View Full Version : Definition of base pack weight?
Yeah, my question is the title...Thanks for the help before hand. :D Dube
I've always considered it everything you carry on your back minus food and water. IOW, gear that you don't wear on a daily basis (rain gear would be included, the shorts you wear wouldn't). Some people include the worn clothes as well, but that's the way I do it.
Thanks...That was kind of what I was thinking. Thanks fir clearing it up. I don't think I will count my clothes I am wearing part of the base pack weight because it is not in the pack. Makes sense to me. Thanks again for the help. 320 Days till I get to head down the trail. And yes I am keeping track of days to go!!! :D Dube
there's a term called "From Skin Out", or FSO weight, which includes everything, including what you're wearing. it came about because of the inane competition to get to a lower pack weight than your fellow hikers. i've seen packing lists where people claim to put items in their pockets (knives, chapstick, credit cards, bandanas, compasses, watches, etc) or hanging on some other part of their pack (water bottles, mostly), all in an insane drive to be 'lowest' and shave another 8 oz off what they call their 'base weight'. i don't know many hikers who like to hike with all that stuff in their pockets. FSO ensures an accurate weight comparison between us lightweight weenies... you just have to compare oranges with oranges when asking people about their pack weights.
but in general conversation, i add my 'base weight' the way you do, with the clothing worn meaning just that... shoes, socks, lower covering, upper covering, and hat. anything else is accounted for in the packweight.
I've always considered it everything you carry on your back minus food and water. IOW, gear that you don't wear on a daily basis (rain gear would be included, the shorts you wear wouldn't). Some people include the worn clothes as well, but that's the way I do it.
I guess I measure it a little different.... I count everything that isn't variable due to weather conditions or length of hike. So I don't count clothes (July packed clothing weight may be 1 lb, vs 5 or 6 lbs for January), food, fuel, water, liquor, etc. Do count my fuel bottle, water bladder, etc. I guess you could argue that i shouldn't count sleeping bag, but have so far...'course my 22 oz down quilt gets me down to the 20's, so it's really no big deal.....
it's all good, tho!
hikerjohnd
04-24-2006, 20:59
Base weight is the weight of everything in your pack, minus consumables. I incluse TP, fuel, food, and water as consumable - these weights will change over the course of the hike. When you add the weight of consumables, you get pack weight. Then, throw in the clothes on your back, poles, and whatever else and you have FSO weight.
vipahman
04-25-2006, 09:05
Here's my definitions:
Core weight - (big 4) pack, bag, pad, shelter.
Base weight - add everything but consumables.
Consumable weight - food, fuel, water.
Carry weight - compass, camera, gps, watch, pant, shirt, cash, credit cards.
Total weight - sum of the above.