Are you frowned upon if you're not a ultra light hiker?
Almost all the discussion I read is geared to being "low weight" everything. What is a reasonable pack weight for someone not trying to do 30 mile days?
i carry around 35lbs.
It all depends on the individual and what kind of hiking they plan to do, also depends in how much their knees can take.Originally Posted by Sclark9082
The old school (boy scout) number was 40lbs or less for an average hike. I shoot for 25-30lbs, above 35lbs I really start to notice the weight.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
It gets discussed on this board, but I don't hear a lot of gear talk on the trail. I have a lot of home made light weight gear. I never talk about it unless someone asks. There is no "reasonable" pack weight. Do what works for you. I don't frown upon hikers with heavy packs cause frankly I don't give a damn.
I pack light, but not ultra. I doubt anyone cares much except at the extremes of pack weight.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
Somewhere around twenty to thirty-five pounds. I'm usually around 25# including food and water for 5-6 days.
No.
Some people want to hike 25 miles per day
Some are OK with 8
HYOH
But it is usually in peoples best interest to get their pack weight as low as they are comfortable with.
If nothing else, hikers carrying heavier loads can learn from it to minimize things that really dont matter.
Personally, I try to keep my pack maxed out around 20 lbs with food and water. But I may only be carrying 7 lb of gear wt.
I think a good goal for most is to stay maxed out in the 30 lb range with food and water. You can really do that without much effort or $$. Mostly learning to take only what you really need, especially in clothing and gadget department.
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-30-2013 at 16:50.
I pack relatively light. My normal pack weight without food and water is about fourteen or fifteen pounds. I could cut this down more if I had money to spend, but since I am a budget backpacker, this is where weight and money intersect for me.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime; give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish.
Keep it under 30 lbs, less if you can. I haven't yet had the opportunity to do an AT thru hike so I've been section hiking in the Whites of NH for 2-3 day stints the past 4 years. I peak out just under 30 on day 1 but that includes perishables & 3 liters of water. After day one I'm in the low 20's for the remainder of the trek. I've met thru-hikers who actually get down to ±20 lbs but that's w/a tarp tent & carrying minimal water.
Most people are "ultralight" because that's what works well for thru hikers.
But most people here aren't active or planning thru hikers, either. Still, being ultralight can generally make hiking more enjoyable. YMMV.
Awwww. Fat Mike, too?
One thing that I do know from all of the gear weight discussions, no one ever says "I wish my pack weight was heavier".
I am not young enough to know everything.
These numbers are given with apparently no regard to length out and/or food weight. Are you talking about a weekend snippet trip? 5 days? 10 days? 18 days without resupply?
I can probably count all the gear discussions I had on the trail on one finger. I'd say less than 30 lbs to start with and less than 25 in the summer. Back to less than 30 once you hit the Whites.
I have thru-hiked and I am also a caretaker at Upper Goose Pond in Mass. At UGP NOBO hikers are 3/4 of the way finished. Most of them are not ultra weight or even light weight hikers. They are folks who are taking all the stuff they need and like and are enjoying their hike and are not conserned with the weight they are carrying.
Most of the light weight folks thought that becaus they were light weight hikers their hike would easy and problem free, As soon as they found out otherwise they packed it up and went home.
At the start of a thru, the light weight folks think that they have a hand up over the others who are carrying 35 lbs. and more. They than try to convince that they are right and others are wrong. Twenty years ago there was no light weight gear to buy. Everyone warryed aroung 45- 55 lbs. I dont think their finish rate was any less than todays thru-hikers.
Grampie-N->2001
Most AT hikers genrerally carry a maximum of about 5 days food at a time, so I implicitly refer to around a 15 -18 lb base wt. Possible exception being 100 mile wilderness.
Yes, we know Tipi carries 42 lbs food and stay out for 3 weeks during epic blizzards in the dead of winter.
But that is clearly not the mode of the typical AT hiker, although it sounds like a heck of a lot of fun when properly equipped.
I do think you need more comfort items generally for a 5 mo hike, than you do a 2 week hike as well. Warm enough bag, more comfortable pad, etc. There is obviously (to me) a balance that is necessitated, but may be different for different people. A thru is as much a mental challenge, as a physical one.
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 03-30-2013 at 18:31.
I hike more comfortably carrying 20 pounds than I do when I carry 30 pounds. I hike more comfortably carrying 30 pounds than I do when I carry 40 pounds. This is true whether I cover 5 miles or 25 miles.
Now, camping more comfortably is another matter. But it's worth pointing out that not all decisions that add weight to your pack will also let you camp more comfortably. For instance, an inefficient sleeping bag weighing 4 pounds with a true temp rating of 15 degrees won't have you camping any more comfortably than a more premium, efficient sleeping bag weighing under 2 pounds with a true temp rating of 15 degrees.
Last edited by map man; 03-30-2013 at 18:39.
Couldnt have said it better.
I am frowned upon for a variety of reasons. Ultra-Heavy backpacking is just one of the reasons.
I also frown on spending obscene amounts of money to save a pound or two. Seriously, it is quite easy to spend upwards of $500/pound, or more, to shave a few ounces from your gear.
My gear works for me without making me frown.
Wayne
you're only frowned upon if you're carrying 50 pounds of ul gear. right now I'm at 24 pounds without food and water.
Agree. I completely avoid gear talk on the trail. And I also really dont care what anyone else brings. Its all good if it gets you out there.
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