For perspective on the combined gear as well as weight and possibilities, below are four gear lists. Gear List One is a generic check list of sorts based around the methods talked about here on Earthen Exposure. Gear List Two was my personal kit used up until around 2009. Gear List Three is my most recent kit for spring desert trips and serves as a basis for all other trips. For comparitive purposes, Gear List Four is a generic list similar to what many self-supporters use.

Use these lists for comparisons, guidelines and or idea sparkers then adjust according to your gear, preferences, needs and conditions.

Gear List One

Use this list as a generic checklist of sorts for general orientation.

Gear List Two (see Gear List Three for updated version)

Up until ~2009, this was my personal load for a typical 3-day 2-night spring all-weather desert trip with silty/brown water. Combined with the clothing worn under my drysuit, this gear would keep me comfortable in any weather condition down to around 25° F.

Not included, either in the photo or weight column, are items that are always with me or in my boat, self-support or not. These would include a 33 oz AT breakdown paddle, lighter (carried in my PFD), first aid kit, drybag, safety/rescue gear and water bottle. Also not shown in the photo are the main drybags.

what		description	weight
1	sleeping bag	Feathered Friends Rock Wren in sil-nylon sack	28 oz
2	shelter	homemade Gore-Tex/sil-nylon bivy in sil-nylon sack	18 oz
3	gore-tex socks	modified German military	2 oz
4	poncho	sil-nylon Equinox Terrapin	7 oz
5	shorts	generic nylon	4.5 oz
6	sleeping pad	modified Gossamer Gear Nightlight	6 oz
7	drybag	small NRS
8	toilet paper	soft	2 oz
9	pot & lid	Snow Peak titanium pot; aluminum foil lid	2 oz
10	spork	Snow Peak titanium	.5 oz
11	toiletry kit	floss, toothbrush, toothpaste	1.5 oz
12	headlamp	Black Diamond Ion	1 oz
13	waterfilter	MSR Microfilter	11 oz
14	stove fuel	Snow Peak GP110	7 oz
15	stove	Snow Peak Giga Power titanium	2.5 oz
16	breakdown paddle	3-piece ATX
17	2 breakfasts		6 oz
18	3 lunches		18 oz
19	2 desserts		5 oz
20	emergency food		4 oz
21	2 dinners		16 oz
drybags (not shown)			20 oz
Total Weight			10 lbs 7 oz
Save weight by sharing some of the gear with your paddling partners. Click here for info.

Gear List Three

This is my most recent gear list for the typical 3-day 2-night spring all-weather desert trip. Though 3/4 pound heavier and slightly more bulky than "Gear List Two" above, I find this kit to be warmer as well as more versatile, comfortable and reliable. I base every trip around this kit and adjust according to weather, length, difficulty and location. The changes from "Gear List Two" are marked in red asterisks ***.

 

what	description	weight
sleeping bag ***	Western Mountaineering Summerlite in sil-nylon sack	21 oz
shelter ***	Zpacks Hexamid tarp w/ Six Moons Design Meteor bivy	12 oz
clothing ***	Western Mountaineering Flash jacket & pants	16 oz
gore-tex socks	modified German military	2 oz
poncho	sil-nylon Equinox Terrapin	7 oz
shorts	generic nylon	4.5 oz
sleeping pad ***	66" long Thermarest Neoair	13 oz
drybag	small NRS
toilet paper	soft	2 oz
pot & lid	Snow Peak titanium pot; aluminum foil lid	2 oz
spork	Snow Peak titanium	.5 oz
toiletry kit	floss, toothbrush, toothpaste	1.5 oz
headlamp	keychain light w/ 3/32" bungee cord head band	.5 oz
waterfilter ***	Katadyn Pocket in homemade pouch	18.5 oz
stove fuel	Snow Peak GP110	7 oz
stove	Snow Peak Giga Power titanium	2.5 oz
breakdown paddle	3-piece ATX
2 breakfasts		6 oz
3 lunches		18 oz
2 desserts		5 oz
emergency food		4 oz
2 dinners		16 oz
dry bags (not shown)		20 oz
Total Weight		11 lbs 3 oz

Save weight by sharing some of the gear with your paddling partners. Click here for info.
Summer (version of above w/ Steripen Adventurer instead of Katadyn Pocket filter...when water is cleaner, lighter Linelite sleeping bag, no down clothing, no GoreTex socks and plastic poncho instead of sil-nylon)
Total Weight	8 lbs 6 oz
Save weight by sharing some of the gear with your paddling partners. Click here for info.
Add 1 lb per additional day out for food. For example: 5-day summer trip puts the total weight at just under 10.5 lbs. Not to shabby.......
Overnight Summer (same as "Summer" version above but food for 2 days rather than 3 and homemade Supercat alcohol stove instead of Snow Peak Giga Power)
Total Weight	6 lbs 15 oz

Gear List Four
This generic list is similar to what I started with in the early 90's. It is fairly typical today, if not light by many standards, for the 3-day 2-night trip. The weights are based on industry standard big-name "lightweight backpacking gear".

 

what	description	weight
sleeping bag	20 degree synthetic	48 oz
shelter	2 person tent	80 oz
camp sandals		16 oz
rain jacket		12 oz
rain pants		10 oz
fleece pants		16 oz
fleece jacket		20 oz
fleece hat		2 oz
fleece socks		3 oz
sleeping pad	full length Therm-a-Rest	20 oz
toilet paper		2 oz
pot, lid, cup		12 oz
spoon, fork		2 oz
toiletry kit		4 oz
headlamp		5 oz
waterfilter		11 oz
stove fuel	white gas	8 oz
stove	liquid fueled	14 oz
breakdown paddle	4-piece
2 breakfasts		8 oz
3 lunches		24 oz
drybags	stowfloats	32 oz
2 dinners		17 oz
Total Weight		23 lbs

The difference between this list and Gear List Three is not so much comfort or price but rather weight and bulk. Gear List Four is more than twice the weight and bulk and considerably more difficult to pack into the kayak. Add to this a kayak which can weigh in excess of 52 pounds empty and you now have some thing that will handle more like an eighteen-wheeler than a kayak. Out of the water, it's a hernia in the making.

Like driving a truck down the freeway, floating this kind of weight down a large and less technical river with little to no portaging isn't that big of a deal. However, maneuvering 12 extra pounds in technical waters with portages makes a difference for anyone...and particularly so for smaller folks or those with less than optimum joints and or ligaments.

10.2.11