My dungeon
Gear has come such a long way since my REI Wonderland external frame pack, iodine tablets, and endless Turkey Tettrazzini dinners! I am constantly amazed at the evolution of all things backpacking. Over the years I’ve played with different gear lists, downloaded templates, etc. However, what works best is the spreadsheet I’ve created. And as complicated as it looks, it’s really easy for me, and I’ve yet to forget a piece of gear on a trip.
In my old age, I’ve become a bit of a weight weenie. I’m not going to miss out on a comfort item or two, but I definitely consider the weight of my gear and clothing when I’m packing One stormy night, I went down to my gear room, aka, The Dungeon, and pulled out my gear, weighed it with my scale and documented it on the spreadsheet so I can keep track of the dry weight when packing.
The spreadsheet is broken down for my gear, my wife’s gear, gear for when we backpack together, and gear for when I go solo. When I’m planning a trip I create a copy of this spreadsheet, and delete everything I won’t need. When it’s done, I print out the gear that made the cut and cross off each item as I pack it. I’ve yet to forget something.
If you’d like a copy of my spreadsheet, shoot me an email and I’ll forward it to you.
