Would 20lb. pack be enough for No. Maine?

[George]

20lbs is only a little more than 1 case of beer, that is not enough for trail days much less the 100 mile wilderness 2 cases would be an absolute minimum

[Phoenix7]

The thing is with a 20lb. pack I could run through several sections of the 100MW. I ran track for 6 years and cross-country for 5, so with a light enough pack it's no sweat for me to beat-feet through some sections and cut down on the days spent through there.

[Nina]

squirl tastes pretty good if you soak it in salt water for at least an hour b4 you cook it

[hikingtime]

BLEACH,

Your smoking something - what I don't know. I was carrying less than 8 pound of gear on my first thru-hike and that was 20 years ago.

Wolf

I have to call BS on this one. Please list this ultralite gear that was available 20 years ago that only you knew about.

[Snowleopard]

I have to call BS on this one. Please list this ultralite gear that was available 20 years ago that only you knew about.

From Horace Kephart, 'Camping and Woodcraft', 1917:
Tent (silk) 13 oz.
Poles 15 oz (nowadays replace with trekking poles).
Pegs 10 oz
Ground sheet 10 oz
Ground blanket 8 oz
Down Quilt 20 oz
Cooking kit 16 oz.
Sub Total 6lb 4 oz. Commercially then for bicyclists.
To that add:
Wool sweater or shirt 16 oz.
Extra socks 4 oz
Tooth brush, etc. 3 oz
Waterproof canvas rucksack 21"x22" 12 oz Good for 15 lb.
Canteen 1 qt aluminum 11 oz.
Sub Total 2 lb 2 oz.
Total 8 lb 6 oz.

Ultralight gear has been around a long time.

[hikingtime]

I thought Horace's summer gear list was 18 pounds. Also, some of the essentials are missing from your list, like rain gear, compass, first aid kit and a pair of pants or shorts. Horace dressed his own game, so you would need to add a gun and a knife. He said "In the depth of winter, moose or caribou hide is warmest." I wonder how many pounds a caribou parka would be? How many pounds was the axe Horace carried?

[Snowleopard]

I thought Horace's summer gear list was 18 pounds. Also, some of the essentials are missing from your list, like rain gear, compass, first aid kit and a pair of pants or shorts. Horace dressed his own game, so you would need to add a gun and a knife. He said "In the depth of winter, moose or caribou hide is warmest." I wonder how many pounds a caribou parka would be? How many pounds was the axe Horace carried?

I love that book!! This list is not his gear, but is mostly gear for English bicycle tourers. "18 pounds" Pretty good memory, hikingtime. With the book in front of me: '18 lb 3 oz'. Probably for his conditions this equipment would be too light. For the AT I think it could work.
His tomahawk was 12 oz. I did eventually find a tomahawk that was pretty light but probably not as good. I don't think a rifle or heavy duty knife is suitable for the AT -- 90 years ago it would have been.

Adding in some omitted items to 1917 Ultra Light gear list:
Rain cape 1 lb 5 oz.
Fly dope in oiler 2 oz.
Talcum powder in waterproof bag 1 oz
Toilet paper 1 oz
First aid kit 5 oz.
Spare matches in tin box 2 oz
Electric flasher 5 oz
Mosquito net 4 oz.
Sub total 2 lb 9 oz
Total from previous post 8 lb 6 oz.
Grand total 10 lb 15 oz.
Still not bad for 1917.
Probably the least adequate piece of gear is the rucksack; I think too much weight and it wouldn't be very comfortable.

"how many pounds a caribou parka would be?" Lots!

If you're familiar with it, I'm going to make a silnylon Royce tent when I get time. I did a semi-successful version 20 years ago.
--Walter

[Alaskanhkr23]

I'm wondering what you guys have in your packs that makes it a total of 8 to 15 pounds all together? I can understand maybe like 19 to 22 pounds with all that i use-but Danm how do you get that low? with out leaving home even the simplest comfort.

[Alaskanhkr23]

Seriously Asking-

[bigcranky]

I'm wondering what you guys have in your packs that makes it a total of 8 to 15 pounds all together? I can understand maybe like 19 to 22 pounds with all that i use-but Danm how do you get that low? with out leaving home even the simplest comfort.

Define "simplest comfort." I have a full size Thermarest pad, a nice down sleeping bag, a real pack with a frame and all, plenty of clothing, rain gear, etc., and my three-season pack weight (no food) is 13 pounds and change. If I were willing to sleep on a 3/4-length ccf pad and use a poncho tarp as shelter and rain gear, and give up my comfy camp shoes, that drops to 10+ pounds (but that's beyond my definition of "simple comforts.")

Everyone's definition of comfort is different. Me, I like to eat, so my starting pack is usually around 25-30 pounds with food and water. But I eat it back down with each passing day.

[bigcranky]

If you mean total with food and water, then 8-15 pounds is pretty light. I usually have a 10-pound food bag for a 5-day section. But there are hikers who successfully hike with five pounds of gear and clothing, so it can be done (with plenty of experience and careful testing.)

[Snowleopard]

I'm still working on it. I think I can get under 15 lb, maybe eventually under 12, but the trick is to do it without breaking the bank. Garlic08 has done it:
http://www.trailjournals.com/gear.cfm?trailname=6620
also check out http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-....html?forum=37
for some of the more extreme gear lists (the forum there is good also).

Some of the tricks: light sleeping bag or quilt ($$$ if it's cold).
Once you get your weight down low enough you can use a really light pack.
Tarp ($) or light tarptent ($$) or really light tent ($$).

