Kit Lists?

[HaYWiRe]

Anyone else follow the Ultralight OCD tradition of making an in depth kit list?

I'm always seeing the backpackers make obsessive lists (usually in lbs and oz, I was brought up on metric though) and ill confess and admit I pretty much have a list for everything.

I find it helps keep track and minimalize by seeing how Much it all adds up to, and stops me forgetting something obvious last minute. Anyone else packed a car for a whole week camping and forgot the tent?
Hiking, multiday, biking, bikepacking, business trips, holidays....I have a list for that


....please,tell me I'm not the only one this OCD

[AlasdairMc]

No list, I generally know what to take. Anything I forget and wouldn't have used goes lower on the list of things to remember. Anything that I would have used I curse about but work around.

I've not had any disasters, although I did forget cycling shorts today so am riding in some Helly boxers under my baggies.

[Richpips]

No set list, so much depends on the route and the weather.

[ianfitz]

I don't so much these days, but in the beginning I did a lot. I think it helps to work out what you have carried compared with what your used/needed/carried 'just in case'. it helped me to reduce unnecessary kit/bulk/weight. But...

I did have a bit of a weight weenie phase, while now I don't want to carry extra weight I will happily carry a bit extra weight if the item is better/tougher/helps to set up quicker etc.

[Justchris]

Always have a detailed list. It's on my phone. Otherwise I would forget loads of important stuff. Don't do weights. If I need it it goes. But I would have considered weight when acquiring the item.

Never forgot the tent. But I have turned up at trail centres and due to oversight had to buy a helmet, glasses, mtb shoes, a couple of inner tubes,socks etc. Not all on the same day!
A list is essential for me.

[whitestone]

I use a spreadsheet with everything I have listed along with each item's weight and grouped according to use. So: sleeping stuff; cooking; bags; etc. then I just put a number in the quantity column and everything gets totalled up

I started doing this after a ride when I "thought" that I'd got about 6Kg of kit but it turned out that I'd nearly double that Obviously there is some kit that goes whatever (the hip flask for example) and I'm going to take kit appropriate to the conditions but listing stuff out in black and white does help you focus as to what's essential. There will always be trade-offs between robustness, weight, etc but I find having the info helps me in that choice.

Going through the kit afterwards and listing what you didn't use also helps, after all, the lightest most compact gear is that which you don't take.

Some years ago my wife and I went camping in Northumberland. Turned up at the campsite, put up tent, throw in kit, inflate sleeping mat. "Where are the sleeping bags?"

"Err....."

Let's just say the dog wondered why he was popular as we snuggled up to him to keep warm! At least it was summer. We didn't stop a second night.

[Dr Nick]

I make a list of some description, (not usually with weights listed, but... this thread has got me thinking...) after arriving at Hay book festival with the family to discover we had a 'parent' tent but no poles!

Thankfully the kid's tents were complete, and the person camping next to us at the campsite (bizarrely) had a spare 2 man tent that we borrowed for one night until poles were purchased the next day!

As a result, now I do tend to lay everything out before packing it and then tick it off the list as it's packed.

[whitestone]

In the mid 1980s I went on a month's climbing trip to the States and borrowed a lightweight tent from a mate. Get to the States and my first area (the Shawangunks as it happens) and put the tent up, or not. Missing out of the bag was the front pole I ended up making one out of a branch.

[HaYWiRe]

Knowing the true weight can help alot I find than simply judging the manufacturers weight, or it's easy to assume that you have some uber light 1kg tent untill it tips the scales at 1150g, plus pegs (100g) and guys (100g) and suddenly it doesn't look so light anymore

Some things come regardless of weight, I never skrimp on my meds and always carry redundancy, food is nearly always worth its weight and you can never take too much.

Anyone else weigh their bags and harnesses,straps,ect? I was surprised to find some DIY setups can end up weighing almost as much as a light rack/pannier set! Though id rather carry the weight for something stable than go stupid-lite and have a bag flopping about the place when I ride over a rock

Maybe we're in need of a Show your kit list thread, for all the obsessive weight weenies to stare at grams and pictures of Cuban/carbon/Ti. .....would certainly be interesting to see how kits evolve over time

[Bearbonesnorm]

This may be of use to those who like a nice ordered list. You'll need to sign up but it's free.

https://www.geargrams.com/

[Alpinum]

Hardcore spread sheet user here.

