 20 gr / 0.7 oz
Foam sit pad – 17 gr / 0.6 oz
Stickpic (camera accessory) – 11 gr / 0.39 oz
Small Joby tripod – 47 gr / 1.7 oz
Spare cord & karabiner – 5 gr / 0.2 oz
Misc total: 235 gr / 8.3 oz
Grand total: 3.808 kgs / 8.4 Pounds
Worn & carried
Trekking poles – Komperdell Ultralight Vario 4 (pair) – 380 gr / 13.4 oz
Brooks Cascadia 8 shoes (pair) – 724 gr / 25.5 oz
Smartwool midweight long sleeve top – 280 gr / 9.9 oz
Boxers – 80 gr / 2.8 oz
Lorpen short socks – 45 gr / 1.6 oz
Trangworld hiking trousers – 315 gr / 11.1 oz
Suunto Ambit GPS watch – 80 gr / 2.8 oz
Worn & carried total: 1904 gr / 67.2 oz
Komperdell Ultralight Vario 4’s – Stupid light but not actually that impressed with them. Review in the pipeline.
Brooks Cascadia 8’s – As good as the 7’s, ’nuff said . . .