Pack weight blues

[Russ979]

I can't help but notice everyones pack is around 10-15 pounds base weight yet here I sit with both my pack and my girlfriends pack weighing around 20 each for our 2014 NOBO thru hike. After reviewing other peoples pack list it seems as though there is no one single item that is putting us so far over weight, just a lot of little items that are a couple of oz heavier. Only solution would be to buy almost entirely new gear for untold amounts of money which we don't have. I know things will change once we start and hopefully the packs shed a few pounds but I'm hoping there are more people out there than just the girlfriend and I with 20-25 pound base weight packs.

[GoodGerman]

Backpacking forums are a bubble.

Once you hit the trail, you'll notice that only the minority of hikers actually have a base weight around 15 lbs.
Make sure you two are comfortable with your packs and what you carry. That's pretty much all that matters

[hikerboy57]

you'll be fine with a 20 lb base weight, and no doubt you'll shed a bit of it once you discover what you really dont need to carry.food and water weight go a long way towards reducing pack weight. most people take too much of both.

[MuddyWaters]

I can't help but notice everyones pack is around 10-15 pounds base weight yet here I sit with both my pack and my girlfriends pack weighing around 20 each for our 2014 NOBO thru hike. After reviewing other peoples pack list it seems as though there is no one single item that is putting us so far over weight, just a lot of little items that are a couple of oz heavier. Only solution would be to buy almost entirely new gear for untold amounts of money which we don't have. I know things will change once we start and hopefully the packs shed a few pounds but I'm hoping there are more people out there than just the girlfriend and I with 20-25 pound base weight packs.

Dang, thats sad to hear.
Well, no way in hell youll make it now.
Bummer.
Your in a horrible spot.
The people with the lighter packs will make fun of you, and the people with the heavier packs will consider you outcasts.
No one will want to be your friends or hike with you.
Sorry to hear about this, but it happens.
Guess it wasnt meant to be.

[GreatDane]

Thank you, MuddyWaters, for putting my own angst about pack weight into perspective!

[1azarus]

this is the most amazing thread because everyone who has viewed it so far has commented -- that is 4 for 4 -- now 5 for 5, with my wanting to keep the record going.

russ, you are so right -- replacing stuff is a losing battle at this point. and everyone's advice has been right on -- even muddy water's effort to get you to laugh with great dane. it really isn't a big deal unless your pack is rediculously heavy -- which it is not, by any means. you should just plan on replacing stuff as it wears out with lighter stuff -- that would probably be stuff you haven't even heard of yet! ...and hikerboy is right on, too -- you will drop some weight just by figuring out what you don't need, especially as the weather gets warmer... and as you get better at carrying the right amount of water for that day's situation.

[lonehiker]

You will find that you are lighter than most that start the trail. Many of the people you are talking about that are at 10lbs are just cyber hikers....... At 20lbs you don't even have to lose any weight unless you find that you are taking something totally useless.

[Russ979]

Glad we're not the only ones but week after week of people bragging about 10 pound ultra light packs makes you think you're the dunce in the corner or that you are that person who will have a story about them passing from hiker to hiker "O man, we saw this one couple.... I don't know what the hell they were thinking" type thing. Also, I don't know what everyones career is but on an EMT and teacher salary there is no chance of buying 600$ 1lbs sleeping bags, just ain't happeneing.

It's a shame about the friends MuddyWaters

[MuddyWaters]

It's a shame about the friends MuddyWaters

You can probably overcome it.
Hikers are like stray dogs. Share some food and youve got a friend for life.

[hikerboy57]

Glad we're not the only ones but week after week of people bragging about 10 pound ultra light packs makes you think you're the dunce in the corner or that you are that person who will have a story about them passing from hiker to hiker "O man, we saw this one couple.... I don't know what the hell they were thinking" type thing. Also, I don't know what everyones career is but on an EMT and teacher salary there is no chance of buying 600$ 1lbs sleeping bags, just ain't happeneing.

