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kenl
10-29-2015, 09:22
In the planning stages and just wondering the different ways people compartmentalize their gear. Obviously you've got separate big items like sleeping "system" (tent, hammock, etc), pad and sleeping bag. There's the food bag and toiletries. Beyond that, what's the preference or recommendations? Rain items (jacket and pants) in a stuff sack? Camp items like crocs, extra socks separated for easy access? Or beyond the handful items listed above jus pack it all in!

Any experience and recommendations appreciated.

Thanks,
Ken

ny breakfast
10-29-2015, 09:43
plastic bins, hang sleeping bags on coat hooks in my closet

Odd Man Out
10-29-2015, 09:51
I have a large plastic bag pack liner that fills the bottom part of the pack. It has the sleeping stuff (bag, pad, sleeping clothes) just stuffed in the bottom. They are always used together so they no need to pack separately. Extra clothes are also in there, stored in a plastic grocery bag. This keeps all the extra clothes together and dry. On top of the pack liner goes the food bag (waterproof ZPacks CF food bag). I'll keep my pot/stove in the food bag if it fits (rare that I carry so much food that it wouldn't). I have a few items that will either go in the top of the pack with the food bag or in side pouches, depending on the day (do I think I will need them handy or not). These are a qt zip bag for small essential items (back-up, emergency, medicine, repair, etc...), rain coat (stores in its own pocket), another small grocery bag with the Sawyer Mini filter and associated water gear, and my headlamp. I have a CF toiletries bag that is in the side pouch. Water bottles are bungied to my pack straps. Camera and snacks are in the hip belt pockets. Wallet, maps, SAK, BIC mini, in pants pockets. I have a net bag hanging from the peak of the tent to keep little things from getting lost at night. Tent in its own stuff sack in the outer back pocket of the pack.

kenl
10-29-2015, 10:03
Great, exactly the type of info I'm after. Thanks

4eyedbuzzard
10-29-2015, 10:04
Trying to organize everything into sacks/bags often results in too many bags or stuff sacks and tends to leave you trying to pack often large hard lumps of stuff into your pack, which can make it more difficult to fit things in as it leaves gaps and holes, restricts the order you might need certain items, and takes up more room. It's all a trade off - need to protect certain items from water vs. ease of finding things/organization vs. a lumpy pack (and slightly heavier as well). Try not to use stuff sacks/bags that are too small and wind up really full when you put stuff in them, as then they form lumps and can't flex to fit into the pack's shape. Add that on any given day, what you may need during the day may be different. On a cold day you will want an insulation layer(s) near the top. On a wet day, rain jacket and rain hat. Day food is usually near the top, your stove could be, but doesn't have to be. Most people I see with crocs or flip flops hang them on the outside of their packs. Breaking camp in the rain often means wet gear such as a rain fly will get packed on the outside as well. You'll figure it out. Everybody kind of has their own system and tweaks it all the time based upon conditions and learning curve.

Turtle-2013
10-29-2015, 14:52
Last time I commented on one of these questions I got jumped all over because the way I do it was thought to be entirely un-workable ... even though I have been doing it this way for over half of the AT ... As I always tell people (loosely quoting Mark Twain) "It works for me, but it might kill you" ; ) .... Or as Zipp and Squeak told Trek, "Turtle has his own way of doing things that work for him" ... but let me try again just in case my "way" might help you or someone else think through options.

My ENTIRE sleep system rolls up together and goes into the bottom of my pack which acts as a compression bag. The Tarp-Tent is on the outside and provides good protection from water for the pad, sheet, quilt, sleep shorts, sleep skull cap, and stakes. (add long johns, and/or bag liner for cold weather)

I have a small waterproof bag of "extra" clothes, it includes a pair of socks and a pair of underwear and a long-sleeve shirt. If it is going to be cold it will also include something warmer, maybe down.

I have a mesh cooking bag with whatever stove, pot, lighter, spork, fuel, etc. that I will be using.

I have a "technology" bag with phone, re-charge battery pack, SPOT, ID, money, etc ... it can attach to my belt when necessary.

I use a OP plastic bag for all my food, with a short length of cord to "gift-wrap" it for bear/mouse hanging.

I use a 2L MSR hydration bag in the hydration pocket.

My toiletries are in one of my hip pockets, and knife, tweezers, clippers, notepad, and other small items in the other hip pocket.

