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  1. #1

    Default Lightest total weight.

    There are alot of threads about base weight, water weight etc. I am just curious as to what is the lightest total weight pack you guys have gotten down to? I have seen somewhere that UL is 18 lbs or less. I have gotten my pack down to just over 20 lbs total, that was for a 3 day trip.

  2. #2
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    My brand new experimental baseweight is down to 7.5 pounds, pretty darn fully equipped for May-September backpacking. Again, experimental! I just bought a true UL backpack, 8.5 ounces, holds ~50 liters, we'll see how it carries my 7.5 pounds base and 4-5 days of food, but around the house it sure feels fine.
    ..
    So my 3-day total would be 7.5+5.5 (food, 1.75 lb/day) + water, generally 2 quarts, call that 4.2 (incl bottles), that's 17.2 pounds total for 3 days, fully equipped, full tent incl bug screen, 25 degree bag, foam/inflatable combo sleeping pads, jet boil stove, rain gear, insulation layer, small camera, phone, all the other misc stuff.

    "UL" generally refers to baseweights of 10 pounds or less, some have stricter definitions. Here is a decent Gossamer Gear article; I sure like GG articles:

    http://gossamergear.com/wp/lightweig...king-conundrum

  3. #3
    Registered User ChuckT's Avatar
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    I wonder if the concepts wouldn't be clearer if we were able to refer to something we encounter everyday?
    Maybe a 10 pound bag of ???
    Sugar?, Kitty litter? Sand?
    Miles to go before I sleep. R. Frost

  4. #4

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    Some people have pushed the limits and have called it super ultra light. Very, very minimalist backpacking, typically in good weather conditions. Their baseweights are typically below 5 pounds.. Their diets are extremely strict and light with high calorie dense foods. They forego pretty much all luxuries. I think the last trip report I read some guy was out with about 9 pounds on his back..fully loaded with food and a liter of water.. For five days. Sounds impossible but people do it. However these kits are tailored to a very specific trip and leave no room for error. Not suitable for a thru hike of the AT. A fee guys on this site however thru hiked the AT and their packs never broke the 13-15 lb mark. Impressive, but understand they are very experienced.

  5. #5

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    My main struggle is food. I have tried to get my food weight down to about 1-1.5 lbs per day but I always second guess myself as to if I have enough. I don't get to get out in the woods enough to have mastered the menu. I am cutting back on the amount of water I carry.

  6. #6
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    Total pack weight is a bit misleading because it factors in hiking style and location. For example, my base is about 8 lbs. for 3+ season hiking. In the desert I could carry 4 liters of water. On the AT it would average less than 1. On a remote trail I may carry 5 or more days of food. On the AT there would few carries about 3 days. Short hikes allow gear to optimized to conditions, which is often what is quoted in SUL forums. A longer hike such as a thru would have a broader range of conditions and unless you swap gear you have a heavier pack.

  7. #7
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    Some of the variables to consider. Include: what are you comfortable with gear wise?( shelter, pad, clothing, sleeping bag etc) how much food do you require per day? How much water do you need to carry?

    On my last trip this fall I had a total starting pack weight of 24 lbs with food for 7 days. and 9.5 lb base. My objective is to enjoy the feeling of unencumbered hiking, not to be the lightest. I have a 10 oz frameless pack without hip belt that is uncomfortable to carry above ~ 15 lbs. so I typically use a light pack with frame and belt though it's a pound heavier. On a 3 day trip my weight would be about the same as Colorado Rob., 15-16 lbs


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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacomakid01 View Post
    My main struggle is food. I have tried to get my food weight down to about 1-1.5 lbs per day but I always second guess myself as to if I have enough. I don't get to get out in the woods enough to have mastered the menu. I am cutting back on the amount of water I carry.
    here is the problem I have with skimping on food for one leg of a trip, when I get into town I go nuts on food for next leg - better to me to attempt to be reasonable every time

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Heliotrope View Post
    Some of the variables to consider. Include: what are you comfortable with gear wise?( shelter, pad, clothing, sleeping bag etc) how much food do you require per day? How much water do you need to carry?

