View Full Version : My Pack Weigh 40 Pounds!
Hello! My Virginia AT hike starts in 5 days. My pack weighs 24#. After adding 10 pounds of food for the first 5 days and 3 liters of water in my reservoir, my pack is 40 pounds. I know I can carry less water, but I thought I'd start with that till I see how water availability are. How much do folks packs weigh fully loaded with food and water? Best regards. Mike
Heliotrope
08-10-2015, 07:02
3L is a lot of water. Check your water sources. 2lb food per day sounds right. Your base weight is around 22 lb. anything you can leave behind? With your trip coming up soon probably too late to buy lighter versions of gear.
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Heliotrope
08-10-2015, 07:06
For future trips cutting your base weight in half is a reasonable goal. My base weight is 9.5 lbs so I would start a 5 day trip with around 21 lb total weight. That is with about 1 L water
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Gambit McCrae
08-10-2015, 08:15
Notch seems about on par with myself as well. Although I end with about 21-24 pounds depending on my shelter selection, I do carry 2L of water and a Gatorade on my shoulder strap just so I don't have to stop as often.
For five days I would carry close to 10 pounds of food but I would rarely carry more than 1L (2 pounds) of water. My pack would be in the 24-26 pound range depending on season and what extras I'm taking. Plenty of people DO hike with 40 pound packs and survive just fine. If the pack can carry the weight (not a UL pack) and you are in good shape I don't see a reason to panic. Best to go on the trip and fine tune the gear list in the future. Have a great trip!
Tuckahoe
08-10-2015, 08:51
Personally for the same 5 day duration my total weight my last hike was 24 lbs.
I work to keep my food weight between 1.25 and 1.5 lbs a day. While for water I have been carrying two 20 fl oz and one 16 fl oz soda bottles.
Aside from choosing lighter weight pieces of gear (such as repurposing soda bottles instead of heavier Nalgene/Kleen Kanteen bottles or switching to a sawyer filter) was to stop carrying the gear I rarely if ever used -- and as others will say, "stop packing your fears." For summer hikes I have cut back on the extra clothes, and on my hike this weekend I will only carry one extra pair of underwear and socks.
Over the last couple years my goal has been to go minimal while maintaining a level comfort that makes hiking enjoyable (such as a hammock set up that is heavier than my last tent).
Hello! Thank you for your replies. If I take out the Dry Toggs rain suit and hiking umbrella and the digital camera/cords, that saves me 5 pounds. I'll get wet anyway, but I was a little concerned about unseasonable cold wather on the AT, and the rain grear would function as an outer layer to prevent hypothermia, but I have a pair of shorts/shirt/socks/underwear in addition to the one I'll be wearing (to heave a clean pair) and a light weight long sleeve/jogging pants. I can cut down on some small miscellaneous stuff like DEET spray and hand sanitizer. That gets me down to 19 pounds pack weight or 35 pounds total with 10 pounds of food and 6 pounds of water - I can lose another 4 pounds if I only carry 1 liter of water. (some concern about dry shelters this time of year in southwest VA?) The major weight items are an Osprey Aether 70, Hennessey Hammock, Warbonnets tarp, Jacks R Better Sierra Sniveler, and Thermarest closed cell sleeping pad. Best regards. Mike
BirdBrain
08-10-2015, 09:00
For a 5 day walk, mine weighs about 29 lbs.
Now that I have answered your straight forward question, allow me to advise (I think that is the point of the seeking).
I have seen many weigh ins. I have not seen many of the light packs reported here (quite frankly, I have never seen a sub 10 lb one). I suspect you are more normal than what you might think. Don't let the uber efficient dissuade you from that reality.
Here are some common "mistakes" (they are not mistakes, just choices).
People do not devote enough time in research or money in purchase of the big 3 (or 4 depending on definition). I know I did not. You are carrying that stuff a long way. Divide that cost by miles, multiple the weight savings by miles carried, and see what is worth what.
People carry too much clothing. A general rule of thumb is if you cannot put it on all at once, you are carrying too much. Cull redundancy. There are rare exceptions (socks, underwear, etc).
People carry things not needed. People do not need an altimeter. People do not need a solar anything. People do not need a heavy compass. People do not need that chair. I do not need that 3 lb camera setup I carry. These things are choices. We have heavy packs because of choices. It is our fault.
People carry too much emergency stuff. You are not a paramedic. Well, some are. My general rule is that I carry enough to get myself to safety. If I am in a catastrophic accident, not 1st aid kit will save me.
People do not devote enough thought to calorie densities. My daily food weighs 1.3 lbs (that includes my NUUN and VIA) and provides a over 3000 calories. Oh, and on a related note, they exaggerate calories in their carried food.
