Base weight

[chilln]

Correct me if I'm wrong but base weight is the weight of your gear including what you are wearing minus food and water. What is an average base weight for todays hikers?

[hikerboy57]

with 5 days of food and 2L of water, I'm carrying 28 lbs.
This is my total weight. Im not sure of my "base weight" and less sure as to why this is important. I dont hike without food and water.

[4eyedbuzzard]

What you are seeking is generally called "skin out" weight - everything worn or carried less food/water. Often "base weight" is considered everything carried, but not what is normally worn while hiking in average conditions. "Big four" weight is pack, sleeping bag / pad, shelter, and stove / cookware, although some omit the stove and separate the sleeping bag and pad and call it the "big four". It's all very subjective though. Seasons, geographic location / climate, elevations, and even a person's size affect clothing, sleeping gear, shelter, and even stove/fuel choices. Most of the NOBO thru's I met this summer in VT were in the 15 to 20 lbs range skin out, which is about what I carry on my short sections. Closer to 15 in mid summer, closer to 20 in fall. But then again, here in New England we tend to carry more clothing (sometimes even in summer) than someone would in the southern Appalachians or mid-Atlantic. I think you'll find the "skin out" range to be 20-25 lbs in colder weather (March NOBO start and Sept / Oct NOBO finish) and 15-20 during summer months (with possible exceptions for higher elevations like the Whites / Western ME, GSMNP, and higher elevations in VA).

[Bear Cables]

From what I understand , base weight is the weight of what you carry that does not decrease over the period of the hike. Some include what is worn , some only what is in the pack plus the pack. Food and water weight vary during the hike , water is consumed and refilled , food in consumed and in longer hikes resupplied so that weight varries. I count my pack, tent, tarp, stove and fuel, pot, cup, spork, camp sud, lighter, stuff sacks, sleeping bag and pad, clothes, toiletries, first aid kit, steripen, navigation , and book. For my october hike my base weight is 17 lbs. Base weight will vary depending on the hikers preference. There are UL hikers who probably have a sub 10 base, then just light weight gear more likely in the teens, and then what I call the Winnebago that could go up to as much as the hiker wants to carry.

[sbhikes]

My base weight is around 11-12 pounds. I don't do the skin-out weight because I would be wearing clothes anyway. I suppose I should add my trekking poles though, so add another pound. I'm not a gram weenie. It's light enough I simply enjoy myself without thinking about my gear much anymore.

[MuddyWaters]

Ya. Base weight is your pack weight when you start out, minus consumables. Of course you could shed insulation layers, etc and it would increase.

My base can vary from 7.5-10.5 lbs depending.

Some hikers wont count certain things. they will claim they put them in pants pockets or such, just so they can make some defined cutoff for SUL or UL. Thats one reason why Full Skin Out is a better indicator of how much you are really carrying for comparison.

[garlic08]

I've noticed a geographical divide when it comes to pack weights. Out West, most long distance hikers will know, and sometimes obsess about, their "base weight", already well defined above. On the AT, most hikers will talk about the "full load of food and water", which seems to vary from three to five days of food and two to three liters of water, or "put everything you need in the pack and fill the rest of the space up with food and water." In my experience, Eastern hikers don't seem to obsess so much about pack weight--"it is what it is".

In one memorable encounter on the AT, a hiker saw my small pack and asked me how much it weighed. When I told him it was 8 pounds "base weight", he asked how much it was with food and water. When I asked him how many pounds of food and how much water he wanted me to add, he really couldn't answer. He didn't know and didn't care how much food and water it took to hike a given section of trail, which was pretty incomprehensible to me, the way I plan. I never could get anyone to give me a consistent definition of "full load of food and water".

I've never actually met anyone on a trail who talked about "skin out" weight. I agree with those above who don't count a minimal level of clothing that is always worn anyway, and no fair filling up your pockets with tools, tent stakes, etc.

[MuddyWaters]

I think the environments out west, and in the east can be different, and the experience level and hiking culture of the majority of hikers is different too. Western hikers tend to be a lot more LNT than AT hikers.

[sbhikes]

I don't get the adding water to the packweight. It's a lot of there's a long stretch without water and none if I've drunk all the water. I'd think back east you wouldn't even have to carry any water at all.

