Time to reduce gear weight
 

After two brief 4 day adventures this summer, I have decided it is time to reduce the weight of my gear. What prompted this? I actually weighed my sleeping bag, Army issue, 1971. Was told it was 4.5 pounds, actual weight is 6 pounds without stuff sack. Got me thinking about everything else I take along and how much I can reduce travel weight. Currently travel weight of gear with panniers is 50 pounds, 60 pounds when water is included (I carry a lot of water).
Goal is to get down to 30 pounds, 40 with water.
First stop is the sleeping bag. i do have a quilt that is 3.5 pounds, however it is only good to 60. Need something good to 40. The only issue is I am cheap, so tight I squeak when I walk. The bargain hunt begins one more time. Have all winter to come up with what needs to be replaced and then find a suitable replacement at the right price. Let the fun begin!

REI garage sale plus the clearance section of manufacturer websites will often save 30% or more over retail.

Dropping from 50 to 30 lbs? Losing the first 10 lbs will be $$. The next 10 will be $$$.

Good luck and be sure to share your progress!

I have considered reducing the overall weight of my touring setup. But I have a hard time passing up pastry shops!

https://www.westernmountaineering.com

one of the best sleeping bag manufacturers is in the US

As much as you ride, investing in gear upgrades is probably one of the best investments you could make.
Having been frugal, you probably have sufficient funds tucked away.

There is a difference between cheap and frugal.

Spending time trying to spend as little as possible doesn’t fit my definition of “fun”.

Sometimes frugality can be part of a minimalistic or ascetic lifestyle, which may not be ’fun’ but may be of value.

Don't discount looking at used items from somewhere like Facebook marketplace or forums such as this one. I managed to snag a nearly new sleeping bag (only ever tried out in the living room) that retails for £450 new for £150. It's in perfect condition, weighs 800g, and is rated to -5°C. I've been too warm in it.
Same for tents lightweight cook sets, etc. If you're patient and keep your eyes out, real bargains can be had.

I posted the following comment on your The Case for Large Panniers thread: Most of my sleeping bags, air mattresses, tents, etc., were purchased on sale. If I see something at a great sale price that I am sure I will like to use, I buy it. But, you have to be patient, sometimes for a few years.

I saw a great sale on a really light weight sleeping bag rated to 20 in 2010 (plus or minus a year or two), weighed less than a kilogram, model name from REI was Sub-Kilo. Am still using it, but it no longer is good for sub freezing weather.

Replaced the Sub-Kilo about three years ago with one I saw at REI Outlet. Was watching that for a few weeks, and suddenly the day after Christmas in 2022 REI had a one day 20 percent off one item sale on their Outlet. Bought it. For warmer weather camping that might dip below about 40, am still using the Sub-Kilo. But now I have a good bag for sub freezing weather.

For warmer than 40 degrees, I am using a bag I bought on sale maybe a dozen years ago. At that time I had a Polarguard bag that was nice but too heavy and too bulky when packed.

My point is be patient, but keep watching for what you might want at a good sale price. The great sale price deals do not knock on your door, you have to watch for them.

I decided after my 2016 bike tour that my 6 pound tent was too heavy for bike touring. Saw a tent I wanted at REI Outlet, but it was an expensive tent at only 20 percent off. Once a week I checked their price, and after several months it was suddenly marked way down from that 20 percent off, plus they added a 20 percent off one item sale on it too. Been using that tent for my bike touring since 2017. In this case the tent was replaced with a model upgrade in a different color by the manufacturer, so the tent I bought was discounted to a clearance sale because it was the old color.

If there is a Sierra store near you, check them out. They often buy overstock or discontinued merchandise and sell at a good price. They used to be called Sierra Trading Post. They also have a website: https://www.sierra.com They even have the best price in town on butane canisters, when they have them in stock. Their stock changes over time. Occasionally when I am driving past their store, I stop in to check it out, even if I am not looking for something specific. Usually walk out empty handed, but I have gotten great deals there.

I try not to be in the situation you are in, where I am in a hurry to buy. In that case I might be too quick to pull the trigger and get something that later I decide was not right for me.

I’m pretty minimalist. Hell. My house has only one bathroom, my oven is from the 1950s, and my 3 bikes are all over 10 years old. And being on a fixed income, I don’t try to spend money needlessly—to a point. But if I want/need something, I don’t turn over every rock trying to spend as little as possible. My time is more valuable to me.

I have almost infinite patience and will find what I am looking for at some point in time. Just have to be diligent in the research. My touring bikes are old, 1985 Miyata 1000, 1986 Fudi Sundance, and a custom frame I designed and built about 10 years ago. I only run friction on these bikes and they are bomb proof, will last a couple of lifetimes.
The reason I say that I am cheap is because I am cheap. Almost every change or repair on our house is DIY, I fix my cars, and generally live this way by choice. I get great satisfaction with DIY projects, and enjoy sniffing around for killer deals on used or new equipment.
Worked in a bike shop full and part time for 40 years, and it wasn't until I turned 50 that I started to make money outside of the bike biz. Retired last year and my cheapness has stayed about the same. I don't spend it unless I have it, and I manage to save money each month!
Winter is ready to set in, which gives me lots of time to hunt around. One thing for sure, that old Army Mountain Bag is great for winter camping and will be used accordingly this winter.

Okay, you're cheap, but are you a cheap date?

I am frugal with everything in life except bikes and whitewater kayaks. When on tour, I want stuff (bike, tent, cook gear, air pads, anything in use daily, etc) to not fail, to be robust, and simplify pitching/breaking camp. Cost is secondary because having fun is important. I don’t want to think about the gear while on tour, it should just serve my needs. So if I go overboard a bit on cost of bike/gear, see my first sentence. The bike is a workhorse which I cherish.

