View Full Version : Crazy Folks with 14lbs Packs
How much food are you carrying?
AUhiker90
03-01-2010, 00:06
Is that 14 lb. base weight?
Wolf - 23000
03-01-2010, 00:27
How much food are you carrying?
5 days of food plus water of course - total weight.
Wolf
fiddlehead
03-01-2010, 00:33
That'd be only about 2 days for me.
I usually don't carry much water unless I know there isn't any coming up. (recent rains, where i'm headed, how hot, etc)
I carry enough food to get to the next place with food. On the PCT, that was total miles / 25. Out here in my local backcountry, it's total miles / 10. It's a lot harder out here. Sometimes I can only do 5 in one day.
Red Beard
03-01-2010, 01:15
I guess I like to eat waaaay too much. My base weight is 11.5 pounds, but my total pack weight for 6 days and 3 liters of water is close to 27 pounds.
Wise Old Owl
03-01-2010, 01:39
I guess I like to eat waaaay too much. My base weight is 11.5 pounds, but my total pack weight for 6 days and 3 liters of water is close to 27 pounds.
I think you have hit the crux of the problem that you can get anything in shelters,sleeping bag, pack, and stove (Biggie Four) and get it down to sub weights. but dehydrated foods & water and splitting something between hikers will jack it up again.
KnittingMelissa
03-01-2010, 02:43
My pack, with the big four in it, is about ten pounds. With food, well, I'm not sure. I'd probably always have one bottle full of water, just in case, and food stuffs. I guess, from my imagination right now, my total would end up at 20 pounds. But that just seems too light, I'm probably forgetting something important that weighs a ton.
The problem with this sort of discussion is that there is no standardized consensus of WHAT is being weighed. So, it often boils down to comparing apples and oranges.
--Some people talk about only the weight of the CONTENTS of the pack--but exclude the weight of the pack. Most people include the weight of the pack too.
--Does the weight include food and water? How much food and water? How many days' worth of food? What season of the year (or temperatures) are we talking about. (Not fair to compare weight of a "winter kit" to a "summer kit")
--Some tents weigh just 24 oz--but a TREKKING pole is also needed to set it up. Some people will include the weight of the pole--others will not (because it is not being carried IN the pack).
--Some people carry lots of stuff in their pockets (and don't include those items in the weight. Other people do include the weight of those items).
For such a discussion to be really helpful, some "standardized" definition of terms needs to exist.
fiddlehead
03-01-2010, 04:07
True, i have different food just about every time and maybe different water quantities too.
It's a moot point really.
But, for a definition: Weigh yourself naked, then weigh yourself as you would step on the trail with that first step. The difference is the weight you are carrying.
Yes, I too would probably be over 14 lbs even with 2-3 days food if I weighed everything like that.
In reality, i rarely weigh my pack. I already own the lightest gear I can find that works for me and I am not leaving anything behind.
Food is the big variable and I can live on a lot less when starting out than after 1,000 miles or so.
Oh yeah, and water too. If I'm going in the desert, i need to know some facts about the water sources for sure before starting out. If i'm going here in the jungle, i usually only take a half litre along after drinking a litre or two.
12-15lbs is gear, the rest is 1.5-2lbs of food per day out.
The problem with this sort of discussion is that there is no standardized consensus of WHAT is being weighed. So, it often boils down to comparing apples and oranges.
--Some people talk about only the weight of the CONTENTS of the pack--but exclude the weight of the pack. Most people include the weight of the pack too.
--Does the weight include food and water? How much food and water? How many days' worth of food? What season of the year (or temperatures) are we talking about. (Not fair to compare weight of a "winter kit" to a "summer kit")
--Some tents weigh just 24 oz--but a TREKKING pole is also needed to set it up. Some people will include the weight of the pole--others will not (because it is not being carried IN the pack).
--Some people carry lots of stuff in their pockets (and don't include those items in the weight. Other people do include the weight of those items).
For such a discussion to be really helpful, some "standardized" definition of terms needs to exist.