[ed short]

if you carry it, and it weighs somthin' it ends up being what you would weigh if you stepped on a scale as you took off on your trek. so I guess skin out is the only thing that really counts. skin out plus your comsumables. at tne end of the day it is any weight that ends up on your feet that beats you up. gnome

[stranger]

With all due respect...I'm one of those hikers who doesn't really see base weight as relevant. Simply because it's not relevant to to what 'you are actually carrying'. So a hiker says his or her base weight is 9lbs, OK great...but they have 3 days of food and a liter of water, so their actual pack weight that they are carrying is around 20lbs - why wouldn't you simply say that your pack weight is usually around 20lbs?

I understand base weight for comparison purposes, because people eat different things and some people take 5 days to walk 50 miles and some people take 2 days, but outside of comparison purposes, I don't see the relevance of talking about base weight.

Here is all I really know about my pack weigh - it's usually around 25lbs, that is usually with around 3.5 days of food and about a liter of water. I have never weighed my pack without food and water, well, because I never hike without food and water. So I don't really see the point. I would esimate my food and water to be 40% of my 'total' pack weight. I agree that counting the clothing your wearing is a bit pedantic, should we also count our body weight then?

[lemon b]

these days I go off at 27 pounds, After giving cooll brezzd the food. Ya know I had to read the map. Him and bigfeet weree clurless. With the vectrores. I mean we all could find water on the pasce count and some other the narine were ****ing with u rangers

[lemon b]

**** that Hike your oum hikr and never leave an im jured cat behind, AIRBORNE. Semper fie to those who humped.

[garlic08]

...I dont hike without food and water.


...I have never weighed my pack without food and water, well, because I never hike without food and water....

Thanks for the good explanations, and this is where some of us must be different. I do hike without food and water, pretty often, so base weight is important to me. On much of my AT hike (early in a fairly wet year), there was so much water available I didn't carry much at all in my pack for days at at time, and I would often dump what I had before a stiff climb. And there were so many restaurants in the mid-Atlantic (the "deli-a-day" section), I carried very little food. And on my last day into town I would carry none at all.

This may be where a geographic difference comes in. On the AT, there seemed to be an "average" food resupply of 60 or 70 miles (at least that's the way I planned it), and water supply was fairly consistent. On my Western hikes, it didn't seem nearly as consistent, and the food and water load fluctuated much more.

[MuddyWaters]

With all due respect...I'm one of those hikers who doesn't really see base weight as relevant. Simply because it's not relevant to to what 'you are actually carrying'. So a hiker says his or her base weight is 9lbs, OK great...but they have 3 days of food and a liter of water, so their actual pack weight that they are carrying is around 20lbs - why wouldn't you simply say that your pack weight is usually around 20lbs?

I understand base weight for comparison purposes, because people eat different things and some people take 5 days to walk 50 miles and some people take 2 days, but outside of comparison purposes, I don't see the relevance of talking about base weight.

Here is all I really know about my pack weigh - it's usually around 25lbs, that is usually with around 3.5 days of food and about a liter of water. I have never weighed my pack without food and water, well, because I never hike without food and water. So I don't really see the point. I would esimate my food and water to be 40% of my 'total' pack weight. I agree that counting the clothing your wearing is a bit pedantic, should we also count our body weight then?


Food and water is what you MUST carry. How much depends on the trip and circumstances. That is out of your control and not subject to being reduced to lighten your pack (unless you carry too much already, then you should minimize it)

The base weight has a lot of meaning to people familiar with pack weights. For a 5 day trip that requires carrying 1L water at a time, food and water will be about 10 lbs. If you have a 8 lb base wt, you can use a frameless pack. If you have a 15 lb base weight, you will probably at least need a pack with lightweight stays.

Also, at the end of the trip, you have eaten all your food. So with a 8 lb base, you might carry only a comfortable 10-12 lbs the last day. With a 15 lb base, you will be carrying ~19 lbs still. It allows you to see the average weight carried, not just the starting weight. You might be willing to suffer with a frameless pack for a day or two until the food load decreases in some cases in order to be lighter and faster and more comfortable after that. It all depends, but the baseweight tells you a lot for SUL, UL, and lightweight backpacking. Not so much for conventional.

