Desert backpacking

Foggy Bryce Canyon in 2010

While my housemate holds down the fort this weekend, I'll be heading off to Utah to backpack at Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.  The lack of water there will push me back to a bigger backpack from GoLite and my Mountain Smith Daylight lumbar pack.  Not much bigger, just enough to fit a 3 liter Camelbak and the larger 1 liter bottles that my Mountain Smith can carry.  This will add at least 5 lbs to my total loaded back weight.  I'll hike less miles because my muscles will get tired and start depending on my titanium repaired backbone sooner.  Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite places.  Zion National Park is amazing too.   I'll let you know how it goes.

Zion in 2011

Colorado Trail Segment 2 remainder

On May 28, 2011, before hiking Segment 3, I decided to complete Segment 2 of the Colorado Trail.  I drove up to the Buffalo Creek area and parked at Little Scraggy Trailhead, which is the end of Segment 2 and the beginning of Segment 3.  From what I had read in the Colorado Trail Guide Book, I had about 3-3.5 miles to walk to where I had turned back before.  I decided to leave my backpack in the car, take a day pack instead with just my Camelbak Unbottle and some snacks (probably too many snacks).  I also decided to wear my running shoes instead of the boots.  I hiked about 2.5 miles in an hour and got to the big rock I had sat on at the end of my last hike.  Since Segment 2 is 11.5 miles, I had actually hiked 18 miles last trip (9 miles each direction).  No wonder I was so tired.  It took me about an another hour to hike back.  I had hiked 5 miles in 2 hours with running shoes and a day pack.  No blisters, no pain.  That is how it is supposed to be.

Colorado Trail Segment 2 Remainder

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My backpacking gear (base without food, clothes and water)

Weights in ounces:

• Backpack - GoLite Day Pack (don't remember model) - 16 oz (1 lb)
• Tent - Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 (2 man tent but gives me room for my gear inside the tent) - 42.3 oz (2 lb 10.3 oz) (Still thinking about going without the bug mesh and floor when I don't think bugs are around, saves a pound)
• Sleeping bag - Lafuma Warm n Light 1 Kilo Down (19-degree, seems more like the low 20's; weighed less when I bought it) - 39 oz (2 lbs 7oz)
• Sleeping pad - Nemo Astro Insulated - 24 oz (1 lb, 8 oz)
• Garbage bag to line my Backpack - 1 oz
• Stove - MSR Pocket Rocket - 3.9 oz
• Canister of butane - 11.65 oz (forgot to put this on original list)
• Cook pot - Snow Peak Trek Titanium 1 liter without frying pan - 3.6 oz
• Utensil - Light My Fire Original Spork, - 0.35 oz
• Bic lighter - 0.75 oz
• Water Purifier - Steripen Adventurer Opti (uses UV light, I also use antibacterial wipes for rim) - 4 oz
• Trekking Poles - Black Diamond Distance Z-Poles - 12 oz
• Compass & whistle - Brunton (don't remember model but got it 10 years ago) - 1 oz 
• Headlamp - Black Diamond (don't remember model but like an ION) - 1.1 oz
• GPS - Garmin Etrex (cheap old one with basic functions) - 5 oz
• Twine for Bear Bag - 2 oz
• Toilet Paper - 0.75 oz
• Water containers - (2) Platypus 2 liter with one drink tube kit, Wide Mouth Nalgene collapsable (I don't have to bring all of it on all trips) - 5 oz
• First Aid Kit - homemade - 4 oz
• Extra batteries - 2.3 oz
• Sunblock and bug protection - 4 oz
• Hand sanitizer - 0.65 oz
• Personal locator beacon - Spot Connect - 5 oz
• Maps in Ziploc - 1 oz
• Bandana - 2 oz
• Cat hole shovel - EZEE - 2 oz
• Knife - Gerber Splice - 2 oz (I might replace with Leatherman Micra, scissors are sharper, 2 oz)
• Toothbrush and toothpaste - 1.55 oz
• Hipsac/Fanny Pack - 4 oz
• TOTAL - 201.9 oz (12 lbs 9.8 oz)

I could drop over a pound by replacing my sleeping bag with something like Montbell Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 (1 lb 5 oz).  Drop a pound by not using the bug mesh and floor to my tent.

The Nemo Astro Insulated was the first time I had a sleeping pad that was comfortable enough to actually sleep instead of enduring sleep deprivation while camping so I won't be cutting that.  

I use my tent bag as my bear bag.  I fill my bag that holds my sleeping bag with all my extra socks and clothes as my pillow.

If I add 20 oz of food for each full day I'm gone and average about 2 liters of water at 35.2 oz per liter, that adds 110.4 oz for food and water for a 2 day trip to knock out a segment of the Colorado Trail for a total of 312.3 oz or 19.52 pounds.

I have more weight cutting to do but I'm happy with this for now.  Last updated 6/4/2010