Agree. It always seems to be a hot point of discussion on these threads, but this is one reason "skin out" weight comparisions make sense to me. It removes all the variable interpretations "past the skin"!
Rockhound
03-01-2010, 09:41
The problem with this sort of discussion is that there is no standardized consensus of WHAT is being weighed. So, it often boils down to comparing apples and oranges.
--Some people talk about only the weight of the CONTENTS of the pack--but exclude the weight of the pack. Most people include the weight of the pack too.
--Does the weight include food and water? How much food and water? How many days' worth of food? What season of the year (or temperatures) are we talking about. (Not fair to compare weight of a "winter kit" to a "summer kit")
--Some tents weigh just 24 oz--but a TREKKING pole is also needed to set it up. Some people will include the weight of the pole--others will not (because it is not being carried IN the pack).
--Some people carry lots of stuff in their pockets (and don't include those items in the weight. Other people do include the weight of those items).
For such a discussion to be really helpful, some "standardized" definition of terms needs to exist.
Standardized? OK Under15 lbs. = gram weenie, 15 to 25lbs= ultralighter, 25 to 35 lbs.= lightweighter, 35 to 45 lbs= average hiker, 45 to 55 lbs.= camp comfort cravers, 55 to 65=newbie needless weight packers, 65 to 75 lbs= free gear/food if you follow behind them, and over 75 lbs= Minnesota Smith.
Standardized? OK Under15 lbs. = gram weenie, 15 to 25lbs= ultralighter, 25 to 35 lbs.= lightweighter, 35 to 45 lbs= average hiker, 45 to 55 lbs.= camp comfort cravers, 55 to 65=newbie needless weight packers, 65 to 75 lbs= free gear/food if you follow behind them, and over 75 lbs= Minnesota Smith.
Interesting categories!
However, I was implying that on threads like this one people state a weight (in pounds) for their pack--but they don't tell us what that is included (or excluded from that weight). Even when they do tell us, they are each comparing something different. Thus, it is difficult to really compare.
sparky2000
03-01-2010, 11:04
OK
pack fanatic fringe thompson w/belt 11oz
pad 8oz
poncho/shelter 8oz
filter canteen 5oz
listerine, bug spray 5oz.
tp, head lt. 4oz
hand wipes 1oz
2 diaper pins, nail clips w/knife & can
opener, dog tag, victorinox kit 2oz
2 ti sporks 0oz
4ea. 8ft. nylon strings 1oz
extra clothes w/long johns 2lb2oz
cookn' gear 9oz
sb in sack 2lb11oz
1st aid, tooth brush 7 paste 7oz
3 rolls tp 3oz
3 days food in bag w/hang rope 1lb13oz
5lb.126oz.(7.875 lb.)=12.875lb.
sparky2000
03-01-2010, 11:07
The breakfast and lunch food is energy powder. The dinner is a good dehyd. food w/potato powder added .
I thought it was understood that people say the weight of their pack minus food and water, since that is a variable. And that when people say the weight but are including food and water, they usually state that.
The food and water is so variable that in the course of a long distance hike it can easily double what it was at the beginning. At the same time, if there are places to eat along the way, you can easily go with very little food despite eating very well. It is so variable it makes no sense to count it.
10 pounds summer
20 pounds spring/fall
30 pounds winter
But what is included, and what is not, I'm not going to tell you. :)
Rockhound
03-01-2010, 11:36
my base weight is 23 pounds. Just happens to be how much a 30 pack weighs.
Chaco Taco
03-01-2010, 11:39
My pack averages around 15 pounds totally loaded
garlic08
03-01-2010, 12:19
I thought it was understood that people say the weight of their pack minus food and water, since that is a variable. And that when people say the weight but are including food and water, they usually state that.