Sorry, Pratt. Married to a beauty for 35 years. Believe me, she is not a cheap date! Opposites attract, that's a fact.

So, that is why you are a cheap skate, all available funds went elsewhere.

As long as you are happy, that works.

There is more truth in that statement than I care to admit.

around here, spring sales happen early. A few years back I replaced my very old , 30yr old , sleeping bag, which was reasonable for weight, but a bit narrow always (mummy style) and not great for cooler temps.
On sale for about $200 I got a down camping quilt rated to 0c 32f, and about half the weight of my old bag, but realistically as an old skinny guy I need to bundle up a lot nearer to those temps--but also realistically very rarely am bike camping at those temps.

years ago I also replaced my campmat for one that weighs about a pound,

all these things are worth it to me as others have said for the enjoyment factor in life, less weight a real bonus, and I am frugal also.

re weight, I cant recall if you are a CPAP machine guy also, but 50lbs is a lot. Who knows what other stuff you bring along on a bike trip, and pretty much impossible for us to know, or to compare what one person finds essential vs another person.
For those of us who have bike toured a long time, and/or done other self propelled outdoor activites, the vast majority have learned over time by trial and error how to pare down things, but still be comfortable, but this is a purely personal thing--and I have friends who cannot fathom traveling with so few things--but really, I'm a skinny guy who hates being cold, so I make sure I am comfortable for a wide range of temps, but I can also live happily with few things on my bike, so that helps a lot.

I grew up doing canoe camping, so this helped a lot in learning to be very efficient in what to take, clothes, camp stove, cooking stuff etc.

good luck on examining your pack list and reducing the weight of specific items (a very valid thing to do, as your sleeping bag shows) but also looking at the overall picture.

Deciding what to carry is a real balancing of things like weight, performance/comfort, durability, volume and price.
Durability increases weight but may reduce price. Reducing weight for the same performance will likely increase the price and reduce durability. More comfort leads to more weight and more volume, More tools and spare parts increases survivability at the cost of weight and volume. Then hobbies/passtimes. I like to carry a notebook and pens to write, others like to carry camera gear or a drone.

I find it interesting that many put so much emphasis on reducing weight. Yes, less weight permits less effort and longer distances, but why do these two matter so much ? I ride to go places, but I'm not in any hurry to get anywhere, and don't see the need to compare my performance to that of others. I also ride to keep in shape, so the more weight I drag around, the better shape I'm in. The one thing that I can see worth worrying about is the grade of a hill that can be pedaled. But there will always be hills that have to be walked if they get steep enough, just as there's a limit to how much wind you can pedal into regardless of how much weight your carrying. I have no problems with riders who put a lot of importance on performance, but I don't see bike touring as being a performance oriented activity.

That said... six pounds for a sleeping bag is an awful lot, and it must be pretty huge as well.

For one, I like to be able to go a little faster now that the days are shorter where I am. If the weather cooperates, I’m planning to go out for six days starting a week from tomorrow. I’d prefer not to have to rush in camp to set up, shower, and cook before it gets dark. After DST ends, that becomes even more important. I’ve done long weekend trips at late as mid-December.

And personally, I think having to walk sucks. It sucks more if it has to be done several times. Ask me how I know.

But what does faster mean ? Faster than what ? I agree that being lighter enables going faster, but to what end ?

Yes the days are shorter, and you can advance less far in a day, but what is your objective ? Is it a fixed distance ? Do you have to reach a specific location by sundown ? Day after day ?

Faster than I would go with more weight. When I tour in my area, you don’t have flexibility to just call it a day when you feel like unless you want to trespass.

My upcoming plans include train and ferry rides, so getting places by certain times is important. And I have to carry all my food for dinner and breakfast the first day unless I want to add miles to shop at a dollar store. I also want to arrive with plenty of time to enjoy the Halloween weekend festivities and get firewood from the state forest office while it’s still open.

Thinking about this thread, I remembered that sleeping comfortably in a stout tent while a storm rages outside is a near priceless feeling of luxury.

without a doubt, less bike+load weight means less effort for the same distance, makes quite a difference with lots of climbing, and for a lot of us old geezers (most of us I suspect) it just makes a difference in enjoying the activity, especially with sometimes longer distances between campgrounds, or towns, or whatever.
Certainly in my experience, every decade translates into things feeling harder, so reducing the load weight is a nice tradeoff--hopefully done smartly enough where ones experience still means one is warm, dry, fed and watered properly and all that stuff.

Late season or winter camping up in northern part of USA, days are short, batteries in your headlamp are even more important, and when those batteries are chilled, they don't last as long. For that I also like to bring a tent light that I can hang inside the tent.

Have a great six day trip. I hope the shower building is heated, they often are not. Depending on where you are they might have been shut down for winter.

What you want is gear that is designed for backpacking. Go on REI, look up all the items you are interested in and then hit them up when they have one of their many yearly sales and/or scout Facebook Marketplace, craigslist etc for the same gear in used condition. Their website lists the use case (camping, backpacking hiking, mountaineering etc) in the spec sheet and the reviews can be helpful.

I am a big backpacker and kitted myself out this way. All of the same gear translates directly to bicycle touring as well.

I understand being frugal, but a frugal minded person should also want the best bang for buck and should expect their gear to last a very long time so that they aren't buying again when they could have avoided it. For tent, sleeping pad and sleeping bag I would spend the most money and also probably not buy used. You will thank yourself down the road.

Lastly, the REI brand is not bad in many cases. Some of their gear holds up extremely well, some of it is junk (and getting worse as the years go on). For your needs I think an REI down sleeping bag would be perfect and not too costly. Same with their tents.