People carry too much water. People spend boatloads of money to save 6 ounces, but won't spend 10 minutes looking at a map or guide to determine how much water to carry to the next source. With very rare exceptions, there is never a need to carry 3 liters of water. I, almost never, carry more than 2 lbs.
After that, you enter the realm of the absurd where you peal labels, cut tags, and weigh ziplocks. You enter my world. :)
Most lightweight backpacks on the AT weigh in the 13-16 lb range. Add reasonable food and water you are in the 25-30 lb range. I carry enough water to get to the next source, usually l L - 2 lbs. . My pack for summer is 13 lbs. 3-season 15 lbs. . Food is as calculated above about 2,500 calories/day, less than the 3,000-3,500 I typically burn. My first AT pack was 40 lbs. and it killed me. Contrary to many, I invested heavily in the best equipment so my kit ran into $3,500. However, I am set for life with this gear.
Just some thoughts...
If you are carrying water uphill to places where you can get water, you need to think about this.
handlebar
08-10-2015, 12:04
I have finally got my base weight down to between 16 and 18 pounds and it seems stuck there. I know I can lighten up my first aid kit (and have for hikes on the AT, but not for those on trails where I'm unlikely to meet anyone). I could also buy a shorter pad, but for "advanced middle age" guys like me, a good night's sleep is essential and there's no way I could use my sweat soaked pack for under my legs.
For a VA AT hike starting mid-August, you can likely leave behind the jogging pants as well as the extra shorts and shirt. I would keep the FroggTogs top, but leave the pants behind. I'd also keep a camera of some sort---perhaps a point and shoot. For a 5 day hike this time of year along the VA AT, my clothes bag will contain only 1 pair extra briefs, 2 pair extra socks one of which is reserved for sleeping, and perhaps a light weight long sleeve shirt. I also carry a rain jacket and rain wrap that I can wear on longer trips when everything else is in the laundry or when it rains. I recently added a hiking umbrella to my kit (both for rain and for sun in the desert). Vercroed to my pack strap, it makes walking through an all-day rain much less unpleasant as my rain jacket can be mostly unzipped and the umbrella keeps rain from running down my back and saturating the back of my pack.
I found it was helpful to get an accurate kitchen scale at Walmart and to weigh everything. I was amazed when I did so just how much clothes weigh. You can also trim at least 2-1/4 pounds of water by checking water sources. The remaining 4-1/2 pounds will average about 2-1/4 since you'll be drinking it down between water sources. The same goes for the food weight.
If you are carrying water uphill to places where you can get water, you need to think about this.
+1. Hard learned wisdom.
RE: RAIN GEAR.
Personally, I would never ever venture out without rain gear of some sort. But that is my choice.
In your case, consider keeping the umbrella for protection from the sun AND the rain. YMMV. HYOH.
Have fun!
Wayne
Tipi Walter
08-10-2015, 12:26
Any normal human can carry a 40 lb pack for a 5 or 6 day trip. Most responding posts will try to convince you to go lighter as Lightness seems to be the overall goal. Getting outside is in my opinion the overall goal and a 40 lb pack should not present a problem. Heck, go heavier and bring an avocado or a couple books or a little radio or even a watermelon.
Hello! My Virginia AT hike starts in 5 days. My pack weighs 24#. After adding 10 pounds of food for the first 5 days and 3 liters of water in my reservoir, my pack is 40 pounds. I know I can carry less water, but I thought I'd start with that till I see how water availability are. How much do folks packs weigh fully loaded with food and water? Best regards. Mike
I never weigh my gear, but I if I would have to guess, I'd say for my 5 day smokies trip I had about a 35 lb pack with 3L of water, but I almost never carried that much except for day 1. I usually never carry no more than 2L unless I absolutely have to. For most of this trip, I'd say I carried about a 1L of water.
For an overnight I would say my pack is 25 lbs, more or less.
I have never had a hike where carrying 5 lbs more or less had any significant impact on my hiking or any impact whatsoever for that matter. My heaviest pack (35 lbs) was my smokies pack on what some consider tough terrain and it had no impact on my hiking. Day 1 with a late start, we did 14+ miles. Day 2, we did 16.4 miles. Day 3, we did 23 miles, day 4 we did 14+ miles and day 5 we did 8+ by 11 am. Each day, except perhaps the 23 mile day, we had ample time and energy to do more, but that is how we scheduled the hike. I always heard the smokies were hard so I kept the days a little shorter. We could have finished in 4 days if we wanted to.
I bring this up just to say that people react differently to weight. The general consensus among hikers is lighter is better. I don't argue with that. I think the lighter your pack, the easier the hike will be for you as a general rule. However, that doesn't mean there aren't exceptions. I don't know your hiking history, so this may be too much weight for you. It may not. It may not even be a weight thing for you at all. It may be a terrain thing. For example, on Day 1 of the smokies hike, whether I did it with a 20 lb pack or a 50 lb pack I think would have been irrelevant. The constant climb out of Fontana on day 1 when I was out of shape would have hurt no matter which pack (20 vs 50 lbs) I would have taken. It may be a general conditioning thing. It may be a combination of all of the above.
