Bottoming out on pack weight: At a certain point, does it matter?

[NoKnees]

What does matter is that hikers carry enough that they are safe even for bad weather. I hate it when as Baltimore Jack brought up some weenie needing to rely on space in the shelters or food from other hikers, etc or ultra-light hiking website that put out list used for strictly in good weather. The different between me and them is I’m prepared for even the bad weather and some “ultra-light-hikers” are not.

Wolf

Heck some heavyweighters aren't prepared. I have seen folks come into the shelter so exhautsed from toting 50 lbs in the freezing rain all day they were hypothermic and there heavyweight gear wasn't all that warmer than mine even though it weighed 3x as much.

I would rather set up my dry bivy sack and quilt under a well pitched 1 lb tarp than crawl into a wet 3lb sleeping bag in a soaked 6 lb tent.

I realize that there is apoint where going lighter does cut margins of saftey and comfort and there is certainly is a point of diminishing returns as regards weight and comfort, but decent judgement and some experience is a bigger part of the eqation that weight.

[vipahman]

The older I get the more I appreciate UL technology.

Lighter should not be associated with a bad margin of safety. e.g. A $235 WM Highlite 35-degree sleeping bag weighs 1 lb and has the same safety margin as an equivalent down bag weighing 2 lbs but costing around $100.

OTOH, using say a half-bag in freezing conditions is reducing your weight as well as your margin of safety. That could be considered unsafe use of technology.

[Footslogger]

[quote=vipahman;344100]The older I get the more I appreciate UL technology.

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Ditto ...

'Slogger

[Wolf - 23000]

Heck some heavyweighters aren't prepared. I have seen folks come into the shelter so exhautsed from toting 50 lbs in the freezing rain all day they were hypothermic and there heavyweight gear wasn't all that warmer than mine even though it weighed 3x as much.

I would rather set up my dry bivy sack and quilt under a well pitched 1 lb tarp than crawl into a wet 3lb sleeping bag in a soaked 6 lb tent.

I realize that there is apoint where going lighter does cut margins of saftey and comfort and there is certainly is a point of diminishing returns as regards weight and comfort, but decent judgement and some experience is a bigger part of the eqation that weight.

NoKnees,

I agree there are heavyweighters hikers who are less prepare then a knowledgeable ultra light hiker. How much one carries really does not determine how prepare you are as a hiker. What does matter is how self suffusion you are without depending on others, or how your able to handle both good weather and bad. That is one of the different between a good hiker and a ill-prepared hiker.

Wolf

[Hounoki]

It sounds like that the best pack weight is whatever the user can be completly self sufficent and safe. One needs to practice and have the knowledge to use their setup in any conditions they might incounter.

I guess this falls onto the same catagory as most of the threads on WB. The ones that need to read this never will. The ones that do already know what to do.

Not so! I'm hiking 1/2 the AT starting May 1, and the friend I'm going with is the only one of us who knows what they're doing. I've barely even hiked before; I'm sorely unprepared and threads like these give me some speedy and interesting insight into different topics.

[rafe]

Not so! I'm hiking 1/2 the AT starting May 1, and the friend I'm going with is the only one of us who knows what they're doing. I've barely even hiked before; I'm sorely unprepared and threads like these give me some speedy and interesting insight into different topics.

You might be better off reading a book or a journal....

[aroth87]

OTOH, using say a half-bag in freezing conditions is reducing your weight as well as your margin of safety. That could be considered unsafe use of technology.

Actually, half bags were developed by mountaineers to be used in conjunction with the down parka they were already wearing. Some info from Nunatak on their 1/2 bag.
Though I do agree that using a half bag only in freezing conditions is irresponsible.

Adam

[Hounoki]

You might be better off reading a book or a journal....

Doing that too. I'm ULTRA-prepared for someone so unprepared.

[The General]

under 40 pounds is slackpacking. GO HEAVY

[Wolf - 23000]

under 40 pounds is slackpacking. GO HEAVY

If your interested in hiking HEAVY, the Army would love to have you. None of their equipment is lightweight.

Wolf