View Full Version : Base Weight
Roughin' It
02-25-2010, 23:45
Just loaded up my pack with everything except food and water, and my base weight came out to be approx. 18-19 lbs. That's pretty good right?
So after I add food (10 lbs?) and water (3L), what am i looking at... 35 lbs. or under total?
bigcranky
02-26-2010, 08:23
For a March thru-hike start? Yes, that's pretty good, assuming you have everything you need (which is what makes balancing weight vs need so difficult.)
You may find yourself carrying less than 3L of water most of the time in Georgia. Water is heavy, and in general there are plenty of places to refill along the way. I usually start the day by drinking half a liter or so (along with my coffee), then carrying 1.5 liters.
sounds pretty heavy to me but I'm a nefarious lightweighter :-?
Why not post a gear list here! your post really isn't specific enough to give you any advice.
You're below average based on what I've seen on the trail.
You're above average for many people on Whiteblaze.
...seems like the 10 pounds food might also be a bit more than you'll usually end up carrying. average 1 1/2 to 2 pounds daily...
sparky2000
02-26-2010, 09:55
Wow! Your starting out as I did years ago. Had a bunch of stuff one never uses. Now I'm down to the rediculous other side of the coin at 13 lbs. w/3 days of food and don't carry water unless it's needed. You'll swing around with more hard knocks of hiking. The "runners" of the trail even carry less then me (I think).
Trailbender
02-26-2010, 10:04
My base pack weight is around 16 lbs, but I am carrying a couple of extras, like a tarp backed survival blanket, an edible plants guide, and a 0 degree down bag, which is 3 1/2 lbs. I also have a battery powered iPod charger and 4 AA batteries for it. I am at a pack weight which is comfortable to me, right around 26lbs with 1L water. My music is my only luxury. I hike a lot, so my gear list is about as perfected as I am going to get it. I do minor changes on occasion, which drops an ounce or so. Every little bit helps.
Blissful
02-26-2010, 10:13
Probably places you can cut ounces, guaranteed. And no way do you have to carry carry 10 lbs of food these days.
Post your gear list with weights and you'll get all kinds of advise.
mtnkngxt
02-26-2010, 10:26
Doesn't sound bad. I'm around 10 pounds base weight. and about 20lbs food and water.
Just loaded up my pack with everything except food and water, and my base weight came out to be approx. 18-19 lbs. That's pretty good right?
So after I add food (10 lbs?) and water (3L), what am i looking at... 35 lbs. or under total?I assume that is skin out. 18-19 pounds is good if the clothing is about 4 to 5 pounds not counting shoes and shells. That would be good down to 5F to 20F, assuming the layers can be worn all at once. 10 pounds of food should be good for 6-7 days. 3 litres of water is excessive to hike with, but it is nice to have that much capacity for supper and breakfast.
So I am curious what all the non-clothing is.
GeneralLee10
02-26-2010, 13:28
I did the same last night as far as packing my pack. With food no water I got 22lbs on my scale. The food is close to 7lbs, which would put my gear at 15lbs +/-.
Skin out thin out, to me that is BS. What is in your pack is what you are carrying that is your pack weight. Other than your hiking poles if you do. No matter what anyone says your body is used to the clothing weight. That is unless you have on a 5lb jacket, 2lb pants along with 6lb boots. So why in the heck would you count that as Pack Weight? I just don't get it:-?
Tipi Walter
02-26-2010, 13:37
Just loaded up my pack with everything except food and water, and my base weight came out to be approx. 18-19 lbs. That's pretty good right?
So after I add food (10 lbs?) and water (3L), what am i looking at... 35 lbs. or under total?
These are fairly random numbers and do not reflect other hiking styles or alternatives. Suppose you want to stay on the trail for 10 or 12 days and not resupply every 4 or 5 days? Maybe you want to take a few books to read(and burn)so you can pull a few zero days in your shelter? Maybe you'll get caught in a freakish March blizzard(remember the Blizzard of '93?)and instead of bailing you decide to stay put for 7 days in your shelter and ride out the storm? Or maybe you decide to backpack 7 or 8 miles a day and spend more time in camp and so need more warm garments? Maybe you've decided to take 4 or 5 apples or a quart of orange juice? Maybe you'll feel like taking a quart of white gas to boil more tea and melt snow?
Mountain Wildman
02-26-2010, 14:00
These are fairly random numbers and do not reflect other hiking styles or alternatives. Suppose you want to stay on the trail for 10 or 12 days and not resupply every 4 or 5 days? Maybe you want to take a few books to read(and burn)so you can pull a few zero days in your shelter? Maybe you'll get caught in a freakish March blizzard(remember the Blizzard of '93?)and instead of bailing you decide to stay put for 7 days in your shelter and ride out the storm? Or maybe you decide to backpack 7 or 8 miles a day and spend more time in camp and so need more warm garments? Maybe you've decided to take 4 or 5 apples or a quart of orange juice? Maybe you'll feel like taking a quart of white gas to boil more tea and melt snow?
