![Sub 4 Pound Base Weight for Backpacking](http://www.gossamergear.com/cdn/shop/articles/gossamer-gear-customer.png?v=1580505536&width=1100)
Sub 4 Pound Base Weight for Backpacking
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When I started backpacking I was on the smallish side (4'4", 65 lbs), so I had to watch my overall pack base weight. With some parental help and custom (because manufacturers were not making youth equipment), smaller-sized gear, I had a base pack weight of around 13 pounds. As I grew and added amenities (pad, stove, etc.) my base pack weight ballooned to around 21 pounds. But then I started to make a game of reducing weight. Of course, excess body fat has been my biggest (and a fairly recent) single cut (about 15 pounds), and it was the hardest to implement. Otherwise, I first cut weight by leaving non-essential items behind. Then I look for multipurpose opportunities (e.g. pad for sleeping and pack frame, tarp for shelter and rain gear, poles for trekking and shelter). Finally, I populate my Christmas and birthday wish lists with lighter versions of my basic gear items so family and friends contribute to incremental improvements every year.
![gossamer gear customer](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1300/6549/files/gossamer-gear-customer.png)
Most of my trips are for 3-7 days in the Appalachians with temperatures from the low 20s to the low 80s, and rain always a possibility (probability?). I go prepared to be comfortable in worse weather than forecast, and I always take some emergency (first aid and survival) gear. The most common adjustment is to the insulating layers I pack. Spring through fall I may leave the gloves at home, and in the dead of summer I don't pack an insulating layer.
![gossamer gear customer1](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1300/6549/files/gossamer-gear-customer1.png)
Here is a snapshot of my gear list, after 50 years at the game /:
Category | Gear Selection | Weight (oz) | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Packing | Custom silnylon Gossamer Gear Pack | 4.3 | see photo above |
Sleeping | Gossamer Gear Nightlight, perforated | 3.6 | Perforated to be lighter and softer |
Zpacks 20 degree with dry bag | 19.8 | I don't carry a pack liner as I have my sleeping bag in a dry bag. | |
Shelter | DIY Cuben Fiber Tarp | 3.8 | Dual use as a poncho as it has a zipper and snaps |
Groundsheet, Stakes, Cord | 3.6 | ||
Packed Clothing | down sweater/hood/stuff sack | 10.8 | |
Tyvek shell | 3.8 | More information here | |
Possum Down gloves | 1.4 | ||
One Pair of Extra Socks | 2.4 | Stored in a Ziplock | |
Cooking | Pot, Lid, Stove, Stand, Windscreen, Lighter, Spoon | 3.0 | see photo below |
Food Bag-spinnaker w/mouse deflector | 1.0 | ||
Hydration | 4x0.5L bottles | 1.3 | Read about the strategy here |
Small Essentials | Ditty Bag | 4.8 | Hygiene/first aid/survival in ziplock |
Weight Summaries | Ounces | Pounds | |
Base weight (not including items worn and consumables) | 63.2 | 3.95 |
I try at least one new technique or piece of gear on every trip, and more if required to maintain a complete system. Not all turn out to be good ideas. But some are twofers: lighter and more comfortable. And if you see me on the trail, you might notice that I will have already evolved from this gear list to something even better!
![gossamer gear pad](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1300/6549/files/gossamer-gear-pad.png)
![gossamer gear customer2](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1300/6549/files/gossamer-gear-customer2.png)
This post was by long time Gossamer Gear customer John Potter and Editor.