I Weigh My Summer Gear

One of the things all of the ultralight books and guides say is that you should weigh your gear - all of it, right down to the smallest thing.  I've never done this.  Instead, I've always adopted a "I know what I need and I'm taking it" kind of attitude.  That's not to say that I've been completely cavalier in choosing what gear I use.  I looked for and bought the lightest gear I could find and afford. But I'm no ultralight packer.  I like my comforts and, as they say, I carry my fears.  For me that means fear of contracting water born diseases; fear of running out of water; and fear of hypothermia.  This means that I carry an actual water filter (albeit a small one), the capacity to carry as much as 7L of water (although the most I've actually carried is 5L), and warm layers and rain gear even in the summer.  I also like to have certain luxuries with me like clean(ish) clothes to sleep in, a pad to sit on during breaks, and a pillow.  A good night's sleep is crucial for me.  Without it, I start to feel broke down and discouraged.  I could probably shave off a few more ounces here and there by forgoing some luxuries but I'm pretty satisfied with everything I have.  Peace of mind and a little extra comfort at night are worth the weight.

This is my solo summer gear.  When I backpack with my husband, the total weight actually goes down 2 pounds since we split the weight of the tent.  All weights are in ounces.

Backpack - Granite Gear Nimbus Trace	70.4
Sleeping bag - Sierra Designs CLO 25	18.1
Tent - Sierra Designs Flashlight 1	33.12
poles/stakes	16
Sleeping pad - Thermarest ProLite Small	11
Sitting pad - Thermarest Zseat	2
Pillow - Sea to Summit Aeros UL	2
3L Platypus	3.7
2 Aquafina 1L bottles	2.8
Water filter - Sawyer Squeeze	5.8
2L Platypus collapsible bottle	1.2
Ursak	7.8
JetBoil Flash	14.7
Plastic bowl w/lid	3
Light My Fire titanium spork	0.7
Rain coat - North Face HyVent 2.5	11
Rain skirt (homemade)	3
REI 60L rain cover	3.7
Patagonia Nanopuff pullover	10
Marmot fleece cap	0.9
Cotton stretch gloves	1.15
Patagonia Capilene thermal top	5.3
Polypro t-shirt	6.3
Columbia river shorts	5.9
2 pair Thorlo light hiking socks	3
2 pair Patagonia Active Briefs	2.3
microfiber towel	2
2 hankies	2
toothbrush	1.9
toothpaste	1
hair brush	1.1
Lighter	0.7
Brunton sighting compass	2.8
wallet	0.6
Samsung Galaxy 3	6.7
trowel	2
SPOT	4.8
Swiss Army Knife, "Tinker"	3
Nikon Coolpix camera	4
journal and pencil	2.8
Total Ounces	280.3
Total Pounds	17.5

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Aside from the backpack,sleeping bag, sleeping pad, sitting pad, and pillow, I carried all of this gear with me last year on the PCT and I used all of it thoroughly and was glad to have it.  I've cut out a few things I didn't think were necessary (camp shoes and a book to read) and added a few comfort items (pillow and Zseat).  I'd prefer that my base weight be closer to 15 pounds but 17.5 is not too bad.  Fully loaded with 5 days of food and 5L of water, I'm looking at about 35 pounds total, which is about 4 pounds lighter than my max last year.

Edit 3/15/15 - I realized a couple of days after weighing my backpack that I'd left my first aid kit and some batteries in one of the pockets.  Hehe, oops.  So my pack actually weighs 63.5 ounces, which drops my base weight to 17.08 pounds.