Here is my pack list for the Grand Canyon hike. I, and several people from my company, on Saturday are hiking down the South Kaibab trail to the Colorado river and then coming up the Bright Angel trail. Its one big loop from along the the south rim of the canyon.
I am super excited. While I have been to the canyon and hiked around it, I've never been far into it. Call it a Life List, Bucket List, whatever. For some it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Actually living in the state, I hope its just one of many more trips to the canyon.
We endurance athletes often talk about our gear and I suppose my proclivity to do the same with hiking is no different. Isn't it also an endurance activity of sorts. Not nearly as expensive as triathlon however. So I listed out the gear I will be carrying with me. I used to be a normal backpacker with 50+ pounds of gear on me, sometimes 80 pounds, but in the last few years, I have really researched and tested ways to go lighter. Because this is just a one day trip and on a very well run trail, I won't have a bag or tent but I am impressed with how light I have made my kit.
I am super excited. While I have been to the canyon and hiked around it, I've never been far into it. Call it a Life List, Bucket List, whatever. For some it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Actually living in the state, I hope its just one of many more trips to the canyon.
We endurance athletes often talk about our gear and I suppose my proclivity to do the same with hiking is no different. Isn't it also an endurance activity of sorts. Not nearly as expensive as triathlon however. So I listed out the gear I will be carrying with me. I used to be a normal backpacker with 50+ pounds of gear on me, sometimes 80 pounds, but in the last few years, I have really researched and tested ways to go lighter. Because this is just a one day trip and on a very well run trail, I won't have a bag or tent but I am impressed with how light I have made my kit.
| On Back | ||||||
| Golite Pack- Speed | 18 | oz | ||||
| med/blister kit | 8 | oz | ||||
| 100 oz bladders x2 | 7 | oz | ||||
| top, mid layer | 6.5 | oz | ||||
| GPS unit | 5 | oz | ||||
| umbrella | 4 | oz | ||||
| sleeping mat, foam | 3.5 | oz | ||||
| camera | 3 | oz | ||||
| leg warmers | 3 | oz | ||||
| nitize S-biner | 1 | oz | ||||
| socks, extra | 1 | oz | ||||
| baby wipes | 1 | oz | ||||
| sunscreen | 1 | oz | ||||
| anti-chaff lube | 0.5 | oz | ||||
| Buff | 0.5 | oz | ||||
| AA x2 | 1 | oz | ||||
| 64 | oz | = | 4.00 | lbs | pack wgt. | |
| Diminishing Items | ||||||
| Food | 12 | oz | ||||
| 200 oz H20 | 200 | oz | ||||
| 212 | oz | 13.3 | lbs | food & h2o wgt. | ||
| 17 | lbs. | total start wgt. |
This list does not include what I will be wearing the whole trip, the boots, shirt, shorts, hat, etc.
When considering pack weight, water and food are not included in the base weight due to the fact that you are consuming such items. To get down to 4 pounds when in the past this would be 20 or more, amazes me.
Everyone is concerned for my safety, as am I. Keeping myself hydrated is key, which is why 70% of my pack weight is fluids. I'm going with 150 ozs to start. 50 oz is h2o and 100oz is Gatorade Endurance. This will cut my pack weight to under 15 pounds while going down to the river and then refill to a full 100 oz of water to go back up.
Why a sleeping mat for a day hike with no sleeping bag? The Golite pack is frameless which cuts the weight down significantly. A cut down foam pad with an loose open roll inside the bag creates a frame that pushes against the pack fabric. You put gear inside the circle created by the pad.
Living for so long in Seattle, I would be laughed at for carrying an umbrella. Seattlites do not do such things, we deal with rain. Living now in the desert SW I have come to appreciate just how much sun and heat a micro umbrella keeps off someone. Add to that, the obvious rain and wind blocking properties.
I hope to post from the road on the way back.
There's treasure everywhere.
When considering pack weight, water and food are not included in the base weight due to the fact that you are consuming such items. To get down to 4 pounds when in the past this would be 20 or more, amazes me.
Everyone is concerned for my safety, as am I. Keeping myself hydrated is key, which is why 70% of my pack weight is fluids. I'm going with 150 ozs to start. 50 oz is h2o and 100oz is Gatorade Endurance. This will cut my pack weight to under 15 pounds while going down to the river and then refill to a full 100 oz of water to go back up.
Why a sleeping mat for a day hike with no sleeping bag? The Golite pack is frameless which cuts the weight down significantly. A cut down foam pad with an loose open roll inside the bag creates a frame that pushes against the pack fabric. You put gear inside the circle created by the pad.
Living for so long in Seattle, I would be laughed at for carrying an umbrella. Seattlites do not do such things, we deal with rain. Living now in the desert SW I have come to appreciate just how much sun and heat a micro umbrella keeps off someone. Add to that, the obvious rain and wind blocking properties.
I hope to post from the road on the way back.
There's treasure everywhere.
3 comments:
Gear!
Hope all went well.
Call me crazy but I love these types of posts. I like how you can break stuff like this down. I remember a flashlight post a year ago that I read twice. keep them coming, and hope the hike went well.
Good luck to you, sounds like you have it planned out. I just came back from the canyon on Thursday and it was awesome we did get rain on Wednesday. There was no rain in the forcast for that day at all. So it caught us by surprise but not unprepared. I will post photos and write up on my blog. (spiritextreme.vox.com)
Take it easy my friend and hydrate as you already know.
asta la vista amigo
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