Best Ultralite Pack Weight for a March 1st Start date for a AT hike

[Happy]

Please list your total gear weights for a March 1st start and starting with the approach trail, which would require 4 days of food (depending on your speed) and would include access to plenty of water supplies to Neel's Gap 4 day's away?

[chris]

See http://mypage.iu.edu/~chwillet/travel/PCT/gear.html for my PCT gear. This is also the same gear that I would take with me for a March 1 start, with a couple of exceptions. Note that it is colder on long legs of the PCT in June than in the south on the AT in March. The big difference is that the PCT is dry and you can count on sun at least.

Rather than my nylon pants, I'd take my MEC Ferrata pants (Dryskin). Rather than my light, billowy long sleeve shirt, I'd take a MEC Warmwear shirt (sort of like a thermal top but with a protective face fabric). I wouldn't worry too much about ultralighting it in March. Ultalight loads come into their own when you are hiking long days. Carrying an ultralight load for a short day makes it easier, but not by all that much. In early March, you won't have the kind of daylight required for long days, unless you like hiking in the dark. Shoot for a baseweight of around 15-20 lbs. This you can do and not give up a big, comfy pack.

[Speer Carrier]

Please list your total gear weights for a March 1st start and starting with the approach trail, which would require 4 days of food (depending on your speed) and would include access to plenty of water supplies to Neel's Gap 4 day's away?


I'd say you could do it with a base weight of 12-17 pounds ( not including food and water ) Since you are from the Atlanta area, you know we've had snow in the north Georgia mountains in the last day or so. I maintain the section fromm Blue Mountain to Unicoi Gap, and that section has about 6 inches on the treadway. The good news is warmer weather for the next several days will melt most of it, but make the trail muddy. I'd take those conditions into account while packing.

[SGT Rock]

I agree, 12-17 pounds base weight is a very good starting range depending on what you want to carry. You could get by with a little less or a lot more if you really tried ;)

[hungryhowie]

Please list your total gear weights for a March 1st start and starting with the approach trail, which would require 4 days of food (depending on your speed) and would include access to plenty of water supplies to Neel's Gap 4 day's away?

There are several ways to approach this. I think what I'll do is write down the absolute lightest approach that I would use and then add to it with a few options. Note: there are some custom/homemade items in here, but see the substitutions lower down for storebought alternatives:

pack: golite breeze (12oz)
shelter: Hennessy Adventure Racer (16oz)
bag: homemade down quilt (18oz)
pad: homemade down underquilt (10oz)

clothing:
worn: swim trunks and a long sleeve silk weight Capilene shirt.
rain/wind: Homemade silnylon jacket, pants, and mitts (6oz)
insulation: Patagonia Expedition Weight Capilene Zip-T and pants, Powerstretch Balaclava and gloves, 1pr fleece socks for additional foot warmth at night, and a Montbell Thermawrap Jacket (28oz).

Kitchen: sodacan stove (1oz), 20oz "coke" bottle for fuel (20oz when full), a lighter (1oz) spoon (1oz), MSR Titan Kettle (4oz).

Water: Aqua Mira for treatment, (2)2L Platypus bottles (4oz).

First aid: Some bandaids, alcohol wipes, ibuprofen, imodium AD, Compede Bandages, ace bandage (for sprains, etc) ~2oz

Grooming: travel toothbrush, travel toothpaste, 1/2 roll of TP ~2oz

Other: wallet (ID, credit card(s), ~$200 cash), Swiss Army knife, Petzl Zipka Headlamp, selected portions of the Thru-hiker's Handbook (8oz)

Misc: extra weight of silnylon stuff sacs and a pack cover (all homemade out of 0.9oz silnylon (2oz)

Total: 135oz or 8.4 pounds.




That is the absolute lightest that I would feel remotely comfortable going right now. It gives adequate clothing protection (both rain and wind) and skimps mainly on non-essentials and cuts down on weights of "accessories"

I would never hike with that load, however, because I'd want a few "extras" like: A 100oz Camelback hydration bag instead of one of those platapi (+3oz), some neosporin packets (+0.5oz), an Ursack for my food (+6oz), nail clippers (+0.5oz), journal (+8oz - pocketmail), and camera and film/memory (+8-12oz).

This would bring us to 165oz or 10.3 pounds




If you didn't have the capacity for the homemade items, I'd substitute a Tarptent Virga for the Hammock (+2oz), a Marmot Hydrogen for the quilt (+3oz), a Prolite 4r (gotta have comfort) for the underquilt (+16oz), RedLedge Thunderlight Rainwear (Anorak and Pants) for the silnylon rainwear (+9oz), OR Rain Mitts for the silnylon mitts (+0.5oz), and normal 1.1oz silnylon stuff for the 0.9oz stuff (+2oz)

Total now at 197.5oz or 12.3 pounds.




wow. that was fun. Have a great hike!

