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  1. #21
    Registered User Chop's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigcranky View Post
    Looking at packs in a camping store or catalog, they have "overnight packs," "weekend packs," and "extended expedition packs." They get much larger and heavier as you go up the scale. All of this seems very reasonable to a newbie -- of course a longer trip requires a much larger and heavier pack.

    Don't believe them. You need the same gear for an overnight trip that you do for a thru-hike. The only difference is food -- for a thru-hike you'll carry several days of food at a time, but that's not enough to require some 7000-cubic-inch 8 pound load monster pack.
    I am inclined to agree with Ken....same gear for an overnight as a thruhike..at least that is the train of thought my wife and I had as we have updated a lot of our gear this summer. Lots of time in EMS and other stores till we just honed in on the online research and talking to some long distance folks.

    We changed the following:

    Was Nalgene bottles/bladders -> Now Gatorade bottles
    Was Water Pump - > Now Aquafina chem
    Was Cookpot -> Now MSR Titan Mug (we just boil and rehydrate so its plenty big)
    Was More clothes carried -> Now far less clothes carried..but smarter clothes
    Was Kelty 7 lb tent -> Now Six Moon Design Lunar Duo...just over two pounds
    Was Slumberjack heavy and bulky - > Now Montbello Spiral 35s...just over a pound

    But the biggest single change was in the pack. She had a Northface pack that was big and heavy...I had some no name sams club thing I had bought in 94.. We both ended up getting the ULA Circuit, and are very pleased with it. It is more than large enough.

    There is others items probably, but the tent, pack, sleepbag made the biggest difference. It may come down more as we upgrade some clothing to lighter weight gear as well.

    Base weight for the lady is 12-14lbs
    Base weight for me is right around 14-15lbs

    Actually, we started looking on white blaze and other sites for gear thoughts on gear thinking thru hikers would have the gear dialed in - which most do. The research was for just doing more backpacking here in New England (we live in the White Mtns)...but after a lot of reading, we are now planning to do the AT next summer..

  2. #22
    Registered User njordan2's Avatar
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    I have met a lot of 15 pound base weight folks that carry 50lbs loaded!

    Anyway, to answer your question; for a week on the A.T. the loaded pack weight of 50 pounds is about right. If you really lighten up, maybe 40 pounds.

    I hike for a week on the A.T. every year with no resupply and my pack is always right at 50 pounds. That includes everything I need for the week and 3 litres of water.

    Without variance, I alway wind up helping out the poor soul who thought he was going to do it with only 30pounds or less!

  3. #23
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    For a week long trip out west, with a potential for freezing temperatures at night and for rain, I run about 35 pounds all up. That is without any great efforts to save weight. I take a big tarp with bug net, 3+ pound sleeping bag, short thermarest and a 3+ pound pack. Add to that a SVEA stove with plenty of fuel and a couple of aluminum pots, too much food, a heavyish water filter, and a pound or so of camera gear. I do not carry much extra clothing or camp shoes.

    Works for me.

    FB
    "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by njordan2 View Post
    I have met a lot of 15 pound base weight folks that carry 50lbs loaded!

    Anyway, to answer your question; for a week on the A.T. the loaded pack weight of 50 pounds is about right. If you really lighten up, maybe 40 pounds.

    I hike for a week on the A.T. every year with no resupply and my pack is always right at 50 pounds. That includes everything I need for the week and 3 litres of water.

    Without variance, I alway wind up helping out the poor soul who thought he was going to do it with only 30pounds or less!
    Without variance, I see someone on the Fundy Footpath every trip I take struggling under the weight of a heavy pack, even in summer. True, its only a 4 day hike, but they manage to turn it into a 6 day struggle, or they bail out half way at Little Salmon River. It is a very rugged trail with many ups and downs but I would guess that much of the AT is very similar. 3 litres? Yeah, with that much weight you probably need that much to get from one water source to the next.

    Point. Counterpoint.

  5. #25
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    I would like to know everything they should have brought but didn't that would add up to an extra 20-30 pounds.

    Anyhow, if I ever get down to my competive sailing/running weight of 165-175 again, I would like to try a 50 pound pack again and see what it would be like, and how far I might be able to hike with it. 14 days mid-winter maybe, with temps as low as -25F. 40 days in summer maybe, but if I was that lean I would need more food, perhaps as much as in winter, so probably only 20 days.

  6. #26
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    I would gladly carry 50 pounds in summer if both my wife and daughter cam with me. With just my daughter it was about 40 pounds, me carrying everything, before I got my new pack which would have made it 35 pounds. That was 3 days on the Fundy Footpath, 40km. We did 19km on the last day. She was a trooper. Cummulative elevation gain on the footpath gotta be about 300 feet for every mile. Another 4 days would have added 5 pounds maybe, so still only 40 pounds, with my daughter along. I use a tent when with her because of bears.

