Shaving Weight

We now have everything we want packed and organized. Now is the time to really sit back, relax, and go through your gear again mentally. What do you want and what do you really need? What gear can you leave at home without compromising safety and overall comfort? Its easy to say, "Well, I'm already hauling 100 pounds of gear, what's another pound or two?" This is the time to reflect and eliminate, if possible, and thats just what I've started doing. I will return to this post as necessary and keep this list updated.

• Gale Force pants--not coming.I already have wind shells, insulated pants, and longjohns. I will ski every day in longjohns and shells. If I get really cold, I still have my Chugach Pants. The Gale Force pants are a luxury, they are staying at home. I may miss them out there, but I won't die without them.
• Emergen-C drink mix--I already have vitamins in my breakfast pack.We have lots of dry beverage packed, these little drink mixes are not a necessity, and the ziploc was substantially dense for such a small item.
• 5 pounds of cocoa-- We're not ready to leave this extravagant bundle of joy at home just yet...but we are going to spoon out our servings in a portion-controlling manner. We think we may be able to drop it down 2 pounds. If we come up short, we have plenty of tea. Still just a thought at this moment, because I'm not willing to give up steaming cups of hot cocoa. Your body will need the sugar content to stave off hypothermia--its more important than the actual temperature of the cocktail!
• FLIP Ultra HD Video Camera--staying at home. I already have 2 still digitals and am more concerned with becoming overwhelmed with battery and camera care than the weight. Leaving this at home will allow me to focus more time on still photography and thats my goal anyway. Both my still cameras have video capabilities but I won't dream of using it due to battery conservation. There is also no intent to review pictures in the field for the same reason.