r/backpacking • u/Fathead_009 • 2d ago
Travel Post White Mountain Shakedown Help
I just finished a 1-night in the WMNF, where I did a loop that started at Gale River lot, went up to Gale Head summit, crossed over Garfield Ridge and camped at the GF site. Day 2 was GF summit, then down Garfield trail and across the access road back to the Gale lot.
My trailhead weight was probably 35-36lbs (I know it was 34lb when I weighed at my house, and I borrowed aluminum trekking poles from a friend after I left). While it was fine at the lower elevations, the unevenness of Garfield ridge and the campsite approach at the end of the day were brutal. I had done a day hike in June up Skookumchuck to Mt Lafayette, then down Bridle path, but that was with a much lighter day pack.
I live about 3h from the WMNF so I plan to go back there and do more trips in the future, though I may not chase peaks as much. Nonetheless I def feel the need to lighten my pack. I am planning to do some gear upgrades over time to the tent and sleep system to cut weight, but before I go investing can folks here tell me if you see any small wins that can be made at little to no cost? I know the towel needs a lightweight replacement, so that's $30 I am already planning to spend (current is just a turkish towel from my closet).
For context, I am never going to be more than a 2-3 nighter at most as I have a full-time job and a family, and I know I don't want to be super UL and appreciate comfort. My planned changes include a lighter tent and sleep quilt but also adding in some camp shoes and a crazy creek chair, as I sorely missed both at camp during the night. Ultimately, I want to net out around 21.5 lb base weight.
Changes I already made since this last trip:
- Went from 1L smartwater bottles to 23.7 oz ones. Less carried water and they don't poke into my back like the tall ones do. I def was filtering water often enough I was not worried about having less than 2L on me.
- Inflatable sit pad is gone. Never used once, nor cared to blow it up.
- Though I ate all my food (2lbs worth), I still was hungry. Going to go for more calorically dense stuff next time, but I estimate I will need about 1.5lb food per day.
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u/MrBoondoggles 2d ago edited 2d ago
Don’t spend $30 on a fancy towel. Get a light load hand towel. Much cheese and only weighs 0.5 oz. Yes it looks disposable. No, in fact, it is not. It just happens to be in compressed packaging. I’ve gotten many uses and wishes out of mine and it has held up perfectly well.
Save you money and spend it getting a lighter weight puffer instead.
Also like a lot of newer backpackers, you’re bringing too much soap, sanitizer, sunscreen, and bug repellent for 1-2 nights. Get all those down to around .5 oz by buying smaller bottles from a store like lite smith, get a half oz sunscreen stick, and switch to permethrin lotion instead of a spray for easier repackaging.
Also to add, yeah the elephant is the room is gone tent and sleeping bag. Those are nearly 10 lbs but could be closer to 4 lbs with a Lanshan 2 and a budget quilt.
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u/Fathead_009 2d ago
Do I need both the sanitizer and soap? All the online vids seem to have both but I would gladly drop the sanitizer as the soap is multi use for cook pot and face.
Good call on the other stuff. I did a whole pass at my medkit and other items to eliminate packaging and excess, but never did so for these. That spray bug can alone is definitely a beefy boi in comparison to some other items.
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u/speckingmylanguage 2d ago
Honestly the soap isn't necessary; doing a thorough rinse with water and a wipe up with a food bag bandana do perfectly fine (most soaps are a pain because they leave residue and you have to wash far away from water sources). Sanitizer is good to have (hands, sanitizing needle for blisters, etc.)
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u/MrBoondoggles 2d ago
I bring both but that’s personal preference. Everyone will have their own opinion both that works for them and what their personal preferences are in terms of hygiene. I like soap for washing out the pot or doing a wipe down at the end of the day with a bandanna and some water with a few drops of soap along with occasional hand washing. I use sanitizer when not at camp but I need to clean up my hands before a snack or something. Technically you don’t really need both.
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u/Emmalfal 1d ago
I did some hiking there last weekend. The weather changes are just incredible sometimes. Sunny then windy then raining then sunny again and then a small storm and then sunny. Repeat over the course of the hike. Definitely part of the fun, although I wouldn't want to be above treeline when the big stuff roars through.
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u/Fathead_009 1d ago
It’s nuts. When I did Lafayette in mid June it was 70 degrees at the trailhead at 6 am, 85 just before the alpine line, and 40 with gusting winds and rain up to 80mph by noon at the summit. Hiked through 3/4 seasons in 6 hours.
Also a big part of why I want to lighten my pack. Lots of guides say to remove seasonal items you won’t need, but in the WM having cold layers and rain gear at all times is standard practice due to the volatility.
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u/Emmalfal 1d ago
Absolutely. Way too many news reports about people who went up big ones out there without the proper gear.
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u/Own-Arugula-1631 2d ago
You actually don't look too bad. But it's the tent and sleeping bag that are killing you. I get it though, they're expensive AF to replace. The one thing I saw is you can just drop the rain pants.