-Howie

[DeoreDX]

Please list your total gear weights for a March 1st start and starting with the approach trail, which would require 4 days of food (depending on your speed) and would include access to plenty of water supplies to Neel's Gap 4 day's away?http://www.mindspring.com/~deoredx/PineMountainJan.txt
This would pretty much be my list. This is my list from my January hike on the Pine Mountain Trail. This was a group hike on a trail with established fire rings. Additions/substitutions I would make:

-4.3oz Leave the pack saw at home.

-10.4oz My silnylkon tarp is for community dining. Stays at home and use my poncho if I want an impromptu shelter.

-.7oz no need for the flask of Whiskey

-6.0oz No need for these pants, will wear convertables on the trail.

-16oz No need for the Golite Coal I recently picked up a:

+15.5oz Mountain Hardwear Phantom Down Jacket.

-18.5oz replaced the POE with a

+12.1oz Thermarest Prolite 3 Short

Which puts me right at 17.07lbs. This is my cold weather gear. I can be very comfortable into the low teens.

Ooops! I forgot... I didn't carry the stove that trip. Add 2oz for stove and wind screen.

[Scorpion]

Hi Happy
I'll give you my list for a march 10th start.

Pack 1# 0.1oz.

Shelter 2# 8.8oz.

Sleep System 2# 5.6oz.

Stove and Eating 9.8oz.

Water System 9.3oz.

Clothes 2# 14.8oz.

Misc. (Personal & Camping) 2# 1.2oz.

Books and Maps 10.3oz.

That total base weight is 12# 11.9oz. It does not include food, water, or fuel. With the food, water and fuel the total weight will be 21# 11.9oz.

If the weather is warm and I'm hiking in shorts and t shirt instead of long pants and fleece shirt then that adds another 1# 4.1oz. to my pack weight. My base weight is then 14#, and the total weight is 23#.

Scorpion

[stranger]

It seemed the original question was regarding total pack weight, meaning average food and water included, so listing base weight might not be all that useful. I for one always felt like base weight was meaningless, as everyone hikes with food and water, so the weight of your pack without such things is pretty much useless. But I understand why people focus on it.

I would think for a March 1st start the "average" hiker would have a total pack weight, meaning the total weight on his/her back, anywhere from 25-50lbs, with most people falling in around 30-40lbs.

[hungryhowie]

The reason why I list base weight (and think that it is useful) is because I have no idea how much someone else's food is going to weigh for 4 days or how much water they like to drink. I like to carry 2-3L of water at all times. I don't know why, I'm just weird like that. Including this in total weight would probably substantially alter the perception of my packweight from the perspective of a hiker who never carries more than 1 liter and just "camels up" at water sources. Likewise, are you a Ramen guy, or a trail chef? It can make a huge difference.

If you want totals, I think that a 10-12lb base, 6-8lb food, and 3-4lb water (a total of ~20-25 pounds) for 4 days in early March is a good weight to shoot for. I will reiterate, however, that none of this lightness should EVER come from sacrificing personal safety or sufficiency.

-Howie

[SGT Rock]

I agree with Howie. A base pack weight is more indiciative of what non-conumable stuff you will be carrying and is what most people typically realy ask for advise on since that weight won't go away as you hike.

If you start with a 20 pound base back weigh and are trying to keep your weght below 28 pounds, then you can only carry a liter of water, a 1/2 pound of fuel, and are left to survive off about 1.25 pounds of food a day for a four day hike - that isn't a lot and will probably lead to a poor diet, lack of energy, and a bad experience. you may get stuck running short on water, and depending on your stove, you may have to limit how you cook to avaoid running out.

If you can shoot for a lower base weight, say 15 pounds - which is extremely achiveable, then you can also shoot for a 28 pound maximum pack weight but this time you can carry 2 liters of water, a pound of fuel and 8 pounds of food for 4 days - 2 pounds of food a day which is a very realistic and achivable diet that can be good to eat and include variety. It would also leave you some flexability for poor water sources, fuel resupply, and mean you can have a moch more enjoyable hike.

15 pounds isn't ultralight, overly expensive (it can cost less than $300 for the whole kit), and it can be carried by just about anyone.

[Happy]

Just got back from the March 1st start, and experienced a super hike and night camping with fellow Whiteblaze member "Rainman" and his daughter, Sarah, starting a thruhike.

The answer to the question was determined, as the low starting weight was 23 lbs. and the high was 62 lbs. Much lower than last March 1st, 2003, the forum continues to educate.

I would have started with a total weight of 27 lbs. but this hike, educated me how to reduce another 1lb. Trial with what you use, and works for you, is the only true experience.