$300 Challenge

 

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The following was re-produced directly from a thread on Trail Talk, the forum at The Backpacker.com. It was a very interesting discussion about how to set up from scratch a 15 pound packing list for less than $300. I included it here because the lists could be used by someone that wants to get started without spending a lot of money. To see the original thread, go here.

 
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Can anyone out there get totally outfitted for ~$300 and have a base pack weight under 15 pounds (before food and water)? Please list sources and weight. That's rarefied air!
Jack Young
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
I could tell ya, but then I'd have to kill ya.

What's totally outfitted anyway? Getting outfitted for summer costs nothing when compared to getting outfitted for winter...
roseymonster
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
stole this off another list:

Pack-- Camp Trails Scirocco- 3 lbs 1 oz-3500cui- $40--Campmor.com
>
>Bag-- Coleman Kodiak- 45 deg.-- 2lb 2oz --$70 through Coleman or other
>sporting goods stores
>
>Tent-- 8X10 tarp nylon, coated-- $33--23 oz-- Campmor.com
>
>Stove and cook set-- Trangia--$25-- 14 oz-- REI.com
>
>Utinsels--Lexan soup spoon .25 oz.--$.75 Campmor
>
>Water Purifier-- Portable Aqua-- $5-- 2oz--REI
>
>Sleep pad--Ridge Rest-- $15--14 oz--REI
>
>Knife- Swiss army- $12--1oz-Campmor
>
>Lighter-butane-$1- .5oz-Any store
>
>Water bottle-Recycled-free-2 liter -2oz
>
>First aid/repair kit-Home made-free-8oz
>
>Light-Eveready Penlight-AA-$4-4oz- any store
>
>Toiletries-free-5oz
>
>Long johns-Duofold polypro med wt.-$20-12oz-Campmor
>
>Boots- Hi-Tec - $25- various stores
>
>Fleece top-Target- $22
>
>Socks-$5 for 2 pairs- polyester- local drug store
>
>Shell top-Target-$20-7oz-
>
>Stuff sacks-Trash compactor bags-$4
>
>Total cost---$299
>Total pack weight w/o food or water-about 13 lbs
Space dawg
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
$0.59 bottle of dr pepper
$1.47 three moon pies
$1.50 hanky
$FREE stick
-------------------------
$3.56

place moon pies and dr pepper in hanky. tie to stick. hit the trail!!
radagast
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
Rad? No beer? You'd never make it far from the trailhead.
arclite
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
$.59 bottle of Dr. Pepper. Where in the world do you live. I can't get a bottl of pop for less than $.90
Oldie
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
I'm impressed and some what humbled Space dawg. That is a pretty good list.

One Gold Star for Space dawg.
bacpac
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
no name pack $39.95 from meijers. 2700 cui 1lb14oz
army poncho, free (contact recruiter) 1lb 5oz w/ small bungee cord(1)
fleece sleeping bag $15 sports authority 2lb1oz
No stove or mess kit
First need h2o purifier $75 1lb 8oz
Minimag lite w/2aa batts $12 4 oz
2liter platypus bag w/ drink tube $15 rei 6oz
Victorinx swiss champ knife $65 7oz
First aid kit free homemade 10.5 oz
50' nylon cord $3 meijers 3 oz
matches (in ziploc bag) free at 7-11 party store
Shoes new balance 877 free, old running shoes to worn for running 1lb 6 oz
Sox, 2 pr reg white cotton dont know cost i already have em for everyday use 6 oz
Hanes pocket t-shirt $3 Wal Mart 8oz?
Army pants free( see recruiter) 1lb8oz

Total cost 227.95 and 12.5 lbs. This is for a wknd.
hyperpacker
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
Victorinox Swisschamp knife $65 7oz

my God, man. this is one fifth of your cost.
radagast
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
Actually it (the knife) was a gift rad. My dad bought it for me in 1988. I included it because the only time it gets used is on BP trips.
hyperpacker
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
Join the Armed Forces and they will outfit you for free. Okay so it weighs more than 15LBs, but I guess that is the trade off you pay in order to be able blow things up.
Baso4
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
How about replacing the $65 Swiss Army with an $7 French Opinel single blade knife. Weights about 4oz. Use the spare $58 to buy an old spoon. Bend the last quarter of the spoon handle around to form a tight 'U'. Go to Burger King and use this spoon to lift a used styrofoam hamburger container out of the dumpster. After washing you now have a free plate to eat out of. Also you can use this plate to scoop up water from any old stream to drink. No need for the Platypus. Then use it to scoop up leaves and rake them into a nest. Now you don't need a sleeping bag. Now that you don't need the sleeping bag use the $15 to buy something really practical...a pawn shop guitar to store your new stuff. Be sure to get one with a strap because then you don't need the no-name pack. Use the $39.95 to buy some ...
solitary hiker
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
...reality???
bacpac
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
I can't remember the last time I saw a styrofoam hamburger container.
larock
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
Holy Cow Dooky! Has everyone gone nuts. Out of 12 posts a grand total of 2 are actually on subject. I love thread deterioration but so soon? If its really an issue i'll pretend i dont carry the knife for Rad and Solitary, but i still will.
BTW solitary burger king doesnt use styrofoam anymore. And we all appreciatte your dumpster diving trip report. You seem to really be good at it. I adimre your spoon inginuity, how ceative. But $58 is a bit much for an old spoon. FYI this is "thebackpacker.com" not "thetrashpicker.com".
hyperpacker
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
start at Goodwill. You never know what stuff you can find cheap. I've found a few lightweight stuff there. DOn't know if you'll make your weight goal, but you can meet the cheap goal.
SARBoy
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
Baso4 - your not getting outfitted for free by joining the armed forces! Dont ya remember the part about selling them 4 years of your life! Thats got to be worth more than $300 even to the person with very low self-worth.LOL!
switchback
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
shhhh!! spam will kill ya if he hears talk like that!!!

