What’s in my pack?
Jason Katonica’s Pack
My gear lists generally lean toward the minimum I can get away with while still being able to deal with conditions that are worse then forecast. I break up my gear lists based on summer, spring/fall, and winter conditions. Below is a summer, spring/fall, and winter gear list that covers the wide array of items that I normally carry into the field. The weight of each item is in oz’s and follows each individual item in parenthesis. Most of these weights are measured but some of them are manufacturers weights. In general my backpack is usually very close to the below weight before I load consumables into the bag before a trip.
These below gear lists do not include water, food, worn clothing, or trekking poles which I carry religiously. For footwear I wear Cabellas 200 gram thinsulate boots during the winter and Vasque Sundowners during the summer/spring/fall. For all seasons I usually hike in a pair of EMS synthetic pants and usually wear either my Mountain Hardware Extended zip T or an Archteryx short sleeve synthetic shirt.
Summer:
Backpacks – ULA Amp and hip pocket ( 12 )
Clothes – Duofold Hydroduct Boxer #1 ( 3 )
Clothes – Smartwool Hiking Socks ( 6 )
Clothes – Mountain Hardware extended zip T ( 10 )
Cooking – Snow Peak 600 ml Titanium Cup ( 2.8 )
Cooking – Vargo Titanium Spork ( 0.5 )
Cooking – Esbit Kit ( 1.8 )
Cooking – Esbit Tablet ( 0.5 )
Food – Nalgene Lexan 32oz bottle ( 5.5 )
Food – Platypus 2.4L Water Bag ( 1 )
Miscellaneous – EMS Solo First Aid Kit and Aloksack Bag ( 4 )
Miscellaneous – EQ Kit and Sac ( 6 )
Miscellaneous – Fire Kit And Sac ( 3.5 )
Miscellaneous – Knee Wrap ( 1.2 )
Miscellaneous – Rope ( 2.5 )
Miscellaneous – Toiletries kit and sack ( 4.2 )
Rain Gear – Mountain Hardware Tenacity Lite Jacket ( 18 )
Rain Gear – Marmot Precip Pants ( 8 )
Rain Gear – Small Green Sea to Summit Pack Cover ( 3.4 )
Sleeping – Closed Cell Foam ( 8 )
Sleeping – Marmot Atom +40 degree 800 fill down sleeping bag ( 16 )
Tent – Large Polycro Ground Sheet/Ziplock ( 4.8 )
Tent – GoLite Hut 1 Tarp / Stakes ( 23 )
Total Summer Carry Weight: 145.7 oz = 9.1 lbs
Spring/Fall:
Backpacks – ULA Amp and hip pocket ( 12 )
Clothes – Cool max liner socks ( 1.2 )
Clothes – Duofold Hydroduct Boxer #1 ( 3 )
Clothes – Smartwool Hiking Socks ( 6 )
Clothes – Beyond Fleece X- Jacket ( 23 )
Clothes – Mountain Hardware extended zip T ( 10 )
Cooking – Snow Peak 600 ml Titanium Cup ( 2.8 )
Cooking – Vargo Titanium Spork ( 0.5 )
Cooking – Jetboil 3.53floz canister full ( 6.2 )
Cooking – MSR Pocket Rocket ( 3 )
Food – Nalgene Lexan 32oz bottle ( 5.5 )
Food – Platypus 2.4L Water Bag ( 1 )
Miscellaneous – EMS Solo First Aid Kit and Aloksack Bag ( 4 )
Miscellaneous – EQ Kit and Sac ( 6 )
Miscellaneous – Fire Kit And Sac ( 3.5 )
Miscellaneous – Knee Wrap ( 1.2 )
Miscellaneous – Rope ( 2.5 )
Miscellaneous – Toiletries kit and sack ( 4.2 )
Rain Gear – Mountain Hardware Tenacity Lite Jacket ( 18 )
Rain Gear – Marmot Precip Pants ( 8 )
Rain Gear – Small Green Sea to Summit Pack Cover ( 3.4 )
Sleeping – Feathered Friends Swift 800 fill down sleeping bag +20 degree ( 34 )
Sleeping – Thermarest 3/4 prolite 3 ( 12 )
Tent – Large Polycro Ground Sheet/Ziplock ( 4.8 )
Tent – GoLite Hut 1 Tarp / Stakes ( 23 )
Total Spring/Fall Carry Weight: 198.8ozs = 12.4 lbs
Winter:
Backpacks – Granite Gear Vapor Trail ( 32 )
Clothes – Cool max liner socks ( 1.2 )
Clothes – Duofold Hydroduct Boxer #1 ( 3 )
Clothes – Smartwool Hiking Socks ( 6 )
Clothes – Mountain Hardware extended zip T ( 10 )
Clothes – North Face Nuptse Down Jacket ( 28 )
Clothes – Mountain Hardware Dome Perignon Hat ( 2 )
Clothes – North Face Down Gloves ( 9 )
Clothes – Beyond Fleece X-Pant ( 21 )
Clothes – Beyond Fleece X- Jacket ( 23 )
Clothes – EMS Long Underwear ( 8 )
Cooking – Snow Peak 600 ml Titanium Cup ( 2.8 )
Cooking – Vargo Titanium Spork ( 0.5 )
Cooking – Peak1 feather 442 stove Full ( 32.2 )
Food – Platypus 2.4L Water Bag ( 1 )
Food – Nalgene Lexan 32oz bottle ( 5.5 )
Miscellaneous – EMS Solo First Aid Kit and Aloksack Bag ( 4 )
Miscellaneous – EQ Kit and Sac ( 6 )
Miscellaneous – Fire Kit And Sac ( 3.5 )
Miscellaneous – Knee Wrap ( 1.2 )
Miscellaneous – Rope ( 2 )
Miscellaneous – Toiletries kit and sack ( 4.2 )
Rain Gear – Medium Blue Sea to Summit Pack Cover ( 4 )
Sleeping – Thermarest Mattress Guidelite ( 32.1 )
Sleeping – Cabelas 800 Fill Down Bag and SilNylon Compression Sac -40 degree ( 79 )
Tent – Large Polycro Ground Sheet/Ziplock ( 4.8 )
Tent – MSR Twin Peaks Tarp / Stakes ( 38 )
Total Winter Carry Weight: 364 ozs = 24.75 lbs.
