How light is lightweight ?

[Erbswurst]

With the spare batteries I store in the inner zipp pocket of the organizer S the medicine I usually take with me:
Aspirin and Ibuprophen
and with it Micropour Forte water sterilisation tabs.

More medicine or first aid kit I usually do not carry around. But I am very well educated and experienced in bushcraft and in first aid as well. And I am travelling alone, I am responsible only for my self, not for other persons.

May be, beginners should take a bit more of first aid equipment with them, especially, when they plan to use tools they aren't really used to use.

 

[Erbswurst]

Decathlon Solognac X-Access Hunting Backpack 50 litres

£ 33,- / € 40,- . 960g

This rucksack is looking like a heavy duty military model. But it is one of the lightest trekking packs on the world market.

It is designed to contain a modern light weight trekking equipment inclusive winter sleeping bag.

It can be highly recommended to every bushcraft and stealth camping beginner, who wants to go light weight on trekking tours.

I am 185 cm tall and it fits me very well.
I think, it is designed for persons between 175 and 190 cm. But in this point I am not sure. It would be neccessary to try out, if it fits on the back.

Of course it will not be as durable as a military backpack of the double weight.
But if you look at the price, it will not be a problem to replace it after some years.
That rucksack is incredible cheap for its high quality.
I think, Decathlon gives 10 years of warranty.

That rucksack is designed in a very conservative mind, no zippers are breaking the carrying forces, like you find it now a days in a lot of other rucksacks. The chance, that something important could breaks on your tours is very low.
Of cause that makes the Pack relatively water tight too.
And the simple design makes it very light.

But you have 3 small outer and one inner zipp pocket. And two side pockets to store Water bottles.
It has a plate at the back, which supports how it is necessary.
And you can attach the Organizer Pouches, I wrote about, a large range of other pouches, the Solognac X-Access System offers, and I think every MOLLE pouch too.

Here you can see, how the Therm A Rest Z-Lite insulation mat in coyote brown (410g) would fit in the main compartment.
(On the photo you see only half a Z-Lite.)
Of course a german army foldable insulation mat (425g) would fit as well.

Decathlon delivers this rucksack with a 60g orange rain cover.
Of course you can change it into an olive green or camouflage rain cover from each outfitter, if you want to. But why not using it in the hunting season, when hiking could become a little bit dangerous or if you have to walk along a road in bad weather conditions?

Decathlon offers this rucksack in a little bit different design in a 30 litres version too, where you have the option to attach at both sides symmetrically outer pouches in the X-Access or MOLLE system.

But the smaller Rucksack has exactly the same weight like the 50 litres version.
I recommend to beginners the larger one!

 

[Erbswurst]

German Army Mountain Troop Rucksack 34 litres, original, Cordura Nylon. . 775g

Bundeswehr Gebirgsjäger Rucksack
34 Liter, original, Cordura Nylon 775g

This Rucksack is , so far I am informed, the lightest original military in this size from a Nato army.

One of the reasons is, that it is really small.

There are existing older and heavier versions, which are made from cotton, the oldest are made from leather and cotton.
And there are a lot of bad copies on the market.
What I recommend in this lightweight thread is only the version, which is made from Cordura Nylon.

The rucksack is very light, because it is a frame less construction.
The foldable german army insulation mat, that lives in its own compartment in the back of the pack replaces the frame.
And that works very well.

Here you can see, the mat in its compartment.

You see, how I attach the back up light Photon Micro Light (8g), and you see, how I pack the rucksack.
The larger dry sacks are containing my spare clothing. If I take the mat out, the dry sacks with the spare clothing come next to the back of the ruck sack, so that I can use them as a pillow, without taking them out of the rucksack.
Because there is no metal or other frame this is very comfortable!

And here you have the full load out of the Equipment.
(It is a bit different than in my list, which was given at first, but more or less, you can see how it works.
What I changed in the last time I am explaining here with detailed photos.
The list shows what is up to date, because it is working a bit better than the equipment on the photo here.)

This rucksack is very light, but very small.
Off course you could use the same equipment, which I wrote down in the list.

But if you would try to create some thing different, the risk would be very high, that it would not fit in this small pack!

The listed equipment is very light and very, very compact. It is as good as impossible to get a different 3 seasons equipment in this little ruck sack!

