how do YOU cut weight from your kit?

[DaveR]

A great example of how wet cotton just clings to the skin!

[M_Sprague]

Maybe Luke is on to something.

[DLottmann]

Looking at a wet t-shirt is making me feel a little warmer... I retract my previous arguments.

[ed_esmond]

A great example […] skin!

dave, 

now that's what i'm talking about… 

if you study the photo very, very closely, it's pretty obvious she's cold. 

she's also looks pretty "fast and light…"  call me "old school,"  but i wonder if she's packing one of those "SPOT" things that seem to getting a lot of people into trouble now-a-days.

Nobody seems to have mentioned the 'leave-it-behind-as-you-no-longer-need-it' technique. […] Ideally, within a quarter mile of Pinkham you could be down to your fishnet stockings, cell phone and car keys.

marky, many great ideas here, but it unravels for me at the "down to your fishnet stockings…" part. my legs just aren't that great...

Ed, you have a lot of good ideas in the field of animated gifs. I think you might be a natural!

jb, thanks for the compliment, my wife is always saying to me, "you are sooo full of it…"

ed e

[strandman]

So..we got Weitzler nude...Mark almost nude.... eric in fishnet  or the hot chic in a T shirt..MMMMMM...I pick....

[ridgerunner]

So I am still stuck in France, getting bored, and I have been "absorbing" all this material, on a thread started by asking how to cut weight on your kit, followed through with carrying less water by pre-hydrating (makes sense to me : I do it) and moving on to carrying cotton T-shirts. So am I right in assuming that combining the two, you could theoretically not carry any water bottle but just suck up on the soaked Tees when you change ? Class ? Anyone ? If this topic is covered in MTFOTH, my bad because I only have the first edition.

[lucky luke]

So I am still stuck in France, getting bored, and I have been "absorbing" all this material, on a thread started by asking how to cut weight on your kit, followed through with carrying less water by pre-hydrating (makes sense to me : I do it) and moving on to carrying cotton T-shirts. So am I right in assuming that combining the two, you could theoretically not carry any water bottle but just suck up on the soaked Tees when you change ? Class ? Anyone ? If this topic is covered in MTFOTH, my bad because I only have the first edition.

One day, my t shirt was so wet that it had been possible!!! it was a snowy day around 32. I just had a kiwi, which is similar to cotton with a little water protection, and my t-shirt. The next step was to ski naked and as I am not as beautifull as the wet t-shirt women above. I kept my equipment. The next morning, the temperature drop to single digit under zero. The ice on my t-shirt take three days to melt at home, inside the house.

[carp]

My approach to being light is:

Whiskey is lighter than beer.

If you bring a bigger pack you will fill it. (My winter packs are 25L - 35L).

The more you know, the less you need, and vice versa.

Avoid anything made by Coleman.

[tradmanclimbz]

Way BINTD about a million years ago I did the extra dry cotton T shirt thing. changed into  a fresh one @ the base of the climb. It works well for a day trip but the idea of carrying enough dry cotton arround for a multi day trip is pretty darn out there......   These days I go all synthetic and it works better for me than the old cotton routine.... I try not to do multi day. I generaly keep moveing till I get back to the car.

I carry 2 headlamps. The fastest way to reload batteries is to grab a headlamp that is allready loaded. I use the cheapo depot energizer lights. they work great and you can buy 2 or 3 for the price of one Petzle. I have had the petzle and they can break just as easy as a cheapo. Annother advantage of two hedlamps is my partners often seem to forget theirs.   In a real pinch I have worn two headlamps for leading hard @ night.   I always carry at 4 pairs of gloves. do not always use them all but also still have all my fingers.
One ultra light pair of gloves for the approach.
two pairs of sensitive but reasonably warm EMS work gloves for leading.
One pair of warm synthetic gloves for the end of the day or emergencys.

cut down from 8 screamers to 4 then quick draws and a few slings.

7.8 mm ropes. I went for 70m  against my own advice because I thought they would be an advantage for raps @ the Lake. also planning on useing a single strand for some outings. So far I have only used that advantage once and the rest of the time all that extra rope is a complete PINTA If i had enough $$$  i would have a whole quiver or ropes to taylor to the day.

70m 7.8s for certain climbs.
60m 7.8s for most multi pitch ice climbs.
70m super skinny single for light alpine.
70m fat for some sport and cragging.
60m fat for most sport and cragging.

[tradmanclimbz]

The best way to cut weight for gully climbs is to get comfortable soloing grade 3.