View Full Version : Backpack meets scale
skinnbones
11-16-2016, 19:46
The weight of my pack is 27 3/4 pounds minus food and filled water bottles. Am I on target or is this still too heavy by normal standards. Thanks all. (A.T. thru hike this spring)
MtDoraDave
11-16-2016, 20:02
2 lbs per day of food, figure 10 lbs. 1 liter of water...
Not bad, but not ultra light.
That's lighter than my cold weather pack, heavier than my summer pack.
saltysack
11-16-2016, 20:18
Seems awful heavy if that's your base weight......everything in pack except food, fuel and water?
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you are good to go at that weight. I don't know how much backpacking experience you have but if it's not a lot, you will sort it out on the trail. you are going to hear quickly, and frequently, that you have too much but don't worry about it. Get out there and sort it out for yourself. I started with 42 lbs. (everything incl. food and water) with little experience. I sorted it out as I went. I still carry more than most but I want to sleep and camp comfortably. You just need to find what works for you.
soumodeler
11-16-2016, 20:24
Pretty heavy for base weight. I start complaining when my total weight with food and water gets to 27 pounds :D
skinnbones
11-16-2016, 20:34
Seems awful heavy if that's your base weight......everything in pack except food, fuel and water?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk That is counting fuel. Not food and water though.
skinnbones
11-16-2016, 20:39
you are good to go at that weight. I don't know how much backpacking experience you have but if it's not a lot, you will sort it out on the trail. you are going to hear quickly, and frequently, that you have too much but don't worry about it. Get out there and sort it out for yourself. I started with 42 lbs. (everything incl. food and water) with little experience. I sorted it out as I went. I still carry more than most but I want to sleep and camp comfortably. You just need to find what works for you. My biggest issue is pack 5lbs, tent 3lbs, and sleeping bag 2 lbs. That's 18lbs worth of clothes, head lamp, water/camp shoes, guide book, rain gear, ect. Just not sure how to cut many more corners. Thanks for your input.
skinnbones
11-16-2016, 20:40
Pretty heavy for base weight. I start complaining when my total weight with food and water gets to 27 pounds :D What liter pack do you carry?
Captain Bluebird
11-16-2016, 20:44
That would be my target weight, but heck I'm 60 yrs old and I try to go as light as I possibly can....
saltysack
11-16-2016, 21:10
My biggest issue is pack 5lbs, tent 3lbs, and sleeping bag 2 lbs. That's 18lbs worth of clothes, head lamp, water/camp shoes, guide book, rain gear, ect. Just not sure how to cut many more corners. Thanks for your input.
Post a total gear list that equates to that weight....18lbs of cloths etc is way more than you need...I'm in good shape at 210lbs and 5'11" and wouldn't think about taking that much even on a short trip...try a 40 mile weekend hike with it see what u really need!!!
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Christoph
11-16-2016, 21:34
There's a few things I did on my thru attempt that I did to lighten the load a bit that may help (hopefully).
On my pack, I took off the top cover. I didn't use it except to carry my rain jacket (now I stuff it on top of my food bag). It'll get pretty heavy when it's rain soaked.
Took out the internal frame (3 pieces) but that's not really recommended unless you try it first and research how to pack correctly. There's good but a lot of bad that can happen by not shifting the weight properly, etc...
Didn't take rain pants (figured my legs are going to get wet anyway), 100% poly shirts, shorts, zipoff pants, long sleeve shirt, a hat, and a few other things, ditched the boots for sneakers.
I purchased lighter tent poles (cheap at most local outfitters) and used the bare minimum tent steaks. Mine came with 14 and I now use 7 with same results.
I took a lot of extra batteries (not really needed as they're readily available unless you use a lot of headlamp. etc..), razor blade instead of a knife to open meals/packages, dropping the guidebook for the .pdf version since I'll be carrying my phone anyway, dry out the wet wipes and re-hydrate them in a small zip lock when I needed them, smaller med kit, my cook kit is a plastic bowl, aluminum mess kit pot (walmart), plastic cup, plastic spork, MSR rocket and fuel, etc...
My mummy bag is a 30 degree military issue bag. Rolls up VERY small, and should be fairly cheap, like this one - http://www.terapeak.com/worth/us-army-military-sleeping-bag-mss-green-patrol-30-50-degrees-used-good/291829451925/ available at any military gear store for usually under 100.
My pack started out around 43+ pounds and now I've got it to around 30. What a difference! So, maybe there's some ideas to shed some weight without spending any (or very little) money and I'm sure there's more people can throw in here as well. It's all a learning experience and I'm no expert by any means and what works for me might not be suitable for someone else. This is just what worked for me. Not trying to go ultralight or anything but have a better, more comfortable hike. 2 liters of water is 4.4 pounds, plus the food you'll be carrying will probably be around 10 just coming out of towns. Hope this helps.
Fireplug
11-16-2016, 21:37
My BPW is 13.6. Would still like to cut a pound
Hikingjim
11-16-2016, 22:00
your tent/bag are not that bad for weight. Post your list and you'll be able to make some adjustments
ScareBear
11-16-2016, 22:43
What is in your pack?????
Remember the old adage....WEAR ONE BRING ONE AND NO OTHER ONES!
Add up pack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, and rain gear. In your case, I'm guessing that total BPW is going to be between 14 and 15 pounds. Then, add one change of clothes, stove, pot, water purification, waste disposal, headlamp, first aid, meds, cellphone, fire kit, toilet kit and bear bag with rope. You should come in around 20 to 22 pounds, given your BPW. Not bad at all. Add 2L water for 5 pounds. Add 4 days food for 5 pounds. Your total wet full pack weight will be 30 to 32 pounds.
You can shave 3.5 pounds off your pack and 1.5 pounds off your tent for a net loss of 5 pounds from your BPW. Total cost? Around 700-800 bucks...I look at weight this way....I will gladly spend 100 bucks per pound shed from my back...YMMV
Have a great hike!!
capehiker
11-16-2016, 23:35
Posting a full list is the best way to get feedback. Chances are you are packing your fears and have way too much stuff that you may think you need now but really don't.
Also- take a look at post hike gear videos on YouTube, not pre-hike videos. Pre-hike videos are pointless.
Sarcasm the elf
11-16-2016, 23:48
The weight of my pack is 27 3/4 pounds minus food and filled water bottles. Am I on target or is this still too heavy by normal standards. Thanks all. (A.T. thru hike this spring)
Fifteen years ago that was a very average weight for an A.T. hiker. Even today most people startoff somewhere around there and then begin to drop weight as they gain the experience to know what they do and don't need and what gear does or doesn't work for them personally. Getting your gear tuned in is an ongoing process and while lighter is certainly better, it's not something to get too worried about either. The best way to figure out what you need is to put one foot in front of the other and let things work themselves out.
Sarcasm the elf
11-16-2016, 23:55
My biggest issue is pack 5lbs, tent 3lbs, and sleeping bag 2 lbs. That's 18lbs worth of clothes, head lamp, water/camp shoes, guide book, rain gear, ect. Just not sure how to cut many more corners. Thanks for your input.
Slice your guidebook down the spine into 5 or 6 sections, then only carry the part for the section you are on and have pieces sent to you as needed. Personally I don't carry camp shoes, for three season use I wear quick drying trail runners and don't find a need for anything else.
A 3lb tent and 2lb sleeping bag really is decent unless you plan to go UL. The 5lb pack seems to be low hanging fruit, you could easily save 2+ pounds if you switched to something like a ULA Circut or Catalyst, assuming that either fit you well.
garlic08
11-17-2016, 08:59
That is heavier than many by today's standards. Only you can decide if you can carry it, or need to modify it.
When I reached my forties, I simply could no longer carry that kind of weight on multi-day hikes, due to knee and ankle issues. If I wanted to hike a hundred miles, I needed to drop serious weight. (And it was thanks to the pre-WB AT hiking community that I was able to do it.) Many hikers can continue to carry heavy weights into their golden years.
I like to think of the weight of my pack itself in terms of payload ratio. A five-pound pack carrying forty pounds of weight has a payload ratio of 8:1, for instance. On my AT thru, my silnylon Gossamer Gear pack weighed 1/2 pound, and comfortably carried twenty pounds at times, for a payload ratio of 40:1. That pack cost me about $80, and I thought it very effective.
A five-pound tent may be replaced by a relatively inexpensive Tarptent ($225) that weighs well under two pounds and is fine for AT conditions.
On the AT, I carried very few extra clothes--a pair of socks and underwear, a warm shirt, a wind shirt, and a down vest, hat and gloves into Virginia. My rain gear was hand made by a friend from silnylon, and weighs 7 oz for parka and pants.
cmoulder
11-17-2016, 09:35
Am I on target or is this still too heavy by normal standards.
28 lb + 10lb food + 2.5 lb water = 40+ lb
"skinnbones" implies a non-husky build and a pack weight that is perhaps over 30% of body weight. Loading all up and doing a quick overnight trip (10-15 miles round-trip) will quickly answer that question, even in flat Florida. And it's going to be much tougher going in the hills of GA and NC.
Need to lop off some serious poundage IMO. Smaller people really need the lightest possible kit.
bigcranky
11-17-2016, 10:30
How much backpacking have you done with this pack at this weight? On steep hills? I see you are in Florida, where it's not all that steep, and that you are close to my age.
27 pounds for a base weight means 40+ leaving town with a full load of food and a couple of liters of water. Lots of people have carried 40+ pound packs on successful thru-hikes over the years, but honestly, that's pretty heavy these days. I would be unhappy carrying that kind of weight on a longer hike (and I have carried much more than that when I was younger, so I have the experience of hiking heavy).
It used to be that getting one's base weight under 20 pounds required a lot of money and/or sacrifice, but that's not the case any more. A 15 pound base weight is attainable with gear from major manufacturers at reasonable costs, with no sacrifice to comfort and safety on the trail.
Also, you have 18 pounds of stuff beyond your pack, tent, and bag -- what exactly are you carrying? A 3-lb tent and 2-lb sleeping bag are just fine. I expect a lot of your extra weight is in unneeded clothing, and other things you may end up sending home.
nsherry61
11-17-2016, 11:12
I guess rules can be helpful when you are trying to find a starting point with little background. But, I'm sorry, these 30% of body weight ideas or 8:1 pack to gear weight ratio things are little more than a starting point, which, if you are planning a multi-month long hike, I'd hope you start off with having a pretty good idea of what you are getting yourself into.
My thoughts, I'm sure covered already above: Start with what you have and go outside hiking all day and spending the night and cooking and eating with your gear, even if that means hiking all day doing loops in a local park and sleeping in your backyard while cooking on your porch. Then, get rid of everything you think you might be able to survive without and do it all over again. Reevaluate and repeat. I actually do a lot of experimenting with stoves and meal ideas in my kitchen.
1) It's amazing how little gear you can actually survive safely and comfortably with. The more you play that minimalist game reducing gear and weight of gear, the more confidence you gain and the more luxuries (things that make a real positive difference to you over time even if they aren't needed for safety and survival) you can carry in the end. If you can whittle down your base weight to under 10 lbs, then, as you add things back for comfort and convenience, you know you're dialed for you and your preferences. One can do a lot with nothing more than a tarp and a blanket. How much more do you need? That is the question. Imagine the TV show Naked and Afraid, but with a tarp, a blanket, and the ability to buy food along the way.
2) As for numbers, as a young adult weighing 165 lbs with a 28" waste, I was know to carry upwards to 100 lbs on longer mountaineering trips without an issue (except having to repair backpack seams that pulled loose). Back then I climbed more elevation and hiked more miles in a day with less physical ailments than I do now weighing 215 lbs and carrying a 15 lb pack. Oh, to be young and free again . . . As for backpack to gear weight, most of us would rather carry a pack that is 2 lbs heavier if that extra two pounds of pack carries our gear with more ease and comfort. That being said, you don't need much pack if your total gear weight is under 20 lbs.
3) Embrace your values and aesthetics. Explore you limits. And, hike your own hike!
I have a number of extensive gear lists, wt. cost, if interested send pm with email and I will forward. My first AT Pack 41 lbs. current, 15 lbs 3-season w/o food and water.
illabelle
11-17-2016, 12:14
As for backpack to gear weight, most of us would rather carry a pack that is 2 lbs heavier if that extra two pounds of pack carries our gear with more ease and comfort.
True. I still like to carry my 5+ pound Deuter pack even though I have another that's about half the weight.
Your sleeping bag seems pretty light and packs small. Your pack is a monster, but you'll need to reduce your overall weight to go to a lighter pack. Most UL or lightweight packs max out around 30#'s loaded. Best way to reduce is to weight everything, postage scale & luggage scale, organize on spreadsheet and start eliminating things off your list. After a first pass of "do I really need this ..... have I ever used it" you can start looking at lighter weight options if your budget will accommodate.
Many people pack their fears, contingencies for this extreme or that extreme, backups for equipment failures etc. Most likely none of this will happen. It all begins with a minimalist philosophy & attitude.
Here's some ideas, http://www.hikelight.com/articles.html
Another good source, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX-erGPyejU
He has multiple videos, blogs, books etc.
Lawnchair
11-19-2016, 04:36
I imagine this is addressed somewher, but in determining my ideal base weight, shouldn't I take into consideration my baseweight? While a 24 lb baseweight might be 20% of body weight but for me at 6'3" and 240 it's only 10%
cmoulder
11-19-2016, 08:48
Of course, simply due to the extra size of things like clothing, shelter and pack, and because of additional caloric needs... (on the 'consumables' side)
However, most UL gear is not going to be a lot heavier for the larger sizes. For instance, a Zpacks Solplex weighs 15.5 oz and its larger sibling for taller people, the Altaplex, weighs 17.9 oz
nsherry61
11-19-2016, 10:09
. . . in determining my ideal base weight, shouldn't I take into consideration my baseweight? While a 24 lb baseweight might be 20% of body weight but for me at 6'3" and 240 it's only 10%
I think it's relevant, but then again, when I was 165 lbs, I could carry over twice as much weight twice as far with 1/2 the effort as I can carry now at 215 lbs.
Maybe I should add my excess body weight to my base weight, but that doesn't really work either.
garlic08
11-19-2016, 10:09
Yeah, my 6'7" friend (the "two-meter man") complains he can't get his baseweight below ten pounds. The clothing and sleeping bag are heavier, though he can comfortably use the same Tarptent I do.
I imagine this is addressed somewher, but in determining my ideal base weight, shouldn't I take into consideration my baseweight? While a 24 lb baseweight might be 20% of body weight but for me at 6'3" and 240 it's only 10%
I have never thought of it as an "ideal" base weight. Everyone is different, some can sleep on an 1/8" piece of foam, I need a 3.5" air mattress. A mid September trip to the desert is less likely to have extreme cold/wind conditions than a trip to the Wyoming Rockies. Your kit should be adjusted for anticipated conditions, party size, length of trip etc.
I think the 20% rule is better though of as a not to exceed kinda of number and not a target. Without exception, ok maybe Tipi, everyone would prefer to carry less. It makes the hike more pleasant.
DuneElliot
11-19-2016, 20:42
As others have mentioned, post a gear list. It's the best way to have others point out places you can cut weight. 27lbs seems like a heavy baseweight and I'm betting you could drop quite a lot of stuff to get below 20lbs without trying.
As someone who is also "skin and bones" I have had to make some monetary sacrifices to get my BW to an acceptable level for me.
MtDoraDave
11-26-2016, 13:04
My "winter" pack is heavier than my fair weather pack. I don't have weights for each item, but I just weighed it prior to last week's trip.
It's an old REI Mars I bought from a neighbor for $40. 75 or 85 liters, I'm not sure; they were offered both ways it seems. Tarptent Squall 2, Prolite Plus, 5x7 tarp, 4 pairs wool socks, Saywer squeeze w/ 2 32oz bags, stove/ti-pot/ti-cup, 230g can of fuel, 1 extra pair boxer shorts, 2 pairs micro fleece thermal top and bottoms, gloves, Marmot Never Summer 0 degree bag, frog toggs, 8 days of food (I always bring 1 extra day's worth), and 1 liter of water, headlight, paperback, spare headlight, crocs, 50 and 30' sections of bear cord, and some misc hygiene/ first aid (powder, t-brush, ace bandage, pills, t-paper, wipes, mini bic x 2).
Somehow ALL that stuff was only 36.5 lbs on the Publix scale. I was pleasantly surprised.