The 1,500 mile car trip to/from the Turkey Day IV trailhead gave Chad, Bort and I plenty of time to reflect. While each of the reflections were beneficial, the one that made an immediate impact was when we talked about what we are going to do next to improve our gear.Weight cutting was the hallmark of my 2009 backpacking improvement, and I followed it up in early 2010 with a reduction in cook set weight by creating my own stove and pot.
And now I sit at a 10 pound base weight for a summer expedition, below my initial goal of 12 pounds but unchanged since January and still above my 7 pound super ultralight goal.
The next thing for me to work on is my pack and so far I've narrowed it down to ultralight backpack brands Gossomer Gear and Ultralight Adventure Equipment. Anyone hear any reviews good or bad either way? Or is there another ultralight pack company I should look at?
Just purchased a scale. My big 3 weights are pack, tent, and sleeping bag. Those combine to 11 lbs. Being that the pack is new (and I love it), I hope to have the other two reduced over the winter. I think I'll start with my sleeping bag. Time to start combing REI and online!!!
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