Isle Royale Forums

Looking for everyone's input on good multi-use items to help minimize on the pack weight. Any help would be great.

Here's some of my most important:

-A spork/fork/knife combo
-A Leatherman (of course)
-Squishy bowl (use as a bowl OR a cup)

EDIT TO ADD: Since we are linking gear lists: clicky.

Upon checking my list, it looks like the only real multi-use items are: my wool sleeping socks, which are also the padding in my backpack's shoulder straps; and the Gossamer Gear Thinlite pad, which acts as insulation/bug barrier in my hammock, a pad to sit or lie on, and insulation for my Ziploc container when I re-hydrate my food.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub ... utput=html

Same here... not really much in the way of multi-use. My trekking poles are my tent poles and I use the bag for my stove as a potholder. The bag from my headnet is where the stone goes when I need to throw a line for a PCT critter/bear bag. My use-a-lot item is probably my pack towel. That little thing is amazing. I prepare my oatmeal in the pouch every morning and between that and MH meals I need only carry one mug for water boiling. My rain gear is also a cold-weather layer but I think that's pretty common. My long undies are also pajamas. I know many are anti-smartphone in the backcountry but mine is my camera, Gaia GPS, Google Books, journal, and yes... I do sometimes listen to music at night. Does any of that count?

http://goo.gl/h0jFd

Thanks for your input, it has helped me lose a few ounces. I suppose I should make a spread sheet also so I can see where else I can drop a little more weight.

Yes, make a spreadsheet!!! It helped me tremendously. Before the spreadsheet, I would unpack my bag, spread out all my gear, justify each and every piece and pack it up again only to do the same the next day. Then, I would justify my next purchase and pack it in with the rest of my gear. Each piece of gear would elicit an emotional response, either to how much I paid for the item or the "what-if" scenario.

Seeing my gear in black and white with their respective weights, recognizing redundancies and realizing how much gear never really got used on my trips was eye-opening.

I use some pretty expensive gear, but in the long run I've saved money. I've put countless hours of thought and research into every last gram that goes into my bag. It's a big puzzle and my spreadsheet helps guide me.

I still unpack my bag and spread out all the gear a couple times a week - although unnecessary - it's a habit I can't seem to break.

I recently replaced all of my bags for tent, pad, etc. with these velcro straps:
http://www.rei.com/product/794899/rei-s ... ckage-of-2
In addition to saving 12 oz, I've found them great for hanging and attaching things to trees, like my Platypus gravity filter bags and lines. Probably better for the trees than thin cord too.

Ingo wrote:... Probably better for the trees than thin cord too.

I had the same problem with thin cord the first year in a hammock. I make my tree straps out of Amsteel Blue, which could potentially cut into soft-barked trees. I didn't want to give up the weight savings, so I ended up using sticks. I place small sticks between the tree and the cording so the tension/weight of me in my hammock is distributed more evenly.

+1000000 for creating a spreadsheet. The biggest thing it makes you do is weigh everything.

I stumbled across this site a few months ago and have since converted my excel sheet/gDocs to it.
http://www.geargrams.com/

Its free and simple to sign up, and it keeps track of your gear for you. Many people can easily make a spreadsheet, but others aren't as quick with excel--this is probably for you. You can check boxes for consumables (food, water) and subtract the items worn (Clothing). It has several categories built in, and you can add more. It uses drag and drop functionality once you make a gear library, so its easily to have a weekend summer pack list and a weeklong fall pack list.

Here's my current list for my Bryce Canyon Trip in a month (still missing some toiletries and first aid)

http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=5878

My main multi-use items are my trekking poles as tent poles... Not too much else.

danha1en wrote:...

http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=5878

My main multi-use items are my trekking poles as tent poles... Not too much else.

I see you use both parts of the Dri-Ducks set. I've been afraid to use the pants. Am I worrying too much? Also wondering if that nickname is a Squidbillies reference...

alecto73 wrote:

danha1en wrote:...

http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=5878

My main multi-use items are my trekking poles as tent poles... Not too much else.

I see you use both parts of the Dri-Ducks set. I've been afraid to use the pants. Am I worrying too much? Also wondering if that nickname is a Squidbillies reference...

When I bought the Dri-Ducks set, I thought I would only use the top when out in the backcountry. After thinking about it for a while, I decided I'd rather most of my body be dry in case it rained for a long time.

I've been blessed with dry weather (for the most part) so I haven't had to use them. (I only bought them just before heading to IR last year) A few years ago, I just used a $1 store poncho--After it rained, I realized it looked better on my gear spreadsheet than it did in the woods...

I have one stuff sack that turns inside out to become a plush pillow when stuffed with clothing. Sleeping pads can double as a chair but I actually carry a square of aluminized bubble wrap to sit on. Light cord has many uses. Of course booze is always multi-use. If the ranger asks, it's either rubbing alcohol or stove fuel.