WeighMyGear

Hey Fromage, thanks for your great feedback. You raise many great points. In fact, much of what you're suggesting was/is already in the works. If you hadn't already noticed, registered users have always been able to enter their gear into the community database, or even enter custom weights for gear that is already in the database. So, we're already storing all that data. However, the problem we're facing in making the system as automated as possible in recognizing multiples of the same item, is the wide variation of how users enter the gear name and its size. When it comes to custom weights entered for gear already in the database, it's not such a problem, because the name and size is being entered as we already had it listed. But for new, user-entered items, there needs to be some degree of uniformity/similarity among the entries of the same items in order for the system to recognize they are, in fact, the same item. Unfortunately, we still seem to be lacking that uniformity. I hope that all makes sense. Anyway, we'll eventually work toward the goal you're suggesting. We'll be updating our interface at some point to better facilitate the uniformity we need. Thanks again for taking the time to present such a detailed suggestion!

Hey tleaf, Yep, I think yours is the perfect scenario to begin using this app. I know a lot of people do keep spreadsheets, which they've spent years maintaining, and I can understand they just don't want to spend the time to transfer the data. But if you're starting from scratch anyway, this app does offer a couple benefits over a spreadsheet. For one, since it's online, you can access your gear lists from any online computer anywhere. And two, some of its built-in functions (i.e. print and share) will generate those lists in a nice, clean checklist format. Regarding your recommendation, yes, that would definitely be neat, but I think there would be too many variables to account for to make it accurate. For one, we would need to have separate weight data for each size of each item. Although we do, already, try to do this when we can (when the data's available), I think it might not be feasible to get even the majority of items listed by size. Even if we could attain a high number of items by size, apparel sizes definitely range differently from one manufacturer to another. So, although I may be a solid medium in one brand, I might be a small or a large in another. I could go on. Thanks, though, for your idea. Keep them coming! We'll constantly try to improve this! Bear with us while we do and enjoy!

Hi RafalA, First, the good news, we've added a second "Synthetic Loft Jacket" slot in all of the winter activity checklists. I hope it helps. Thanks for the suggestion. Now, about that quantity bug you seem to be experiencing, I'm a little perplexed. You've been the first to report it. So, just to be overly clear, we're talking about the quantity (or amount) selectors on the RIGHT side of your screen, right? For most items, the options should be 0 - 10, but for ropes and accessory cords, it goes from 0 m - 100 m in 5 m increments. Are you saying the cumulative item, category and pack weights don't change when you change that quantity value? If so, hmmmm... Which version of which browser are you using? Thanks for your time in helping us work this out!

CaleHoopes, I'm really happy to hear such positive feedback. Since we're still in a testing phase, nothing is set in stone yet. We just published the "Mountaineering" checklist a day or two ago, so I'd be eager to hear your suggestions on it... what does it need?

Yep, it sounds like you got it. You can always type over any value, in any field (name, size or weight), to place a custom version of it in your pack.

Plaidman, Many thanks for all the feedback and compliments. First, I had to laugh about your first comment -- you do that too? Yeah, I suppose portaledges could/should certainly be under "Shelters", as well. But for now, you'll find them under the "Climbing" list. Really glad to hear you're enjoying the app. We're very eager to improve it, so always feel free to send your suggestions.

Hey RafalA, I'm afraid you were a little vague on this one. Are you saying the quantity selectors within your right-side gear list don't work? And are you saying they specifically don't work for the 'biners and 'draws, but they do work for other items? Just in case it's the cause of the confusion, I'll be extra clear on this... the 5 slots for, say, carabiners is for 5 DIFFERENT TYPES of 'biners. Once you select one type, you can then select a quantity of that type -- up to 10, to be exact. So, with 5 carabiner slots, you can actually carry 5 x 10 = 50 'biners... and that's just for non-locking. You can also carry an additional 50 locking 'biners. I hope that addresses your concern.

RafalA, Exactly... measuring rope weights in g/m is the industry standard. So, when adding a rope to your pack, first, click on it within its list to select it, just as you would any other item. Then, once it's in your gear list on the right side of the screen, select its "quantity". For ropes, you can select lengths in increments of 5m, and the system will automatically calculate its total weight. I hope that answers your question.

Good idea -- you're not the first to suggest it. We'll definitely be adding that feature in a near-future release. Keep your eyes on it!

Hi RafalA, Thanks for your feedback. I hope I'm understanding your question correctly... Are you carrying 2 of exactly the same item? If so, then that's an easy one... Once you add the item to your pack, you then select its quantity. So, in the case of most clothing items, you can take up to 10 of the same item. Now, if you're carrying 2 different models of insulated jackets, that's a bit tougher. As you've seen, we only have 1 slot for "Synthetic Insulated Jacket" in each checklist. But, it's easy enough for us to add another slot -- it does make sense for some activities. Which checklist, in particular, were you thinking needed that second slot? Since you're curious about our monetization strategy, let me just say that we want to always keep this 100% free, meaning no membership fees! As you may have noticed, we're displaying a few ads -- hope they're not too annoying! Thanks, again, for contributing your ideas!

Hey Water, Thanks a ton for your comments. Yes, you're absolutely correct -- the manufacturers' listed weights can certainly be off from time to time. And, because of that, this app may not be for the extremely meticulous gram-counters. Please keep in mind, though, that group can still simply ignore the factory-listed gear altogether, and still use it as a platform for entering, storing and managing their own gear weights. It has several advantages over, say, an Excel spreadsheet, including: - Once you save a gear list, it becomes accessible from any online computer anywhere. - Your gear lists can be cleanly printed and shared via email, for coordinating group gear lists. - For novices, it serves as a decent online checklist to follow when putting together a "dream pack". Anyway, aside from recognizing the limitations of its to-the-gram accuracy, any way to significantly improve? Let us know. Any other cottage manufacturers you'd like to see? We'll do our best to add them. Thanks again for your comments!

I assume you're asking if we've separated weights by size. If so, then yes, for many items, we have listed separate weights for different sizes. This can be seen among many of the "Main Packs", sleeping bags, skis and pieces of climbing protection.

Good question. Roughly 80 - 90% of the weights came from either the manufacturers' sites. The remaining items were manually weighed by someone on our staff.

Hey All, We just released a new online gear/pack weight calculator app. The app is connected to a fairly large database (> 6000 items) of outdoor gear weights, and its interface is in a simple checklist format. Click on the gear fields to open the gear lists in their respective categories. Then, just click on an item to add it to your virtual pack (or haul bag). These 6000 items are just a starting point -- we know it's just scratching the surface. We're expanding our database daily. The database is also user-contributed. If you don't see your gear listed, no problem. You can enter your own gear and have it saved. This app is totally free to use, and you don't need to register to use the basic calculator. However, if you do choose to register (still 100% free), you do get a few extra features. As you'll see, we tried to have this app apply to a variety of activities, including mountaineering, backpacking, backcountry skiing, as well as both rock and ice climbing. This app was just released for testing a few days ago, so we're looking for anyone willing to help us expose any bugs, as well as offer constructive criticism (i.e. suggestions for improvement). We're still adding dozens of pieces of gear everyday. So, who's a Gear Head enough to try it out?? http://www.weighmygear.com Many thanks in advance!