Field notes / Weight planning
Build a gear list from measured weights
A practical weighing workflow that keeps units, quantities and packaging consistent.
A precise-looking number is only useful when its input is clear. Build your first list from the things you actually own. Manufacturer specifications can describe a different size or exclude accessories, so a household scale and short notes often make a more useful starting point.
Choose a consistent weighing boundary
Decide whether a shelter row includes stakes and its storage bag. If it does, do not enter them again as separate rows. If you want to compare accessory changes later, weigh the parts separately. The same approach works for a cooking kit, sleep system or electronics pouch.
Enter the unit you measured
The item editor accepts grams, kilograms, ounces and pounds. These are converted to grams internally. Changing the display unit affects presentation rather than the stored measurement. One pound is 453.59237 g and one ounce is 28.349523125 g in this calculator. Rounded screen values should not be treated as a more accurate measurement.
Use quantities for identical things
Two identical 25 g stakes can be one 25 g row with quantity 2. For consumables the quantity is per day. A 100 g portion entered with quantity 3 represents 300 g per day, not 300 g for the whole trip. The row caption states this explicitly.
Record uncertainty in the note
Useful notes include “measured with stuff sack,” “one person's share” or “estimated until weighed.” Zero weight is allowed for a temporary unweighed item, so check your list for zero rows before relying on totals. Download JSON when the list is ready; a CSV export is a readable report rather than a restorable project.