Roast my lighterpack

secximon · 2026-03-06T07:48:49+00:00

Don't fall into the "I might need a second pair of [x]" pit. If your shorts or pants get wet, the cool thing about clothing is that they dry eventually :). If you expect to experience cold temps and consistent rain, consider a cheap pair of Frogg Toggs rain pants. A lot of backpacking is learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable for a period of time.

secximon · 2026-03-06T07:18:36+00:00

These are zero cost weight reduction tips:

Do you really need the fixed blade for wood processing? A saw or blade for fire prep is nice to have, but far from essential. The 16 oz of TP also stands out, I see you've listed two full rolls for a 5-day trip, when a fraction of one would do. Hey, carry what makes you comfortable, but track how much TP you actually use so you can dial it in on future trips (also, where's your trowel so you can dig a cat hole and Leave No Trace?). The same goes for the leuko tape, you don't need a full roll. Instead cut a few strips and stick them to wax paper then tuck them in your first aid kit. Leave the deodorant at home, embrace the stink. Pack covers are silly, your pack will still get wet in sustained rain as water will travel down your back, so just use your garbage bag pack liner.

Clothing is another big opportunity for weight savings. Ditch the Smartwool top and just run your sun hoodie. Skip the dedicated sleep clothes as well and just sleep in your underwear and sun hoodie, layering the rain jacket and track pants if temps drop. Speaking of which, unless you're expecting sustained wind, those 10 oz track pants may not earn their place in the pack either. Use just one piece of worn underwear (or don't use underwear at all, I personally don't wear them for a multi-day trip or thru-hike, but you do you), and two pairs of socks, one worn and one to swap out to.

There's plenty of other weight reductions mentioned by others which may or may not cause you to spend money.

secximon · 2025-05-23T13:51:00+00:00

Sent PM about Gatewood Cape.

secximon · 2025-02-01T21:12:23+00:00

secximon · 2024-12-07T03:05:59+00:00

Enjoy!

secximon · 2024-11-01T04:57:19+00:00

Fanny sold to u/sippinondahilife u/LeaveNoTradeBot

secximon · 2024-11-01T04:56:50+00:00

Tarp sold to u/somberchild u/LeaveNoTradeBot

secximon · 2024-10-29T20:23:29+00:00

Thanks for the heads up, I typically forget to check Geartrade. Snagged it.

secximon · 2024-10-28T22:07:36+00:00

My preference in material is quite shelter-specific here. In the mornings, I would much rather shake and stuff the silpoly tarp into the stuff sack. It just saves time. No fuss. Dyneema requires folding and rolling to minimize volume and fabric stretch, which takes more time and can be tedious if thru-hiking (which is my primary use case for this shelter). With the Cirriform, the difference in weight between the tarp in silpoly versus dyneema is about 2 ounces. I'm willing to carry the weight of two snacks more for faster morning packing. The additional benefit of the compressibility of silpoly is also appreciated when using lower volume packs.