This is the Snugpack Special Forces 1 sleeping bag (1030g) in the Snugpack Special Forces bivvy bag (340g) in the Snugpack Dry Sack M 8 litres.
(without compression bag)

 

[Erbswurst]

For those, who are cooking only over open wood fire, I give here one additional information about this rucksack:
The WESTERN german army mess kit and the Austrian army mess kit (but NOT the mess kit of the eastern german NVA) fit to the D-rings on the closure flap of this rucksack.

You can attach it there exactly how you can see it at photos from the packs of the Wehrmacht.

That mess kits contain 1,5 litres in the pot and 0,5 Litres in the pan lid.
You could use this perfectly as a mouse resistant food container.
But this mess kits do not work very well with a gas stove.
That is the reason, why I replaced it with this 750 ml toaks titanium mug, which has with 108 g (inclusive lid) round about a quarter of the weight of the Bundeswehr mess kit.

This stove is sold under minimum 5 different labels.
It weights only 45 g and is working very well.
But NEVER use it with Optimus gas bottles, because they do not fit. You would destroy the stove!

I am not sure, but I think, that the 750ml mug from Tomshoo in the same design, which is offered for half the price, is as good as the toaks titanium mug.

 

[lee]

For me lightweight is a t shirt and shorts, SAK and whistle on my keys. Casio gulf master watch, my Boots have paracord (with internal snare and saw wire) laces and with fero rod and magnesium toggles.
If I'm considering the possibility/option of being out all night I will pocket a fixed blade knife, hand flare (for 100% guaranteed fire or signal for help) a can of drink for sugar and energy (and use as a metal container to boil wate) and a folded survival bag that contains tin foil water tablets and paracord inside.
Signal, water, shelter and fire sorted.
I personally focus on survival and with what I carry as a minimum and the skills I have I don't worry about going the extra mile or 5 on a walk

 

[lee]

My next step up from pocketing bits but not taking a back pack I take my Janus pack.
My Bushcraft forum Janus day pack thread here:

https://www.thebushcraftforum.uk/threads/bushcraft-day-pack-maxpedition-janus-pouch.4923/#post-41221

 

[Erbswurst]

Yes, me too. From time to time I go out with only a few bits in the pocket, depending on area and weather. That's possible, of course, but a really high level.

So, back to light weight trekking, and tipps for beginners:

MY CAMPING KITCHEN

The gas stove I use has surprisingly a lot of different Names:
Alpkit Kraku
Robens Fire Midge
EOE Lithium
LACD Ultralight

May be, there are even more names for it in the world.

They al are absolutely the same, 45g, just different Names and colours.

(A bit different is the Lixada BRS 3000 T, 28g, which I never had in my hand, but I guess it would fit in my system too.
About the quality I can't tell any think.)

I created a very compact and universal 1 person kitchen kit. How I carry and use it, you can see in the following pictures.

The Swiss Army Knife of course comes out of my pocket. I do not carry a second one in the pot.

You see here the following equipment:

Sea to Summit dry sack light weight 70 D 2 litres, black, 38g

Toaks 750 ml titanium mug with folding and bail handle, 108g

Spoon Decathlon Quechua OR Robens, 20g

Sponge I carved myself, 10g

Screw closure Container Hünersdorf 500 ml, 67g

Primus Gasbottle "containing 100g" 205g

Cotton boot laces 90 to 120 cm to fix a tripod, 3g

Lighter Bic mini, 11g

Handkerchief cotton as potholder and filter, 26g

Stove bag LACD, 4g
Gas stove LACD Ultralight, 45g

Stainless Steel snare with hook, 7g

All together 540g
(with out stainless steel bottle)

As you see, I can cook with this over gas or open wood fire. And that means under a tripod a real fire, that allows to dry the next fire wood, if necessary.

Gas is offered in different mixtures, for different temperatures.
You can use it in very cold weather and in very dry areas, like southern France in the summer, where every thing else is not allowed.

Ones more:

Do not use this kind of stoves with Optimus gas bottles, you would destroy the stove!

I never tried it out, but I think, the Tomshoo titanium mug 750 ml in the same design, but for half the price (!) would fit like the toaks mug.

Attention: This stove is constructed for maximum 2,5 kg load!

 

[Erbswurst]

A third option for me is to buy somewhere on a tour an aluminium can, a beer or coke can for example, better is a can of smaller diameter: 5 cm is optimal for this pot.

Within 5 minutes I am able to produce with the Swiss Army Knife a spiritus stove like you see it in the pictures.

How to do this you easily can find in several You tube videos.

In moderate temperatures this is a good, very lightweight and cheap option: Cheap is the stove, and cheap is the spiritus.

The optimal bottle to carry spiritus isn't the bottle which is shown in the pictures.