One of the side mesh pockets hold my water filter, the other holds my luxury item, a GSI coffee press cup.

The back pocket holds my trail guide sheets (in zip-lock), rain jacket, and camp slippers.

I do not use a rain cover or plastic liner, my pack keeps out the rain, but even if some water got in, nothing important would get wet.

I don't think I left anything out.... my base weight is just under 12# except in cold weather ... of course I could drop 2# if I could only part with my technology. :D My 50L GoLite JAM is always plenty big for up to 6-7 days out at a stretch.

I hope that was helpful.....

Odd Man Out
10-29-2015, 15:29
Last time I commented on one of these questions I got jumped all over because the way I do it was thought to be entirely un-workable ... even though I have been doing it this way for over half of the AT ... As I always tell people (loosely quoting Mark Twain) "It works for me, but it might kill you" ; )....

Not sure why you would get jumped on. What you describe is almost identical (at least very similar) to what I do (see my post above).

QHShowoman
10-29-2015, 15:55
I use a Gossamer Gear Mariposa. Here's what I do:

Long Outer Pocket:
Cookset (soto windmaster, canister, titanium long handled spork, trek 700 with 4 Dog lid, lighter, piece of pack towel for wiping), goes in its own little stuff sack at the bottom.
Rolled up sleeping pad (either BA Q Core SL or Neo Air)
Tent poles also go in this pocket

Smaller Top Outer Pocket:
Poop Kit (TP, ziplock for packing out, wipes, trowel or sno-stake)

Smaller bottom outer pocket:
Powerade bottle if I am not using my hydration bladder. If the latter, I also add a rolled up collapsible wide-mouth nalgene bottle.

Mesh Pocket: Rain pants (REI) & jacket (either Precip or Micra, depending on weather). Bug spray. Camp shoes (Vivo Barefoot)

Hand sanitizer, teeny multitool & bandana hangs on outside of pack somewhere.

Main pocket:

At very bottom I put my tent (Zpacks Duplex)

In trash compactor liner:
Sleep Kit (EE quilt, STS Aeros pillow) goes in compression sack.
2 gallon size ziplock with extra socks, sleeping clothes, change of underwear, gloves (whatever makes sense for the trip).
Toiletry kit in its own opsak also goes on bottom.
I have a separate little bag for my external battery pack that I toss in as well.
If I need my passport/money/insurance card, it goes in a loc sack baggie, usually in my clothes bag, unless I think I will need it that day. Then I will put it towards the top somewhere.

At top of pack, outside of liner bag I put my Ursack or bear bag full of food, etc.

iPhone and snacks for the day get distributed among the hipbelt pockets.

rocketsocks
10-29-2015, 15:59
old film containers, lozenge tins, and ditty bags.

jred321
10-29-2015, 17:11
Think about what you are going to need and in what order you are going to need it. Clothes and sleeping system are probably not going to be accessed much during the day. If it isn't convenient to get to them, not a big deal. Your stove is probably also only used once per day. Doesn't need to be easily accessible. Your tent you may need to setup in the rain. If it is easily accessible you can set that up first, get out of the rain, and get whatever else you need. TP and first aid you may need in a rush during the day - keep it easy to get to. Water and your water filter will be needed several times during the day - keep them handy.

I used a Gossamer Gear Mariposa. One of the reasons I got it is because I liked how it let me organize my gear. This was my setup:
Long outer pocket - tent (including poles and stakes)
Top pocket - TP, knife, duct tape, safety pins, headlamp
Two short side pockets - upper one had my dirty water bottle, lower one had two clean water bottles
Outside mesh pocket - rain gear (if they were wet sticking them out here didn't matter, they weren't getting other things wet), pack cover, camp shoes, and on days where I needed to add/remove an extra layer I just shoved it there
Inside - sleeping bag on bottom, then sleeping pad, then clothes, then phone charger/extra battery, then food and stove
Removable hip pocket - phone (used for many functions including guide book), headphones, wallet, beard comb

Dogwood
10-29-2015, 18:47
In addition to what you already have I'll compartmentalize food stuff sack, cookware, and wet/grungy clothes. Yet, these compartmentalized pieces go to creating a whole. It's more about componentizing while looking also at the bigger picture of integrating all the compartmentalized "stuff." I didn't intend to make that sound confusing or unnecessarily use big sounding words. :) This is just my mindset as a UL, occasionally SUL, LD hiker.

donthaveoneyet
10-29-2015, 18:55
...I have a CF toiletries bag that is in the side pouch. ...Wallet, maps, SAK, BIC mini, in pants pockets...


Forgive my ignorance, but what's a CF toiletries bag? And what's a SAK?

FWIW, my view is, this all depends on the kind of pack you use. For example, mine really doesn't have outside pockets/side pouches (except those that are really for water containers).

kayak karl
10-29-2015, 19:19
i just carry less stuff, less to organize and the weight of those stuff sacks add up quick.

egilbe
10-29-2015, 19:46
Think about what you are going to need and in what order you are going to need it. Clothes and sleeping system are probably not going to be accessed much during the day. If it isn't convenient to get to them, not a big deal. Your stove is probably also only used once per day. Doesn't need to be easily accessible. Your tent you may need to setup in the rain. If it is easily accessible you can set that up first, get out of the rain, and get whatever else you need. TP and first aid you may need in a rush during the day - keep it easy to get to. Water and your water filter will be needed several times during the day - keep them handy.

I used a Gossamer Gear Mariposa. One of the reasons I got it is because I liked how it let me organize my gear. This was my setup:
Long outer pocket - tent (including poles and stakes)
Top pocket - TP, knife, duct tape, safety pins, headlamp
Two short side pockets - upper one had my dirty water bottle, lower one had two clean water bottles
Outside mesh pocket - rain gear (if they were wet sticking them out here didn't matter, they weren't getting other things wet), pack cover, camp shoes, and on days where I needed to add/remove an extra layer I just shoved it there
Inside - sleeping bag on bottom, then sleeping pad, then clothes, then phone charger/extra battery, then food and stove
Removable hip pocket - phone (used for many functions including guide book), headphones, wallet, beard comb

Almost exactly this. Things I will probably use during the day are outside the pack body and things that I only use at camp, are inside the pack body. Things I know I will use are handy, easy to get to, like water bottles, snacks, sunscreen or sunglasses, bandana, for example.

4eyedbuzzard
10-29-2015, 21:37
Forgive my ignorance, but what's a CF toiletries bag? And what's a SAK?

FWIW, my view is, this all depends on the kind of pack you use. For example, mine really doesn't have outside pockets/side pouches (except those that are really for water containers).CF = Cuben Fiber, SAK = Swiss Army knife

MuddyWaters
10-29-2015, 21:48
Pack, gallon ziplock

Odd Man Out
10-29-2015, 21:57
Forgive my ignorance, but what's a CF toiletries bag? And what's a SAK?

FWIW, my view is, this all depends on the kind of pack you use. For example, mine really doesn't have outside pockets/side pouches (except those that are really for water containers).

Sak is swiss army knife. CF is cuben fiber. Sorry for the jargon. True about packs. Because I keep water bottles on my shoulder straps I can use those side pockets for things I'm likely to need during the day.those big pouches in the middle for tents seem to be pretty common. I have a Kalais by Elemental Horizons.

Slo-go'en
10-29-2015, 23:05
The big stuff is pretty obvious. Keeping track of little stuff can be a problem. I store all my little odds and ends in a rectangular 24 oz Rubbermaid food container. Pointy metal objects go in there along with spare batteries, sew kit, patch kit, band aids, charger, cord and so on. Crush and waterproof.

George
10-30-2015, 00:51
my system is pretty random - mostly varies by how full the food bag is, in summer that can be half the volume of the pack so everything else has to stuffed around the edges

salsi
10-30-2015, 02:00
I have an osprey aether 60. I use the front pocket to carry either wet items or a full bottle depending on what type of stove I have on the trip, the 2 side pockets have a Nalgene in each. Have a 3 liter camelback in my hydration pocket then inside the pack have my tentpoles on one side, a small stuff sack with an extra shirt and a few other clothes, then I stuff my tent in the pack and then put my foodbag and stove on the top and im good to go. Any extras I have such as my headlamp and maps go in the top pouch of the pack as well as anything else I might have, depending on the trip. In the hip side pocket on the pack I carry my sak incase I ever need it suddenly.

Just Tom
10-30-2015, 11:49
The big stuff is pretty obvious. Keeping track of little stuff can be a problem. I store all my little odds and ends in a rectangular 24 oz Rubbermaid food container. Pointy metal objects go in there along with spare batteries, sew kit, patch kit, band aids, charger, cord and so on. Crush and waterproof.

I have never considered this before. I'll have to think on this one some more. I have tended to have a single stuff sack that all the little kits (baggie with batteries, spare lighter and a couple of vasline-soaked cotton balls,roll of tenacious tape and a few safety pins, etc). By the end, it is a fairly awkward and clunky object.

shaq67225
10-30-2015, 16:17
I use those multi-colored plastic drawers from Walmart for kids. Its nice because its all one piece buts still relatively inexpensive

Sent from my LGLS740 using Tapatalk

jred321
10-30-2015, 18:25
... the 2 side pockets have a Nalgene in each. Have a 3 liter camelback in my hydration pocket...

Is this on the AT or for other trips? That's a whole lot of water to carry on the AT.

salsi
10-30-2015, 23:14
Is this on the AT or for other trips? That's a whole lot of water to carry on the AT.

its what my pack plan is for the AT as well as what I carry on long distance hiking trips, I drink a lot of water so I carry lots, being 6,5 and playing athletics at collegiate levels makes me desire lots of hydration. Might adjust how much im carrying during my thru hike for water

jred321
10-31-2015, 20:53
its what my pack plan is for the AT as well as what I carry on long distance hiking trips, I drink a lot of water so I carry lots, being 6,5 and playing athletics at collegiate levels makes me desire lots of hydration. Might adjust how much im carrying during my thru hike for water

Just keep in mind that water is the heaviest thing you can carry and is readily available on most of the trail. You can still drink a lot without carrying the water with you. Your 5+ liters of water would be 11+lbs in your pack. Most people find that 1.5-2 liters is enough to carry at any one time (2 Smart or other brand water bottles you pick up at a gas station along the way, Nalgene bottles are heavy). Consider waking up, drinking at least a liter with breakfast (assuming you slept near a water source), pack out the 1.5 liters, stop for a morning snack near a water source, refill if necessary and/or chug another liter, stop for lunch near a water source with the same refill/chug, repeat for afternoon snack, repeat for dinner and drink as much as you want when you get into camp (again, assuming you camped near water). That makes it so you never go more than 2-2.5 hours without a planned opportunity to grab more water and on a lot of the trail you're stepping over water sources much more frequently. There will be some stretches that aren't quite that simple but those are easy to plan for. Staying hydrated is important and it's really easy to stay hydrated without the extra effort of carrying unnecessary weight.

Granted, if you're 18, what's a few more pounds? :)

Odd Man Out
10-31-2015, 23:43
I've been carrying two 20 oz Gatorade Bottles (strap nicely to the pack straps). Also have two 900 mL Evernew Bladders but will only fill if I need to dry camp or hit a long dry stretch. One is for dirty water to connect to the dirty side of the Sawyer Mini filter. The other is for collecting clean water when gravity filtering (and a back up in case there the dirty one breaks). That's 3 L or 100 oz total.

salsi
11-01-2015, 02:31
Just keep in mind that water is the heaviest thing you can carry and is readily available on most of the trail. You can still drink a lot without carrying the water with you. Your 5+ liters of water would be 11+lbs in your pack. Most people find that 1.5-2 liters is enough to carry at any one time (2 Smart or other brand water bottles you pick up at a gas station along the way, Nalgene bottles are heavy). Consider waking up, drinking at least a liter with breakfast (assuming you slept near a water source), pack out the 1.5 liters, stop for a morning snack near a water source, refill if necessary and/or chug another liter, stop for lunch near a water source with the same refill/chug, repeat for afternoon snack, repeat for dinner and drink as much as you want when you get into camp (again, assuming you camped near water). That makes it so you never go more than 2-2.5 hours without a planned opportunity to grab more water and on a lot of the trail you're stepping over water sources much more frequently. There will be some stretches that aren't quite that simple but those are easy to plan for. Staying hydrated is important and it's really easy to stay hydrated without the extra effort of carrying unnecessary weight.

Granted, if you're 18, what's a few more pounds? :)

Im 18 at 6,5 and 290 pounds mostly muscle :D assuming 11 pounds for water + 17 pound baseweight + 10 pounds for food and 2 pounds for snacks, that's only 40 overall, doesn't seem heavy at all, would like to hear more of your thoughts about the subject though.

jred321
11-01-2015, 12:02
If you're only packing 12lbs of food you won't be 290 for very long :) Are you a power lifter?

It's not that you won't need 11lbs of water throughout the day but why bother carrying it up and down mountains all day long, passing water sources on the way? If you're planning on doing shakedowns before you start, try doing one in a place with abundant water and carrying less to see how it feels to you.

salsi
11-01-2015, 19:03
I do power lifts to train for collegiate football and have played collegiate baseball, yea my estimate of food was off, it will probs start heavier but I assume the average it will be over the course of the days will be 12 pounds assuming 6 days on average between resupplies. Will be heavier at a lot of times for sure. I hike in a place where there is lots of water access however I tend to like to add more at lunch and at the evenings/mornings.

I was assuming 2 pounds of food per day, would love any insight you have into that.

Okie Dokie
11-01-2015, 21:01
i just carry less stuff, less to organize and the weight of those stuff sacks add up quick.

Exactly...carry only what you'll really need...it's not like someone will have a gun to your head at the end of the day's walk, forcing you to be super-organized...

The only worthwhile tip I can offer, based on my thru and years of backpacking experience, is to structure your pack so that you can access and pitch your tent without taking your pack rain cover off...if you can pitch in the rain and keep your pack and thus the gear inside dry while you do so you've got it made...I've never had a wet night...

jred321
11-01-2015, 23:59
I do power lifts to train for collegiate football and have played collegiate baseball, yea my estimate of food was off, it will probs start heavier but I assume the average it will be over the course of the days will be 12 pounds assuming 6 days on average between resupplies. Will be heavier at a lot of times for sure. I hike in a place where there is lots of water access however I tend to like to add more at lunch and at the evenings/mornings.

I was assuming 2 pounds of food per day, would love any insight you have into that.

Canadians don't play football. Lies :p

As far as food goes, I'll relate what happened to me last year. I started off with my food bag weighing around 10lbs for 3 days. I dropped 20lbs within the first month. After that I decided that I didn't want to lose any more weight so I started bringing more food. I never weighed it but I would estimate my 3+ day (you can't always buy food in the exact quantities you need so I'd carry the extra) food supply was 12lbs, or a lot of my pack weight. It worked and I didn't lose any more weight. I packed on a few lbs before starting so I weighed just shy of 190lbs when I left at 5'9". I finished around 170lbs with a lot of people asking how I maintained my muscle (I didn't really, I just didn't look like a stick). You're going to need a lot more calories to stay at 290. Your BMR is 900 calories above me, and with extra muscle you'd need a lot more calories to not lose weight. Trade carrying extra water for carrying extra food :)

This is what I would use for meals to give you an idea. It was in the 4-5000 calorie/day range. I tried to get around 800 calories 5 times per day.
Breakfast - 3 packets of Quaker Protein instant oatmeal when I could find it. If not, 4 packets of normal instant oatmeal. I started adding Carnation instant breakfast or powdered milk to regular oatmeal towards the end.
Morning snack - Pop Tarts and trail mix.
Lunch - Peanut butter and pepperoni on a wrap with a Snickers for dessert.
Afternoon snack - Clif bar, chocolate covered fruit. Once I would stop for a day I'd have a protein bar.
Dinner - pasta/rice side or instant potatoes with tuna, salmon, Spam, or, on special occasions, chicken. Sometimes some more trail mix.
And of course there was some variation but that gives an idea of what it took to not lose a ton of weight.

And you never really need 6 days of food. You'll have easily accessible towns more frequently than that everywhere except the 100 Mile Wilderness but even there you can send yourself a resupply.

salsi
11-03-2015, 00:47
yea I eat about 4500 calories a day just in the athletics world so then I guess ill budget 4 pounds a day for meals, + like 1/2-1 a pound of snacks. That means for 6 days id need like 28-30 pounds of food, but that would go down rapidly but assuming 30 pounds still only keeps my pack weight at 58 at the first day, still doesn't seem to bad, but I might try using just my nalgenes to mix water into my bladder meaning theyd empty quicker.. Thoughts?

salsi
11-03-2015, 00:48
Canadians don't play football. Lies :p


lol, 3 down football is the best, and thanks for all your insight so far

jred321
11-03-2015, 19:10
yea I eat about 4500 calories a day just in the athletics world so then I guess ill budget 4 pounds a day for meals, + like 1/2-1 a pound of snacks. That means for 6 days id need like 28-30 pounds of food, but that would go down rapidly but assuming 30 pounds still only keeps my pack weight at 58 at the first day, still doesn't seem to bad, but I might try using just my nalgenes to mix water into my bladder meaning theyd empty quicker.. Thoughts?

30lbs of food and a 60lb pack are crazy numbers. Firstly, you don't ever need 6 days of food so that cuts down your weight. Even with 30lbs of food, your pack shouldn't weigh another 30lbs. Cut back. Secondly, you're going to lose weight. And in your case, a lot of weight. Accept it. It's actually to the benefit of your joints and feet that you lose weight. The ideal body type for this activity looks more like a marathon runner than a linebacker.

Let's say in your normal life, without factoring in exercise, you need 3,500 calories to not lose weight. Add in another 3,000 or so for hiking 20 miles a day, so you'd need to consume 6,500 calories a day. Plan out what a day of food would consist of for you, then add up the calories and see how close you are. Weigh it, multiply by 3 days of food, and see if that seems reasonable.

Heliotrope
11-03-2015, 23:48
One strategy I have established is to keep all of the day's food within easy reach in my back mesh pocket (gossamer gear gorilla) this includes the dinner meal. All other food is in my bear bags at the bottom of my pack. Food that I plan to snack on within a few hours I keep in hip belt pockets.

My tarp and rain gear and stove are all at the top of my pack for quick access when I stop for the day or meal or weather.

I try to organize everything for fluid transitions from hiking to stopping to hiking again. I don't want to have to repeatedly hunt for things but rather to know where everything is, even in the dark.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

salsi
11-04-2015, 01:52
30lbs of food and a 60lb pack are crazy numbers. Firstly, you don't ever need 6 days of food so that cuts down your weight. Even with 30lbs of food, your pack shouldn't weigh another 30lbs. Cut back. Secondly, you're going to lose weight. And in your case, a lot of weight. Accept it. It's actually to the benefit of your joints and feet that you lose weight. The ideal body type for this activity looks more like a marathon runner than a linebacker.

Let's say in your normal life, without factoring in exercise, you need 3,500 calories to not lose weight. Add in another 3,000 or so for hiking 20 miles a day, so you'd need to consume 6,500 calories a day. Plan out what a day of food would consist of for you, then add up the calories and see how close you are. Weigh it, multiply by 3 days of food, and see if that seems reasonable.

that's including the weight of the water I was thinking about carrying, the pack including my gear is approx 17 pounds and so with reduced food only needing it for 3 days puts my full pack weight including full 5 liters of water at about 45 pounds which isn't very much to me

Another Kevin
11-04-2015, 10:43
Almost exactly this. Things I will probably use during the day are outside the pack body and things that I only use at camp, are inside the pack body. Things I know I will use are handy, easy to get to, like water bottles, snacks, sunscreen or sunglasses, bandana, for example.

Me too. One thing that is always outside the pack is noxious fluids. Sunscreen, bug spray, Gurney Goo, stove fuel, and the first aid/repair kit (in which there's Neosporin at least, and maybe superglue and Friar's Balsam) go outside because they will all ruin gear if they leak.

The configuration changes, of course, in winter, when I have a second sleeping pad lashed on top, and may have a full rack of gear on the outside: snowshoes and poles, crampon bag, ice axe, snow shovel, probe, Heaven knows what-all else, occupying every lash point that the pack has plus a couple of improvised ones. I've been known just to leave my mittens dangling on the idiot cords for want of a convenient place to stash them.

Another Kevin
11-04-2015, 11:16
that's including the weight of the water I was thinking about carrying, the pack including my gear is approx 17 pounds and so with reduced food only needing it for 3 days puts my full pack weight including full 5 liters of water at about 45 pounds which isn't very much to me

45 pounds? In summer? Whoof! I carry about 26 for the same scenario, and my base weight is only a couple of pounds lighter than yours.

I've never had a five-litre water carry in the East. I most often carry two. Three or (rarely) four if I'm going to be walking a long way on a high ridge. Even on the high ridges, there's lots of water to be had, but you have to lose enough elevation to get it that I'd rather carry an extra litre or two to avoid climbing down to it.

You are probably planning a lot of water weight in your food. For me, consumables for a three-night trip plus a couple of litres of water are maybe 11-12 pounds. If I carry heavy stuff like fresh fruit on the first day, I carry correspondingly less water, because I'm going to need to drink less if I eat an orange instead.

The typical food plan for a 4-day jaunt is to eat a big breakfast in town on the first day, grab a big sandwich and some fresh fruit for lunch, and plan to pig out in town on the evening of the last day. So for a three-night trip, I'm packing three dinners, three lunches, three breakfasts, snacks, and whatever looked good in town for the first day's lunch. The dried food is about 6.5 pounds, and the extra water weight of the town food will disappear over the course of the first day, so on the remaining days I can carry more water. A lot of times I'll finish the hike with a meal or two still in my pack because my eyes were bigger than my stomach for the town food, and so I had the leftovers and some snacks for dinner on the first day, or because I decided not to do a lunch stop and just snacked through the day.

Even scaling up the food to your larger size - and someone your size will lose mass on a long hike, guaranteed - I can't make the numbers come out at what you estimate. It would be only about six pounds more even if you eat twice what I do.

Mind you, I'm just a clueless weekender - but a thru-hike is very like a lot of weekends or short sections, just done back-to-back.

salsi
11-05-2015, 01:05
45 pounds? In summer? Whoof! I carry about 26 for the same scenario, and my base weight is only a couple of pounds lighter than yours.

I've never had a five-litre water carry in the East. I most often carry two. Three or (rarely) four if I'm going to be walking a long way on a high ridge. Even on the high ridges, there's lots of water to be had, but you have to lose enough elevation to get it that I'd rather carry an extra litre or two to avoid climbing down to it.

You are probably planning a lot of water weight in your food. For me, consumables for a three-night trip plus a couple of litres of water are maybe 11-12 pounds. If I carry heavy stuff like fresh fruit on the first day, I carry correspondingly less water, because I'm going to need to drink less if I eat an orange instead.

The typical food plan for a 4-day jaunt is to eat a big breakfast in town on the first day, grab a big sandwich and some fresh fruit for lunch, and plan to pig out in town on the evening of the last day. So for a three-night trip, I'm packing three dinners, three lunches, three breakfasts, snacks, and whatever looked good in town for the first day's lunch. The dried food is about 6.5 pounds, and the extra water weight of the town food will disappear over the course of the first day, so on the remaining days I can carry more water. A lot of times I'll finish the hike with a meal or two still in my pack because my eyes were bigger than my stomach for the town food, and so I had the leftovers and some snacks for dinner on the first day, or because I decided not to do a lunch stop and just snacked through the day.

Even scaling up the food to your larger size - and someone your size will lose mass on a long hike, guaranteed - I can't make the numbers come out at what you estimate. It would be only about six pounds more even if you eat twice what I do.

Mind you, I'm just a clueless weekender - but a thru-hike is very like a lot of weekends or short sections, just done back-to-back.

does your 26 include water weight?

jred321
11-06-2015, 13:17
does your 26 include water weight?

I'm going to assume it does. 26lbs is a very reasonable weight, especially in the summer. Getting down to low 20s in the summer is not uncommon.

egilbe
11-06-2015, 13:51
My 26 includes food and water.

salsi
11-06-2015, 17:40
hmm thanks for the responces, im gonna go reweigh my pack when I fill it next and check out what im gonna take to eat, or possibly ill just start carrying less water lol

egilbe
11-06-2015, 19:30
It is kinda silly to carry water when you are constantly walking by it all day.

Another Kevin
11-09-2015, 18:46
A lot of my hiking over the past year was on the Northville-Placid Trail, where the answer to "where's the next water source?" is often, "You're standing in it."

Yes, the 26-27 pounds was with consumables for three nights.

salsi
11-09-2015, 19:00
where the answer to "where's the next water source?" is often, "You're standing in it."



lol, thanks for the responce

Connie
11-09-2015, 20:52
My down sleeping quilt is separate. I like it in the center at the bottem of the pack. Heavier items on either side: I have two long stuff sacks for the heavier clothing, sleep clothing, dry socks, etal. However, the cookpot goes outside the pack, in an Aloksak or Opsak depending on bear country or not. In any event, I do not want those odors on my gear. The stove is separate, in it's own pouch on the waistbelt.

I use the black mesh back for drying washed black underwear and socks, or, wiped off but still somewhat wet tarp shelter not folded and ground polycryo folded flat.

I have my most often used gear and consummables in clothing pockets, or, on pack straps and built-in waist belt pockets. The food bag is near the top inside of the backpack. One pint water container is attached to the pack shoulder strap. Water containers slip inside the backpack down the sides.

Small stuff is in ziploc bags.