Question about Base Weight

[ierinys]

So I've been up to my local outfitter for the usual Q&A and harassing my old scoutmaster since he co-owns the place, and for once he wasn't sure of an answer, so now I turn you all you folks here at Whiteblaze.

What exactly is my base weight? I don't mean what it should be or a number, but what it actually defines. Is it my gear alone, not including food and water, or is it everything in the pack?

[rafe]

The pack and everything in it, minus food and water.

[colorado_rob]

Technically, besides food and water it also excludes fuel and other consumables (things you use up, like sunscreen, TP, bug repellant). Food and water obviously dominate though.

[HooKooDooKu]

I would argue that base weight is the pack and everything in it minus consumables. And when you start listing out all the consumables, the list can get pretty long: Food, water, fuel, TP and other toiletries.

[Just Bill]

The easiest way I know-
Take all the stuff you need for a trip and put it in a pile.
When you're done with the trip, what's left in the pile is generally what folks consider base weight.

Except for broken gear, whatever you used in your pile in the course of a trip is called your consumables.
Typically fuel, food and water. But not the containers they are in; as in you drink all your water, but the water bottle remains in your pile of stuff.
Some gram weenies will also consider stuff like soap, bug dope, pills, band-aids spices, batteries, etc.

Base weight + consumables = carried weight.

The only reason to worry about the obnoxious stuff is if you are focused on dialing in your carried weight.
That said- you will often read about folks "shocked" to find their carried weight is higher than they thought. Often this is hidden in the ditty bag and worth a look. You may need a spare set of batteries, but not two sets. Or some first aid supplies but not a first aid kit. Or an ounce of soap in a micro bottle but not a half full 8 ounce bottle.

Stick with the basics to get you going.

[Ktaadn]

Everyone is different, but I prefer a skin-out weight minus food and water.

[rafe]

Yes, agree, "consumables" should be excluded but they are much harder to quantify. Eg., toothpaste, toilet paper, fuel, or (in the old days) film! Often, with consumables, the package weighs as much as the contents.

[colorado_rob]

Yes, agree, "consumables" should be excluded but they are much harder to quantify. Eg., toothpaste, toilet paper, fuel, or (in the old days) film! Often, with consumables, the package weighs as much as the contents.

Agree... I use "base weight" by my own definition simply to see how I'm doing before every hike compared to the last similar hike, so I only exclude food and water and just include the other consumables, which really don't vary hike-to-hike by more than a couple ounces (fuel load), in my "base". Formal definitions only matter compared to other folks using the identical definitions, and who cares what other folks carry?

I understand the "skin out" concept, but don't find that number useful.

[BirdBrain]

Base weight + consumables = pack weight + worn items = skin out weight.

Very good summary in the posts above. To get a truly useful number, pack your pack with everything you need for a 3 day trip, pretend you are 100 yards from your start (wearing your hiking clothes and carrying everything for the trip including all consumables), step on the scale with trekking poles in hand, note that weight, step on the scales naked, and find the difference. This process forces you to be honest about what is carried. The point is that many hide numbers somewhere to create a fake bragging number. Define it like you want. Just don't lie to yourself in the process. The process above forces you to consider the weights that Just Bill mention. You are carrying those consumable containers (including the ziplocks). The weight is somewhere. Having said all this, I agree with Ktaadn. His number is more useful.

But ya... Base weight = pack weight - consumables. And unless you are a goat, the containers for the consumables are not consumable.

[RED-DOG]

it's everything except Consumables, Food, Water and Fuel.

[Traveler]

FWIW, I tend to use the more black and white approach which is, base weight is everything in your pack (including the pack weight) less water and food. The only reason I don't list out TP, bug juice, sunscreen and other consumables is I am not using them at a rate that would change weight in a percentage point over a week's time as water and food will.

The small .1 gram of toothpaste or TP used one day will be replaced by moisture weight you'll carry on a pair of socks drying on the back of the pack for example, so pulling the tube of toothpaste out of the base weight skews the numbers for me.

[rafe]

Yep, that's what where the confusion comes in, the consumables are a PITA to account for.

If you carry a small fuel canister, the container weighs as much or more as the fuel. So is that 3.5 oz (net) or 7.0 oz. (gross wt.)?

You may use a band-aid or a pill or two from your meds kit, but these things are small change compared to food and water.

I'm guessing total "misc and sundry" consumables come to a pound? Half a pound?

[Wyoming]

Lots of slightly different definitions. I very often disagree with the UL crowd on what is base weight as I don't think they count everything they should in an attempt to get a bragging number.

To me you subtract food, water, fuel - but not the containers for same in that the water bottles, food bag/haul line, fuel bottle count as base.

So everything else counts. All the clothes you wear - shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, hat, sunglasses, hiking poles, gaiters, plus everything in your pack.

This tends to come up with a base weight at least 2-3 lbs higher than most count, but to me it is the real number.

I think the tp, toothpaste, sunscreen and all those kinds of consumables count as base also (or you could divide them in half, but not leave them out)

[BirdBrain]

I like to have numbers that are helpful. Let's say you have a base weight of 30lbs. Most would not be happy with that number. Add food and water and fuel and you are struggling. Seeing a base weight number, in and of itself, does not help me. All it tells me is that I need to do something. Looking at individual parts is more helpful. I look at every single item. For those starting out, the big 3 (or 4) are the most important decisions. You can spend a ton of money as you decide on priorities between weight and cost. As you compare cost vs weight, think in miles per dollar. If you save 5 lbs at the cost of $500 more spent and will travel 2000 miles, that is a cost of 25 cents spent per mile to save 5 lbs. Would you pay someone a quarter per mile to carry 5lbs of your gear? It may sound silly to think like that. After carrying that 5 extra pounds a few weeks and you will likely feel differently. It has motivated me to look at every single item I carry. It is better to get your big 3 (or 4) right before you learn that lesson the hard way and have to buy things several times as your priorities change.

[Berserker]

Take all the stuff you need for a trip and put it in a pile.
When you're done with the trip, what's left in the pile is generally what folks consider base weight.

This is awesome and should be the official definition of base weight.

[colorado_rob]

Whatever your own definition, it really is a useful number to track for yourself if you want to hike with maximum comfort and enjoyment (IMHO). I agree that it is practically useless to compare with others' "base weight" simply because the definition varies so much. I suppose I'm guilty of "anti-bragging" because the "base weight" I quote for myself includes everything except food and water (like I do include fuel/canister, TP, sunscreen, etc). But then again, I do generally not include my 1.5oz (x2) water bottles nor my food sack (3oz). I pack my pack, including all clothing except what I would start wearing on my hike, sans food/sack and water bottles, and carefully weight it. I do this every trip, the same way. This way I know how I'm doing in the lightweight department. If you did this including food and water, which varies wildly from trip to trip, you wouldn't have a normalized number to track your "base" weight.

[Tommyhawkin]

That's an interesting way to look at it. Not to change the subject, how much weight does someone , on average, carry as pack weight ( say for a week hike ). I study equipment and try and make a logical decision but when it comes time to weigh my pack I get disappointed, for lack of a better word, as to how much it weighs.

[Five Tango]

Best thing I have done for myself is to purchase a small table scale and a luggage scale.You would be surprised the difference in weight on items like shirts or socks.Slow process but I am getting there...........