At the end of the day, it is only weight and only you will have to carry it. Bring what you think you will need. Enjoy the hike. If you find you carried too much weight, replace one or two of your more heavier items and try again. If still to heavy, replace another of your heavier items and try again.
Eventually you will find a weight that works for you.
Oh, also have a contingency plan if you do not make the miles you anticipate. Have bail out points and someone to pick you up just in case.
That is my two cents.
Most importantly, enjoy your hike!
Have you been on other trips? Do you bring back extra food?
Many/most people aren't all that hungry on a 5 day trip and you might be able to get away with 1.5 lbs of food per day (or about 2500ish calories).
Make notes while you are out there of the things that you wish you had left at home and the stuff you wish you had.
I agree with people above that probably most people out for 3-4 days are carrying 40ish lbs. Some people are carrying much more, like 70. I went on a 3 night trip with a woman who brought 3 hardback books and not 1, but TWO bathing suits and a beach towel. I think that her backpack weighed about 70 lbs and we just barely did 1.5 to 4 mile days. (I just swim in my underwear and dry off with the same bandana I use to blow my nose, but I'm gross :).)
And I went on an overnight trip and my brother-in-law carried about 60 lbs for just one night. He brought chairs and full cooking sets, etc, etc, etc.
So you are actually doing good! :)
People carry too much emergency stuff. You are not a paramedic. Well, some are. My general rule is that I carry enough to get myself to safety. If I am in a catastrophic accident, not 1st aid kit will save me. I was an EMT, and I bring 20ish ibuprofen, a couple of bandaids, some triple antibiotic ointment, (too much) leukotape and the same bandana that I use as a towel and blow my nose on. I've never used the bandaids, but they are good to have to give to day hikers with little kids. :)
The Cleaner
08-10-2015, 13:43
Take out the wet wipes,deodorant and toothpaste.Just use a bandana to wipe off with some spring water.Since it's hot you only need a very lightweight pair of camp pants and extra tee shirt.Brush your teeth with baking soda.A rain jacket will do for cool evenings too.
BirdBrain
08-10-2015, 13:53
I was an EMT, and I bring 20ish ibuprofen, a couple of bandaids, some triple antibiotic ointment, (too much) leukotape and the same bandana that I use as a towel and blow my nose on. I've never used the bandaids, but they are good to have to give to day hikers with little kids. :)
I am no expert and as such do not divulge the exact contents of my 1st aid kit for fear of giving bad advice. I am glad to read that I am not far from your kit. I figure if anything real bad happens, I will be shredding cloths for major bleeding, busting up trekking poles for a splint, and doing what ever it takes to my gear to get out. At that point the walk is over. Getting out and getting help from experts is all that matters at that point. I don't carry extra junk with any thought that I am going to continue my walk.
Hello! Thank you for your replies. I'll be 5 weeks on the Virginia AT - the 10 pounds of food are for the first 5 days before resupply. I've been training without the pack. When I went out for the first time with a full load of 40 pounds, I was pretty beat up by 4 hours and became concerned that I had misjudged what I should bring. I guess I am unsure of how much gear to take in case of emergencies. By that I mean hypothermia and dehydration would be the biggest concerns. Mt. Rogers has reported temps to 30 degrees on the rare occasion and some water sources have been reported as periodically dry. Having said that, it sounds like 3 liters of water is over the top and the rain suit may not add any hypothermia protection over my light weight long sleeve/pants on Mt. Rogers unless a blizzard hits in August! Best regards. Mike
I'd take the rain gear. Or at least the jacket. If you are out for 5 weeks, you can send it home after 10 days. Being wet makes hypothermia more likely, and I'd take the rain jacket.
You'll want to take a set of sleeping clothes that you obsessively keep dry. That way, if you are cold, you can change into dry clothes and get in your sleeping bag.
bigcranky
08-10-2015, 15:57
Take the rain gear. You'll be out for five weeks and you'll need the shell for warmth more than once. You can leave rain pants behind if you like.
colorado_rob
08-10-2015, 16:25
Any normal human can carry a 40 lb pack for a 5 or 6 day trip. Most responding posts will try to convince you to go lighter as Lightness seems to be the overall goal. Getting outside is in my opinion the overall goal and a 40 lb pack should not present a problem. Heck, go heavier and bring an avocado or a couple books or a little radio or even a watermelon.Yep, and I will be one of those responding posts that seem to rile TW up.... because I get riled by anyone trying to promote carrying ridiculous weight.
