I'd be curious to know what all you 22 +-pounders are carrying for shelters. I'm around 27-28 lbs with food and water enough to reach Neels Gap. I feel like I've scaled back most of my weight other than my pack itself and my shelter which happens to be a hammock. I suspect the hammock is the main culprit but I'm not willing to give up the comfort. I also don't plan on sleeping in a shelter unless absolutely necessary.
"I'm gonna call BS on that one, figure 5 days food 10 lbs, 2 l water 4 lb. I'd like to see that 5 lb gear list."
Given that I know a guy who thru-hiked the PCT with a 4 to 5lb baseweight, I don't see the problem. I'm more interested in why such a light pack needs to carry 5 days of food to the 1st resupply. I put 4 down and even I don't think it will take me that long and I'm going with 22lbs.
"I'd be curious to know what all you 22 +-pounders are carrying for shelters."
A cuben fiber tarp and a lightweight bivy sack for ~15oz. Worked for me for the past 4 years and a pct thru-hike. But not everyone likes using a tarp which is why there are other lightweight alternatives: Henry Shire's Tarptent, Zpacks Hexamid shelter, light heart, MLD's Cricket Tent, Duomids, and trailstar shelters, etc.
I am at 29 1/2 lbs every item has been weighed on a postal scale so it is accurate, 1 liter of water and enough food for 7 days which will get me from Unicoi Gap to Franklin Tn > I am not starting at Springer just doing a really long section hike to finish the AT 2134 miles and it seems kind of dumb to waste time hitching 10 miles to resupply after 1 1/2 days of hiking
I forgot to add my 7 days of food only weighs 7 lbs I don't have a big appetite when hiking, I am sure that will change but I know it will not the first week
My base weight........ 11. 5 lbs
2 1/2 days food...........4.0 lbs
l quart water...............2.0 lbs
.................................................
Total........................17.5 lbs
Resupply at Neels Gap
4-5 days food+water 25lbs-summer 30lbs-winter
"Hiking is as close to God as you can get without going to Church." - BobbyJo Sargent aka milkman Sometimes it's nice to take a long walk in THE FOG.
Well crap if my pack didn't come in at 38 minus water. Weighed it before heading for the train. Reckon ill be mailing something back from neel gap in a few days. I'm 215 pounds and didn't bring any fuel thanks to the scare mongering/ very prudent advice about what was allowed on amtrak.
Started the AT 13 years ago with 57 pounds. Seemed fine as I had just left the Marine Corps. Nowadays I would start with maybe 30 ponds and it would seem pretty heavy since I'm not in great shape. Go walk for a couple of months. You won't worry about pack weight so much.
If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!
weighed it today and I am all packed and ready to go for my monday start. Its 29.5 pounds so a little less than expected.
Wow, my double-wide camp pillow weighs as much. I’m glad I didn’t go with the deluxe model with extra fringe.
I am working on getting down to 35 lbs. pack + 4 days of food.
I will hike 6’ 210 lbs. (15% or less body fat to start)
It makes a difference if you are a 140 lb woman or a 210 lb man.
I am really curious what is everyone’s body weight and then pack weight?
I'm going to stay out of this form for this very reason. Why is it that there are so many "hikers" that call BS because someone travels lighter weight than the average? Hiking with 5 lbs is not hard, the gear has been around for over 20 years but yet still some hikers want to act surprise. There are multiple TV shows of men travel through the wilderness with little to no gear - Man vs Wild, Survivorman to name two. The real question is why are some hikers who claiming to be trying to backpack "light-weight" acting surprise by this.
Wolf
The television shows are mostly BS, too. I guess what puzzled me was a guy goin' ultra light while carrying four pounds of uncecessary water. Internet forums are for provoking debate. I started out last year at about 28 lbs with food and water. This year I'm under 18 lbs. The forum works!
Base weight is 21 lbs (tho I've identified 2 lbs of stuff I could live without)
Food and water is about 12 lbs
Worn/carried is 8 lbs (including camera kit)
Skin out is 41 lbs
Plus I probably have 20 lbs of fat that I didn't add to my food weight ...
Last edited by LDog; 03-11-2012 at 14:53.
L Dog
AT 2000 Miler
The Laughing Dog Blog
https://lighterpack.com/r/38fgjt
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness." - John Muir