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How to lighten the load
26 September 2013, 11:11,
#1
How to lighten the load
Okay, are you all ready for this? Time for a massive fun filled informative post.

The post about Bug Out Bag (BOB) weight has be reborn, so I figured I'll make a bit of an extra contribution. Also, I hate having to slug around more weight than necessary. Why carry the kitchen sink if you don't have stuff to wash? So, time to start chucking that 'crap' and lightening what you have.

With all ultra-lite camping, you can cut the most weight by cutting down the big 3. Tent, Sleeping system, Bag.

Okay, so let's start with those 3.

Tent:
Do you really need one? For some people, like Beardyman or myself, we have family to look after, so a tent will help a huge deal! But we could cope without them. Reason we could cope, is because we're able to properly set up a basha and are experienced with them. This experience comes with time. Some people, like MikeA don't need a tent because they're a master Basha user, and don't have to care for the family situation. But there are other people who are much newer to using a basha. McCavity is certainly man enough for this critique, but he would benefit from use of a tent, until he is versed with use of a basha. If you can get the practice in, a basha will be a huge weight cutter.

A tent is ideal for those new to camping and prepping, or those with a family to care for. Because the wife wouldn't move without the dogs, we have to have a tent.

But how do you cut weight with a tent? Look at each piece of it and try to upgrade. Lighter poles? Lighter cover? Lighter ground sheet? Lighter guy ropes? Are there parts you can cut off and throw away? Can you use lighter pegs? There is usually a way you can cut down the weight. If your budget allows, you can just buy a super light tent. Not all ultralite tents are good for every season, but you can always modify them to make them better for colder seasons and wetter ones. Better waterproofing and better insulation in the form of space blankets. Just one between your fly sheet and waterproof cover can help a huge deal! Just mind the condensation.

Lastly, could you bare a bit of a cramped situation while you build up a different shelter out of wild materials? If so, what about a 2 man tent to sleep in while you build a shelter? Smaller than a 3 man tent, and thus it's lighter.

Sleeping System:
This is a huge cutter! If you're happy to butcher stuff up, you'll like this.
First off, I've posted a load about the way I have my sleeping system. But please note, there are MANY other ways just as good if not better. What I have works for me.

Do you need that 4 season bag, or could you cope with a smaller lighter 3 season, and then just use bag liners to layer up? This can cut out as much as 2kg! If you could cope with it, you could even cut down to a 2 season and liner up from there. But this could go terribly wrong if you don't pay enough attention to how your body is feeling. It takes practice and back-ups to get this to work. Personally, if you are going to experiment with this kind of thing, make sure you have someone with you and a back-up sleeping bag, for your winter trials.

There are also ultra-light sleeping bags available. Expensive, but very comfortable.

What about your sleeping mat? Is it really worth it? For me, damn right it is. I have ultra-light stuff, aluminium lined, lovely to keep me warm, and weights very little. Used those crumby foam things on Dartmoor because I didn't want the dogs to rip up my nice ones. Turns out, the dogs were better thermal assistance than those foam bits. If you have something and it sucks, don't carry it around. Nature can provide a better alternative, like pine needles, leaves, and the alike. Just make sure you smoke them early on.

I knew a guy who would take half a basha and a space blanket as his sleeping gear! He would just put the basha on the floor to stop water coming in, and have the space blanket under that. He said he would sleep like a beast. Oh, forgot to mention his little A frame shelter and half ton of leaves he would put down as a mattress. I've never tried it, but he swore by it.

Bag:
How much is your bag? Really, do you need that weight or size of bag? Sometimes, the answer will be a resounding YES. But not for everyone.

If you have a 40 litre bag you'll fill it up. If you have an 80 litre bag, somehow you'll even manage to fill that. Level up to 120 litres and you know what, you'll manage to get the same amount of space filled. Whatever size your bag is, you'll likely fill it. So consider that when you make your bag selection.

There are ultralite bags and the alike, but the reason I'm not saying too much here is because the bag situation is very individual and would take much more than a single bit of a thread to discuss.


Everything else:
Now the real fun.

Let's get to cutting off everything we can.

How much of that toothbrush do you need? Can you cut it in half? How much of that MRE pack is wasted cardboard and useless cutlery? Would it be better stored in ziplock sandwich bags? What about tinned food? Do you need it, or is it better to have dried food that doesn't come in half a litre of salt water and metal? Can you use a smaller roll on deodorant instead of a huge hefting metal can of it? I'm betting you could.

