Streamlining your gear, less is more?

[stoney126]

Hey all, this past trip to alabama hills i noticed as I was packing my jeep that i bring a lot of crap.
Now this my second trip in my jeep and its been pretty well stuffed. Firstbtime was 4 people. This time i was by myself and stil pretty full up.
Now Im basically taking my usual camping gear which I just throw in the back of my truck and stuff it in my jeep. Now i keep the back seats up to keep things from sliding forward during a hard stop.

I run 2 burner colman stove fry pan. Pot and a skillit. Granted I have enough plastic utencils to last weeks. All that fits in a tupperware tote. My sleeping bag and selfinflating airmattress seem to take up a bit of room.brought a shower and my tools an0d air compressor.

Anyway what have you done to eliviate some space in your ride?

 

[Pazuzu1991]

I pack all my personal gear in my backpack, the same way I would if I was going backpacking for two weeks. I then take that and put it in the truck. My stoves are two ultralight titanium heads on MSR cans. My "kitchen" is my titanium set I use in the same pack. My foods are all natural vegetables and eggs, and pasta. My proteins come from a variety of prepackaged fish or chicken. I don't do heavy gear because, well, it's heavy. I don't drink alcohol or eat red meats so I don't see a point to a fridge. I'm big on the simplified approach. The same kit I use in the truck, I use in my kayaks, bikes or hiking. I don't even carry a camp chair because the stool I use to load the bikes and boats on the roof also serves as a chair. I try to limit my gear to no more than 5gal of water and 80lbs of kit, including food. When I go out into the wild, the "comforts" of home stay home, and I love it.
I do own an fairly large assortment of top of the line gear and equipment, don't get me wrong. I just don't try and take it all with me at the same time.

Sent from my iPhone using Overland Bound Talk

 

[Narbob]

Hey all, this past trip to alabama hills i noticed as I was packing my jeep that i bring a lot of crap.
Now this my second trip in my jeep and its been pretty well stuffed. Firstbtime was 4 people. This time i was by myself and stil pretty full up.
Now Im basically taking my usual camping gear which I just throw in the back of my truck and stuff it in my jeep. Now i keep the back seats up to keep things from sliding forward during a hard stop.

I run 2 burner colman stove fry pan. Pot and a skillit. Granted I have enough plastic utencils to last weeks. All that fits in a tupperware tote. My sleeping bag and selfinflating airmattress seem to take up a bit of room.brought a shower and my tools an0d air compressor.

Anyway what have you done to eliviate some space in your ride?

I've found that trip organization is a never ending battle. I'm using two different size Action Packers. For AH I used a large one for my sleeping bag, pad and tent. Sometimes I just use those items for filler to keep the rattling noise down. I also have a smaller one for misc. camp stuff ( lights, bug spray etc ). If I don't take my REI kitchen, my back packing stove and pot as well as dry food, if I don't use my bear can, also fit. My clothes and jackets go in a medium size duffle bag. I've also seen a lot of guys are using Plano containers.

 

[VCeXpedition]

Hi my name is Dan, and I'm an.... overpacker.

The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem.
...yeah, I might not be ready to change quite yet. I enjoy the process too much, having what I need, even having what someone else might need, double-redundancy, that sort of thing.

That's why my Landcruiser has earned the name "pack mule". I am 'vehicle centric'. I count on having the capacity to carry out what I want to do. I'm even a little amazed that I can pack so much into so little space, it's a challenge to me. And not including food shopping, I can be on my way in 30-45 minutes, start to finish.
I have enough stuff sorted out to go for one night or two weeks, the amount of stuff I take for those two trips is not much different, the only thing that really varies is the amount of food I take, or how long I will be away from civilization. I try different ways of doing things to see what works best in each situation. I enjoy that part of the journey.
I am not a minimalist, but that said, I don't think I'm an object hoarding toy-junkie either. I have been on enough trips that I know what didn't work and I got rid of it.

For example, I like a shower after about day two, and I have a couple ways to accomplish that, one simple, one a little more elaborate, and if I need privacy or not, I can do that. I have at least two ways to cook and I'm glad if other people can take advantage of what I've prepared for too. It's part of the social aspect of going overland to me.

Admittedly, I should pare down, but I can still fit me plus three as needed, and that's all I will probably ever have to take.

Dan.

 

[rixham]

I have 2 ways of packing... 1 if it is just me and the dog and a second if it is me and my step dad. He needs a bigger tent, a cot, and all the bells and whistles.