View Full Version : What is your base pack weight?
What is your base pack weight for three season use?
Base weight = all gear except fuel, food, water and what is worn.
calculating infinity
10-04-2009, 01:08
10-12lbs for three season if im living in luxury
Feral Bill
10-04-2009, 01:31
You need a place for "damned if I know".
I'd like to vote more than one weight since I go cookless sometimes.
~7.5 lbs normally & 4.9 lbs w/o cookset
I'd like to vote more than one weight since I go cookless sometimes.
~7.5 lbs normally & 4.9 lbs w/o cookset
Wow... that's a heavy cookset!
Rocket Jones
10-04-2009, 11:10
I'm right around 20lbs, but I've identified several small ways I could save a pound or more with my current kit, depending on how much I want to modify and/or leave behind. It's a process.
16 for 3 season, 18 for winter for me. for winter I add 2 packs of toe warmers & a fleece vest.
I think I can drop to about 15 for a 2 night summer hike by loosing the top quilt for a fleece blanket & taking the small fuel bottle with only 2 oz fuel.
Wow... that's a heavy cookset!
Pot, stove, & fuel
Wolf - 23000
10-04-2009, 15:07
Been carrying less than 5 pounds sense my 1989 southbound thru-hike. I went under 5 pounds in Manchester, VT when I switch out my heavy sleeping bag and Jansport travel/backpack in for a book bag and a sleeping bag cover. I was still new to the idea of lightweight backpacking but it work. Sense then, I've improved my thinking.
Wolf
My base pack weight?
Depends on how much wine I bring for the base camp.
Or are we talking about a different type of base?
dreamsoftrails
10-09-2009, 17:37
My base pack weight?
Depends on how much wine I bring for the base camp.
Or are we talking about a different type of base?
i think he meant bass speakers for your ipod. i like to really rock out when it get to camp.
Blue Jay
10-10-2009, 10:19
This should be in the humor section along with the how long is your extremity pole.
Blue Jay
10-10-2009, 10:22
This should be in the humor section along with the how long is your extremity pole.
I meant poll, but pole works.
I think the information is absolutely fascinating.
We have a bi-modal distribution.
The first mode is significantly skewed towards the heavy end of the spectrum, with a mean of 15 lbs. of base weight.
The second mode has a mean of around 8 lbs, slightly skewed towards the heavy end as well.
I expected the first mode, but the second was a bit of a surprise.
From a statistical viewpoint, I've learned a lot from this poll.
If I look at two other polls that were done on this site, namely how many hours per day do you hike and how many miles a day do you hike, we see that we have means (averages) of 8 hours a day hiking and 12 miles a day in mileage.
Hummm .. 12 miles over 8 hours gives us an average speed of 1.5 mph for respondents to those polls. I think this is an interesting tidbit of info because I tend to hike at an average of about 1.5 mph myself during section hikes I've taken on the AT.
If Base Pack weight was as huge a determining factor in distance traveled a day, as I've seen postulated so many times, one would expect to see a similar distribution in both of these other polls as what we have for the base pack weight poll. I'm thinking that we don't have as strong a correlation between base pack weight and average distance traveled on the AT as I previously believed.
Of course ... these are very informal results as the polling methodology isn't as controlled as one would like, but very interesting nonetheless.
This should be in the humor section along with the how long is your extremity pole.
Depends on genetics, I assume.
I think the information is absolutely fascinating.
We have a bi-modal distribution.
The first mode is significantly skewed towards the heavy end of the spectrum, with a mean of 15 lbs. of base weight.
The second mode has a mean of around 8 lbs, slightly skewed towards the heavy end as well.
I expected the first mode, but the second was a bit of a surprise.
From a statistical viewpoint, I've learned a lot from this poll.
If I look at two other polls that were done on this site, namely how many hours per day do you hike and how many miles a day do you hike, we see that we have means (averages) of 8 hours a day hiking and 12 miles a day in mileage.
Hummm .. 12 miles over 8 hours gives us an average speed of 1.5 mph for respondents to those polls. I think this is an interesting tidbit of info because I tend to hike at an average of about 1.5 mph myself during section hikes I've taken on the AT.
If Base Pack weight was as huge a determining factor in distance traveled a day, as I've seen postulated so many times, one would expect to see a similar distribution in both of these other polls as what we have for the base pack weight poll. I'm thinking that we don't have as strong a correlation between base pack weight and average distance traveled on the AT as I previously believed.
Of course ... these are very informal results as the polling methodology isn't as controlled as one would like, but very interesting nonetheless.
OK, I admit to being a geek and looking at the distribution too, but you're not being very true to your motto: "The trail is childhood reborn. Simple, carefree, and full of Wonders"
I'm not surprised by the lack of correlation between pack weight and distance traveled. I think the vast majority of those who choose to work at reducing packweight do so to increase their enjoyment of hiking, not to increase their speed or mileage.
I'm not surprised by the lack of correlation between pack weight and distance traveled. I think the vast majority of those who choose to work at reducing packweight do so to increase their enjoyment of hiking, not to increase their speed or mileage.
..plus this is a self selecting poll. Many of us, myself included, probably have not answered the poll. :)
..plus this is a self selecting poll. Many of us, myself included, probably have not answered the poll. :)
Very true .... as I said, not a controlled poll ... so I certainly wouldn't want to bet money on the analysis, but it is interesting.
OK, I admit to being a geek and looking at the distribution too, but you're not being very true to your motto: "The trail is childhood reborn. Simple, carefree, and full of Wonders"
I'm not surprised by the lack of correlation between pack weight and distance traveled. I think the vast majority of those who choose to work at reducing packweight do so to increase their enjoyment of hiking, not to increase their speed or mileage.
Yeah .... but when I'm not on the trail I just gotta be a geek :D
So ... perhaps sitting at home is difficult, worrisome, and boring as all heck?
Interesting observation ..... increased enjoyment (utility) as the primary motivator for reducing packweight. Hummmm.
Interesting observation ..... increased enjoyment (utility) as the primary motivator for reducing packweight. Hummmm.
It's my primary motivator. Somebody here said it better, but the gist is: heavier pack=more fun camping, lighter pack=more fun hiking. I don't need much stuff to have fun either way, and I camp more because I don't want to stop hiking, rather than hike so I can camp some more.:-?
dreamsoftrails
10-13-2009, 21:39
my base weight is .5 oz. my dad works for NASA.