Working in science doesn't make things better. Numbers, numbers, numbers.

On most trips, except for the easy and short ones, I make an overview of the kit needed. Biking may not be a real issue, but in some outdoor pursuits you can be seriously f*cked if you realise you forgot something too late. That's when I started making lists.

Not often though I'm packing with the list at hand. It'll be close by some where for a final check.

Weights are listed too. Does help to keep the weight down, as I'm not going to loose weight myself

The final weight in my lists always include the bags too.

Anything I make myself ends up being lighter then market products. I know where I'm hard on gear and where not. Innertent for two person mid, 380 g, full set of bikepacking bags for my girlfriend about 400 g (frame-, saddle-, two front bags and bar harness still going strong after >2000 km), 3 season quilt 390 g.

The quilt for example has a kind of open chamber system that enhances its temperature range and is filled with 225 g down. Comparable offering of eg. cumulus weigh 100 g more without lasting longer or being warmer, plus they aren't specifically made to my size.

The front bag for my girlfriends setup (can be seen here http://fatbiking.eu/?p=7233#) attaches to the loops of the harness holding the bar bag. By using the attachment points of the front bag I then made a clip on sling so she has a handbag. But it doesn't stop here. If she prefers a (very) small rucksack, she can hook in the little loops I made in the sling et voilà, transformation ended.
Thing is, DIY not only is lighter if made with attention to detail, but can also be made more functional.

[jameso]

Anyone else follow the Ultralight OCD tradition of making an in depth kit list?

I have a kit box. The night before a ride I pop bits into a bag depending on what the ride is. It's been a good system, I regularly forget something and in doing that I've realised there's not much you truly need. The 'true need' kit is all in one bag and goes every time, the rest is a make it up as I go job. For a race or overseas trip it's a bit more important so I'd write a list out and tick stuff off. I even weighed all my kit once ; )

[Mike]

I try to keep the weight down, but i have this problem that when i go near a shop i end up buying the contents of it to eat

[RIP]

Yeah OCD here I confess. Don't do miles/heights/etc but like to know weights, as IanF says it helps to work out what you do/don't need. But of course the do/don't changes every trip.

One weight that's easy to sweep under the carpet - apart from one's own carcase - is worn clothes. As I wondered in another thread (unanswered ;-)), do worn clothes (not "worn-out" clothes - that's taken as read in my case) count for the WRT Weight-In? My Snowdonia trip last week showed: 81192 grammes consisting of bike 11700g, me 61500g, barbag 2103g, stemcells 410g, fueltank 440g, koala 2342g, worn clothes 2697g. That included everything - straps, mould, whatever. So my worn clothes weighed more than any of the bike bags! SPD shoes are one of my biggest lumps at 820g. SPD flip-flops must be worth experimenting with surely.

May as well turn this into another “kit list” thread ;-). I reckon my upcoming WRT weights are (before I bung in the souwester and cape of course):
P7 bike 11700g; Reg’s body 61500g; 13L+8L barbags (tarp, tyvek, pegs/lines, mat, pillow, pump, winter s’bag) 2427g; 2 stem cells (steripen, lock, waterbottles) 460g; fuel tank (glasses, 2xLights, cableties, pencil/paper, compass, watch, tickets/cash/etc, phone) 455g; seatpost Koala (2xMaps, tarp-poles, 1st aid, tools, toiletries, spare tube, cookset, spare baselayer) 2382g; worn clothes (baselayer, padshorts, fleece, gloves, beanie, hat, Rab eVent smock, Paclite trousers, helmet, Salomon boots) 2702g.
Luggage = 5724g / 12.62lbs
Bike+bags = 17424g / 38.41lbs. Maybe add 300g for food.
Total = 81626g / 180lbs.

