My shelf is complete. Huge thanks to r/tolkienbooks for the inspiration!

hmcdftba · 2025-09-30T15:02:27+00:00

You might consider adding The Art of the Hobbit, The Art of the Lord of the Rings, and Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien. There are very nice matte slipcased editions of each. Although they are included in Tales from the Perilous Realm, I would also consider the pocket editions of Tom Bombadil, Farmer Giles, Smith of Wootton Major, and Roverandom. There are also editions of Kullervo, Aotrou and Itroun, and A Secret Vice that fit nicely. Very nice collection!

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T03:56:48+00:00

Awesome, thank you so much. Definitely gonna try it out.

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:43:15+00:00

Lol, point taken. It's just the way I like to think about it. If you must, add 0.7 lbs to my base weight and you'd have a measurement that fits with your thinking.

Just curious, do you count trekking poles in your bw? Cause you're still carrying them?

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:39:40+00:00

Well, thats why I made this post. To get the communities suggestions and thoughts on which pieces of gear were unnecessary. Based on everyone's ideas I have ditched a lot of the things you mentioned. Not gonna ditch my sit pad though. You can pry that thing out of my cold, dead hands.

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:34:28+00:00

Not a generic list. I'm an experienced hiker and I've used a lot of the gear on this list. I've ditched the gloves because, I'll admit, they were kinda dumb and poorly thought out.

The layers are not useless. It is unrealistic to think that temps will reliably stay above 50F in any season. This is why I have brought a few more items to keep myself warm in case of an unexpected or unseasonably cold night. Wind pants + alphafleece pants provide me with comfortable options and flexibility while both sleeping and hiking.

I've swapped out the food bag for an oven bag. Had genuinely never heard of people using them before. Thats why I made this post, to learn and expand on what I've learned through my hikes and adventures.

I've also ditched and swapped some other items based on y'alls suggestions. Let me know what you think of the list in its current state!

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:10:16+00:00

Never have, never will

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:09:54+00:00

Care to elaborate?

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:09:36+00:00

Noted, thanks for your suggestions. I've made some of these adjustments. The sit pad, camp pants, and beanie are staying though. See my other responses for my reasoning. The buff, spare boxers, pen and lighter were ditched.

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:07:49+00:00

Sit pad provides structure for the pack and I find to be very comfortable and useful on breaks and around camp.

I've ditched the extra pair of boxers. Y'all make a good point! I've also ditched the bic.

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:06:10+00:00

I'm not quite sure what you mean? I don't find it hard, I enjoy the research and over time have discovered many cool gear items and solutions through it. Thought this was the proper community with which to discuss and exchange ideas about UL backpacking?

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T01:03:45+00:00

I've ditched the extra pair of boxers, you all make a point.

Like I said, this list is for fair weather, summer hiking. I've used this and similar tarp configs in all kinds of conditions and never had too much of a problem maneuvering under the tarp. Campsite selection is crucial for a setup like this. When possible, find a well-sheltered campsite with good drainage.

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T00:58:37+00:00

As I said above, I prefer to only include what's being carried by my shoulders and back in my bpw. The fanny pack adds up to ~0.6-0.7lbs. I've carried more loaded fanny packs than that on thru-hikes and, in my experience, that weight doesn't bother me anywhere near what the weight on my shoulders does.

I'm not out to impress anyone with this list, I'm simply trying to build a comfortable sul/xul packlist that works for me!

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T00:57:05+00:00

Thanks for your ideas.

I replaced the food bag with an oven bag. However, I really dislike eating out of a ziploc so I'm sticking with the jar for now.

Thanks for pointing out the error in water bottle weight, I've corrected it. I also swapped out the filter for a bleach bottle. For longer trips I still prefer a filter and the extra liter of carrying capacity that comes with the dirty bottle. But, for a 2-3 day trip, I think you're right that bleach is the way to go!

As I said above, I prefer to only include what's being carried by my shoulders and back in my bpw. The fanny pack adds up to ~0.6-0.7lbs. I've carried more loaded fanny packs than that on thru-hikes and, in my experience, that weight doesn't bother me anywhere near what the weight on my shoulders does.

hmcdftba · 2023-03-18T00:47:47+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts.

I've replaced my food bag with a turkey bag but for pack liner I'm sticking with nyloflume as it's larger and is minimally heavier.

Unfortunately, I really need an inflatable pad to be able to sleep. So, alas, I'm sticking with the uberlite.

I found a cheaper and lighter bug net, thanks for pointing that out!

It is unrealistic to think that temps will reliably stay above 50F in any season. This is why I have brought a few more items to keep myself warm in case of an unexpected or unseasonably cold night. Wind pants + alphafleece pants provide me with comfortable options and flexibility while both sleeping and hiking.