Spoken like a PCT hiker! I thought the same until I got exposed to the AT scene, where, it turns out, many hikers don't know or simply don't care what their packs weigh, saying "It is what it is. It works, so why mess with it?" There are also those who are proud of their heavy loads and think anyone different is "crazy", as in the title of this thread. I have also been trying, in vain, to get someone to define "a full load of food and water". The best definition I've heard so far is "fill up the empty space in the pack until no more fits." Water usually means three liters, no matter that your feet are wet from walking in pristine springs. Welcome to AT world!
I see alot of folks asking if this weight includes food and water. Well, I don't know. I started the thread after seeing a video on Youtube of some guy's trip and him talking about his pack averaging 14lbs for the whole trip. I'll have to try and find the video again sometime so I can post a link to it here.
Interesting categories!
However, I was implying that on threads like this one people state a weight (in pounds) for their pack--but they don't tell us what that is included (or excluded from that weight). Even when they do tell us, they are each comparing something different. Thus, it is difficult to really compare.
1. Get on the scale naked. Weigh yourself.
2. Still naked, put on your pack. Weigh yourself.
3. Subtract the smaller number from the larger number.
4. The difference is your pack weight.
That's the only way to know for sure.
(and make sure you don't pee or pooh between weigh ins...)
Old Hiker
03-04-2010, 16:53
10 pounds summer
20 pounds spring/fall
30 pounds winter
but what is included, and what is not, i'm not going to tell you. :)
bacon !!!!
Rockhound
03-04-2010, 17:10
1. Get on the scale naked. Weigh yourself.
2. Still naked, put on your pack. Weigh yourself.
3. Subtract the smaller number from the larger number.
4. The difference is your pack weight.
That's the only way to know for sure.
(and make sure you don't pee or pooh between weigh ins...)
Um......K. But why the naked part. Couldn't you just be wearing the same clothing during each weigh in? Or are you just practicing fof hike naked day?
My pack weighed over 50 lbs last year.
But that included 10 lbs of pork roast plus carrots, spinach and who knows what else while on skis...
There are also those who are proud of their heavy loads and think anyone different is "crazy", as in the title of this thread
AT scene in general:= It's OK to be out of shape, carry 50+ lbs. Advocating being in shape and carrying something lighter means crazy. Any mileage more than 12-15 MPD means you are not stopping to smell the roses (usually in a crowded, dark, shelter by 4PM)
:)
Skidsteer
03-04-2010, 18:47
How much food are you carrying?
As much as I want to. And it's a lot easier to do that when the food bag for a three day trip weighs more than my big four combined.
Would you hike the AT at that weight in February? If so, please list the individual gear list weights.
Skidsteer
03-04-2010, 21:03
Would you hike the AT at that weight in February? If so, please list the individual gear list weights.
I would in Georgia.:D
-ULA Circuit 2 lbs
-Hilleberg Rajd 2 lbs
-JRB Katahdin quilt 2 lbs
-Neo-Air Regular 14 oz
-Optional CCF pad 5 oz
Total 7 lbs, 3 oz.
My food for three days would be around 6-7 lbs + about a lb of 80 proof ground softener.
NorthCountryWoods
03-04-2010, 21:04
I'd be willing to bet if there were a mandatory weigh station on the trail, you'd find the packs of those that endorse light weights would be heavier than claimed and those that endorse heavy weights would be lighter than claimed.
I've gone both routes....heavy (60-70lbs+) in the early years and on long expeditions.....lighter (<15lbs) in the mid years....and have finally settled somewhere in the middle. Base weight for everything minus boots, food and water is in the 20-30lbs range depending on time of year.
Hike your own hike and when it comes to "crazy folk" on the trail, the light-weighters are the least of your worries.
Any LD hiker can get their pack (with food & water) to 14 lbs or less for a weekend hike, on the other-hand, campers have trouble getting this light
SGT Rock
03-04-2010, 21:25
If I include my gun and ammo, the weight tends to go up.
SGT Rock
03-04-2010, 21:31
I see alot of folks asking if this weight includes food and water. Well, I don't know. I started the thread after seeing a video on Youtube of some guy's trip and him talking about his pack averaging 14lbs for the whole trip. I'll have to try and find the video again sometime so I can post a link to it here.