Well you did ask

Reg approaches the WRT Weigh-In station apprehensively:



“Reg”

[HaYWiRe]

I'm still very much a heavyweight compared to much but its a balancing act between weight, comfort and cost.
Weights are rough as I change things around to much to keep weighing all my changes to bags, straps,ect. Once in set its all getting set in stone (office excel)

Up front is the 3person tent, inner and outer, 2100g. Jacket on outside 75g and any snacks I stash
Seatpack,13L tapered has sleeping bag, -4c, 1050g, insulated jacket, 300g, socks, 50g
Framebag holds airmat,435g, tools and spares, 286g, buff,hat and liner gloves, 96g and half empty for food, usually heaviest item
Waistpack has water, 1kg, first aid, 55g, diabetic supplies, 100g - 300g
Bike used to weigh 12.8kg but I've changed some bits and gone X1, so need to reweigh.
My partner carries the tent poles and pegs, 310g, I carry the bulk of the shelter to save her some effort and keep riding fun, if we split the tent its about 1.4kg each for a roomy 3p touring tent

I weigh 54100g and really need to put on weight.

I am working on a lighter shelter but its hard to give up the comfort of a tent when a tarp and bivi, on a budget and for 2 people adds up quick, still need to try it though

[ZeroDarkBivi]

I made my first kit list spreadsheet before doing the Yak Attack MTB race in Nepal. We had to get all our spare kit into a 10kg bag, and it helped me work out my priorities... Still useful when prepping for a long event, but reasonably happy now with the regular load-out.

[benp1]

Very detailed spreadsheet with weights of everything

Also a log of most trips I've been on with the kit list and a little diary note of what the trip was like and what worked and didn't work well

Haven't had time to update my last trip though!

[jay91]

Just a mental list but always end up taking different stuff

[brotherhuw]

I take it this is different from the kit list in the virtual shopping basket of my mind? That one is long, but very light...
My actual list is far from honed but is coming on, the main battle being that my kit is far from light weight or small of pack size... Just got a new mini lantern thing though, https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/282006781440 which has been a super homely edition to my tarps of late! Good enough to read and faff by of an evening... Otherwise, it's big, bulky and heavy! Most impressed with all the spreadsheets though, incredibly appealing as a concept!

[Bearbonesnorm]

Obviously experience plays a big part here. After a while you just know what you're going to take and what you're not ... you also develop the ability to pick an item up and say whether it weighs 90g or 105g

[bryanwadd]

Yep, list maker here. Makes it easier for me to pack because there is less thinking to do, and helps me not forget anything. I love knowing the weights of things too.

[adjustablewench]

Obviously experience plays a big part here. After a while you just know what you're going to take and what you're not ... you also develop the ability to pick an item up and say whether it weighs 90g or 105g

I'm guessing your list may look like this stu . . .

Quilt
Mat (if you fancy a bit of luxury)
Ground sheet (if you haven't got your mat)
Tarp
Pegs
Cheese sandwich
Tobacco, lighter and papers
Meths stove and time kettle for a brew
A randomly sized inner tube and a few tools (selected in a lucky dip fashion)
And a note from the boss saying you're allowed out to play

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'm guessing your list may look like this stu . . .

Quilt
Mat (if you fancy a bit of luxury)
Ground sheet (if you haven't got your mat)
Tarp
Pegs
Cheese sandwich
Tobacco, lighter and papers
Meths stove and time kettle for a brew
A randomly sized inner tube and a few tools (selected in a lucky dip fashion)
And a note from the boss saying you're allowed out to play

You know me so well, although I will sometimes put a slice of bacon on my cheese butty but otherwise that's about bang on

[slarge]

Spreadsheet with weights, but for any big ride it's a handwritten list with everything listed with its location ( front bag, camelbak, etc). Plus for races I tend to write a list of things I need to do in the morning. I find having a list stops me worrying about forgetting things, and helps get my head in a sort of order.
There is always stuff you can forget without much consequence, like a bank card or phone, but they might help when it goes wrong. A pump is normally on the list for that reason!

[Zippy]

I do both ends of the extreme depending on the mood I'm in etc. Recently I've been pretty much winging it from memory But I do also have a crude spreadsheet which lists weights of things... I did think weighing things got a bit obsessive the other day when I started doing this....


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