In July I'll be going on a 7 night trip in the Chugach range in Wrangell St. Elias NP. This weekend I put together my lighterpack, and before I knew it my baseweight was climbing pretty high.
Location: Chugach Mountains, southern AK
Temperature Range: 30F - 70F (~0C- 20C)
Trip Description: Roughly 40mi, with glacier crossings, potentially sleeping on snow, rocky terrain, river crossings, moraine. With 5 others. All off trail.
Goal Baseweight: Nearer to 15lb.
Budget: Flexible. Take my lighterpack as evidence that outdoor gear is the overwhelming majority of my non-food purchases.
Non-negotiables: I'm pretty set on the bigger / pricier items, which tend to have longer lead times anyway. I have a polycro groundsheet, but am going with the tyvek because we could be on rocky and snowy ground. Bear Vault is necessary.
Negotiables: (ranked in order of negotiability)
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Goosefeet Gear down balaclava and socks: These are super comfortable to have but it may be too warm to justify. If I had to pick I'd keep the socks.
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Nitecore battery: I won't have my phone or GPS (someone else will have that). This would only be used if the camera batteries all run out.
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Sit pad: I've never actually used it yet, I found it lost on the trail in March.
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Beanie: I've had this for a while, never really looked into lighter alternatives.
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HMG aluminum stays: I've tested briefly without the stays, but I'm hesitant to give these up for an 8 day trip.
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Trail Designs Inferno add-ons: The esbit stove system (pot + titanium wind shield) is 6.7oz, the inferno add-ons (roughly 2oz) make it a great wood-burning stove. I'll bring enough esbits for all my food, but for 2oz it's nice to have a backup. Same logic behind having a small bic and some windproof matches.
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HMG 4400: This is new and I could return it. I have an old 3400, but that's been very tight for previous 4-nighters with the BV500.
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Xero Sandals: I'm planning on staying in the Bushidos for river crossings, but it would be nice to have these at camp.
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Kobo case: The case adds about 4oz, but the e-reader feels very flimsy without it. I don't have anything similarly shaped to gird it against.
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Pocket tarp: This is a new used piece of gear. I've managed not to get rained on for a few years running somehow, but for a 7-day trip I really want to stay dry. I got this for cooking in the rain.
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Petzl headlamp: AK in the summer will be pretty bright, and the Kobo has a good screen f