If you think about it, "averaging" 14 pounds isn't as hard as it sounds.
If I have an 8 pound base like old RJ, then add in 2 pounds of water, 1 pound of fuel, and 4.5 days of food at 2 pounds a day. Your pack weight at the start is 20 pounds. If you figure you roll into town at 8 pounds exactly because you used up all your expendables, then you take half of your water and food weight which is 2+1+9=12/2 = 6 + your 8 pound base, you now "average" 14 pounds.
If you think about it, "averaging" 14 pounds isn't as hard as it sounds.
If I have an 8 pound base like old RJ, then add in 2 pounds of water, 1 pound of fuel, and 4.5 days of food at 2 pounds a day. Your pack weight at the start is 20 pounds. If you figure you roll into town at 8 pounds exactly because you used up all your expendables, then you take half of your water and food weight which is 2+1+9=12/2 = 6 + your 8 pound base, you now "average" 14 pounds.
Seems logical. Food is always weighing less then it did yesterday. And if There are reliable water sources coming up then carrying less water for that day would make sense too. I need to weigh my pack. Haven't tried that yet. Did a 71 mile trip last Spring and started around 40lbs with 3 quarts of water and 10 lbs of food. I have since changed many of my pieces of gear to a lighter version. It should weigh less... hopefully.
It's all part of the sub-culture..........
mweinstone
03-05-2010, 11:46
my chaco taco. we should four astrics. really. 29 with kite and 2mi string.
Chillfactor
03-05-2010, 12:42
1. Get on the scale naked. Weigh yourself.
2. Still naked, put on your pack. Weigh yourself.
3. Subtract the smaller number from the larger number.
4. The difference is your pack weight.
That's the only way to know for sure.
(and make sure you don't pee or pooh between weigh ins...)
Why naked? You can do the math with your clothes on. Weight in clothes with pack minus your weight in clothes still gives you the pack's weight.
i just weight my pack last night with 3 days of food and water i'm at 16lbs
i always say give or take a pound cause i might have more water then other times...or more food
but for an over night i'm around 13lbs
Darwin again
03-06-2010, 08:10
The problem with this sort of discussion is that there is no standardized consensus of WHAT is being weighed. So, it often boils down to comparing apples and oranges. ...
For discussion purposes, "base weight" means the weight of the pack and its contents, NOT including consumables (the weight of which changes while you hike) like food, water, stove fuel, and butt paste. This is a widely understood term within the hiking community.
Darwin again
03-06-2010, 08:15
bacon !!!!
Precooked, packaged. Yum. Been there, done that.
I wholeheartedly endorse bacon.
Darwin again
03-06-2010, 08:30
It's easy to have a sub-16-pound base weight and not be crazy at the same time:
Item Weight
ULA-Equipment P-1 pack 34.5 oz
Western Mountaineering Ultralite bag 31 oz
Ridgerest Deluxe sleeping pad, cut down 10.9 oz
Tarptent Virga, by Henry Shires 26.8 oz
Tyvek #14 ground sheet 5.1 oz
Base Major Gear weight total 108.3 oz (6 lbs., 12.3 oz.)
Clothing, total weight: 50.1 oz (3.13 lbs.)
Patagucci fleece hat & silk liner gloves 1.5 oz w
Marmot Precip rain shell jacket 13 oz
Nike nylon shell pants 6.7 oz w
Extra pair Smartwool light hiker socks 3.25 oz w
Nylon liner socks x 3 3.0 oz w
2 bandanas: red, light blue 2.2 oz w
Silnylon pack cover, campmor 4.3 oz w
Bagged for dry campwear:
Terramar short-sleeve tee 6.2 oz w
One pair Smartwool lt hiker socks 3.2 oz w
Nylon running shorts 3.5 oz w
Miscellaneous, total weight: 15.7 oz
Cho-Pat Knee Brace x 2, 7.0 oz w
Nikon Coolpix 5600 camera w/lithium batteries 5.8 oz w
On triptease lanyard:
Classic Swiss knife,
photon micro light, whistle,
Swiss Army knife, Climber, 2.0 oz w
Timex watch w/velcro band 0.9 oz w
Cooking/water: 26.3 oz (16.6 oz without cook kit)
Katadyn Hiker filter 11 oz.
Cook kit: Titanium 0.85 L pot;
Wire mesh pot stand &
windscreen, esbit burner, bic lighter 9.7 oz w
Lexan plastic spoon 0.3 oz w
1 set Aquamira purification drops 3.1 oz w
Platypus 1-L bottles, 2 @ 0.6 oz. each 1.2 oz w
1 1-liter used plastic water bottle 1.0 oz
Toilet kit: 12.6 oz w
Yellow silnylon bag for toilet kit
Toothbrush
Toothpaste (travel size)
Glasses & case
Contact lenses, case,
Contact solution
Poop kit in ziplock:
Purell hand sanitizer --2 oz bottle,
toilet paper, Wet ones wipes--pack
of 15 sheets
Grand Total pack weight: 202.3 oz (12 lbs., 11.3 oz) (without cook set, which I might or might not not bring)
Wolf - 23000
03-06-2010, 15:54
Grand Total pack weight: 202.3 oz (12 lbs., 11.3 oz) (without cook set, which I might or might not not bring)
Darwin again,
What about food? In your Grand Total pack weight I notice you had no food or water?
Wolf
hal0ofwint3r
03-07-2010, 01:30
my pack for winter trips fully loaded(including food, water, warm clothes, EVERYTHING) is 21lbs.
I just did a trip with 33 pounds skin out, maybe 30 pounds pack weight with minimal water. I was only out 2 days, but I packed for 5-7 days, and went a little heavy on the clothing given the forecast of 40F daytime, 20F nightime, clear skies. The heavier than need stuff would include a heavy fleece Helly Hansen hoody that goes below my butt and has a hood and goes very well over a wool sweater, but is rather heavy for fleece, and soaks up more water than fleece should. Still a nice item until I find something ideal for the right price. Similarly, by 2 pound gortex bivy is about a pound heavy for a bivy, but it actually is both waterproof and breathable. My sleeping bag is 3 pounds synthetic, and if it were down of the same weight I might be more apt to leave the 3 pounds Helly Hansen fleece home. All in all, I think I could shave off 10 pounds for the conditions, and still have 5-7 days food, given that I have some body fat to burn. If 0F or colder is in the cards however, and I wanted 5-7 days, I would need to stick to at least 30-35 pounds skin out, and make some improvements in my clothing and gear at that. Depends alot on how many days and how remote you go, and also whether or not you have fully tested your system for where you are going and what conditions you might encounter. If you and your system aren't fully tested, you need to factor in at least 5 pounds of safety margin, usually in the form of clothing, food, heavier sleeping bag.
I think 20 pounds skin out might be doable on skis for 0F, but it would have to be tested, and it would depend on your fitness level also. It would mean lighter clothing, and keeping up a good pace 8-12 hours, perhaps with some night skiing when suitable, and hunkering down up to 8-12 hours in a very good sleeping system. Still, it would be hard to push 5 days at 20 pounds skin out, including ski weight, and you would really need alternate strategies, because changing conditions can really effect travel speed and distance in winter, and you can break a ski. You don't want to cover 100km in a single day into the middle of nowhere, then get hit with too much snow, or a major thaw, or an ice storm, or a broken ski, and find yourself 10 days to get back with only 4 days of food. It could happen. Broken ankles happen also.
Spoken like a PCT hiker! I thought the same until I got exposed to the AT scene, where, it turns out, many hikers don't know or simply don't care what their packs weigh, saying "It is what it is. It works, so why mess with it?" There are also those who are proud of their heavy loads and think anyone different is "crazy", as in the title of this thread. I have also been trying, in vain, to get someone to define "a full load of food and water". The best definition I've heard so far is "fill up the empty space in the pack until no more fits." Water usually means three liters, no matter that your feet are wet from walking in pristine springs. Welcome to AT world!
