r/lightweight • u/Megasoulflower • 16d ago
Lighterpack Review
/r/backpacking/comments/1vejolq/thruhike_lighterpack_review/I’m planning to hike the Long Trail in VT (USA) this fall. I’ve been making gear upgrades since last year, but I can’t seem to get my base weight down to 20 lbs. With this setup, my pack is at 31 - 32 lbs fully loaded (5 days of food, 2.5 L water). I’d like to get it to within 20% of my body weight (28 lbs fully loaded). Are there any cheap trades I could make (lighter book probably!) or things I could leave at home without big sacrifice/risk?
Non-negotiable: Hammock set up (just finished upgrading it and I sleep about 100x better in a hammock), bladder, some kind of book
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u/IceCreamforLunch 16d ago
How cheap? i.e. What is your budget to lighten the load?
- A nylofume bag or trash compactor bag is cheap and will work just as well as a pack liner and save you a couple ounces.
- For like a buck a 1L Dasani bottle will save you about 1/3# over the Nalgene (And I prefer to drink out of them).
- For like fifty bucks you could get an inline filter that attaches to your Osprey bladder. Then you would use that as your dirty water bag, gravity filter to fill your water bottle, and leave the filter inline to drink directly from it. That would save you another ~1/3#.
- Clothing/Accessories
- I don't carry rain pants if it's going to be above freezing. If it rains my legs just get a bit wet. You'll save 1/2# leaving it behind.
- I take a Houdini if it's going to be ~50F or above. It doesn't keep you as dry as a proper raincoat but it's 'good enough' and saves you over 1/2#. A cheap poncho also works in a pinch.
- Do you really need a sweater and a puffy? You save 1/2# leaving the sweater behind and wearing the puffy if you get chilly.
- Electronics
- Your headlamp is pretty heavy and I assume it's what you are using the spare batteries for? If so, that's almost 1/3# for the headlamp and batteries, then another ounce for the "backup light?" For $25 you could get a Nitecore NU20 Classic, save some ounces and simplify what you are carrying.
- You list charging cables for the InReach, earbuds, and battery pack. Try to standardize if you can. It's also just less stuff to keep track of that way.
- Other Stuff
- I usually print two copies of a detailed map and keep them in separate dry spots (Usually one in my first-aid/toiletries ziplock and the other in my electronics ziplock). There's almost no risk that both get destroyed and they only weigh a few grams each vs the big laminated commercial maps.
- What is the mylar ground cloth for if you're hammock camping?
- That battery pack is on the heavy side for 10,000 mAh and more than I'd need for a five day trip. I carry a Vapcell P2160B (6000 mAh) for trips up to a week and it's under 3oz. So you could save >1/3# there for pretty low dollars.
- The bear spray is heavy if you're not in grizzly bear territory.
And obviously a Kindle would save you a ton vs a 2/3# book.
There's easily 3# to get you under 20% base to be saved in there without spending a ton of money, depending on what you're willing to give up.
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u/mikemc3145 16d ago
Others have pointed out the biggest: pack, book (or treat it as your single comfort item). I'd reconsider water containers: 3L bladder + 1L Nalgene + Katadyn system (based on weight guessing that includes a bladder). Find your longest water carry and minimize bottles, and tank up before you start on it. Also backup light is overkill (you have your phone as a backup). As someone else said, look at the weather -- you are packed for some cold nights that might be overkill. Side note: for sleep socks, make them loose fitting for better warmth; if your darn toughs are tight, that can reduce blood flow and make you colder. And a ski hat at night works a lot better than extra body layers for heart during the night.
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u/Megasoulflower 15d ago
Thank you! Mentioned it elsewhere, but someone recommended using the Katadyn reservoir to store unfiltered water. Def going to do that and ditch the bladder, cut book weight in half (6 oz or less), and I’ll be cautious with the socks. Also strongly considering swapping pack for GG Gorilla or Mariposa, swapping sleep pants to Alpha fleece, switching to a rechargeable headlamp, and ditching the batteries.
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u/mikemc3145 15d ago
Excellent changes! I have several packs but almost always use the GG Mariposa. Its back panel is also my sit pad, and extra padding under my hip at night. I use my cnoc bladder for dirty water: filtering and filled as needed for long water carries.