Tipi,
Have you ever posted your gear list here?
I did the same last night as far as packing my pack. With food no water I got 22lbs on my scale. The food is close to 7lbs, which would put my gear at 15lbs +/-.
Skin out thin out, to me that is BS. What is in your pack is what you are carrying that is your pack weight. Other than your hiking poles if you do. No matter what anyone says your body is used to the clothing weight. That is unless you have on a 5lb jacket, 2lb pants along with 6lb boots. So why in the heck would you count that as Pack Weight? I just don't get it:-?
Certainly good arguments both ways, but it does help to at least identify whether the weight is skin out or pack out so that we are comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges.
My current "skin out" for early April is 19 1/2 lbs without food and water, and it does include some luxury items (phone, mp3, larger tarp than absolutely needed for hammock, etc) so I could cut it some more.
JustaTouron
02-26-2010, 15:30
I did the same last night as far as packing my pack. With food no water I got 22lbs on my scale. The food is close to 7lbs, which would put my gear at 15lbs +/-.
Skin out thin out, to me that is BS. What is in your pack is what you are carrying that is your pack weight. Other than your hiking poles if you do. No matter what anyone says your body is used to the clothing weight. That is unless you have on a 5lb jacket, 2lb pants along with 6lb boots. So why in the heck would you count that as Pack Weight? I just don't get it:-?
The exact methodolgy doesn't matter. The only reason to use skin out base weight is so everyone is comparing the same stuff.
Otherwise you have people comparing different things for the same measurement.
GeneralLee10
02-26-2010, 17:54
The exact methodolgy doesn't matter. The only reason to use skin out base weight is so everyone is comparing the same stuff.
Otherwise you have people comparing different things for the same measurement.
Pack weight is pack weight no matter how you look at it.
JustaTouron
02-26-2010, 17:59
Pack weight is pack weight no matter how you look at it.
Not really.
Let say two people are taking the exact same stuff. Item for item.
However one of them is dressed for winter around camp and he other hiking on a warm day. The one dressed for winter's pack is gonna be ~3 lbs lighter, cause the jacket, sweater, rain pants etc is gonna be on the person instead of in the bag. While the other person who has the exact same stuff is gonna have pack ~3lbs heavier cause the stuff is in the bag.
It just makes things easier if everyone talks about skin out base weight, to compare apples to apples instead of doing apples to oranges comparisons.
Just loaded up my pack with everything except food and water, and my base weight came out to be approx. 18-19 lbs. That's pretty good right?
So after I add food (10 lbs?) and water (3L), what am i looking at... 35 lbs. or under total?
It's good if you can hike all day with it and not get hurt. I had that much weight for the first month or two hiking the PCT. It wasn't bad.
Trailbender
02-27-2010, 00:35
I want to carry more food so I have to stop in towns less. That is probably one of my biggest reasons to lighten pack weight.
SGT Rock
02-27-2010, 00:44
Just loaded up my pack with everything except food and water, and my base weight came out to be approx. 18-19 lbs. That's pretty good right?
So after I add food (10 lbs?) and water (3L), what am i looking at... 35 lbs. or under total?
If I were hiking out now in this weather, I'd be at about an 18.3 pound base, plus 2.2 pounds for water, 7.3 pounds for food, and about 1/2 pound for fuel, and about 1 pound for other expendable stuff.
The weather right now is tricky. I'd go ahead and start with what you have and adjust as you go. That said, what are you carrying? If your weight includes a 7 pound tent and 2 pounds of stove, but only 3 pounds of clothing that was made of cotton I would say you weren't ready LOL.
SGT Rock
02-27-2010, 00:49
The exact methodolgy doesn't matter. The only reason to use skin out base weight is so everyone is comparing the same stuff.
Otherwise you have people comparing different things for the same measurement.
Depends on what you mean by compare. Some folks seem to think the guy with the lowest weight wins when they use the term "compare".
Gear, especially clothing, is very subjective to the person. How you use what you have is important as well. So even if you went by skin out for comparison, that still doesn't cover how someone uses the gear they have or what makes them comfortable. Instead of weights, it would be better if he posted his list and told us how he planned on using his gear - and maybe even why he chose certain things. That would be a good way to help him out.
To me, just listing a base weight isn't much indication at all if someone is ready for the trail. And if he said his FSO base weight was 20 pounds, it still wouldn't.