  7. #27

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    Everything but food, fuel and water, for me, is 20 pounds.

  8. #28

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    To hike the Pacific Crest Trail I carried about 12lbs of gear before food and water. I did use a larger volume pack for the PCT because I was hungrier and needed to carry more food. But nowadays on weekends or week long trips, I carry the same gear but a smaller pack.

    Good resources include Ray Jardine's book (Beyond Backpacking or the PCT Hikers Handbook -- you can apply the same stuff to the AT just maybe prepare for more humidity and rain) and the backpackinglight.com web site. You might check the ultralight gear forum here, too. Andrew Skurka also has a good web site http://www.andrewskurka.com.
    Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
    I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.

  9. #29
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    Pack, sleeping bag, tent, tarp, and rest of the 10 essentials, 18 for GF and 24 for me,,then add H2O and food,,for 5 days, for me about 35 lbs, and her about 22-23 as I try and keep her weight about there. I use a Nemo Nano elite tent, GG Nimbus Ozone pack, Lost Ranger Big Agnes Bag, and BA insulated pad. probably carry to much first aid, but contented with what I pack.

  10. #30
    Registered User 4eyedbuzzard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by njordan2 View Post
    I have met a lot of 15 pound base weight folks that carry 50lbs loaded!

    Anyway, to answer your question; for a week on the A.T. the loaded pack weight of 50 pounds is about right. If you really lighten up, maybe 40 pounds.

    I hike for a week on the A.T. every year with no resupply and my pack is always right at 50 pounds. That includes everything I need for the week and 3 litres of water.

    Without variance, I alway wind up helping out the poor soul who thought he was going to do it with only 30pounds or less!
    I never carried 50lbs even back in 1970 when gear was twice the weight is is these days! I think even back then the most I carried was a little over 45 lbs and it wasn't a lot of fun going uphill with it. My base weight these days - pack, bag, pad, shelter, stove, clothing, first aid, map/compass, meds, emergency, phone, camera is anywhere from 12 to 18 pounds without food / water depending upon the season and expected weather conditions. A week on 30 lbs including food / water would be no problem in warmer summer months - I might run as high as 35 lbs in early spring / late fall with a heavier bag, clothes, more fuel, etc.
    "That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett

  11. #31
    Hiker bigcranky's Avatar
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    I'm trying to figure out how a 15 pound base weight becomes a 50 pound total weight. Let's overload and see what happens:

    Base = 15 pounds
    Water = 4 pounds, if you carry 2 liters
    Food = 14 pounds for a *really* heavy week of food.

    Total is 33 pounds. Not sure where the other 17 comes from.

    My total pack weight is generally between 25-30 pounds at the start, and I have other hikers borrowing from *me* when they need something.
    Ken B
    'Big Cranky'
    Our Long Trail journal

  12. #32

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    My pack was not capable of holding 50lbs.
    Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
    I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.

  13. #33
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    My average is pretty high due to all the water weight I need to carry.

  14. #34
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    What food I don't carry I borrow from myself.

  15. #35
    Registered User Raul Perez's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by njordan2 View Post
    I have met a lot of 15 pound base weight folks that carry 50lbs loaded!

    Anyway, to answer your question; for a week on the A.T. the loaded pack weight of 50 pounds is about right. If you really lighten up, maybe 40 pounds.

    I hike for a week on the A.T. every year with no resupply and my pack is always right at 50 pounds. That includes everything I need for the week and 3 litres of water.

    Without variance, I alway wind up helping out the poor soul who thought he was going to do it with only 30pounds or less!
    I had a 16lbs base weight and a 30lbs pack total for 5 days on the AT. Didn't have a problem with it.

    Next year I plan on a 7 day trip, 10lbs base weight, 24lbs total with one resupply.

  16. #36
    AT NOBO2010 / SOBO2011 Maddog's Avatar
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    25-27lbs...maddog
    "You do more hiking with your head than your feet!" Emma "Grandma" Gatewood...HYOY!!!
    http://www.hammockforums.net/?

  17. #37

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    Its amazing how much crap you will leave behind on your second major backpacking trip. I remember Philmont, NM with Boy Scouts in '96. 14 years old carying a 70 pound pack. Miserable!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. #38

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    Whats the most weight anyone as carried???

  19. #39
    Hiker bigcranky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZeroLozen View Post
    Whats the most weight anyone as carried???
    First time I took my 4-year old on an overnight trip: 65 pounds. Crazy stuff.
    Ken B
    'Big Cranky'
    Our Long Trail journal

  20. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by ZeroLozen View Post
    Its amazing how much crap you will leave behind on your second major backpacking trip. I remember Philmont, NM with Boy Scouts in '96. 14 years old carying a 70 pound pack. Miserable!!!!!!!!!!!
    I used to pack a Coleman double-mantle lantern, with the green propane tank, among other useless items.

    Ah, the folly of youth.

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