How heavy of a pack

[Many Moons]

Am in the process of gearing up. What is heaviest pack weight do the experienced hikers recommend? Does the total pack weight include the trekking poles, food and water? I have read the great info on the main page on packs, but wanted to see what the different hikers know. Thanks!

[mountain squid]

I think 30# is good to shoot for, incl food and water but not hiking poles.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

how to hike
some observations

[Fireweed]

Some folks think a % of your weight is useful. Usually 25 to 30% or no more than 30%. I'm just a lot happier with as light a pack as I can be comfortable using. Mine runs between 24 and 28 currently. I started out with 40 pounds and it was just plain scary! Hard to balance and hard to get up. But then, I'm old.

[shawnofrutland]

i would recomend 55 or under on my long trail trip my pack weigh over 70 lbs at one point you learn what you need as you go and diffrent ways to cut weight out i rember reading you pack should not be more than 1/4 of you weight the main thing is what feel good for you i rember my pack was so heavy my shoulder every time is a learning experance at least it was for me

[4eyedbuzzard]

Yeah, definitely try to keep it under 55 lbs

Seriously, 20 lbs + or - a few without food and water (or poles).

[Feral Bill]

Without going to ultralightness, 20 pounds without food, fuel, water, and poles is easy to achieve, at least in decent weather. That would be about 35 total with no resupply for a full week. The biggest savings are in shelter (take a tarp), extra clothes (beginners carry way to much), and probably the pack itself (a bit over three pounds gets you a full service pack). There is a big range of what works for different people, if you start around that 20 pounds, you can go up or down as suits you.

[Hosaphone]

on my long trail trip my pack weigh over 70 lbs at one point

Unsupported yoyo?

[Papa D]

My 3 season AT pack includes the following base items - this weighs about 16 pounds including the 50 liter pack:

sleeping bag in waterproof stuff-sack
3/4 pad in bag
sm. bag of clothes: spare socks, long underwear bottoms, stocking cap
rain jacket (and sometimes pants), and fleece sweater in a side pocket of my pack
kitchen bag - i titanium pot, pocket rocket stove, fuel, supplies (lighter, 1/2 sponge)
1 person L/w tent and groundsheet
small bag of gear, i.e. headlamp, aqua mira, meds, a zip lock of first aid stuff, spare lighter, knife, toothbrush etc.
map pages, pad, pen to journal on in zip lock and sometimes a paperback book or a magazine (often left in shelters)
pack cover

I then add about 8-9 pounds of food for about 4 days in a food bag and 2 full liters of water which is about 5 pounds total

Typically, this puts me at between 30-31 pounds at my heaviest pack weight - I weigh about 150 pounds so this is 1/5 of my body weight which is another benchmark some people use.
Of course I try to eat my heaviest food first and don't always carry 2 full water bottles (esp. when water is plentiful) so, my average carrying weight is typically, probably about 27-78 pounds.

[Papa D]

mmm - looked at my list above - I forgot my crocs which I shove in the back of my pack and my lightweight cell phone and charger which go in a zip lock - they are included in my weight though ...

[Papa D]

wow - somebody above suggested under 55 pounds - not even in the 80s when everything was heavier did I tote that sort of weight. I can add a climbing rack, rope and shoes to my rig and stay under about 43-44 pounds. I can't imagine what you would carry that could be so heavy unless you are going on some expedition where food is not available for weeks and weeks or you happen to like carrying a bunch of un-necessary hardware like camping lanterns, hatchets, shovels, guns (please don't), multiple changes of clothes which is totally unnecessary, etc. -- carry what you need for reasonable comfort, but the lighter you go, the faster you will be, you will pick up more mileage and get to your re-supply faster and therefore won't need to carry as much food - at least for me, food is the single most heavy item and while I wish the AT was more wild and remote, the fact is that 90% of the time, a resupply is almost never more that 1 day's walk (maybe 2 at times) away if you need it.

[Freedom Walker]

Many make the common mistake of buying the wrong gear the first time around and having to do a second round of purchase to get even ligher. That is where I am now. I went on a section last weekend (37 miles)and before food and water, I was at 23 lbs, much lighter than I was two years ago. But my knees sent me a message that if I wanted to come back to the AT, I needed to go lighter. Since you are starting out, decide now if you plan to go only lightweight or ultralight. Do your research and save a lot of money.

[clsvideo]

I'm minimalist without giving up the main comforts and not spending a ton of money. My pack weight without food and water is 20 pounds which I'm pretty happy with. If I spend a couple hundred more bucks I could probably lose 2 more pounds but it's not worth it to me. Just get as light as you can get for your budget and shoot for the low 20's.

[coach lou]

Papa D, how did you get in my bag!?! But, my food is a few onces heavier.......... okay.... pounds!

[Papa D]

sometimes, I'll get that food bag down to about 4 pounds - I'd say it averages about 6 pounds though -- pop tarts and peanut butter weigh a ton

[Rocketman]

The setting, in advance, of how much weight you want to, or can carry is pretty important.

If you err in being too heavy, then you may need to spend money buying lighter stuff.

If you buy lighter stuff and need to go heavier because you want more items, then all you have to do is buy a bigger pack to carry more stuff.

The really expensive lighter stuff is the sleeping bag and the tent or shelter. Some cheap light stuff is a selection of Dry Ducks or Frogg Toggs raingear instead of expensive heavier GoreTex or Event gear. Cheap light stuff includes an alcohol stove and some non-titanium cookware.

I have a collection of backpacking gear lists that others have posted on the internet in various places. The weights range from a few pounds to over 30 pounds.

If I were you, I too would take the time to collect such lists and look them over, make notes on the plusses and minuses of the different lists and their weights, and then make a decision of what your initial goal would be.

After having done that, and trying to shoot for a low weight rather than a high one (see above or re-equiping) I would begin buying. Evidently, you may not have a friend who can take you out for a weekend and show you how his or her stuff works. That would be great.

I wish I had sprung for my expensive (> $300) light ( 1# 3 oz) down summer bag in the first place, rather than as my last bag that I bought. I would have saved a lot of money.

[ekeverette]

i did what freedom walker did... i bought and did,nt think about weight... pissed away a few hundred bucks...i found out the same thing on a section hike, my hips and feet... i'm now trying to reduce to full load of about 30lbs. you want to buy a brand new osprey aethers 70 pack?!

[Rocketman]

I wish I had sprung for my expensive (> $300) light ( 1# 3 oz) down summer bag in the first place, rather than as my last bag that I bought. I would have saved a lot of money.

Actually, I would have saved a lot of money and I would have HIKED A LOT MORE.

You might find the gear list and the equipment check list in "The Boomers Guide To Lightweight Backpacking: New Gear for Old People" by Carol Corbridge helpful. You don't have to be old to elect to go lightweight, but ii is sure practical as all get-out.

Happy Trails.

[virgil]

#35 works for me. I'm counting food and water, not hiking poles, everything else "all in". So I can be at more like #32 much of the time carrying just trail water. It seems to be enough space/weight for my trail possessions.

[Many Moons]

Thanks for the replies. I was thinking about going for #50 pack with all in. After reading your posts I will try to get mine in at #30. I will give away or throw away what I do not need in trash at trail heads.To work down to a mid 20's pack. It is like all the cool hiking gear on web sites makes me want to have it all, but I see the lighter the faster I will go. It is a lot of fun reading you posts and information. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me! I am buying my plane ticket next week to Atlanta to get the hike started in April! here is a lot to learn.

[Northern Lights]

I started with 50 pounds before water the first week. After the first week I switched out my 6 pound pack for one that was 43 ounces. After week two, I went through my pack and took out everything I hadn't used and sent it up the trail.
My biggest learning was that I did not eat as much as I thought I would. Week one I was starving, week 2 and 3 I hardly ate a thing.
I think the best way to figure out what to put in your pack is to hike, or let someone more experienced go through your pack and give you advice.