Base weight/pack – what do you count?

Definitions

1) Total weight worn or carried[not in pack]

2) Total base pack weight[everything in pack without consumables]

3) Total weight of consumables [food / gas]

4) Total initial pack weight (2)+(3)

5) Full skin out weight (1)+(2)+(3)

First I add up everything individually and go from there.

Base weight is everything but food, water, fuel

Clothes are base weight

Clothes and stuff that you wear are typically counted as a third category

Here are the three commonly-used terms:

Base weight – pack plus everything in it or hanging off it — except for "consumables" (food, water, fuel).
Pack weight – base weight plus consumables.
Skin-out weight – pack weight plus what you wear, stuff in pockets, and what you carry (trekking poles)

Don't forget about the Full Skin Out folks. They count the weight of everything. The only non-cheaters;)

Ben beat me to it while I was making coffee.

Heh heh… Now Ben goes to retrieve his [cold] coffee… :(

"Base weight – pack plus everything in it or hanging off it — except for "consumables" (food, water, fuel)."

Wouldn't Base Weight also include gear on your body – clothes, poles, watch, sunglasses, etc?

Base + Consumables = FSO

What really matters is the total weight, although 5 lbs on the feet would not be good :)

I think most people like to separate into base weight, consumables, FSO so they can compare their kits to others. Just the process of analyzing, weighing, and comparing often results in significant weight reductions for many people.

"Wouldn't Base Weight also include gear on your body – clothes, poles, watch, sunglasses, etc?"

Greg – Conventionally…

Base + Consumables = Pack weight (or total pack weight)
Pack weight + stuff worn/carried = FSO

Thus, the hat, clothes and shoes on you, things in your pockets, watch, glasses, and trekking poles are conventionally viewed as components of FSO — and excluded from pack weight / base weight.

Good question. Some do stretch things here and there and you will see list categories like "worn/carried."

IMHO, you should start with just a basic clothing kit for the "worn" category: base layer shirt, pants, briefs, socks and shoes. I think putting a lot of stuff in your pockets and leaving it off the base weight is just playing games.

Things like trekking poles aren't generally counted for base weight, but you know if your poles are heavy or light ones; likewise shoes/boots. They come back in the skin-out weight.

Consumables aren't counted in base weights, but the containers are. Again, they come out in the skin-out weight, and can really up the weight. Water really stacks up, and it is so dependent on climate, season and personal metabolism. I've seen a few lists critiqued on carrying too much water or too many containers.

The whole idea is to get a basis for comparison. It isn't a competition, but rather a means to help one another get over concepts and techniques that make for heavier kits.

"The easiest way to reduce your base weight is to transfer more stuff to your pockets!"

Should there be another term like "total gear weight"? This would include all clothing worn, gear in pockets and gear in pack.

Total gear weight + consumables (food,water,fuel) = Skin out weight.

Base weight seems hard to compare because of variations in what's worn and carried in pockets. It varies from person to person and even throughout the day.

Any thoughts?

Just came across this on the ULA site. Might be helpful if you are trying to find in reference to pack size/ weight.

A: Recommended Base Weight refers to the total weight of all gear carried (including the weight of your ULA backpack). This includes water bottles and food stuff sacks but not water and food as this will vary during each trip. Knowing your base weight will help you determine which suspension system can best handle your on the trail load.

""The easiest way to reduce your base weight is to transfer more stuff to your pockets!""

The concepts of base weight, total pack weight and FSO weight are really just conventions to facilitate comparison amongst backpackers. It's silly to "reduce" weight not by taking things out but by shifting the same pieces around. Actually, the real silliness is when adults treat this as some kind of competition.

I find I'm more interested in comparing things like cook kit or sleep system weight, or weight of everything carried and the pack model.

(1)Worn Base Weight- What you wear or carry
(2)Packed Base Weight- Pack plus contents minus food, fuel, water
(3)Consumables Weight- Food, fuel, water
Total Base Weight (1+2)
Total Pack Weight (2+3)
Skin Out Weight (1+2+3)

John:

I've never heard of "worn base weight". Learn something new everyday. Do you have a link?

Flipping through some hiking literature:

1. The Complete Walker IV (Fletcher) – divides all weight into just 2 categories:

o pack and contents
o worn or carried at start of trip
= FSO weight

2. Lightweight Backpacking (Jordan) – divides all weight into 3 categories:

o base weight in pack
o weight of consumables
= total pack weight (equivalent to Fletcher's pack and contents above)
o weight worn or carried
= FSO weight

Subjective, but dividing weight into the three categories as Jordan did is the most frequent and conventional way that I've encountered. It's what I've picked up early on (and posted up above).

lol…it's just my version of the weights. We had a big discussion of this a few years ago with the Montbell enabler that lived in Asia, can't think of his name at the moment. You'd remember him.

Worn Base Weight was added so those hiding stuff in their pockets can't get away from including it in a Total Base Weight. Total Base Weight was what Adventure Alan was using in his new category of XUL. He calls it Full Skin Out Base Weight.
http://adventurealan.com/2-4_index.htm

I use different terms to make it easier for me to understand.

Lol… you don't think this thread is convoluted enough? :)

Ummm…. I think the person's name is Brett? Wonder where he is now? He used to post pretty frequently…

Yep, Brett. He last posted 8 months ago.

This topic is as close to attending a Star Trek convention dressed as some obscure character in fully detailed authentic costume….and never taking it off even to sleep.

In my opinion, "pack weight" is the weight of the pack, what's inside/on it, and what you wear, minus food/water. It's that easy. It makes the most sense to me, and is how I look at it in relation to my pack weight, seeing as I am carrying the literal weight of that definition.

But there's no governing body of weights for backpacking, and thank God there isn't. It's not a sport, it's an event and a way of life…:)

Toothpaste, sunscreen, TP, hand sanitizer, water purification tablets/solution = consumables?

If I count my down sweater, hat, gloves, rain protection as worn items, my base weight drops by a pound. In spite of convention, I think it would be more sensible to consider base weight to include what is worn/carried.

On the other hand, if I cut fats out of my diet during the weeks leading up to a trip, I can add 5 lbs of luxury items to my pack and the hill climbing feels no more difficult.

What is the origin of the phrase "skin out"?

I'm not sure of what/who coined the word, but it would have been "Full skin out" or "FSO" as the total weight of everything worn and in the backpack.

FSO may originally even have been "From skin out".

"What is the origin of the phrase "skin out"?"

Beats me. But I can't think of a more descriptive term than "full skin out":

FSO = the complete you minus the naked you.