The data for these two tables comes Leonard Adkins and his wife Laurie. This was for a weeks' worth of North Carolina mountain trekking. Their packs (minus food and water) weighed less than 10 pounds each, as added up in the tables.
This data was presented in the magazine "Blue Ridge Outdoors", page 20 of the Sep 2005 issue.
Leonard notes that ultralight gear is not for everyone. It is not as durable as heavier equipment, sometimes requires patience to use, and often lacks luxury touches such as pockets or pull-tabs.
Even if you do not have gear this light, these lists can serve as a reminder (check-list) for what to pack for an overnight or multi-day hike.
For more information from Adkins, who has hiked thousands of miles,
see his "Habitual Hiker" web-site:
Leonard Adkins' Blue Ridge books at HabitualHiker.com
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Gossamer Gear Mariposa Backpack | 1 lb |
| 2. Nunatak Gear Alpinist Sleeping Bag | 1 lb 5 oz |
| 3. Bilgy Tent Shelter by Moonbow (with stakes) | 1 lb 14.25 oz |
| 4. Therm-A-Rest Prolite 3 Small Sleeping Pad | 13 oz |
| 5. Montane Featherlite Rain Pants | 3.85 oz |
| 6. Montane Litespeed Rain Jacket | 5.35 oz |
| 7. Montbell UL Trekking Umbrella | 5.8 oz |
| 8. GoLite Cumulus Down Sweater | 12 oz |
| 9. Black Diamond Ion | 0.9 oz |
| 10. 2 water bottles (one hydration hose) | 3.9 oz |
| 11. Plastic cup | 0.8 oz |
| 12. Titanium spoon | 0.7 oz |
| 13. String for tying up food | 0.8 oz |
| 14. 1/2 roll toilet paper | 3 oz |
| 15. 2 garbage bags (1 as rain cover) | 2.9 oz |
| 16. Extra socks, shirt, and shorts | 11.4 oz |
| 17. First aid, pen, notebook, paperback, miscellaneous | 1 lb 2 oz |
| 18. Water treatment tablets | 2.2 oz |
| TOTAL | 9 lb 7.85 oz |
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. GoLite Breeze Backpack | 14 oz |
| 2. The North Face Hightail 900 Sleeping Bag | 1 lb 12 oz |
| 3. Therm-A-Rest Prolite 3 Small Sleeping Pad | 13 oz |
| 4. GoLite Clarity Rain Jacket | 11 oz |
| 5. GoLite Reed Rain Pants | 5 oz |
| 6. Montbell UL Down Jacket | 6.3 oz |
| 7. Princeton Tec Scout | 1.6 oz |
| 8. 2 water bottles | 2.5 oz |
| 9. Umbrella | 9 oz |
| 10. Pint soda bottle (water for our dog) | 1.5 oz |
| 11. Plastic cup and titanium spoon | 1.5 oz |
| 12. Space blanket for ground cloth | 2.1 oz |
| 13. 1/2 roll toilet paper | 3 oz |
| 14. 2 garbage bags (1 as rain cover) | 2.9 oz |
| 15. Brasslite II-D stove | 2.6 oz |
| 16. 8 oz alcohol | 10 oz |
| 17. Extra socks | 3 oz |
| 18. Sunscreen & insect repellent | 4 oz |
| 19. First aid kit, pen, notebook, guidebook, paperback, miscellaneous | 1 lb 2 oz |
| 20. Lighter | 0.6 oz |
| 21. Aluminum Pot, holder, windscreen, and foil lid | 6 oz |
| TOTAL | 9 lbs 1.6 oz |
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Changes made 19 Mar 2006.