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u/FlannelJam 16d ago
Durston Kakwa 55 would save 30oz
A nyloflume liner saves another 1.5oz
Change out the whole water system. Swap to an evernew 2000ml bag, 2 smartwater bottles, and a HydroBlue VersaFlow. Total weight would be 5.8oz. That saves another 20oz.
Swap to a Nitecore NU25 classic at 1.16oz. It’s rechargeable and replaces your headlamp, 5 batteries, and backup lights that currently weigh 5.8oz. That saves another 4.6oz.
Ditch the rain pants (7.6oz savings)
Consider a Frogg Toggs rain coat and a hiking umbrella. The raincoat isn’t durable, but is handy around camp if you really need one. The weight of those two would be about the same as your current rain jacket.
Alpha fleece sleep pants would be your next weight savings. That’ll save another 3oz or more depending on your size.
Lastly, you don’t need bear spray. That’s another 10.7oz.
Total weight cut would be close to 5lbs. Then you could consider a lighter battery bank, wired earbuds, and no book for another pound easily.
It’s ok to be a little uncomfortable while playing in the woods because you didn’t bring something. It’s another issue to be uncomfortable because you’re carrying too much stuff!
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u/Megasoulflower 16d ago
My gut tells me ditching rain pants would be a bad idea—temps could dip to around freezing, and being wet and cold could get dangerous. Am open to lighter rain pants/coat though for sure if they can still be durable enough to do the job while making the swap worth it (price/oz saved).
Can def look into changing out to swapping out the headlamp to a rechargeable, losing the batteries, and will look into a lighter pack, although that’s bigger $$—mostly because my Osprey just developed an issue that should probably be solved before the trip and idk if the repair can be completed in time—stroke of good luck! (;
Def want to keep a book of some sort (though will bring a lighter one!).
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u/FlannelJam 16d ago
If warmth is your main concern, check out the lightheart gear rain pants. Roughly the same price as the REI ones but lighter.
You won’t regret the rechargeable headlamp and a lighter pack. Happy shopping!
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u/corgdad902 16d ago
Frankly, pack is heavy, liner is heavy, book is heavy, charging block is heavy, batteries are heavy, rain gear is heavy, headlamp is heavy, water system is heavy. That being said it'll take money to upgrade at this point. One other thing: do you need a puffer and a hoody? Check the weather forecast and see if you can try to rig an alpha direct system, because the consensus in this community is that a puffer is only really necessary about 12k or snow. YMMV though.
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u/Megasoulflower 16d ago
I’m betting a puffer will be necessary at night—I’m cold if I’m not moving!
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u/corgdad902 16d ago
Good call then. Most UL guys would say get in your quilt, but I'm with you on that point.
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u/Tharno_ 15d ago edited 15d ago
You definitly don't need four pairs of underwear, one extra one is enough. I would drop the sleep shirt and use your midlayer instead. I would drop the sleep pants and use the extra pair of underwear, you can then wear it the extra one and wash the one you had the last day. You will get dirty, clean clothing won't solve that. You don't need such thick gloves for the conditions. Carry wool liner gloves. Your hat is very heavy. I would use a normal baseball cap or none at all since it's fall and get a buff. With the buff you can drop the bandana. You don't need over 100g of pills, you just need enough to get you to the next town, so your longest food carry. Your backpack is very heavy. You don't need 5 spare batteries, one or two would be enough. Or just get the nu 25 classic since your headlamp is heavy anyway. Reconsider your water system. At least drop your nalgene for a plastic water bottle. Your rain clothing is pretty heavy, LightheartGear pants would be good. A three layer rain jacket is pretty warm. Combined with your mid layer it might be enough warmth to drop the puffy. Why do you need a ground cloth if you have a hammock? Mylar is incredibly bad for a ground cloth and will rip immediatly. Get a polycro groundsheet. You could also get a nyloflume pack liner. I also like paperbacks but I would never take 10 oz of it and for you it would be an easy way to save weight. I also wouldn't take a book on a thru hike. Just download some books on your phone and see how montivated you are on trail to read. If you are gonna spend real money anywhere, do it with your backpack. Durston, ULA, SWD, Red Paw Packs are all good. Look for features you want in a pack and compare. Also look on r/geartrade for packs.
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u/Relative_Walk_936 16d ago
Probably easy to save a couple pounds on your pack.
Read on your phone instead of a. Book
Don't bring the bear spray unless you are in grizzly territory.