sign 'em!
shave 'em!
shoe 'em!
and ship 'em!
radagast
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
LOL@ Solitary! That’s some damn special spoon there bubba! I can see it now…[wavy dream sequence fades in] The local police driving past the dumpster at Burger King and the only thing they can see is Solitary’s a@@ hanging over the dumpster.

"What ya doin’ there fella?"

Solitary jerking upright with his spoon held in his hand with the Styrofoam burger container dangling from his super spoon.

"What? Huh? Oh! I’m goin’ campin’!"

I gotta get me one!
Nigal
10/11/00


RE: $300 challenge
Hey. and where's everyone getting all these free medical supplies from for thier first aid kits anyway? That stuff is expensive!
roseymonster
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Rosey-First aid stuff stolen from grandmother's medicine cabinet.
Converted42
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Pack: Vortex 4500 ($249.98)
Bag: TNF Solar Flare ($307.32)

Well I just broke the bank, I am impressed with space dawgs post, Not bad at all. Now how about a good downhill full suspension mountain bike under 23lbs for under $300!
orbitmanifesto
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Orbit: You dreamin'
roseymonster
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
I've been in HEAT for the spectra made Kelty Cloud. The things is totaly stripable down to ~1.5 pound but the ~$550 is like a ice cold shower.
Space dawg
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Fun question, especially for a tightwad like me who is too lazy to carry more than necessary, and also likes to SHOP!

pack, Stansport 3500 ci, 2#,$25 at Target (clearance)

bag, Greatland Grand Canyon, 2.5#, $40 at Target

tent, Peak 1 Cobra, 4#, $70 at Sports Authority (sale)

stove & fuel, Markill Devil with Peak 1 canister, 1#, $25 at local outfitter

pot, grease saver w/ foil lid, .5#, $6 at Wal-Mart

microfleece top, .5#, $10 at just about any discount store

microfleece pants, .5#, $5, JC Penney Outlet

nylon wind pants, .5#, $3, Goodwill

Pacific Trails rain jacket, .5#, $3, Goodwill

Polypro top & pants, 1#, $20(set), Wal-Mart

Thermarest UL 3/4, 1#, $65 (ouch!), almost anywhere

Swiss Army Classic, 1 oz, $10, Target

plastic mug, 5 oz, $2, anywhere

plastic bowl, 5 oz, $2, anywhere

Coleman 2AA headlamp, 6 oz, $8, Shopko

iodine tabs, 2 oz, $3, anywhere

pop bottles, plastic spoon - free

I usually carry a few more items than this (such as camp chair, camera, book, etc), but I could get by with this list as a minimum, not including food.

OmaHiker
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Camp Trails Catskills pack, big-ish, but not very expensive.
Sports Authority

Eureka! Aurora 1, 5#, $125.00 online.

WalMart bag, inexpensive. WalMart.

Foam pad - cheap, light, bulky-ish.
WalMart

"canoeing" stove and fuel cannister. Big-ish, sotra heavy, bulky-ish.
WalMart

Sweetwater filter. You know about them.
Sports Authority


Stainless camping pot. Light, cheap.
WalMart

Plastic spoon.

Blue metal 16oz mug. Light. Cheap

Headlamp. Cheap.
WalMart

Plastic flashlight (2 AA's). Cheap.

Appropriate clothing,

Neccessary food.

Two 20oz Gatorade bottles.

Minimalist firstaid kit.

Knife. Free.

Compass. Map. Toiletries.


Open first item.
Cram all other items into said item.
Hike.
gojo
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Wenaha Pack. A hundred hundred pounds. Eleventy skillion dollars.
REI

Katrillion pounds of dog food. Walasa kabasa dollars.
Winn Dixie

8x8 Tarp. Reeeeeeel heavy. Free

Poncho. Cheap. Not reel reel heavy
WalMart.

Hundrety'leven feet of rope. Gertretle pounds. Free.

Two 20oz gatorade btls. Usually empty.

Wait til gojo fills up the pack and puts it on my back so I can walk in the woods and look at things and smell them and listen then we stop and eat and sleep in the woods.
sarabelle
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Here's a 10-lb., $100 gear list - sorry, I don't even try to do links - you'll have to cut & paste. I knew I'd seen this somewhere, I just couldn't remember where to find it without looking around a little.

http://ourworld-top.cs.com/lighthiker/contents.html
OmaHiker
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Baso.
Man you are right. Where else do you get to camp, hike, and blow stuff up? It isn't light work though.
13FIST
10/12/00


RE: $300 challenge
Geeeezzz....not spam postings in here too!
Solitary Hiker
10/15/00


RE: $300 challenge
SARboy's right about the thrift stores. I got two down vests for under $5 each at at thrift store. I bought most of my car-camping cooking stuff at thrift stores.

Don't forget garage sales. Our scoutmaster got a Northface tent, MSR stove, and thermarest pad at a garage sale for $50 total.
Phil
10/15/00