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Gear List
This is the gear list for our most recent trek (Blockade Glacier - 2005). This is the gear list for two people. Some items (such as clothing and shoes) weigh different amounts for each of us. In these cases, I've averaged the weights of the two versions. Some people calculate weight separately for stuff that goes inside the pack (base weight) and stuff that doesn't. I don't see the point, so I haven't done it.
I'm not claiming that this is the best gear list possible; it's just the latest step in a continually improving (hopefully) list. This setup is designed for very wet conditions (rain, wet bushwhacks, packrafting). It also contains an awful lot of camera gear. Click for the pros and cons I found with this particular list. Or click on section headings to go to my general discussion of that item.
| Item | Specifics & Notes | Weight | Quantity (for 2 people) | Total weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packs: 1lb 1oz each | ||||
| Erin's backpack | GoLite gust | 1lb 4oz | 1 | 1lb 14.5oz |
| Hig's backpack | Mesh pack, homemade | 14oz | 1 | 1lb 4oz |
| Rafting equipment: 6lb 5oz each | ||||
| Packraft | Alpacka raft (smallest size) | 3lb 15.5oz | 2 | 7lb 15oz |
| Paddle | Aquabound Seafarer paddles | 2lb 3.5oz | 2 | 4lb 7oz |
| Inflation bag | - | 0lb 2oz | 1 | 0lb 2oz |
| Patching material and glue | - | 0lb 0.5oz | 1 | 0lb 0.5oz |
| Clothing: 4lb 9oz each | ||||
| Fleece suit, homemade | - | 1lb 7oz | 2 | 2lb 14oz |
| Rain suit | Triple-ply gortex, homemade | 14oz | 2 | 2lb 12oz |
| Rain hat | REI | 2oz | 2 | 4oz |
| Shoes | Montrail Vitesse | 1lb 9oz | 2 | 3lb 3oz |
| Socks | Smartwool | 0lb 3oz | 4 | 0lb 12oz |
| gloves | Thin fleece gloves (for Erin) | 0lb 1.5oz | 2 | 0lb 3oz |
| Shelter and sleeping stuff: 2lb 8oz each | ||||
| Sleeping bag | Synthetic, homemade, 2-person | 2lb 14oz | 1 | 2lb 14oz |
| Sleeping pad | Thermarest: Ultralite 3/4 length | 13 oz | 2 | 1lb 10 oz |
| Tarp | Silnylon sheet with bugnetting fringe and tie strings, homemade | 7 oz | 1 | 7 oz |
| Assorted other gear: 1lb 14oz each | ||||
| Bear bag | Ursack major | 0lb 10oz | 2 | 1lb 4oz |
| cookpot | small titanium pot | 0lb 7.5oz | 1 | 0lb 7.5oz |
| bandanna | - | 0lb 1oz | 2 | 0lb 2oz |
| lightweight dry bags | WXtex pneumo | 0lb 6oz | 2 | 0lb 12oz |
| topo maps | on waterproof Adventure Paper | 0lb 2oz | 1 | 0lb 2oz |
| sunblock | in a film cannister | 0lb 1oz | 1 | 0lb 1oz |
| vaseline | in a film cannister | 0lb 1oz | 1 | 0lb 1oz |
| toothbrush and toothpaste | toothpaste in small container | 0lb 1.5oz | 1 | 0lb 1.5oz |
| sunglasses | cheapo drugstore variety | 0lb 0.5oz | 2 | 0lb 1oz |
| waterbottles | 500ml bottled water bottles | 0.5oz | 4 | 0lb 2oz |
| Recreational Gear: 4lb 10oz each | ||||
| waterproof journal | Rite in the Rain paper in binder | 0lb 8oz | 1 | 0lb 8oz |
| pencil and pen | pencil | 0lb 0.5oz | 1 | 0lb 0.5oz |
| small digi camera | Canon S50, with battery | 0lb 11.4oz | 1 | 01b 11.4oz |
| waterproof camera case | WP-DC300 | 0lb 10.9oz | 1 | 01b 10.9oz |
| dSLR camera | Canon 300d, with battery and 50mm macro lens, in homemade drybag | 2lb 10.5oz | 1 | 21b 10.5oz |
| telephoto lens | 70-200mm, in homemade drybag | 1lb 14oz | 1 | 11b 14oz |
| wide angle lens | 17-40mm, in homemade drybag | 1lb 14oz | 1 | 11b 14oz |
| extra memory cards and batteries | incl 3 batteries for small cam, 4 for big cam, in homemade drybag | 0lb 15oz | 1 | 01b 15oz |
| mini tripod | about 8in tall | 0lb 7oz | 1 | 01b 7oz |
| Safety Gear: 3lb 10oz each | ||||
| led lights | tiny flashlight style | 0lb 1oz | 2 | 01b 2oz |
| ice axes | lightweight, long | 1lb 0oz | 2 | 21b 0oz |
| bear spray | bear deterrent pepper spray | 0lb 12oz | 1 | 01b 12oz |
| EPIRB | emergency locator beacon | 0lb 8oz | 1 | 01b 8oz |
| kit | First aid, firestarting, emergency stuff in fanny pack or shoulder bag | 1lb 4oz | 2 | 11b 4oz |
Summary:
Total (skin-out) weight per person without food and water: 24lbs 7oz
Per person by category:
Rafting: 6lb 5oz
Recreational: 4lb 10oz
Clothing: 4lb 9oz
Safety gear: 3lb 10oz
Shelter and sleeping setup: 2lb 8oz
Pack: 1lb 1oz
Other stuff: 1lb 14oz
Pros:
Camera: As a photography nut, it was really awesome to have a digital SLR with multiple lenses.
Waterproofness: We had real drybags for key electronics, sleeping bag, clothes, and some food. So no worries this time about getting stuff soaked while rafting.
Cons:
Camera: Ok, camera stuff is really heavy. And we definitely brought way more batteries than necessary.
Clothing: One-piece rainsuits need a little design work, but are a good start.
Shelter: Last summer's 3-person shelter was way more roomy than needed. This one's a bit smaller than I'd like.
Sleeping bag: First try making one - design improvement would be good.
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Last modified: 10/18/2004