Food Repackaging

During my MDS last year I focused on saving weight wherever I could.  One area that I did not pay particular attention to was repackaging of my dehydrated meals.  The Expedition Foods meals that I utilized came prepackaged in a foil based pouch that served as the preparation and eating container, a good idea.

Robust packaging

They pouch even had interior markings so you add the correct amount of water.  Prepare, eat and through away.  No dishes to do and less of a chance of intestinal woes.

Interior water fill lines visible

Similarly, many at the MDS utilized the water bottles that were issued for meal preparation.  Disposable but somewhat difficult to eat out of.

Water bottle bowl

For the Grand to Grand I will reevaluate my position.  The required equipment list for this event will add some additional weight that was just not there for the MDS.  Particularly a spare headlamp and jacket will add about 9-10 oz.  The requirement for a pad will also prevent abandoning this piece of gear.  Some of this extra weight could be made up by not bringing a camera or luxuries like a spare pair of running shorts or extra socks.  Not what I would prefer to do.

With six days of food required (seven actual days but breakfast on day one is consumed and no dinner required on day seven) and two dehydrated meals per day, packaging can add up to over 12 oz (335 grams).  This is based on a 1 oz (28 gram) weight for each meal, including the little oxygen adsorbing sachet.  Repackaging into lighter weight Ziploc bags could save around 10 oz (280 grams) but would necessitate an eating container of some kind.  Since water is not issued in bottles (you must provide your own containers) that option is not available.  One can find a variety of bowls (titanium, polypropylene, etc) that weigh in at around 2 oz (56 grams).  Even if you brought one along, that would save around 8 oz (225 grams)!  This would make up almost all of the extra weight of the headlamp and jacket.  Additionally with hot water being provided at camp the need for a stove and fuel is an offset (5 oz or 140 grams).

One could also up-size your mug to something larger and use that to eat and drink out of.  My MSR titanium mug has a capacity of 400 ml (1.9 oz) so adding a bowl would bring the total weight up to around 4 oz.  Other options available include:

Snowpeak titanium 600 ml (3 oz)
Toaks 750 ml pot (3.9 oz with lid)
MSR Ti Kettle 850 ml (4 oz with lid).


So obviously going with a single large container could save an ounce if you were looking for one.  One would have to evaluate the optimal volume required for meal preparation.

Lightweight Steel

For many guys the choice of a knife is a very personnel thing.  Basically it is an extension of your personality into a functional form.  However the choice of the proper blade for a stage race becomes constrained due to weight.  No tactical tomahawks, Benchmade folders or Bear Grylls survival models.

For my 2013 MDS I carried a Leatherman Style.  This little gem was more than a knife, it was also a tiny multi-tool having tweezers, a nail file, scissors and a screwdriver.  Weighing in at 23 grams this would be found more often than not on a key chain instead of being a primary survival tool.  The Style served me well in Morocco and I used the blade and scissors multiple times each day.  It was always handy in my front pack attacked to a short piece of shock cord.

With the Grand to Grand Ultra the requirement for a blade also comes with a minimum length stipulation - 5 cm.  Unfortunately the little Style is just well, too little (4 cm).  Searching high and low has reviewed a most unique possibility - the Baladeo ECO131.  This skeleton framed marvel is a feather weight 15 grams and sports a 6 cm long blade that is held in place with a functional lock back mechanism.

My youngest daughter Megan was kind enough to give me one for Christmas.  While I was initially put off by not having scissors the blade design is sound and appears to be more useful.  Balance is fine but it is small in the hand.

Lightweight steel for the field (Leatherman Style top and Badego ECO131 bottom)

The spear point blade of the Baladeo obviously pierces more readily than the spay-point on the Leatherman and one needs to be careful wielding it.  The extra length is a definite advantage.  Since my kit does not have any screws holding anything together there is no loss not having a screwdriver.  In fact this is in the plus column since an unused item is just extra weight.  The nail file was also unused during the MDS.  Tweezers could be of use but if one wishes some a separate pair could be carried.  I may just take the pair out of the Style and put them in with my first aid supplies.

Having the Baladeo in my pocket now for several days I am impressed with it and believe it will work fine in the future.

Sleeping Bag OK

As mentioned in a previous post there was concern regarding my Western Mountaineering Highlite sleeping bag meeting the minimum temperature requirements.  While new gear is always a good thing it makes no sense to lay out hundreds of dollars for a new bag that is just 3 degrees F warmer.  A quick email to an understanding Race Director Tess solved the delima.  With the inclusion of my down jacket she was good with my kit.  Thanks Tess!  Now the only issue is the odd color combination of the two.