WOOOOOW, hold up a second!!! You used how much cutlery and cook set? With what size gas can? Stop right there! We need to have a talk.

You have a gas burner? That's okay. But it's fricking HUGE! Do you plan on cooking Godzilla? Only cook what you can eat, and there's no point having a mega supersize cooker when Vango make tiny ones for about £35. Why not opt for a pocket rocket? They're amazing and super small too. What? You have a cooker shield to help keep the wind away from your burner? If it's cold and you want a warm meal, you'll probably want warm hands too. With that in mind, wouldn't it make more sense to gently cup your hands to keep away the cold? Brilliant, that's a lot of heat cut.

Gas canisters. These are amazing and come in more shapes and sizes than cupcakes come in. The trick with them? Learn to cut as much weight as you can as quickly as you can. A few smaller canisters won't last as long as a big one, but as soon as you finish a small one, you can throw it and lose more weight. Over the course of a week the whole weight loss will be best using multiple smaller cans, but the initial carry weight will be more. Could you cope with a smaller can, and try to use nature's fuel instead, and make a fire?

Pots, pans, plates, cutlery.
I hate these because I hate washing up. The only exception is a pot, because you need one thing to cook with. Go for lighter materials, like aluminium or titanium. Also, consider the size you NEED and not the size that you think looks cool. Personally, I manage to get everything into 2 small containers that clip together. Total size, just bigger than 2 stacked mugs. As for plated and cutlery, no need for either. Eat from what you cooked in and get a couple of twigs and make chopsticks. Or just a flat bit of splitter-free wood and make it into a spoon. Chopsticks work a treat for stirring implements too.

Lastly, because my little fingers are tired and hurting from all this keyboard abuse, water. This stuff is heavy!!! Carry what you need until you can get to where you can refill. Water is bountiful if you're smart enough to look in the right places. Better to carry a load of water purifiers than it is to carry a ton of water! This can cut out 4-5kg, depending on how much water you carry. Personally, I like to go with 1.5 litres of water, and enough purifiers to sort at least an additional 60 litres of water. That'll last me a while!

One thing I recommend, before I post this, don't scrimp on toilet paper! You'll use a lot, so carry a lot. Why? Because it's very light and stops you filling your bag with loads of useless stuff you'll never use.

Remember, you'll fill your bag, regardless of what size it is.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
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26 September 2013, 22:03,
#2
RE: How to lighten the load
One bandit turns to the other and says "Gawd, I still av a larf bout tha cammo dude wi knocked off tuther week... Wha woz it ee ad n is pack?"
2nd bandit peers through the failing light from his ambush perch and says" Was bleedin bog roll.. Can you believe it? Bog roll - tons of the stuff. I ne'.er wud a thort tha! Hee harr" " Nice and soft tho innit?"
"Oooh Yes, Tis that" whispers first bandit....
"How far back in time do you think our future will be?"
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29 September 2013, 11:12,
#3
RE: How to lighten the load
Wait till you see the size of my new rucksack- it's freaking huge!!

S13: Deffinatly gonna have a conversation when we meet up in a week or so.
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29 September 2013, 16:11,
#4
RE: How to lighten the load
(29 September 2013, 11:12)MCavity Wrote: Wait till you see the size of my new rucksack- it's freaking huge!!

S13: Deffinatly gonna have a conversation when we meet up in a week or so.

Okay, cool mate. I look forward to it.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
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29 September 2013, 21:52,
#5
RE: How to lighten the load
Good article Sythe...I tried using a "real" tent on our groups last outs, got a few smiles when it was reduced to a pile of broken fibreglass and torn canvas. I'll always swear by the basha, too much of a blunt instrument for tents. Looking forward to the next meet.
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30 September 2013, 09:02,
#6
RE: How to lighten the load
Wish I could have used a basha on DofE instead of lugging around a herniating 3 man monstrosity.
Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, Until there is no more room, So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land!
Isaiah 5:8
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6 October 2013, 14:45,
#7
RE: How to lighten the load
How much should your BOB weigh?