[MuddyWaters]

Also, the base weight tells a lot about what approach to hiking a person has, and what kind of gear you are using. You cant have a 9 lb base weight lugging a 5 lb double wall tent and a 3 lb sleeping bag. UL hikers are always looking for ways to improve their hiking system and learn from others. A person with a 20 lb base, is a conventional hiker and will be toting heavy traditional gear. A person with a sub 6 lb base will be using cuben shelter, UL quilt, minimal sleep pad, etc. probably no stove. Traveling light, but still warm and safe, is a bit of an art, and depends a lot of the conditions anticipated. It takes some experience to safely and comfortably use UL and SUL gear in adverse conditions .

The baseweight, in conjunction with trip length, pretty well will tell an experienced person what pack size is needed, because they know what gear is required to achieve that base.

[garlic08]

...The base weight has a lot of meaning to people familiar with pack weights. For a 5 day trip that requires carrying 1L water at a time, food and water will be about 10 lbs. If you have a 8 lb base wt, you can use a frameless pack. If you have a 15 lb base weight, you will probably at least need a pack with lightweight stays....

This is exactly where I started paying real close attention to my load. I really wanted to try a frameless, stayless pack but the manufacturer recommended not trying it unless your "base weight" was under 10 pounds. It took a few years of experimenting and changing what I carried, but I got there and my hiking got more fun.

[Odd Man Out]

Of course you could also consider the weight of you. I was looking at some tips for lightweight backpacking the other day, and one of the tips was to loose weight (if you are overweight). I never rally thought about it that way before, but I could easily stand to loose 25 lbs myself and if I did, that means I could carry a 25 lb pack and my knees would think it's nothing (compared to what they are carrying today). Of course, YMMV.

[stranger]

Food and water is what you MUST carry. How much depends on the trip and circumstances. That is out of your control and not subject to being reduced to lighten your pack (unless you carry too much already, then you should minimize it)

The base weight has a lot of meaning to people familiar with pack weights. For a 5 day trip that requires carrying 1L water at a time, food and water will be about 10 lbs. If you have a 8 lb base wt, you can use a frameless pack. If you have a 15 lb base weight, you will probably at least need a pack with lightweight stays.

Also, at the end of the trip, you have eaten all your food. So with a 8 lb base, you might carry only a comfortable 10-12 lbs the last day. With a 15 lb base, you will be carrying ~19 lbs still. It allows you to see the average weight carried, not just the starting weight. You might be willing to suffer with a frameless pack for a day or two until the food load decreases in some cases in order to be lighter and faster and more comfortable after that. It all depends, but the baseweight tells you a lot for SUL, UL, and lightweight backpacking. Not so much for conventional.

Sorry bro I just still don't see the relevance. For me, yes, obviously someone who is carrying a base weight of 7lbs is experienced - for me this is a no brainer. So if two hikers are on a trip, hiker A has 7lbs and 3 days of food, hiker B has 15lbs and 3 days of food, generally speaking, the lighter base weight will be the lighter pack.

Certainly, how much food one carries and what type, as well as water, is just as relevant to gear. Gear is a tool, food and water are tools. Shelters keeps us dry, food keeps us going, etc...Garlic just said he doesn't always carry water, where I do. These are choices.

To me there is no difference between a hiker taking a heavier shelter by choice in order to be more comfortable, and another hiker taking more food to be more comfortable. However, according to base weight explanations I've heard above, the hiker with more food would come across as the more experienced person because they choose to take more of the 'correct' option.

I will share a little story about this subject...in particular to MuddyWaters comment about food, and how much you need.

In 2008 I was at Neels Gap, everyone was standing around and some people were hanging their packs on the scale outside. This one guy was very concerned with what everyone else was carrying. He asked me my base weight and I said I didn't know, this seemed to frustrate him, but I did mention I only had two days of food and a little water so I said he could weigh my pack and deduct 3-6 lbs, again he seemed perplexed how I could say something like 3-6 pounds, and not know exactly how much weight I had. Anyhow he weighed my pack and it came it at 24lbs. I said that was good to know and thanked him for his interest. No it didn't stop, he then explained how annoyed he was that I didn't care and how his pack, with just a 9lb base weight was tipping the scales at 27lbs, yet we were travelling the same distance to Hiawassee before resupplying again. The difference? I would be hiking the 37 miles in 1.5 days and he would be taking 3 days. So two hikers are going from the same place, to the same destination, yet the hiker with the 'lighter' base weight is carrying 'more' weight because he is not comfortable hiking more than 10-13 miles per day.

