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Posted by Bill S on August 30, 2005 at 11:50:25 am EDT
In reply to 50 Liter pack for 3 night solo trip posted by IcySmooth52 on August 29, 2005 at 10:25:49 pm EDT

As others have already posted, take a good hard look at what you are carrying. It sounds to me like you are way overloaded already -

"solo" - soooo, why do you need a "2-man" tent? Ok, in winter, I use a 2-person tent (a small, single-wall one) on solo trips, but I take the pack inside. In summer, I often use a bivy sack and put a garbage bag over the pack if there is going to be rain. Or use a tarp, like Integral Designs' SilTarp - 5 ounces, provides plenty of shelter.

sleeping bag - how light is this, how compressible? In summer, you may be able to use a 1.5-2 pound bag (my +20F bag is 2 pounds - just get the right fill material and cut), and one that compresses very small (others have already mentioned getting a compression sack, but get it made from SilCoat so it is lighter).

cook kit - as others have said, you only need a 1 liter pot at most, with lid, plus a spork (Lexan for lightness and cheap but durable). Your canister and burner top plus a small cup will fit inside the 1 liter pot with matches and a lighter if you have one of the small burners. SnowPeak makes a tiny burner/pot combination that will fit one of their small canisters inside and hook another outside, but I do not recommend this one - way too expensive, the 2 small canisters is a marginal fuel supply for 3 days, and Snowpeak's Gigapower fuel in the small canister is by far the most expensive per ounce of fuel. A 1-liter pot with a "270" size canister will work just fine.

Hygeine stuff - You really need only two things here - toothbrush and a small bottle of hand sterilizer. According to my dentist, the mechanical action of brushing is most important, so for 3 days, you don't need the toothpaste. The hand sterilizer is important to clean your hands after using the cathole (be sure to locate it properly and dig it of the right depth, plus in most areas these days, pack out the used Charmin in a double ziplock bag - don't butn it, or you will burn down the forest like the lady did abt 5 years ago in SoCal - 35,000 acres, IIRC). As others said, you will only smell yourself on a solo trip. And even on a multi-person trip, you will all smell each other and your nose gets adjusted to that.

Sleeping pad - a 3/4 length blue foam is light and will tie to the outside of your pack, so no space is taken up inside

Iodine - This is ok for 3 days. You will definitely need two Nalgenes if you use iodine, since you will need to have one of them working the iodine while drinking out of the other. Be sure to re-fill as you empty each one, before emptying the second. It takes a half-hour to hour (depending on water temperature) for the iodine to work. This is a situation where Camelbaks are not good - you have only one container, so you might have to wait quite awhile before drinking, not good when you are running a risk of dehydration (as on any backpack).

Nalgenes - excellent suggestion by someone to have a way to carry one or both on the outside of your pack

First aid kit - as mentioned, think hard about that. Don't include things that you could not use on yourself (if you break a leg, can you put the Sam splint on yourself? Or can you use your foam sleeping pad to make the splint). Plus, plan your activities to keep the risk of injury way down. I have seen people head off on a solo or 2-person day hike with a first aid kit made for a 10-man expedition. Yeah, ok, you want to be prepared to help with that disaster you happen across. But be realistic. Also, read Eric Weiss' books on how to improvise first aid materials from other things you have - you really don't need a full ER Crash Cart.

The extra clothes - think hard about what you are taking with you and what purpose the clothes serve. A rain shell acts as a wind shell and adds 10 deg of warmth. Rain overpants do the same. Synthetic shirts and pants dry quickly, while cotton takes forever to dry if you get it wet (I use coolmax and fleece shirts and microfiber pants).

As has been mentioned may times in this forum, make a list of everything you are taking (on a computer spreadsheet, if possible). When you get back, note whether you actually used the item, and what you didn't have that you wanted to have, and think about whether those things you did not use are really needed (think about scenarios in which they would really be needed, how likely those scenarios are, and whether something you had along anyway would have done as well). Think about whether there is a lighter alternative (e.g., a spork instead of separate fork and spoon, or do you really need that 50-blade Swiss army knife or 60-way Leatherman tool, each of which weigh several pounds).

Plan well. Carry less. And have more fun.

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