Jim Muller’s Pack
Sleeping bag – Depending upon conditions I use one of two sleeping bags. For temperatures down to the teens I use an old (1974) 0 degree down Browning (the gun company) bag. It has a couple of thin spots, but has been a quality bag over a lot of years. For really cold weather I pack my Western Mountaineering Big Horn Super MF sleeping bag. It is rated to -25 and I had it overstuffed with additional down. Before I purchased the Western Mountaineering bag I would pack a Holofill bag that I used as an overbag with my Browning bag inside for really cold weather.
Silk sleeping bag liner – A silk mummy bag liner only weighs 4oz and adds 9 degrees of warm. I use it year round to protect my sleeping bag. During warm weather it serves as a light covering while having the sleeping bag open for venting.
Sleeping pad(s) – I always bring a full length self inflating sleeping pad. In really cold weather I also bring a closed cell pad like a Ridge Rest. The combination provides more insulating power than just a self-inflating sleeping pad.
Hand cleaner – Alcohol hand cleaner for after using the toilet and before preparing or eating food.
1st aid kit – Includes scissors and tweezers, wound care, emergency medicines, SAM Splint (http://www.sammedical.com).
Water bottle – 32 oz. Nalagene bottle in a water bottle parka (http://www.outdoorresearch.com/home/style/WPB )
Whisperlite white gas stove
Sawvivor folding saw – A 15″ folding saw that weighs only 9.6 oz and can cut 5″ logs.
Trekking poles – I first used trekking poles, loaned by Jason Katonica, on our Mount Blue bushwhack and frankly, probably wouldn’t have summited without them. Since then I have had my 2nd hip replacement and use a pair of Leki Super Makalu trekking poles whenever there is rough terrain or local relief.
Clothes
- Fleece hat – sometimes I pack two; a regular hat and a tube hat that can be worn as a neck scarf. Lately I have worn a Columbia Kazoo Hat and been quite happy. Read the review.
- Gloves and mittens – I usually pack a selection: light weight Smartwool or polypropylene “hand warmer” gloves, fleece or insulated gloves and mittens. On one of my 1st winter camping trips I experienced cold hands and borrowed Matt’s Outdoor Research mittens. They have fleece mittens inside of a water proof chopper. For cold weather camping mittens are a must.
- LL Bean Guides Pants – Made from a stretchy Schoeller Textil’s Dryskin, a high-tech fabric that earned a Backpacker’s Editors’ Choice Award, they provide warmth and windproofing, plus decent water-resistance and the ability to shrug off all but the wettest snow.The pants feature three zippered pockets, zippered cuffs that make them easy to get out of, a gusseted crotch, articulated knees, and a flat waist belt that doesn’t pinch under a pack. These pants came in tall but are now discontinued. I wear these pants year round and I am a big fan of clothes made from this fabric. I bought pants and a jacket for my wife and recently bought a customer jacket from BeyondFleece made from Shoeller’s Dryskin.
- Jackets – Depending upon the weather I bring a North Face down jacket or an LL Bean Primaloft jacket. Both are light, although the down jacket packs a little smaller the Primaloft jacket performs better in wet weather and is longer with a hood. Sometimes I bring a down vest.
- Smartwool socks – At least two pair so I have a dry pair to change into once the hiking is done.
- Long Underwear – Polartec Power Dry tops (2 or 3) and bottoms. I have lightweight and mid-weight versions. Usually the top gets sweaty hiking in and a replacing it is one of the 1st activities when I reach camp. On my last hike out I wore two Power Dry tops; a crew neck with a zip-T over it. It was warm, breathed well and was more comfortable than wearing a windbreaker over the long sleeved top.
- Booties and overshoes – Polarguard booties for lounging around camp and Neos Voyager Overboots. If you are going to be in camp for a long night these ensure your feet stay warm.