I like to be able to stay active in the worst weather, at least during daylight hours, rather than hunker down and wait out the worst weather. I am pretty sure this means I need more total weight. I haven't tried it the other way. I understand at higher elevations you sometimes have to hunker down, or at least wait it out at a lower elevation. I haven't done that sort of hiking yet. That's the reason I like to use skin out weight though, because there are some trade offs between clothing weight and sleep/shelter weight. I tend to go higher on clothing weight and lower on sleep/shelter weight, so my pack weight alone doesn't mean much. Also, I don't know what clothing I would include in my pack weight. I bring only enough clothing to wear all at once in the worst conditions, but how I delayer is somewhat arbitrary. I tend to hike in wool sweater and shorts, sometimes with leggings also, so the stuff in my pack or pockets is usually quite light, but completes the system. Should it matter though, whether it is in my pockets or my pack? I just don't get base weight. Only skin out weight makes sense to me, even when only comparing to myself for my own purposes.
When I say stay active in worst weather, I don't mean strenuos activity which can't be maintained. I mean light activity, like a long slow energy conserving trudge, and being able to stop and make tea without having to setup a tent and dive into your sleeping bag. I like to have enough clothing to do that, even in freezing rain or blowing snow. I understand that isn't always possible on exposed ridges.
SGT Rock
02-27-2010, 01:30
I like to be able to stay active in the worst weather, at least during daylight hours, rather than hunker down and wait out the worst weather. I am pretty sure this means I need more total weight. I haven't tried it the other way. I understand at higher elevations you sometimes have to hunker down, or at least wait it out at a lower elevation. I haven't done that sort of hiking yet. That's the reason I like to use skin out weight though, because there are some trade offs between clothing weight and sleep/shelter weight. I tend to go higher on clothing weight and lower on sleep/shelter weight, so my pack weight alone doesn't mean much. Also, I don't know what clothing I would include in my pack weight. I bring only enough clothing to wear all at once in the worst conditions, but how I delayer is somewhat arbitrary. I tend to hike in wool sweater and shorts, sometimes with leggings also, so the stuff in my pack or pockets is usually quite light, but completes the system. Should it matter though, whether it is in my pockets or my pack? I just don't get base weight. Only skin out weight makes sense to me, even when only comparing to myself for my own purposes.
And with that rambling paragraph, you have covered some of the "Why" you select certain gear and "how" you use it.
My "packing list" is a spread sheet that includes the weight of everything I wear, carry, eat, drink, smoke, waste, etc. If I were hitting the BMT at Springer tomorrow I'd be carrying:
18.32 pounds of gear in my pack, including the pack. That is my winter load.
14.59 pounds of consumables, that would include 4 days of food, normal water carried, cigars, bourbon, fuel, cooking oil, toilet paper, etc.
and....
5.39 pounds of clothing and gear in my hands or pockets.
That makes 38.30 pounds of stuff. Some clothing may come out of my pack and end up on my body, but either way I'm still carrying it.
I try and stay under 30 pounds total in winter, but my trips have been sh
SGT Rock
02-27-2010, 01:44
I've found that I travel well with that gear and have been safe even in some rough weather. More than safe, I've been comfortable.
I try and stay under 30 pounds total in winter, but my trips have been short. For a trip that could go a week of the weather closed in it would be closer to 40 for sure. If I lose some more weight I might still be able to ski at that weight. I could cover alot of ground on the river and skidoo trails if conditions were right, and I got off the trail quick enough when the skidoos race by at 100mph. It would be very interesting to do the Fundy Footpath in winter, at 60km with access, or maybe the Fundy Footpath and Dobson Trail combined at maybe 150km including Fundy National Park. Skis wouldn't work for the Fundy Trail, but might be worth taking for some of the other sections. Not sure. I am not sure I could average 10km/day in the worst conditions. It would be fun to try some day. I would need to lose some more weight and toughen up some more for sure. The Fundy Footpath isn't much fun with 40 pounds though even in summer. 50 pounds in winter for the full 150km would be a real slog. Maybe next winter lol.
I would like to see how bad March can be. I've heard it can get pretty nasty. The river starts to get sketchy. Its sketchy now with the weather of the last week.
I might try 40 pounds in March once my hip and arse heel up some.
I might not have time for 7 days, but I can still pack for 7 days.
Cheers Rock.
SGT Rock
02-27-2010, 02:12
I might try 40 pounds in March once my hip and arse heel up some.
I might not have time for 7 days, but I can still pack for 7 days.
Cheers Rock.
I hear ya. Heal up man. I would only have about time for 5 days these days.:sun
I'll call Winton. Tell him your coming.