Kevin's High Sierra Summer Solo Trip List: 4-7 nights

  •   Category Weight
  • Pack and Trekking Poles
    3.27 lb
  • Shelter
    1.34 lb
  • Sleep
    5.04 lb
  • Comfort
    0.42 lb
  • Clothing (Worn)
    0.93 lb
  • Clothing (Carried)
    3.62 lb
  • Food & Cooking
    2.82 lb
  • Water
    0.54 lb
  • Electronics
    1.25 lb
  • Health & Sanitation
    0.3 lb
  • Emergency & First Aid
    0.49 lb
  • Total 20.02
    lb
    • oz
    • lb
    • g
    • kg
  • Consumable 0.39 lb
  • Worn 2.39 lb
  • Base Weight 17.24 lb

Overview

This is my solo backpacking setup for late summer and early fall trips in the high Sierras. I use a BV450 bear canister for 2-4 night trips, and a BV500 for longer trips. Both comfortably fit in my REI Flash Air 50 backpack.

Star ratings

  • Red. Recently decided to replace or eliminate. Will disappear from this list soon.
  • Yellow. Thinking about replacing or eliminating.
  • Green. Luxury item that I feel is worth the weight, but I'm always open to suggestions.

Notable Items that I've Eliminated or Replaced

  • Chair. I took my 17oz Helinox Chair Zero on one trip and loved having it. With some trepidation I decided to leave it behind on the following longer, more strenuous trip. I thought I would miss it, but I never did. The Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad is just fine. I still use the Helinox for day hikes and shorter trips.

  • Free-standing tent. I bought a double wall tent mostly because I was afraid of condensation, based on my experiences from decades ago before I knew anything about campsite selection. It is an excellent tent, but I've since tried a DCF trekking pole tent in several days of wet weather. It worked great, and condensation was manageable even when I had to spend a night in a heavy fog bank.

  • Down jacket. I don't really sit around camp, and have never used or missed my REI 650 fill down jacket. Layering all of my clothes (including the sleep clothes) should be sufficient for most unexpected extreme weather barring a prolonged blizzard.

  • Kindle. I love reading in my quilt, but I typically don't last long before I fall asleep. The Kindle is nearly 8 ounces and somewhat difficult to pack. I just installed the Kindle app on my phone and it appears that it will suit my needs just fine.

Thoughts on "Heavier" Gear

Sleep System

At about 5lbs, my Zenbivy-based system is easily 2lbs heavier than the more popular ultralight quilt alternatives. However, I can honestly say that I sleep just as well while backpacking as I do in my bed at home. This is a massive improvement over the miserable nights spent confined in the synthetic mummy bag of my youth. Perhaps someday I'll get a chance to evaluate lighter quilt alternatives, but I've read enough comparison reports from Reddit ultralighters that I'm sticking with the Zenbivy for now.

Rain Gear

At 26oz, the Patagonia TorrentShell rain jacket and pants are far from the lightest option out there.

After unexpected bad weather had me shivering in REI rain gear that were only a few ounces lighter, I realized that not having reliable rain and wind protection in the Sierras is stupid light. I was able to maintain my core temperature thanks in part to my excellent Patagonia synthetic midlayer, but I likely would have had to abort the trip (and also would have been in some danger of hypothermia) had the temperature been only 10-20 a few degrees colder.

Using Frogg Toggs or a less rain resistant setup could save about a pound, but having the 20,000mm hydrostatic pressure rating and durability is worth the extra weight to me. Jupiter Hikes has an excellent video on why Frogg Toggs are dangerous.