what's the ( average) total pack weight for the average thru hiker

[henry g wilgo]

my pack ready to go may 20....i know it is a high weight at 45 pounds..i have been using it for 3 1/2 miles per day,,,taking 1 hour 10 mins,,,for the past 3 weeks .i feel comfortable with it 90 per cent of the time .still concerned,,,hoping neels gap outfitter can find stuff to take out. just wondering how much i am over the "average suggested weight"???

[Studlintsean]

Id recommend you post your gearlist and some of the experienced hikers (and non experienced hikers) can offer some great advice. Good luck

[Falcon]

That's heavy! I would try and get it down to 35lbs or less. After you get started you find you have articles that you will not need. If you can get lighter you'll definitely enjoy your hiking much better. I section hike and when I started I was at 47lbs. but gradually worked at each section ot get mine down to 25-30lbs and I enjoy the hiking much more.

[Many Walks]

It's too easy to load up for all the "what ifs" because each item doesn't weigh much. Starting at 45-50 + lbs doesn't seem bad, but once you hit the GA mountains you'll be thinking of every ounce you don't really need. By Suches or Neels Gap you be eager to get down to 30 - 35 lbs including food and water. I got to 30 (which included the tent and cookset) my wife got to 28 and it worked great for us. Good luck on your hike.

[Dogwood]

What's the ( average) total pack weight for the average thru hiker?

Can't wait to hear the answers you'll get with this question.

[Dogwood]

So, should I post on Part 1, 2 or 3 of this thread?

[atj_Hiker]

I'm a firm believer that if you can't get your pack to 35lbs or under, you're having too much difficulty parting from the luxuries of home. If I want to hike an entire day without stopping for water, I'm still under 35lbs. Over 35lbs is too much work and makes it harder to enjoy the hike.

[treesloth]

I'm a firm believer that if you can't get your pack to 35lbs or under, you're having too much difficulty parting from the luxuries of home. If I want to hike an entire day without stopping for water, I'm still under 35lbs. Over 35lbs is too much work and makes it harder to enjoy the hike.

What's the ( average) total pack weight for the average thru hiker?

Can't wait to hear the answers you'll get with this question.

I hope Tipi Walter adds his two cents on all this.

[litefoot2000]

my pack ready to go may 20....i know it is a high weight at 45 pounds..i have been using it for 3 1/2 miles per day,,,taking 1 hour 10 mins,,,for the past 3 weeks .i feel comfortable with it 90 per cent of the time .still concerned,,,hoping neels gap outfitter can find stuff to take out. just wondering how much i am over the "average suggested weight"???

I'd say that you are about average for the beginning thru hiker, and yes, Neel Gap can definitely lighten your load. The question is: will you let them do it?

[Astro]

I'd say that you are about average for the beginning thru hiker, and yes, Neel Gap can definitely lighten your load. The question is: will you let them do it?

And if you will, why didn't you do it before you got to Springer?

[MuddyWaters]

What's the ( average) total pack weight for the average thru hiker?

Would that be one in Georgia, or one in Maine?

[mtntopper]

I'd say that you are about average for the beginning thru hiker, and yes, Neel Gap can definitely lighten your load. The question is: will you let them do it? The question is will you make it to Neels Gap?

[snifur]

Your pack weight is fine… Good luck!!!

[Don H]

My pack weight was about 17 pounds not including water or food. I left Springer on March 14th, 2011 so I had cold weather gear.

[Dogwood]

I hope Tipi Walter adds his two cents on all this.

Tipi would make nearly anyone look like an ULer but you gotta hand it to him. He hikes with style and knows what suits him. Anyone who can hunker down for 4 days from non stop down pours in the Big Frog and read umpteen books in that cavernous Hilldeberg gets my vote for stylish hiker of the yr.

[bigcranky]

Not sure the average, but I bet it's close to 40 or 45 based on the hikers I've seen in Georgia in March. Plenty of very heavy packs on the trail. That said, if you can get it down to 30 or 35, that makes life a lot easier in the Georgia mountains. A lot. My March pack starting at Springer for two section hikes was just under 30 pounds with two liters of water and four days of food. It'll be under 25 for my section hike in VA at the end of May.

Questions: on these 3.5 mile walks, do they include any hills? Any serious hills? When are you hiking? If you're leaving in March, that's very different from a summer hike. Have you weighed each item individually to get a true weight?

Yes, you can get some help at Neels Gap. They are good folks and they'll talk over all the items in your pack and make suggestions. I think most of the weight savings come from removing items, and less from buying lighter gear, but of course they are happy to sell you that, too

That said, any of us would be happy to look at your list and make some suggestions. PM me or post it here.

Really, I remember 45 pounds with no fondness whatsoever, and I was ten years younger and hiking with a 12 year old. In the summer. Not fun.

[Old Boots]

I agree with Astro. Stop at Mountain Crossing b4 your hike. Then take their advice. They are all thru-hikers and know what they are talking about. I did it and never regretted it.

[MuddyWaters]

The older you are, the lighter you should try to be.

There was an older hiker, in his mid 60s probably, I ran into in GA, he was carrying ~45lbs. He had 2 weeks of food , he figured the only way to get to Maine was not to have to come off the trail.

After he did only about 10 miles in 2 days, he got off the trail. Realized he needed to lighten his pack or he wasnt going to get out of GA.

Id think that older people are probably going to suffer more with that wt, than some younger people would.

I met a 74 yr old thru hiker last yr, who was doing well with a 30 lb pack, about as fast as anyone.

[tridavis]

I met 10-12 southbounders last fall on a section hike from Big Bald to 19E with a pack weight of over 30lbs. One was even in the low 40s. So don't believe what you hear on this site, go out and see for yourself. I was really suprised but these guys were gonna finish and were doing 20+ mile days in NC/TN on some hard terrian.

[BostonBlue]

You are 70 and you have a 45 lb pack? You need to reduce your pack to no more than 30 lbs. Under 25 lbs if you are able to do so.