The optimal containers are scandinavian wodka bottles from plastic, ore something like this, because you can carry them next to the body to keep the spiritus warm.
In cold conditions this is necessary!

For beginners in northern Europe this spiritus stoves are really a very good, very cheap and very light option!

In most conditions in northern Europe a gas stove system isn't necessary.
Especially not in the summer!

 

[Erbswurst]

Ah, I can't edit it!

I mean flat scandinavian wodka flasks from plastics, a bit like this small one here, but containing around 500 ml.
Because usually you can buy spiritus in 1 liter bottles, you should have two of them, or what ever you need, depending on your tour.

So, you should watch out for a flat 300 to 500 ml bottle, a bit like this:

 

[Erbswurst]

And, by the way, dear beginners!
Don't spoil your last spiritus by trying to start a wood fire with it!

This fantastic idea will not work.



The temperature usually isn't high enough!

 

[Erbswurst]

A good bushcrafter has a place for every thing and everything in its place!

I have only one exception from this rule.

My "Witz Smartphone Locker" (105g) has the right size to put in it my Smartphone OR my eye glasses!
The pretty bomb proof water tight locker usually contains my eye glasses in the night, the smart phone sleeps in the orange Decathlon X-Access water proof pouch (40g).

Because when I travel, I usually use in the day the eye glasses or the the smart phone (or both), I sometimes do one or the other in this box. On longer journeys by bus or train I often take out my phone and put my glasses in it, for example when I want to look, what happens in The Bushcraft Forum.

For those, who do not use eye glasses, the orange Decathlon smart phone pouch is the lighter option. Usually the ruck sack gives it enough protection. And it is absolute water tight too.

The water tight Noaks bags (size XS 4g)are very good to store electronics.
But to carry the smartphone around in the pocket, the orange Decathlon pouch is more durable and if you want, you can attach it some where.

 

[Madriverrob]

Thanks guys for the input , some really useful info , some items I already have in lightweight form , others I need to look into more. I’m away from home now for the next two weeks but when I’m back I’m going to try and put my kit together and come up with a lightweight total .

Thanks to @erbwurst , your attention to detail is really helpful .

 

[Erbswurst]

With Pleasure, my Dear!

You really should write down a packing list with your own equipment with detailed listed weights, following my list in the order, so that it is easier to compare it.

That is the only way to lighten the load!
You have to know exactly, what is going on.

40 bits , only 25 g to heavy, are together 1 kg more in the rucksack!

People usually do not think about this simple addition!

 

[Erbswurst]

Not in the ruck sack, but in the pocket of my shirt i use this light wallet, to avoid to sit on my plastic cards.

 

[Erbswurst]

The best and largest light TARP-PONCHOS I could find are:

Exped bivi Poncho UL, green
Begadi BEX silnylon long, green
Jurek Duo UL, green
Defcon, vegetato italiano

The cheapest would be to try to add some attachment points in the corners of the Decathlon Solognac Glenarm 100 poncho, green, 220x135cm.

Ponchos made by Miltec or MFH I do not recommend, because the quality is to low.

The combination of a Snugpack Special Forces bivvy bag and a Ponchotarp is the lightest and most universal option in summer times.
In cold weather it's no problem to take additional a light rain suit with you.

 

[Erbswurst]

Equipment I never tried out, but looking very interesting are

Hilleberg Bivanorak , green, 575g
and
Gatewood Cape , green, 284g

The Gatewood Cape is a raincoat you can set up as a pyramide tent! Fully 360 degree protection is offered here.
There are 2 mesh tents and one solid inner tent for bad weather on the market, that fit in it.
But of course you can combine it with a bivvy bag too.

 

[38thfoot]

It’s all relative, having carried upwards of 2/3 of my body weight across hill and dale 15kg is lightweight; anything less and I’m floating!

38

 

[Erbswurst]

If people pack the equipment I recommend for the summer, and throw some winter equipment on top, and some water and food and a folding saw and so on, 15 kg easily are reached.

Using a light pack in the summer is nice.
If you want to avoid a to heavy load in winter times, it is necessary to look for lightweight material.

 

[Erbswurst]

How to use the equipment I recommend, I wrote down in the thread

"Wild Camping".

There I posted a lot of photos too.

 

[Bopdude]

@Erbswurst requested I put the link to the Tomsoo pots in here as he was having problems linking it, so here go's.

Outdoor 3Pcs/set Titanium 750ml Camping Hanging Pot Water Cup and Spork UK P8C7 | eBay