I own three Therma-a-Rest pads (2.5 pounds, my original; 1 pound, four ounces (full size) and a 3/4 body version at 15 ounces) and a Downmat 7 (filled with down and really warm) that comes in at a little over two pounds. Of course, the 3/4 pad would be the first choice for the ultralight [...]
That number — 480 — is a bit overwhelming at first glance. But if you apply my 1-15 rule (your bag should not be over 1 pound, 15 ounces), you trim the choices to 129 sleeping bags. To help pair this list down further, you need to consider temperature rating. I own a Western Mountaineering [...]
I’ve written about how you can stay warm in a thin, light sleeping bag, even when the temperature is 20 degrees below the bag rating. I have to admit that when I checked the weather report for our upcoming trip to the Dardenelles near Sonora Pass in California, I got the chills: -Some patches of [...]
Backpacking Gear List Series, focusing on ways to achieve the lightest possible pack.
Going Lightweight Begins With the Base Gear – backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent
Backpacker Magazine in its August 2006 ultralight gear guide calls the Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad, “fanatically light”, a 1/8-inch thick pad of closed cell foam that tips the scale at a mere 2 ounces. About the only thing you could find thinner would be a pad made of dragon fly wings. Ultimate Pack Think about [...]
I own the Western Mountaineering HighLite sleeping bag, a 16-ounce goose down bag rated for 38 degrees. One way Western got the Highlite so light is that it has a half zipper. I love this bag dearly, but sometimes find that the half zipper pulls apart in the middle of the night when I get [...]
We’ve all heard the warnings about the sensitive nature of our down-filled sleeping bags and how easy it is to damage them with the wrong cleaning techniques. Well, actually they are as easy to clean as one, two, three. Place your bag in a front-loading washing machine (never an agitator, top loading). Add Nikwax Down [...]
A Dream Sleeping Bag for Lightweight Backpackers The Western Mountaineering HighLite sleeping bag, a mere 16 ounces that is rated for 35 degrees, is my personal choice for a lightweight bag.The HighLite comes with a tiny waterproof stuff sack, making it suitable for the smallest lightweight backpack, and a larger storage bag so the 850+ [...]
I own multiples of every category of backpacking gear – three tents, two backpacks, four stoves, two sleeping bags, three water purification systems. Some people would call me a gearhead, someone addicted to buying gear. Okay, I admit it. I am a gearhead. It is difficult for me to stick with one old loyal and [...]
