Project lighten the load.

[Jeremy]

Well over the last few years of camping and 4x4ing I have collected all my camping stuff. Problem is none of it was purchased with a weight conscious thought.

Now after acquiring everything I'm fining that I am packing almost 900lbs of gear :wow:

What I have set out on now is down sizing all the gear that I have. My goal is to allow for room physical and weight wise to the truck for extra gas and spares. One area of weight savings is my BBQ and propane set up. Right now I have a Webber BBQ (20lbs) and a 30lbs propane bottle plus all the hoses tree and stuff. Do not get me wrong I love this set up I have propane for a week and the ability to reuse my bottle unlike the little green ones.

So wile at Cabelas yesterday we were looking in the camping area (only area of interest for me there really) and found a nice clamping camp fire grill for BBQing over a camp fire. It weighs in at 5lbs and is about the size of a frying pan.

So we are going to try that and see how it goes. If it works then we have shaved about 60lbs off and saved quite a lot of payload space.

We have also realized that our camp chairs although very comfy are a bit large and on the heavy side as well. I got two $10 camp chairs and we are going to see how they work ( I detest them but they are about 1/3 the weight and the two take up less space that one of the other ones).

Next task is to start trimming down the amounts of things we bring and there individual weights.

Jeremy

[ChrisR]

900lbs :eek: I pack up my Jeep with enough stuff for a week with 2 kids and I don't think we get that much stuff. I had a lot more before as well but before our last few trips, I managed to shave a whole bunch of stuff we didn't ever really need also. You know the stuff which you take thinking "I might need that someday" :) You'll see you don't ever really need it. Well maybe sometime but how ofter is that?

I think that I have a good amount of the stuff we need now, I just need better quality stuff. Better sleeping bags etc... We tend to get a little cold on our trips :) Axel knows what I'm talking about :)

Anyway good luck with the down sizing.
Chris

[Jeremy]

900lbs :eek: I pack up my Jeep with enough stuff for a week with 2 kids and I don't think we get that much stuff. I had a lot more before as well but before our last few trips, I managed to shave a whole bunch of stuff we didn't ever really need also. You know the stuff which you take thinking "I might need that someday" :) You'll see you don't ever really need it. Well maybe sometime but how ofter is that?

I think that I have a good amount of the stuff we need now, I just need better quality stuff. Better sleeping bags etc... We tend to get a little cold on our trips :) Axel knows what I'm talking about :)

Anyway good luck with the down sizing.
Chris

Sorry should edit it a bit I do not know quite how much I have but it is very noticeable going from unloaded to loaded. Once I get it back on the road I will weight it unloaded and see what the difference is from loaded.

Right now loaded I'm at 2430kgs (5346lbs) problem is I still have about 400lbs of rear bumper, tire swing out, rock sliders and winch to add. Then there is the 2nd gas tank that I was hopping to add.

None of that includes the mtn bikes or hopefully soon to have canoe or 2 kyack.

All of a sudden I feel like I'm going the wrong way. :crazy:

[ChrisR]

Kyaks and the MTN bikes will be good for at least 150lbs. Then the carrier and the rails should be as much as that or more. Ah hell just throw 1000 lbs of gear in the back, cause it won't make any difference anymore after all that :poke: :)

Well I'm sure you will get it all sorted out eventually. Takes some creative packing and some real tough descisions on what you actually really need and don't. I still pack way to much stuff even after thining the gear out.

Well like I said good luck.

[TheOtherSide]

900lbs :eek: I pack up my Jeep with enough stuff for a week with 2 kids and I don't think we get that much stuff.

Well Chris... you just haven't seen the cities we build on our wheeling trips, and all the amenities they have... it's quite impressive. And all that does come with some serious weight... :D


What I have set out on now is down sizing all the gear that I have. My goal is to allow for room physical and weight wise to the truck for extra gas and spares. One area of weight savings is my BBQ and propane set up. Right now I have a Webber BBQ (20lbs) and a 30lbs propane bottle plus all the hoses tree and stuff. Do not get me wrong I love this set up I have propane for a week and the ability to reuse my bottle unlike the little green ones.

So wile at Cabelas yesterday we were looking in the camping area (only area of interest for me there really) and found a nice clamping camp fire grill for BBQing over a camp fire. It weighs in at 5lbs and is about the size of a frying pan.

So we are going to try that and see how it goes. If it works then we have shaved about 60lbs off and saved quite a lot of payload space.

We have also realized that our camp chairs although very comfy are a bit large and on the heavy side as well. I got two $10 camp chairs and we are going to see how they work ( I detest them but they are about 1/3 the weight and the two take up less space that one of the other ones).

Next task is to start trimming down the amounts of things we bring and there individual weights.

JeremyNo question that the 20lb tank is big... you can get the smaller ones... you can get 5lb ones... much smaller diameter and height, and still get the tree to hook up to it. I know what you mean about the BBQ... it's more of a size thing for that though than weight isn't it?

Totally with you on weight savings. I was driving myself nuts with all the weight I was packing.

As for your chairs... yeah, the cheap folding chairs are much smaller than your king-kong chairs.... you'll be giving up some cush.... but you'll make it!! :poke:

You need a Suburban... you can fit lots in there... and still have room for 3 kids and your wife... but it's not so good offroad!! ;)

[Jeremy]

Well Chris... you just haven't seen the cities we build on our wheeling trips, and all the amenities they have... it's quite impressive. And all that does come with some serious weight... :D

No question that the 20lb tank is big... you can get the smaller ones... you can get 5lb ones... much smaller diameter and height, and still get the tree to hook up to it. I know what you mean about the BBQ... it's more of a size thing for that though than weight isn't it?

Totally with you on weight savings. I was driving myself nuts with all the weight I was packing.

As for your chairs... yeah, the cheap folding chairs are much smaller than your king-kong chairs.... you'll be giving up some cush.... but you'll make it!! :poke:


You need a Suburban... you can fit lots in there... and still have room for 3 kids and your wife... but it's not so good offroad!! ;)

Yeah the tank is the heavy one of the two, both take up a lot of room. The BBQ is huge, its taking up a good 3sq/ft of room, not to mention the racket going down a logging road. I am looking at getting a 5lb bottle, I just hate the fact using the 1lb ones that they all end up in a landfill. I still want to have the lantern on the tree and the stove set up. It works well and dose not take up a bunch of space.

The chairs are going to be hard to give up.......:(

No Suburban in this life time sorry lol.

Jeremy

[BigWhiteFord]

I call shotgun on those chairs if you sell them Jeremy, no joke! :poke: