Pack Weight?

[thelifejunkie]

What are some people's ideal's or suggestion's for pack weight for a strong, fit young man who would love to bounce around on the trail during a 2008 SOBO thru-hike?

[Jim Adams]

my A.T. pack weight is 26# with a liter of whiskey.
geek

[fiddlehead]

Mine is around 8-10 lbs plus my guitar, plus food and water. ( don't carry much water, i camel up at water sources) but, and it's a big but. I've been able to search the world in my travels and come up with some of the lightest things made (like my aluminum spoon) and also i have bought a very expensive sleeping bag that is rated at 20 deg. yet only weighs 1 lb 12 oz. (Feathered Friends Hummingbird) I am happy to sleep under a tarp that weighs l lb 14 oz. (sil shelter) and my pack is less than 2 lbs also (go-lite breeze) These things cost money and most beginners don't have the money to buy the best. So, you are young, buy what you can, always be on the lookout for something lighter. Don't get hooked on a thermorest, learn to enjoy fitting to the contours of the ground with a sleeping pad, and you will be fine. (did i mention frogg toggs or Photon micro-lite?) (drinking the water? learn to find good water and save the expense of the filter, a lot of people that use them get sick anyway)

[Grampie]

I would not be too concerned about pack weight. Take what you think you will need but don't go overboard. Leaving Springer with a 45 lb. pack is not uncommon. I think that an averige pack weight for a hiker starting a NOBO hike, with 4-5 days food and water is about 35 lbs.
As you hike start sending home the things you discover you do not need.
My philosophy is that before all of todays light gear folks thru-hiked and would carry packs that weighed around 50 lbs. They were able to do a sucessfull thru. If they could do it than, you can shure do it now.
I think a lot of thru-hikers get the notion that is they carry a light pack, i.e. 20-25 lbs. they will have no problem doing a thru. It may help but it's not what get's you to Katadin. What gets you there is what you carry between your ears, and that's determination.:sun

[Programbo]

I would hope by the time you are standing atop Springer you will have many backpacking trips under your belt and will know just what you need and are comfortable carrying..But I would think a "strong, fit young man" with a good quality pack should have no trouble hauling 35-40 pounds

[OldStormcrow]

My pack in the winter when I am hiking in the Smokies is about 38 lbs. That's including all kinds of luxuries, like at least a litre of Irish whiskey, a .357 magnum, two flashlights, coffee press pot, Slim Jims, etc. If I had to carry a tent, it would be a bit more....

[7Sisters]

There is way too much emphasis on pack weight (as said earlier). Take the items you need with you to be safe (a gun is not one of them), keep your weight reasonable (30 - 45lbs), go on the trail fit and you'll be fine.

Once you get the experience under your belt, it will be easier to evaluate for yourself, what gear you don't want or if you want to tarp vs shelter or tent. You'll have 2,000 miles to figure out all that stuff and get down to an ultraweight pack if that is what you desire.

[oldbear]

As I've read all of these discussions about packweight I've noticed that there seem to be a very important number missing : packweight as a percentage of body weight. Which I think is a very important number.
Subjective numbers only have value when they can viewed within the context of what other numbers they are being applied to.
If a 200 lb "strong young man" was carrying a realistic 45 lb pack , then those 45lbs would be 22.5 % of his bodyweight
He's hiking with his tall 135 lb " strong young woman" who is carrying the same sized pack and that 45 lbs will represent 33% of her bodyweight .
He an easily carry that load while she may have more than a little difficulty doing so.
For her to equal his packweight percentage , her pack will need to be 30 lbs.

[JAK]

Another important number is body fat plus skin out weight as a percentage of lean body weight. My lean body weight is about 140#, maybe 145#. I am most comfortable hiking with no more than 240# total weight on the scales. When I am 210# that means I can carry 30# skin out. When down to 180# I could carry 60#, but I would probably carry less, unless I wanted to carry lots of food for more days before resupply.

So I think body fat + total skin out should be not much more than 1/2 to 2/3 of your lean body mass. Of course that would mean if I was up to 240# after my Christmas turkey and all the fixings I would only have room for my speedo. Good way to clear out a crowded shelter in a hurry.

[Appalachian Tater]

You want your pack to be as light as is practical.

[7Sisters]

As I've read all of these discussions about packweight I've noticed that there seem to be a very important number missing : packweight as a percentage of body weight. Which I think is a very important number.


Another important number is body fat plus skin out weight as a percentage of lean body weight.
So I think body fat + total skin out should be not much more than 1/2 to 2/3 of your lean body mass. Of course that would mean if I was up to 240# after my Christmas turkey and all the fixings I would only have room for my speedo. Good way to clear out a crowded shelter in a hurry.

formulas, formulas, formulas......

It comes down to something more simle than a formula. Your ability to bear. Put on your pack with all the things you think you need (within reason), go out and backpack a weekend. If you're dog tired and can't carry your pack - it's too heavy and you need to figure out how to lighten it.

I would also say that you need to look at yourself as part of the weight your slugging up the mountain. If you carrying around an extra 10 - 20 lbs, start losing some weight. You'll be in much better shape when you hit the trail, will be personally lighter and hopefully you will have found some ways to lighten your pack as well.

I just find this whole emphasis on pack weight to be only part of the equation. If you're doing the miles you want to and not feeling tired, don't worry about your pack weight.

[Panzer1]

What are some people's ideal's or suggestion's for pack weight for a strong, fit young man who would love to bounce around on the trail during a 2008 SOBO thru-hike?

Based on my experience, I would say that not counting food or water
Over 40 pounds of gear is not necessary, you won't need all that stuff,
Under 20 pounds of gear is unnecessarly light for a fit person in their 20's
The 20 to 30 pound range is about right.

Panzer

[thelifejunkie]

My weight 145 lbs, so 1/4 my weight is 35 pounds. That seems too heavy to me. My gear is looking like it is going to be about 13 lbs, then with 4 lbs of water, and 10 lbs of food, that is about 27 lbs. I like the sound of that. And that is max weight. I might be spending a little money on the gear, but I think it is worth it for the comfort and speed that it will bring me.

[JAK]

I don't care so much about the formulas. What I am saying is that we should base our carrying capacity on our lean body weight, and we should include your body fat as part of the load we are carrying.

145# guy with 120# lean body weight carrying 25# skin out.
His comparative load is 50#/120# = 42%

220# guy with 145# lean body weight, and totally naked without gear.
His comparative load is 75#/145# = 52%

We really want to get our load, including fat, down to 50% of our lean body weight, and to do that we want to get our body fat down below 25%, which allows us to carry the other 25% as gear and food and clothing. Clothing is always a nice option when we run into other people on the trail. Of course the best way to lose weight is by hiking, so if we are over 50% it shouldn't stop us. If anything it should motivate us. What better way is there to lose up to a pound a day while eating well and feeling great?

[oops56]

All this math and numbers don't do northing for me. Just put it on if its to heavy take something out till its right. The things you took out and need put back in take out something else out keep going till its feels good.

[7Sisters]

Based on my experience, I would say that not counting food or water
Over 40 pounds of gear is not necessary, you won't need all that stuff,
Under 20 pounds of gear is unnecessarly light for a fit person in their 20's
The 20 to 30 pound range is about right.

Panzer

Based on what you wrote in sentences 2 and 3, I would have expected your last sentence to be 20 to 40 lb range is about right. I would agree that statement. With food for 4 or 5 days and 2 liters of water, I see no problem with a pack in the mid to upper 30 lb range.

That being said, the original post was for a SOBO thru hiker. What nobody knows is when will they start. If you start out SOBO in winter (in Maine), you should plan on being in excellent shape and carrying a pack heavier than 40lbs.

[thelifejunkie]

I changed my direction, I'm starting south and heading north.

[mambo_tango]

As a friend said to me "Either you are hiking for 5 months or camping for 5 months - it all depends on what you want more comfortable" When I started my hike my pack was close to 40 pounds and by the time I got to PA it was a little over 20. I was so much happier with hiking and I had a better pace. Living without a few comforts of camp turned out not so bad.

[Kerosene]

At your weight, you'll shouold be quite happy with a pack that weighs in at less than 30 pounds with supplies. A lighter pack reduces the chance of injury, lets you consider walking further each day, allows you to carry less food (at least initially), and gives you a little latitude to add weight for some luxury. Most newbies carry way too many clothes (your body's thermostat adjusts to the outdoor temps and layering with your rain jacket adds warmth while protecting from wind), and think they can't live without a double-wall tent; and then they need a 7-pound pack to carry it all. I disagree with the philosophy that you should just carry whatever you want and winnow it down; but 1-3 night shake-down hikes can do a lot to build up your confidence in your gear.

[Brrrb Oregon]

I don't care so much about the formulas. What I am saying is that we should base our carrying capacity on our lean body weight, and we should include your body fat as part of the load we are carrying.

145# guy with 120# lean body weight carrying 25# skin out.
His comparative load is 50#/120# = 42%

220# guy with 145# lean body weight, and totally naked without gear.
His comparative load is 75#/145# = 52%

We really want to get our load, including fat, down to 50% of our lean body weight, and to do that we want to get our body fat down below 25%, which allows us to carry the other 25% as gear and food and clothing. Clothing is always a nice option when we run into other people on the trail. Of course the best way to lose weight is by hiking, so if we are over 50% it shouldn't stop us. If anything it should motivate us. What better way is there to lose up to a pound a day while eating well and feeling great?

Body fat lowering is good, but only up to a point. I have a friend in mountain rescue who has the maxim: when lost for extended periods of time, fat people get skinny and skinny people die. (Not that you were advocating for 3% or anything.)

Still, I think you're right in suggesting that a person take the amount a person is over their ideal weight, take that from their body weight column, and add it to the "well-distributed pack weight" column. The fat that, you know, keeps your eyes from sinking into the sockets, probably you can spot yourself that.

Knees that have been around the sun more than 25-30 times will be pleased with the weight-loss efforts, though! :D

[JAK]

"Not that you were advocating for 3% or anything." LOL

That's a good idea. Use ideal body weight, say 15% body fat, as my baseline. I would guess for myself that would be about 165#. It would hurt to have more than that at the beginning of a long section either, but again it seems crazy to even worry about that at the moment. A few years ago I was back into running and 185#. Now I am back up to 220#. Solution? - Oops has it right. Less numbers. More hiking hours. Cheers.

I would love to thru-hike myself back down to near perfect body weight. Some day.
A good maxim - The ideal body weight to start a hike... whatever you weigh now.

[Brrrb Oregon]

"Not that you were advocating for 3% or anything." LOL

That's a good idea. Use ideal body weight, say 15% body fat, as my baseline. I would guess for myself that would be about 165#. It would hurt to have more than that at the beginning of a long section either, but again it seems crazy to even worry about that at the moment. A few years ago I was back into running and 185#. Now I am back up to 220#. Solution? - Oops has it right. Less numbers. More hiking hours. Cheers.

I would love to thru-hike myself back down to near perfect body weight. Some day.
A good maxim - The ideal body weight to start a hike... whatever you weigh now.

Yeah, well, I just went hiking with my kids and GAINED weight. It turns out that the distance an 8 year old can do does not make up for having access to Lil' Debbies and M&M trail mix. :rolleyes:

(C'mon, they're 8! You gotta have Lil' Debbies!!)

[7Sisters]

........ think they can't live without a double-wall tent; and then they need a 7-pound pack to carry it all. I disagree with the philosophy that you should just carry whatever you want and winnow it down; but 1-3 night shake-down hikes can do a lot to build up your confidence in your gear.

I don't think we are dissagreeing in principle. As you said, take the 1-3 night shake-down and than see what you can live with and live without. If you can hike the miles you want to hike in a day, are not wiped out at the end of each day and have the appropriate gear and knowledge to be safe, it doesn't matter what your pack weighs.:-?

I'm a huge believer in you need to do shakedown hikes to gain experience and determine what you can live without. Before deviating from "standard" gear, you really should start to build some experience and see what you need to be and feel safe and enjoy your experience.

[The Weasel]

Pack weight depends not on who you are, but what you intend. For some, a 50 lb pack is essential; for others, anything over 10 is dangerous. Why?

Well, what kind of hike do you wish to attempt? Are you looking to travel as fast as possible? Or is more comfort important? Do you wish to remember the trip in your mind, or will a journal and camera help? It can be as basic as whether you wish hot food daily, or are glad to eat cold food consistently.

Many people will tell you what you must bring, and why such things are "essential." They're wrong, in every case: You must bring everything you need, and anything you don't need that you bring is a mistake, and, most of all, everything you have brought is something you have thought you need.

The key factor in that sentence is to make the "need" decision at the best time. Perhaps you brought a huge hunting knife. Well, that's a decision, and you made it before you left. You may change that decision as you hike. It doesn't mean the decision was "wrong" when you made it (perhaps it was, perhaps not), but simply that you changed your mind.

So before deciding what goes in your pack, think with some care about what you hope to do. Study this site, and others, and read much. Perhaps you'll be like one old lady who carried a shower curtain and walked in sneakers...several times. Or perhaps you'll decide you want different experiences. Let those guide your gear choices and weights.

"Healthy young men" have carried well over a hundred pounds of gear for hundreds and even thousands of miles, and you can too. Others have hiked the AT and otehr trails with barely the clothes on their back. Once you decide what you want to do, you'll easily decide on what to carry.

The Weasel

[Mr. Clean]

There's nothing like hiking to figure out exactly what you need. Rent gear when possible to figure what you really need instead of what you think you need.

[Grampie]

Weisel's post is so right. It all depends on you.:)

[Time To Fly 97]

I work out on mildly hilly roads with a 90# weight pack plus a few ounces for Oakleys, Lekis and an iPod. However, when I hit the trail with my backpack, I rarely exceed 40# even with a week's food and water. This includes some admitted bad habits with regard to weight (aka my Gregory Denali pack which weighs 7# dry).

I'm certainly strong enough to carry much more stuff on trail, but I don't. Lighter weight on trial is safer, better on my knees, allows me to concentrate on the beauty and people around me (instead of cardio and muscle fatigue level)... and leaves me with plenty of energy to get a fire going at camp, stay up later, catch a sunrise the next day, explore a little and help other hikers whenever possible.

Happy hiking!

TTF