The weight of your kit is determined by what you need your gear to do, and for how long? Basics are protection from the elements, hydration, navigation, communication, nutrition, health and medical. Sleep warm and dry at night, stay hydrated, stay oriented and move safely within your environment, maintain body and soul. In the short term food is a concern for morale warmth and energy. For duration long beyond the supply you can carry, sustaining a food source becomes critical. A BOB should sustain you for 7 days in any likely environment without the need to fish, hunt or steal. The planning goal is 7 days, at 20 F, 20 lbs. ~10kg+/-

FOOD:
So, do the math. An average adult male needs 2000 calories per day for moderate activity. An average trail meal (Mountain House) is 125 calories per ounce. The chili mac meal is 139 cal/oz.
2000 calories X 7 days = 14,000 calories
14,000 calories / 125 calories = 112 ounces
112 ounces / 16 ounces = 7 lbs.
1 lb (454g) dry food per day... Convenient! The remaining weight to plan is now 13 lbs. (5.9kg).

To cook freeze dried or dehydrated food you need a 800mL pot to boil water in. Throw in a small stove and you can cook anywhere, even while evading. SOTO windmaster, output 11,000 btu’s, 1-1/2 hours burn time per canister, boils a half liter with 5 grams of fuel. Enough to hydrate for one freeze-dried meal. The canister contains 110 grams of fuel so can cook 22 meals (one extra for this scenario). Some people argue that gas canisters don’t work in cold. They will if you carry them close to your body, under your anorak.

THE PACK:
Modern packs are too heavy, with all their bells and whistles. The old US military ALICE frame pack weighs 3.5 lbs. Your BOB pack should not weight more than an ALICE pack. The mountaineering community is making some packs weighing about a pound, waterproof, bombproof and expensive!. Google Figure 4, Wild things, Cilo and Hyperlite for examples. Take the frame out your ALICE and use a 3/4 of an army surplus closed cell foam pad to give shape to the pack and pad your back instead carrying around the frame.

HYDRATION:
Pack 2 liters of water = 4.4 lbs. Remaining weight to plan is now down to 9 lbs.(~4kg) You need the ability to purify many gallons/liters of water. Non-potable water requires proven modern solutions. Use either chlorine bleach containing 6% sodium hypochlorite or Betadyne from your first aid kit, 2 drops per liter. With your 2 liter water container, a pot to collect, melt and boil water in and your chemical purifier, hydration is not be a problem.

SLEEPING WARM AND DRY:
The most, simple, versatile method is the bag and bivy-sack combo. Use the closed cell foam pad in your pack to insulate yourself from the ground. I replaced my sleeping bag with a military quilt rated to 25 F (-5C) to save weight. With the bivy, 20 F (-10C) is no problem. Layer for colder temps. You can survive in almost any sub arctic environment with a silk, polypropylene or merino wool base layer, working layer (ripstop 60/40 or NyCo BDU), Goretex shell, knit wool watch cap, waxed canvas bucket cap and gloves.

MED KIT:
Most prepared med kits are too big and rarely used. The wilderness medical society reports the most common wilderness injuries every few years. # 1 Blisters, # 2 GI stuff/Diarrhea, # 3 small cuts on hands from knives # 4 forearm / wrist injuries from falls. Cover the basics; tummy, toes and tolerance (pain). Kit should be able to treat a major bleed (Israeli bandage and QuikClot Sport25), some small boo boo bandaging, tweezers, GI meds, Pain meds, Antibiotics, Allergy / Anaphylactic meds, Opthalmic ointment and if trained a 14 ga and NPA for good measure. http://theemtspot.com/2009/12/08/the-art...al-airway/ With needle / thread and duct tape, my med kit weighs 7 ounces.

Hands free trail lighting (Petzl LED headlamp) and cordage are also essentials. My pack is currently 14 lbs 5 ounces (no food, full water) with the mentioned items. With food 21 pounds plus pounds. I would like to get it to 20 lbs, but will settle for the 10 kilo goal. With a Leatherman or Gerber multitool and a sturdy, lightweight fixed blade knife on your belt, a mirrored orienteering compass, compact fishing kit, ferro rod and tinder in your pockets, you will be ready for most natural and man-made scenarios.

73 de KE4SKY
In
"Almost Heaven" West Virginia
USA
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6 October 2013, 20:04,
#8
RE: How to lighten the load
Excellent advice that shows analytical experience. Good way of thinking for newbies to take on board.
"How far back in time do you think our future will be?"
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