But according to MuddyWaters, the other hiker's lighter base weight would imply he is more experienced and or more efficient. So this is where I'm confused. I feel like Tom Hanks in the movie 'Big' when he just says....'I don't get it'. Cheers!

[MuddyWaters]

food and water depend on person and circumstances. Obviously the avg hiker will plan on an avg pace. Lets say 10 miles per day. Some experienced hikers in the groove will be doing 15-20 or more. Some out of shape newbies might be doing good to cover 5 with a heavy pack.

Most experienced hikers will carry no more than needed, because they have the experience to "trust" that they will be OK. Many inexperienced new hikers carry too much, of everything, because they have the fear that they wont be OK.


27 lbs with a "9 lb base" would be a wt expected by some for about a 10 day trip. 3days= 6lbs food, +maybe 1.5L water = 9.5 lbs, and the guy should have been packing 18- 20 lbs, not 27.

Anyone is free to carry whatever they want. The discarded items along the trail and in shelters demonstrate that people do quickly learn as they go to discard what they dont absolutely need. Your weight alone does not demonstrate "experience", and there are a few that have been packing for 40 years that still carry some really heavy loads. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks sometimes.

But also many others, that have shed those fears, carry only what they know from experience IS needed, not what they are afraid MIGHT be needed. There is a difference. The lighter the load, the more you will enjoy your walk. But you must be prepared for the limitations that lighter gear brings.

[Papa D]

I think since it is assumed that you will be carrying some food and some water that you determine your "average amount" of food and water combined to give you a realistic expectation of what your pack will weigh most of the time. I agree that "base weight" is a purer number but for many people the number isn't that useful because you would almost never carry only that amount - you'll no doubt have some food (or food trash) and some water. I therefore like to talk "pack weight" - Q - "what does that thing weigh?" A- "well, I started out of (town name) with 27 pounds, now, I bet it's only about 23 pounds - there is one liter of water and one-days' food left." -- see, this is realistic information - saying your base weight is 15 pounds isn't as useful.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Does anyone else think that pack weight, be it base weight or weight with food and water, is very subjective when taken out of context. Different geographies, climates, seasons, etc require different gear, different water and food requirements, etc. Summer pack weight in the mid-Atlantic is always going to be a lot less than early spring in GA or late fall in NH/ME. Other areas like the PCT or CDT bring their own unique requirements. I just think that all these weight comparisons are somewhat pointless unless they are "apples to apples" comparisons.

[MuddyWaters]

Yep. Of course. People that hike all year round . and in different locations, often have different volume packs for different seasons and trip lengths, that is dictated by the gear they will bring. The warmer and drier the weather, or the shorter the trip, the less you need to bring. The colder and/or wetter, the more you may need.

Most quote a base wt as their 3 season base wt unless otherwise stated. Winter in mountains requires more, and Summer may require less.
Heck, in summer at low elevations I could see going stoveless, little insulation, and a minimal 40F bag. I could get my normal base down to about 6.5 lbs. In real winter mountain conditions, it might be 15, I dont know. I like to ski in winter, not hike. Unless Im hiking to ski :)

[atmilkman]

Does anyone else think that pack weight, be it base weight or weight with food and water, is very subjective when taken out of context. Different geographies, climates, seasons, etc require different gear, different water and food requirements, etc. Summer pack weight in the mid-Atlantic is always going to be a lot less than early spring in GA or late fall in NH/ME. Other areas like the PCT or CDT bring their own unique requirements. I just think that all these weight comparisons are somewhat pointless unless they are "apples to apples" comparisons.
Agree with this, and agree with what Papa D has stated about starting out weight and now weight. There are so many variables to consider. For what it's worth my winter base weight is 21.25lbs. And that is everything, what some would call the kitchen sink, along with a couple luxury/necessities as in camera and kindle. The other variables I mention are that I'm 6'6" tall and weigh 235lbs. I carry a two man tent. My clothes are 2XLT. My sleeping bag is a long version. Compared to a size medium which most retailers use when giving specs my "equipment" weighs more. Not by a landslide, but as some have said the ounces add up, and mine do weigh more. Again, as Papa D has stated start out weight is a variable. Depending on where I'm starting out from and how long I'm going to be out my pack weight will be just below or just above the magic 30lb. mark. There are just a lot of variables. Everybody is different.