    On my last trip this fall I had a total starting pack weight of 24 lbs with food for 7 days. and 9.5 lb base. My objective is to enjoy the feeling of unencumbered hiking, not to be the lightest. I have a 10 oz frameless pack without hip belt that is uncomfortable to carry above ~ 15 lbs. so I typically use a light pack with frame and belt though it's a pound heavier. On a 3 day trip my weight would be about the same as Colorado Rob., 15-16 lbs


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    I am going to try and weigh all gear this weekend. I am in the process of modifying some things so it will change some. My goal isn't to get to SUL and I'm not even sure that I can get any lighter that I have been in the past.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacomakid01 View Post
    My main struggle is food. I have tried to get my food weight down to about 1-1.5 lbs per day but I always second guess myself as to if I have enough. I don't get to get out in the woods enough to have mastered the menu. I am cutting back on the amount of water I carry.
    Food is my primary concern. Most of my pack weight is food typically. I do not want to skimp on getting enough calories and nutrients. And I want to love what I eat. I can achieve this with about 2 lbs per day.

    Like Malto said above. Total pack weight can be misleading. I started a trip with another guy and we had about the same total weight, 32 lbs. However, I had about 18 lbs of food. And he had 5lbs. My pack changed dramatically as I ate down the weight. He carried 2 full liters at all times. And I carried less than 1 L and stopped at each source.


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  11. #11
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    My AT base weight in the summer was eight pounds. I very often carried no water at all, certainly not if there was a known source in five miles or less. In the mid-Atlantic states where there was a deli or restaurant, market or fruit stand every day for ten days in a row, I carried little more than two meals at a time, just over a pound. So in that stretch, say after lunch and if water was nearby, my pack was usually less than ten pounds total. Man, that was a nice feeling. You don't even notice that. Some of those businesses were nearly thirty miles apart or a couple miles off trail, and I could still patronize one a day.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by garlic08 View Post
    My AT base weight in the summer was eight pounds. I very often carried no water at all, certainly not if there was a known source in five miles or less. In the mid-Atlantic states where there was a deli or restaurant, market or fruit stand every day for ten days in a row, I carried little more than two meals at a time, just over a pound. So in that stretch, say after lunch and if water was nearby, my pack was usually less than ten pounds total. Man, that was a nice feeling. You don't even notice that. Some of those businesses were nearly thirty miles apart or a couple miles off trail, and I could still patronize one a day.
    Sounds like a dream!


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  13. #13

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    I prefer LW to UL. I like that 1 more day of food and 1 more layer of clothes that tips the scales. You can really get into a jam, in a major way, depending on the seasonal changes. IMO.

  14. #14
    Registered User Kaptainkriz's Avatar
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    i'm imagining some people go pretty light on June 21st.
    Plaid is fast! Ticks suck, literally... It’s ok, bologna hoses off…
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    I spend most warmer weather 6.5-7.5 lbs.
    With everything needed for night down to freezing
    And honestly, I.carry more than needed most of time.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    I spend most warmer weather 6.5-7.5 lbs.
    With everything needed for night down to freezing
    And honestly, I.carry more than needed most of time.
    Gear list?

  17. #17
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    Well aren't you so sooo special???

  18. #18
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChuckT View Post
    I wonder if the concepts wouldn't be clearer if we were able to refer to something we encounter everyday?
    Maybe a 10 pound bag of ???
    Sugar?, Kitty litter? Sand?
    10 pound bag of Konrico rice from New Iberia, LA. I think that we are down to a pair in the freezer. One of those would fit in my pack for training hikes. I don't think that Mrs. Wayne would approve.

    Wayne


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  19. #19
    Registered User ChuckT's Avatar
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    Well a cheaper 10 pound something, a medium density something, maybe 8" wide x 12" high x 4" thick.
    Miles to go before I sleep. R. Frost

  20. #20

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tacomakid01 View Post
    I have seen somewhere that UL is 18 lbs or less.
    It's generally accepted that lightweight is 20 or less and UL is 10lbs and less.

    From http://gossamergear.com/wp/lightweig...king-conundrum

    Base Weight Definition

    Base Weight is the total weight of your entire gear kit, excluding consumables which are food, water, and fuel. Consumables are not included because the amount varies by trip length and conditions.

    A lightweight backpacker (LW) carries a base weight under 20 pounds.
    An ultralight backpacker (UL) carries a base weight under 10 pounds.
    A superultralight backpacker (SUL) carries a base weight under 5 pounds.

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