I have so much to (un)learn I guess.
I worked so hard to learn that even if water is 20 miles apart I don't have to carry 5 liters of it. Heck, if the weather is cool I don't have to carry even 3 liters of it.
If I'm going to have to include food in my weight, and that food has to fill up all the empty space, am I allowed to either a) switch to my ULA Relay before I weigh in or b) pack angel food cake?
How light do you want to go? There are a lot of people here that could survive for weeks in the summer with nothing but a water source.
I know I have only hiked VA, WV MD and PA But I never feel like I am in the wilderness on the AT. Its constantly crossing roads and going parallel to roads. A Town ever other day. Shelters and springs coming out of pipes. Fire rings and often pre cut wood. Trails that are so well marked Hellen Keller wouldn't get lost. Hotels and Hostels. You just don't need to carry that much on the AT.
I have reasonably light gear, then I got lighter gear. I carry the same load now but with more goodies. I mostly only do weekend trips on the AT in the winter. We spend more time at camp and less time waking. We like to make big fires, eat alot of warm food and drink. I recently picked up a nice saw at home depot that folds up. Cuts thigh sized logs nice and fast. Its my new toy.
Lightening my load I have decided that my luxury items include a full kitchen. I like to spend my time cooking good meals at camp. My current go to setup is the GSI dualist with a MSR simmerlite(white gas). Its a good set up for real cooking and sharing food and drinks with all of the cups and bowls.
When I am out west in the desert and plan on going weeks between resupply its not your 14, 15 or even 20 lb base load that kills you. 20 days of food, fuel, sun screen and other small consumables like alcohol (usually grain + powder flavoring) you can reach 50 lb real fast. Then you have to add 2 days and 2 nights worth of water.
Suddenly the weight differences in stoves or the difference between titanium or aluminum pots seams very trivial especially when you have 2 stoves for 6 people.
I used ponder better gear now I spend much more time pondering how to spend more time on the trail.
paradoxb3
03-08-2010, 10:59
Am I the only one that finds the "from skin out" concept a bit strange? Whenever I've calculate my pack's base weight I've never included the clothes/shoes and things I carry in my pockets. Why? Because, at least to me, figuring out your pack weight is about determining how much you're carrying into the wilderness with you that you wouldnt otherwise carry with you in any other public situation. I never think to myself "wow i'm wearing 2.5lbs of clothing" when I go out to dinner, because its just part of the deal.... Maybe you go to more exotic resturants than I do?
Though honestly, following this logic, I could see some of the gram-weenies trying to use it as a loophole by filling cargo pants with all their hiking gear so they could claim their pack weight was <5 lbs total... <shrug> I guess "from skin out" just keeps'em honest?
Well I dont carry anything in my pockets so I dont bother with this. But I can understand this. summer gear w trail runners vs winter gear w boots poles layers of cloths hats gloves gaiters possibly snow shoes or skis. Yo do carry the weight even if its not in your pack.
I think skin-out weight is a good way to equalize the weight of things like trekking poles.
I just find skin-out easier to compare one trip to the next without worrying about what clothing is worn and what clothes are in the pack, since that really depends on the weather of the moment, and changes all the time. Sometimes my hat and mitts are on me. Sometimes they are in the pack. Same with other stuff. It's all carried, whether in the pack or not, so why not just count it all? On the scales naked, then on the scales loaded to go before your trip, then take the difference. Too easy.
33 pounds last trip by the way. Too heavy. lol
I also use total weight, including myself, when comparing one trip to the next. It gives me a better sense of how tough its going to be. The Fundy Footpath is a bit rough for me if I total more than 220 pounds. I was 230 last trip, this past weekend, which was rough. I took food for 5-7 days just in case I decided to keep going. Would have been rougher at 200 though. It was warm for March, but not that warm. ;)
In a very playful sense, I find this whole topic to be a bit humorous.
On the one hand, we repeatedly preach "Hike Your Own Hike"....
Then, on the other hand, we debate (and get a little bit competitive over) pack weights.
We even come up with "rules" like whether (or not) to use the "skin out" standard. (Then, we discuss whether "skin out" is the proper standard).
Maybe (just like the NFL and the Olympics) we will have to come up with a "rules committee" and/or an official governing body for the sport of competitive pack weights. :D
SGT Rock
03-08-2010, 22:44
It is only hiking.
That's what's so great about standards.
We have so many to choose from.
Skin out's the only true account of your weight...
This time of year with 5 days of food and 1L of water I'd be roughly 32lbs. I'm continually tweaking and adjusting, but i'm in a range i'm happy with.
Hey Jak, what was the condition of the footpath? The eastern part of the province got more winter than we recieved here, is there snow on the trail?
Any info on the Dobson Trail? Have you ever done it? Is it worth doing, or is it flat road walking? Would it be doable this time of year without snowshoes?
nitewalker
03-09-2010, 06:54
I guess I like to eat waaaay too much. My base weight is 11.5 pounds, but my total pack weight for 6 days and 3 liters of water is close to 27 pounds.
this sounds about rite. my pack always feels pretty lite until the food goes in it. i usually do small section hikes and always come off the trail with leftover food,never fails..now if u want to talk added weight thru electronic gadgets thats another story,:( ugggh!!!!
SGT Rock
03-09-2010, 10:38
I also use total weight, including myself, when comparing one trip to the next. It gives me a better sense of how tough its going to be. The Fundy Footpath is a bit rough for me if I total more than 220 pounds. I was 230 last trip, this past weekend, which was rough. I took food for 5-7 days just in case I decided to keep going. Would have been rougher at 200 though. It was warm for March, but not that warm. ;)
New idea. So from air in weight ;)
My entire packing system is 218.87 pounds on a 5 day winter hike :cool:
Total trail weight for me would be body mass (175lbs) + skin out weight (32lbs) including 1L water and 5 days food would be a total trail weight of 207lbs...
SGT Rock
03-09-2010, 10:47
If I wanna beat you I've got to go on a diet. :sun:
Darwin again
03-09-2010, 10:58
I prefer to use my bones-out weight.
Bones are heavy. ;)
Beyond that, food is the heaviest thing I carry, besides water.
For me food is usually about two pounds a day, don't like to carry more than five days worth, less is better, but I've carried up to seven. ugh. Even if I'm not cooking dinners, the weight is the same for me.
I like to carry real food, like fruits, bagels, breads, cheeses crackers and such. That's easier to do in cold weather, but then I like a warm meal in colder weather.
Water is two pounds per liter. I try not to carry water to water sources. My water consumption varies with the weather, but my rule of thumb is about a half a liter per snack break, one break per hour or hour and a half of walking. Eight to 10 miles on two liters unless it's beastly hot, in which case I won't be out hiking. I'd try to just carry a liter or a half liter, depending on the water sourcing. So the water weight varies.
I went off Springer with 36 lbs. Too much. :o
SGT Rock
03-09-2010, 10:59
"My pack ain't heavy, I'm just big boned" :cool:
I plan on having an appendectomy so my FSO weight is less....
Two Speed
03-09-2010, 12:48
I may have been thinking about a frontal lobotomy, but I forget sometimes.
I like the "from air in" weight concept.
I take smaller breaths while hiking so I'm not carrying all that heavy extra air in my lungs.
I've dropped 15lbs off of my "air in" weight since October, and haven't changed any of my gear.
If I wanna beat you I've got to go on a diet. :sun:
I am so not going to play this game.:rolleyes:
I may have been thinking about a frontal lobotomy, but I forget sometimes.
Tough choice here...should I have a frontal lobotomy or a bottle in front of me? :-?