[Alaskanhkr23]

Yeah,the heaviest thing i have is my Tent-4 person,It was 30 dollars,Which is cheap but it weighs a ton. I was going to make a thread about tents but i can just ask here---- What is a good 1 to 2 person tent,That is cheap,light,and i can lay compfy in. i'm 6 foot 3 inches

[Shutterbug]

Yeah,the heaviest thing i have is my Tent-4 person,It was 30 dollars,Which is cheap but it weighs a ton. I was going to make a thread about tents but i can just ask here---- What is a good 1 to 2 person tent,That is cheap,light,and i can lay compfy in. i'm 6 foot 3 inches

One thing you will learn about hiking -- "cheap" and "light" don't go together.

Consider a bivy -- http://www.rei.com/product/731431

[Matteroo]

a 20lb pack is way too heavy. what is the internal suspension made of cast iron?? and the buckles and snaps and zippers all steel? you want your pack to weight 3lbs max.. and thats really not too ultra-light. probably more like .75-2lbs for ultra-light.

[bullseye]

I'm wondering what you guys have in your packs that makes it a total of 8 to 15 pounds all together? I can understand maybe like 19 to 22 pounds with all that i use-but Danm how do you get that low? with out leaving home even the simplest comfort.

When you start getting into the realm of 8# or less you also get into the realm of forgetting about some of the simplest comforts. No camp chairs or 4 man wally world tents. As your backcountry skills improve you find that your confidence level increases and you need less gear to perform the same operations. I have hiked sub 5 and am planning a sub 3 or 4# hike at some point this year. That includes shelter, stove, and sleeping gear. When you start with a 3.5 ounce pack and 4.5 ounce tarp you can see how that wouldn't be out of the question. It doesn't happen overnght, but with some determination it's certainly possible.

Here's a pic on Wildcat with a sub 10# setup:



Notice that includes a cannister stove, crocs, and an inflatable pad. That's about as far as my idea of simplest comforts goes anyway.

[garlic08]

One thing you will learn about hiking -- "cheap" and "light" don't go together.

Sometimes, certainly for the sleeping bag, not not necessarily always. A new Tarptent Contrail, 24 oz, is $200. A new MSR Hubba, 2 lb 9 oz, is $350 MSRP. Gossamer Gear G-4 pack, 16 oz, costs $135. ULA Catalyst, 47 oz, costs $235. A Z-rest pad weighs 11 oz, costs $35, regular thermarest weighs 2 lbs 12 oz, costs $65. A pepsi can stove costs nothing, weighs a few grams and you can't beat that.

So I don't get why I always hear how much it costs to lighten up. One hiker told me her outfitter said it would cost an extra $100 to drop every pound, or $1000 to loose 10 pounds from her pack! Where do they get this stuff? Maybe they're extrapolating based on the best down sleeping bags, which are very expensive.

I got my Marmot Helium bag (MSRP $350 or so) for $160 on Steep'n'Cheap, so you can get good deals. My entire AT kit, 8# total, cost about $500. It doesn't need to be expensive.

[bullseye]

Sometimes, certainly for the sleeping bag, not not necessarily always. A new Tarptent Contrail, 24 oz, is $200. A new MSR Hubba, 2 lb 9 oz, is $350 MSRP. Gossamer Gear G-4 pack, 16 oz, costs $135. ULA Catalyst, 47 oz, costs $235. A Z-rest pad weighs 11 oz, costs $35, regular thermarest weighs 2 lbs 12 oz, costs $65. A pepsi can stove costs nothing, weighs a few grams and you can't beat that.

So I don't get why I always hear how much it costs to lighten up. One hiker told me her outfitter said it would cost an extra $100 to drop every pound, or $1000 to loose 10 pounds from her pack! Where do they get this stuff? Maybe they're extrapolating based on the best down sleeping bags, which are very expensive.

I got my Marmot Helium bag (MSRP $350 or so) for $160 on Steep'n'Cheap, so you can get good deals. My entire AT kit, 8# total, cost about $500. It doesn't need to be expensive.

I agree. The problem with most UL hikers is they become gear junkies (nothing wrong with that, just sayin'). Instead of looking for simple answers or trying to make gear themselves most folks are willing to shell out $$$$$ for gear. It's always the newest and shiniest. $100.00 a pound is to convince you you're not pissin' your money away. If you have the bucks and don't want to be bothered there's nothing wrong with that. Plenty of stores will be willing to help you out. But if you're on a budget and aren't afraid to try, there's plenty of gear to be made or had cheap. The phrase "necessity is the mother of invention" applies here. There's a great deal of satisfaction to be had when a piece of gear you made yourself actually does what it's supposed to. Also, if there's a dent or crooked seem it just doesn't seem to matter.

It would be cool if all the do it yourself projects on the web could be had in one place. Looks like another project......

[Snowleopard]

... But if you're on a budget and aren't afraid to try, there's plenty of gear to be made or had cheap. The phrase "necessity is the mother of invention" applies here. There's a great deal of satisfaction to be had when a piece of gear you made yourself actually does what it's supposed to. Also, if there's a dent or crooked seem it just doesn't seem to matter.

It would be cool if all the do it yourself projects on the web could be had in one place. Looks like another project......

Yes. I admit to being a gear junky but also like the idea of making it myself or finding it cheap.
The first woman to thruhike did it "wearing Keds sneakers and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder".