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  1. #1
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    Default How light is your pack for a 3 day 33 mile hike?

    Including tent or hammock, stove, food, etc. for this time of year in NC.

  2. #2
    Springer to Elk Park, NC/Andover to Katahdin
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    14-16 pounds
    I am not young enough to know everything.

  3. #3
    GA-ME 2011
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    9 pound base weight for this time of year.
    1.5 pounds for food each day X 3 days = 4.5 lbs.

    Plus water, how much depends on where you're hiking but maybe add 4 pounds.
    "Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011

  4. #4
    Peakbagger Extraordinaire The Solemates's Avatar
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    15-18 lb depending on which book i take
    The only thing better than mountains, is mountains where you haven't been.

    amongnature.blogspot.com

  5. #5

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    15-18 lb's here too, including food and water.

  6. #6

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    It depends on how much you want to carry and how much you want to spend on gear. I met a guy near Pearisburg, VA recently who was out for a few days and had a tiny pack which likely weighed less then 10 pounds.

    Even without Cuben fiber everything, I can get to less then 10 pounds for a summer overnight trip and it wouldn't be much more for a 2 night, 3 day hike.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  7. #7
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    I wanna hike with you guys...here would be my list of stuff. I carry all the food for me and my wife, and she carries the tent ground cloth and stakes:

    Opsrey Talon 44: 38 oz approx
    EE 20 degree quilt: 23 oz
    Trail Scout Short sleeping pad: 14oz
    Tarptent SS 2: 42 oz
    Alite Monarch chair: 18 oz
    Jetboil: 12oz
    Clothes bag: 26 oz
    Food: 80 oz
    Water: 32 oz
    Other miscellaneous stuff like kindle, knife etc: 24 oz

    Total: 20lbs.

    somehow though when I weighed the pack, it was 25lbs. I am pretty sure I listed everything I carried. Cannot figure out what made up the missing 5 lbs. lol

  8. #8
    Ricky and his Husky Jack
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    my first hike was 37lbs for 1 night.

    After i came home, I eliminated 11 lbs
    Me: Ricky
    Husky: Jack
    Skeeter-Beeter Pro Hammock.
    From Dalton, Georgia (65 mi above Altanta, 15mi south of Chattanooga)

  9. #9
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    I thought I would be a lot lighter since my big 4 are under 8 lbs now, but somehow I always end up 20+ lbs, even for a two night, three day trip.

  10. #10

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    around 15lbs.

  11. #11
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ugaking View Post
    Including tent or hammock, stove, food, etc. for this time of year in NC.
    If you can get to 20% of your body weight- all in- you're doing well.
    If you are over 1/3 of your body weight- you might want to look into it more.

    Otherwise don't worry much.
    We all take different stuff, UL folks may call them luxuries, traditional folks call them necessities (books, chairs, camera, fresh food, etc.)
    All that matters is you get out. If you struggle-then your pack is too heavy- if not then it's perfect.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Bill View Post
    If you can get to 20% of your body weight- all in- you're doing well.
    If you are over 1/3 of your body weight- you might want to look into it more.

    Otherwise don't worry much.
    We all take different stuff, UL folks may call them luxuries, traditional folks call them necessities (books, chairs, camera, fresh food, etc.)
    All that matters is you get out. If you struggle-then your pack is too heavy- if not then it's perfect.
    I have never heard that 20% rule of thumb...that makes so much more sense than gross weight. For me, that means I can carry a 40lb pack and not be stressed that I am not light enough! So at 23-25lbs, I am going UL for my weight of 210!

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    Last edited by DLP; 06-13-2014 at 11:15.

  14. #14
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    33 miles would be a two day hike so only one dinner... So, that would be base weight (call it 18 lbs.) plus maybe 2 or 3 lbs. edibles. Plus water, as required. A thru-hiker needs more consistent caloric intake (lbs. per day) than an occasional hiker.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Bill View Post
    We all take different stuff, UL folks may call them luxuries, traditional folks call them necessities (books, chairs, camera, fresh food, etc.)
    All that matters is you get out. If you struggle-then your pack is too heavy- if not then it's perfect.
    Ditto to what Bill said.

    I've taken hard cover library books for 2-3 nights. No way would I carry that for 2 weeks. I take more stuff, the shorter the trip.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Namtrag View Post

    Total: 20lbs.

    somehow though when I weighed the pack, it was 25lbs. I am pretty sure I listed everything I carried. Cannot figure out what made up the missing 5 lbs. lol
    This is a mystery almost as complicated as Tempo

    Happens to us all. The best solution if it's nagging at you- (or ignore it and have fun)
    Take that 25lb pack, a notebook (or excel sheet so you can't mess up the math), and your scale and unpack one by one and carefully note each item.
    Usually it's one of two issues;
    You are using listed weight (or guessing) rather than actually weighing each item.
    The odds and ends are heavier than we realize. A kindle for example- the device itself is what it is, then there may be a cover, charger, Ziploc, and maybe at the last minute you wrapped a spare shirt around it you may not have brought otherwise just so it didn't get damaged. A lot of last minute or just in case stuff creeps in; bug spray, suntan lotion, soaps- all likely candidates as well.

    Another good solution- stick with FSO (from skin out)- if you weigh everything and use FSO to account for your gear- then when worn/carried gear turns into packed gear it's weight is still figured. Lot's of folks figure that rain jacket, midweight base layer, hat, etc as worn- then after a few minutes of hiking they shed it and pack it. Same with all the crap in your pockets. If you use FSO then you don't have to cheat on the math, or rely on some spreadsheet magic to hit an arbitrary and meaningless base-weight, after all- worn or carried it all ends up as weight on your feet.

    After that you may be suffering from some common syndrome's-
    Group gear syndrome- "You take this, I'll take that. Yes but that doesn't fit so well in my pack, so you take this, and I'll take that." Next thing you know you aren't taking what you thought you were taking.

    Sympathy syndrome- "Honey, can you carry this?"

    Generous gentleman syndrome- "Hmm, I better take this for you Honey."

    Food bag syndrome- "We each have a 13L food bag, so it's evenly divided." Except one member has the trail mix and peanut butter jar, and the other has the bag of cereal and tea.

    Just in case syndrome- "Better take this, double bag that, it rained yesterday so an extra pair of socks sounds good, and just in case..."

  17. #17
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    Great advice, Bill. I think I will weigh each thing next time, just to check out how far off the listed weights of things are.

    My wife and I are already trying to figure out how to split the food for a 6 day trip to Wind River Range. If I carry all the food as I normally do, then I will be at about 20-24 lbs just for food, making my pack around 40lbs. Her pack would remain it's normal trip weight of 18-20 (since she normally carries no food). Of course, my weight will go down each day as we eat the food, but still, the initial 3 days will be fun!

  18. #18
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    33 miles would be a two day hike so only one dinner... So, that would be base weight (call it 18 lbs.) plus maybe 2 or 3 lbs. edibles. Plus water, as required. A thru-hiker needs more consistent caloric intake (lbs. per day) than an occasional hiker.
    Actually, 33 miles would only be a dayhike. So that would be some snacks, no dinners or breakfasts even, a sawyer mini for water (or nothing), and a few necessities just in case you were stuck overnight. Under 5lbs all in- easy.
    Of course Matt Kirk would likely call that a morning run and shave that weight to 2-3 pounds. Guess there's always a faster fella around the corner

    Or you could just let the fella take his 3 day hike and leave his trip at his pace. Since 15mpd is the average THRU hiker pace, 11mpd seems like a fine choice.

  19. #19
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Bill View Post
    If you can get to 20% of your body weight- all in- you're doing well.
    I am posting from a McDonalds -- just finished a 290 calorie salad and am almost done with my black coffee.

    Glad I read this. I still have time to get a McFlurry (or two). Anyone know how many of those I need to eat before I can upgrade my regular length pad to 72" version?

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Bill View Post
    Or you could just let the fella take his 3 day hike and leave his trip at his pace. Since 15mpd is the average THRU hiker pace, 11mpd seems like a fine choice.
    No arguments. I overlooked the "3 day" part of the thread title. Not my intention to suggest any particular mileage per day. I'm well aware of the existence of hikers much faster than me, but thanks for the gentle reminder.

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