It's a shame about the friends MuddyWaters

the obsession with pack weight is a bit ridiculous at times.yes, lighter is better, and you trade some comfort for a lighter load, but for every person that balance of comfort and weight is gonna be different.
i met a guy a day before i hit damascus that had started sobo the previous septmeber with a 120 lb pack(with his winter gear) and was down to a mere 70lbs. with just 450 miles to finish. i was carrying less than 20lbs at the time, and we both looked at each other , knowing full well that the other one was "doing it wrong".he couldnt believe how small my pack was(i'm not u.l, i use an atmos50 and my base weight is around 16 lbs for 3 seasons). he asked me if i carried food. i said yeah, but i'm only a day away from resupply and i generally carry about 1.5lbs/day. he told me he carried 5lbs a day, and i laughed, i said you need to, you're carrying 3 times as much weight as me." we both had a good laugh. who was i to criticize a guy who'd already hikes some 1600 miles with his 70 lb pack. maybe he was the one who was doing it right all along.
ask tipi about pack weight

[rocketsocks]

After reviewing other peoples pack list it seems as though there is no one single item that is putting us so far over weight, just a lot of little items that are a couple of oz heavier.

...and as my friend "Bird Brain" says "This is an area where your supposed to have fun....so have fun with it" I do!

[sseldovia]

Man, I know the feeling. I'm also at about 20 base now, and it is all the little things that add up. I'm sure I'll ditch some week 1. We can do it! I've never dreamed of getting to 10-15 base weight.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

I only obsess about pack weight when I'm carrying it.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Back in the 1970's and even earlier, people thru-hiked with base weights TWICE what yours is. And amazingly, completion rates were about the same. I think you'll be fine and likely lighter than many. I've typically been around 17 to 18 lbs on section hikes the last few years. Regarding UL/SUL, lately I've been "playing" around with an almost exact 10 pound base weight in a smaller day pack - but only for 2 night hikes AND only at temps above 32°F AND only near enough my vehicle where there is backup gear. Also, some of the SUL gear is quite minimalist as well, and just because it's available doesn't mean it's best suited to any given person's purpose, skill, or especially comfort level. I think it would be very difficult to get under 15 lbs for a thruhike given starting temperatures plus some of the additional gear that must be carried on a thru vs a short section (as you noted all little things like toenail clippers, meds, extra batteries, more toothpaste, more TP, more . . . etc, etc) and the need for a pack to fit it all including 5 days volume of food.

[George]

at 15 years old I started a school trip in the smokies with 65 lbs- I weighed about 105 - still had a good time

[aficion]

In high school our group, which included several female sophomores weighing around 100 lbs, we toted 40-50 lb packs 50 miles in 2 days, hiking from Table Rock Mountain parking lot to the summit of Mount Mitchell. This included traversing Linville Gorge via the Pinch In Trail which is straight up for a mile or so, some bushwhacking off of Dobson's Knob and up Woods Mountain, and orienteering with map and compass for the first time. We had a blast! Hope you do too.

[aficion]

You can probably overcome it.
Hikers are like stray dogs. Share some food and youve got a friend for life.

and a lighter pack!

[sadlowskiadam]

I started my 2013 thru hike at 16 lbs base (26 lbs total), and I was definitely on the lighter side. Your 20 lbs base will be about average for starters, and it will get lighter as you hike because (1) you will figure out what you don't need and send it home, and (2) by the time summer comes around, you can send home your winter clothes and gear. Here is a really good site that I used to determine my gear and clothes: http://theathiker.com/hiking-gear/

[q-tip]

My first AT pack was 38 lbs. Now it is 15 lbs base, 24 totally loaded. I cut it down literally ounces at a time. I have a number of extensive gear lists with costs and weights. If interested, send me a PM with your email address and I will forward, Good Luck.

[Dogwood]

Don't sweat the boastful condescending I'm holier than though lighter wt gear carrying hikers. It's your hike. I strongly doubt any of those bragging about such base wts started that way anyhow. They prolly built up to it. We're all on an infinite hiking evolutionary timeline and each of us has to happily come to terms where we currently are as hikers while still not ignoring the potential for forward progress. Here's what happens. Some who are more evolved w/ their hiking kits look down on others who they think aren't as evolved forgetting that someone is even more evolved than them. Gear really isn't always as important to hiking as some make it always seem to be. When you think gear is all important you tend to prioritize it over everything else pertaining to hiking, sometimes even hiking itself. In my experience some of these types of braggarts are the ones who do the least amount of hiking.

If you like I have a slightly used $600 sleeping bag I'll sell ya for $599 on a monthly installment basis. Wanna trade EMT services and teaching me French for the sleeping bag? It's super duper extra special Space Age titanium technology Cuben mega light. You just have to have it to enjoy a hike. No doubt about it.