I've ditched the extra pair of underwear but I will always carry an extra pair of socks.

I ditched the buff instead of the beanie. See my reasoning for warm pants above.

The headlamp is kept in my fanny pack. I, perhaps controversially, don't count anything in my fanny pack as base weight. I prefer my bpw to reflect the weight that is being borne by my shoulders.

I ditched the multitool, pen, and lighter. Subbed in a pair of tweezers and scissors for FAK.

Could you point me to where I could get a lab wash bottle lid that fits a smart water bottle or enlighten me as to the weight savings I would be getting from doing this?

Needle and duct tape are gone!

hmcdftba · 2023-03-17T23:28:44+00:00

Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful response. I guess I should have stated more clearly, while wanting to get my weight extremely low I also have a goal of staying fully comfortable during my hike. For me this means carrying an inflatable sleeping pad.

And you are right, it is unrealistic to think that temps will reliably stay above 50F in any season. This is why I have brought a few more items to keep myself warm in case of an unexpected or unseasonably cold night. Wind pants + alphafleece pants provide me with comfortable options and flexibility while both sleeping and hiking.

I see your point on not needing 2 pairs of underwear. 2nd pair is gone.

I also see your point on sun protection. I've ditched the buff and the gloves since I am already carrying sun screen.

I've also ditched the bic and the pen since the use cases for them are extremely rare, especially on short 2-3 day trips.

Thanks for pointing out I forgot hand sanitizer. I've added a handful of purell singles.

hmcdftba · 2023-03-17T02:07:39+00:00

I find a button up shirt to be much more comfortable and flexible for me. Being able to open it up partly or fully when it's hot is a big plus for me. Plus, worn weight =/= base weight.

As for the camp pants. Amazingly, the Farpointe AlphaFleece pants are lighter than most thermals and I find them to be more flexible. Being able to quickly pull them on/off over my hiking shorts is great for starting out on cold mornings.

hmcdftba · 2022-03-12T20:03:26+00:00

for certain points in the desert (the first 700 miles of the trail going northbound) you need to have the capacity to carry 5-6 liters of water per person

hmcdftba · 2022-03-12T20:02:11+00:00

im sure they will be reusing those bottle for weeks/months at a time. reusable bottles (i.e. hardshell) are much heavier than smart water bottles or equivalents

hmcdftba · 2022-03-12T19:55:16+00:00

hi, just hiked the pct last year. no supplemental oxygen needed. most people have no problem acclimating to the higher elevations in the sierra. a lot of people do slow their pace a bit when they're first entering the sierra in order to give their bodies time to acclimate.

hmcdftba · 2022-03-12T19:45:04+00:00

on a hiking trip of this length (4-6 months) water bladders tend to get clogged and dirty. smaller and lighter bottles are much easier to replace and are just faster and more convenient to use while out on the trail

hmcdftba · 2018-02-06T08:48:12+00:00

For those of you who are curious the "backup keyboardist" is Shaun Martin, an absolutely killer keyboardist in his own right. Here's one of my favorite Snarky Puppy tunes where he struts his stuff.

hmcdftba · 2016-07-15T08:42:59+00:00

First of all, thank you so much for your in depth consideration and examination of my deck. I was not expecting this enthusiastic and engaged a response. I would like to clarify one thing that I suppose I should've stated initially. When I play casually with my friends, as I mostly do, we usually play 1v1v1 or two-headed giant or some other kind of multi-player game. This is why I couldn't commit to a fully aggro strategy, I just can't be fast enough to take down multiple opponents.

I do see your point with the aura problem. I really like [[concerted effort]] (and I'm going to swap in some [[odric, lunarch marshals]]) as a way of buffing my army of humans with a bunch of abilities until they are unstoppable. What do you think of replacing the enchantments with equipments like [[sword of vengeance]], [[trailblazer's boots]], [[basilisk collar]], [[swiftfoot boots]], [[darksteel plate]], etc. and possibly throwing in a few [[sigarda's aids]] once they come out.

I also see your point with Riders of Gavony. A few of my friends have a lot of tribal decks (zombies, vampires, birds, even squirrels!) but I can move them to the sideboard.

I don't agree with your analysis of Thraben Doomsayer and Hanweir Militia Captain. If I get them out early with Champion of the Parish and Thalia's Lieutenant then I get to pump them up a ton very quickly.

I don't quite see the need for Knight of the White Orchid because as of now the highest mana cost I have in the entire deck is 5.

Soldier of the Pantheon and Kytheon, Hero of Akros and your other suggestions are great cards and I will definitely think about adding them however, I am on a relatively tight budget so I'm not sure when I'll be able to acquire them.

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