[q-tip]

I have been racking my brain on a daily basis with my pack weight for the CT next July. I have it down to just under 17 lbs (excluding food & water). A definite light backpacker. For me to get the weight down, I would have to send $400 to save a pound on my sleeping bag, or go the ultralight gear. I have been wet and cold to the point of danger in the past, so I just can't seem to go the next step with ultralight gear. I know it is about HYOH, but any thoughts would be appreciated.

[MuddyWaters]

A 10-11 lb base for summer in mountains is achieveable with minor effort.

Going ultralight is not about being unsafe. You dont leave behind anything that is needed.

But you do leave behind things which are not needed, bring the minimum of what is, in the lightest form that will accomplish the task.

You may have to aquire new gear to get there, that is a personal choice.

An extra 7 or 8 lbs on the back for 450 miles is worth something to save to many.

post your gearlist at backpacking light and you will get some great feedback on possible changes.

[MuddyWaters]

Oh yeah, make a spreadsheet of all the weights. Calculate wt savings/$ for the biggest items and go for the best bang-for-buck first. When you get to $50/oz, it doesnt make sense anymore to most. $10-15/oz saved is pretty normal.

[bamboo bob]

Interesting talk. I do carry a frameless stayless pack. Just a bag really with shoulder straps and a belt with no padding. But my base weight is 21 pounds and with food and water I'm at 28 pounds for five days. Does anyone care about pack weight to body weight ratio? Once I lose my gut I'll be 220 pounds so I'm at less than 15% of body weight. In the old days they used to suggest 25% of body weight.
I marvel at the smaller people like 100 pound girls with 30 pound packs.

[garlic08]

I have been racking my brain on a daily basis with my pack weight for the CT next July. I have it down to just under 17 lbs (excluding food & water). A definite light backpacker. For me to get the weight down, I would have to send $400 to save a pound on my sleeping bag, or go the ultralight gear. I have been wet and cold to the point of danger in the past, so I just can't seem to go the next step with ultralight gear. I know it is about HYOH, but any thoughts would be appreciated.

You have all winter. Search for sales, sign up on steepandcheap.com, etc. I got my $400 Marmot Helium bag on steepandcheap for $200, for example. Gossamer Gear often has sales.

I second Muddy Waters' comment about UL not being unsafe. It's about being smarter. I have never been more comfortable and warm since I got my pack weight down below 15 lbs (it's below 10 now). The hiking is so effortless, I can get to comfortable campsites now, instead of having to bed down in less desirable places or conditions because I'm so beat from the walking. It's easier to stay well fed, hydrated, and rested. I used to have much more discomfort and found myself in more marginal situations before I got my pack weight down. (I chalk a lot up to experience, too, just being smarter about keeping stuff dry and wearing the right clothing in adverse conditions.)

[Creek Dancer]

Of course you could also consider the weight of you. I was looking at some tips for lightweight backpacking the other day, and one of the tips was to loose weight (if you are overweight). I never rally thought about it that way before, but I could easily stand to loose 25 lbs myself and if I did, that means I could carry a 25 lb pack and my knees would think it's nothing (compared to what they are carrying today). Of course, YMMV.

Back in 2008, I met Garlic08 (who posted above) and Pickle on the trial during their thru hike. I was doing a week long section hike. We ended up having dinner in Franklin where we discussed the positive effects of lowering not only your pack weight, but body weight. At the time, I was about 40 pounds overweight. They explained to me that the less your body weighs, the less water you will need, the less food you will required, and the less of both that you will have to carry - which translates into a more comfort on the trail and the ability to do more miles. This made so much sense to me that I made changes to lose the weight, and today I do not need to carry near as much food or water.

So thank you Garlic and Pickle. You guys made a difference in my life. :)

[Stats 2012]

I hate to add yet another variable to the equation, but body height also matters. A tall person carries more weight that a shorter person even if they have identical gear brands. A tal person's gear weighs more due to extra fabric to cover the body (clothes, sleeping bag, pad, jackets, etc), larger heavier boots, bigger pack, higher caloric needs, and maybe a larger tent/hammock. Perhaps it's the scientist in me, but it seems that we are comparing apples and oranges on a number of gear items.

[Theosus]

Wow. So much talk over weight. I just want to know what the darn thing will weigh when it's hanging on me. I guess you could average beginning and ending weight. I need to take some of this to my doctor. When he says "you need to lose ten pounds", I can tell him he's not weighing my Base Weight, I'm actually 15 pounds lighter.

[Strategic]

I'm with Muddy Waters, base weight is all about your hiking philosophy. I'm a "as light as I can get without sacrificing comfort" kind of guy, so I actually pay attention to this but don't get so obsessed that I drill holes in my toothbrush. My current base weight is 13lb. 6oz., skin out. Since I go pretty light with my food selections too, I seldom have a fully loaded weight over 25lb. with a week of food and two liters of water.

[Malto]

For me base weight is the easiest comparision between two hikers GEAR. Food, water and other consumables are so dependent on the particular trip that including that in an overall pack weight tells you little about gear weight. And yes there are big opportunities to cut down and food and water weight. When I left the Mexican border on the PCT my total PACK weight was 24 lb. I had 8 lbs of gear, 8 lbs of water and 8 lbs of food. I had my gear completely dialed in and over the course of the next couple of weeks I cut water weight and to a lesser extent food weight down. So remember, base weight is used to brag about how much of a gear geek you are and total pack weight is used to prove how big of a stud you are. :)

[MuddyWaters]

well, the base is important to me, because it automatically lets me know how heavy a pack will be for a trip.

3 day trip in early fall, 9 lb base, 5lb food, 4 lb water = 18 lbs max leaving, probably 12 lbs on last day, avg wt carried = 15 lbs

3 day trip in winter, 15 lb base, 6 lb food, 3 lb water if plentiful = 24 lbs out, 17 lbs on last day, avg = 20-21 lbs

No guesswork, just planning. For some, the wt they carry + the terrrain = they know the pace to expect

its all about planning, and knowing what to expect.

If you dont control the weight of the gear you bring , it will probably be much higher than you could get by with. For some that is OK, for others, they enjoy the freedom and comfort that a light pack brings.

[ighwoman]

I have read this thread with some interest, mainly because many AT hikers seem to feel they have a right to ask about other hikers "base weight". My primary reaction though is to the oft repeated (at least in this thread...?) association with UL backpacking with experience. In other words, "the less a person carries, the more experienced they are". I will be kind and not say what I really think about that.
I will say that I have been backpacking since 1964 (yes, I know, that is before the birth of almost everyone on this thread) and I am still guilty of carrying what pleases me, not what pleases someone else. I am certified in Wilderness First Responder. Should I carry a first aid kit that will fit in a 4oz. Nalgene bottle or should I carry sufficient supplies to actually use my training if it is needed? If I am willing to carry "real food" and cook on my alcohol stove rather than hike cold and subsist on Power Bars, does that mean I am "less experienced"? I think not.
In fact, it is because I have experience that I am willing to make the tradoffs implicit in my style of backpacking. It would be folly for me to expect to keep up with 21 year old men with 15 pound packs, so I chose not to. I manage to put in my 10-12 mile days and I will bet I have a better experience than them, if only because I am not obsessing about every gram. It is dangerous (or at least often incorrect) to make sweeping assumptions such as: experience equals gram weenie... Just saying...

[Amanita]

I personally think that "gram weenies" are born out of boredom and competition.

Boredom because when you have obligations that keep you away from the trail, or it's just too darn cold (for some of us) it's kind of fun to go over and over a spreadsheet to see where you can make things lighter. You can spend your time thinking about how you're going to use each piece of gear, and how to make it better.

Competition because to some, that's what it is. Backpacking isn't usually very competitive, the only person you're pushing against is yourself. There is no starting gun, no ribbon to break at the end. So some people need something to brag about, and decided that bragging about a small pack is much more comfortable than bragging about a large one.

For some though, going lightweight (or pushing into ultralight) is one way to make the most of the trail time we have. Going from our "normal" lives to the trail is not easy on the body, even if you do manage to squeeze some training in beforehand. So having a lighter pack lets you end your day with fewer aches and pains, and maybe hike further than you would with a heavier pack.

As for why "base weight" is an important metric, I don't think it's a measure of experience, but maybe attitude? If I wanted to do 30 mile days I wouldn't bring much (as if I could), but if I was planning on 8-12 miles a day that means down time, so bringing more stuff to keep me warm, comfortable, and occupied while in camp.

Food isn't part of "base weight" because it changes every day, and even over the course of a day. And if you buy your resupplies it's based on what's available where you stop. That gas station might not sell mega super ultra dehydrated calorie paste. Instead you might be stuck with a box of doughnuts, and a sad looking premade sandwich.