3-Season Solo Kit, SE USA

  • Category Weight
  • Clothing Worn (Go Suit)
    4.67 lb
  • Clothing Carried
    2.75 lb
  • Pack
    2.69 lb
  • Shelter
    2.73 lb
  • Sleep
    2.29 lb
  • Kitchen
    1.68 lb
  • Hydration
    0.44 lb
  • Navigation
    0.64 lb
  • Tools, First Aid, Emergency, & Utility
    1.27 lb
  • Personal Items & Toiletries
    0.34 lb
  • Consumables
    10.65 lb
  • Gear Closet (Optional Stuff)
    0 lb
  • Total 30.16
    lb
    • oz
    • lb
    • g
    • kg
  • Consumable 10.65 lb
  • Worn 4.67 lb
  • Base Weight 14.84 lb

Description

This is my standard three-season backpacking kit. The majority of my trips are 4 days or less in the Southeast US (Georgia, Tennessee, and Carolinas), but I wanted my gear to be versatile enough that it could handle extended trips of up to 8 days or out West to the Sierras and Rockies with only minimal adjustments. Items in the "Gear Closet" category are items that aren't part of my standard kit but might be swapped in to meet the specific conditions of a planned trip.

I started collecting and refining my current setup approximately 1.5 years ago after a 10-year hiatus from the outdoors. I started with a base weight of about 28 lbs using heavy, old equipment from my Boy Scout days and am gradually improving my skills and knowledge while dropping weight. Perhaps once I've refined my "base" kit a bit more, I'll start looking at ways to better fit specific types of trips, such as dropping more weight for quick overnight trips. For now, I'd like to continue focusing on a core set of gear.

There are several areas that I know could be improved.

Red Star - These items are up for priority replacement or refinement

Yellow Star - These items are up for secondary replacement or refinement

Green Star - These are items that I know would typically be considered luxuries or splurges by ultralight backpackers, but for me are non-negotiables for one reason or another

My next big three improvement goals are:

  1. Buy a down jacket - My OR Cathode Hooded Jacket is fantastic as active insulation, but it's truly not warm enough for idle wearing around camp below 40-45F. I've managed to get by adding a fleece, wind jacket, and/or rain coat in the past, but I plan to pick up a down jacket to increase comfort and save some weight. While an ultralight option such as a Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisper (7 oz) is certainly appealing, I think I might look for a slightly warmer jacket in the 10-12 oz range (such as a Feathered Friends Eos, Sierra Designs DriDown Elite, or something similar) to increase the versatility of my kit a bit since I already have the OR Cathode for slightly warmer temps.
  2. Replace my Kelty Cosmic Down 20F (potentially) - I've been enjoying my EE Revelation APEX 40F since I'm a side-sleeper and often experience warm and humid nights. I'd like to get a down-insulated EE Revelation/Enigma 20F to replace my heavier and bulkier mummy bag. If I ever do winter camping, I can layer the two quilts for a combined -10F rating.