Gear List Spreadsheets

     I'm in the process of compiling weights on all of the gear I own. I created a spreadsheet on iWork Numbers, but I was unable to figure out how to use all of the formatting. It works a bit different than Excel. So I just kept inputting data. Last week, when perusing the forums at Backpackinglight.com, I saw that many of the members had uploaded their gear lists. Good stuff. In fact, they have even had contests to see who could come up with the best Excel based spreadsheets. The only problem is that the ones they had to download were from '06. So, I started looking around a bit online. I found a downloadable spreadsheet at blackwoodspress.com. I loaded it up and moved some numbers around a bit. 

     The whole point to having this information on paper is to be able to see where the poundage is excessive. If we can determine where we need to lose weight, then finding a way to shed is much more concise. I'm posting a rough idea of the gear I will be taking to North Carolina next month. I will of course keep an eye on the weather so I can make changes as our departure date gets closer. You will notice that there is no weights for food or water. I will have a better idea of how much to add as we get closer. My crew is considering shipping a food drop to the midpoint. If we do, then this gear list could shrink. Or, I could ship out excessive gear once I'm out there.

     Although this is lighter than I would have been last year-it's not light enough. Now I know to look into something lighter than my R4 fleece. Maybe lighter trekking poles. Also, I ordered a Boilerwerks Backcountry Boiler. Our menu for this trip isn't actually ideal for the Jetboil or my new stove. We'll be using food that needs to soak a bit, then be cooked in a pot. Not normal for me. I prefer to boil and rehydrate in bag. So those weights are a bit off as well. 

     You will notice that it computes "Base Weight", "Total Pack Weight", and "Skin Out Weight". The latter two should be self descriptive. Base Weight refers to everything inside the pack that is non-consumable. This is the weight that acts as a minimum. I need everything in the pack(or subconsiously think I do). That will not change. The amount of food, water, and fuel in the pack will very throughout the trip. So once I get accurate weight on my food, and decide how much water to carry, then I will be able to estimate my total pack weight for the trek. This will tell me in advance if changes need to be made. So this little bit of nerd work will pay off.

***UPDATE***

Jason Klass alerted his readers a new way to handle spreadsheets. It's called Gear Grams. It works a bit differently. This one you sign up for free, enter your gear info into a "gear library" and can select which pieces of gear for each specific spreadsheet. It's a bit more time consuming on the front end, but seems to work well after you enter all the gear. I recommend giving it a try. I'm using it.