On WB we have campers and we have hikers, and those in between... If you're mostly a hiker, meaning you get enjoyment out of the act of hiking, go lighter; if you get light enough you don't even notice your pack after a while. That's true freedom of enjoying the out of doors; the ability to hike comfortably for days on end and both be safe and comfortable at camp in the evenings. Really not bragging because there are those much lighter, but my 5 day pack would weight about 22 pounds with food and 2L of water. But I have a lot of expensive gear; you can surely get well under 30 even with much cheaper stuff. There is a HUGE difference in comfort between 30 and 40 pounds on you back all day. There is a lesser comfort difference between 30 and 20 though, and virtually no difference between, say, a 18 and an 12 pound pack. Diminishing returns.
If you like to camp for days on end in one place, admittedly a very enjoyable thing to do, don't sweat it so much. Still, weigh your items and at least think about going lighter. For a simple example, I see people out there for a week or two with a full tube of toothpaste and sunscreen, about a pound total. Why not buy the little 0.7 ounce toothpaste and a 1-ounce film canister full of sunscreen? Why not carry Gatorade (or equivalent) water bottles vs. those stupid-heavy nalgenes and save close to another pound (difference in weight for 3 bottles).
Any normal human can carry a 40 lb pack for a 5 or 6 day trip.Agreed. If you are only going to do the one big hike, or maybe hike 2 or 3 years before beginning real life as an adult or whatever, it is not imperative to spend attention on shaving weight. Unless you just want the pleasure of a carrying a lighter weight.
But a normal human CAN'T carry a 40 lb pack for 60+ years of a hiking lifetime. If you want to be hiking through your 70s, and enjoying it, you need to start doing the work as early as possible. Save the knees, save the feet, save the back. You'll need them some day.
BirdBrain
08-10-2015, 16:50
You guys are missing then operative word. Tipi ain't normal. He is a freak. I say that in kindness. Us normal people desire less weight on our backs. Not him. He wants more. :D.
sittinguy
08-14-2015, 11:05
Did my first hike last April, started at the falls, 5 days to Neels Gap. Easy hike, and I am from Florida, and have NEVER stepped foot on a Mountain. My pack weighed 36lbs with 2 liters of water. But I trained with my pack for about a month at home (flat ground) it helped alot! Everyone thought I was a homeless person for a while, but after they saw me day after day I think they figured it out that I wasn't.
Anything that was in my pack that I thought I might need,, had to go.
good luck
I'm @ 28 #'s w/o water. I carry 1.5 liters. I also have 10 days of food.
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Hello! I tried a 3-day hike from Damascus to Sugar Grove with 40 pounds and about 15 miles a day (too many daily miles in this terrain for a trial run!). I developed significant blisters by the end - on both heels and a particularly nasty one under the left great toe nail. I had good 511 boots (or I thoughts so) that I had had for several years and worn continuously for a couple of months along with good quality hiking socks. Still, the 40 pounds did not agree with my setup. I think I will switch to trail runners. I carried too much food - 1 to 1-1/2 pounds a day vs. 2 pounds a day, especially for this type of hike, would have been more than sufficient. However, the 3 liters of water seemed appropriate. I went through a lot of water climbing the mountains and ridges north of Damascus. I'll have to think about how to manage water sources better in order to reduce the weight of carried water. Best regards. Mike
Heliotrope
08-23-2015, 09:34
Nothing like getting out there to learn what works for you. I learn something new every trip. And I often have ideas or gear to test which adds another level of enjoyment to the outing. As for "good" boots, I am not sure what they are. I stopped trying to use boots in the 80s. One of my first backpacking trips as an adult of 18 years was with hiking boots. Day one was a 2.5 mile hike to a summit. Day two I awoke to numerous painful blisters. Pretty much the end of boots for me.
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I have a long history with blisters. Mine never get really really bad, but I have them all over. During warmer months, I bring 2 pairs of socks and switch out my socks. I also take a break every 3ish hours to air out my feet, socks, and boots. At night, I treat the blisters if needed. Last year I had blisters with every hike. This year, I haven't have many significant blisters. The switch in socks and the "air out" breaks helped a lot.
Mountain Bluebird
08-23-2015, 20:28
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by RockDoc http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1994825#post1994825)
If you are carrying water uphill to places where you can get water, you need to think about this.
+1. Hard learned wisdom.
Another +1
"If you arrive at a water source and you are carrying water, you've made a mistake." --from Mike Clelland's book on Light and Ultralight Backpacking.
You will learn with each hike. I carried nearly that weight my first hike on the A.T.
This year, I was down to 27.4 pounds SKIN OUT.... (meaning everything - even my shoes/hiking poles, and the clothes I wore). This also included 4 days of food and 2 L of water.
It has taken me 5 years to get to this point - and I do not spend mega bucks on gear - just try to purchase one item a year for $120 or less....