Weight survey – What’s your pack weigh?

[HkNewman]

Oops make that looking at John’s  menu (too many threads going at once).

[Dan]

I do use a scale sometimes, for example if I’m comparing alternative items that will serve the same purpose. However, I don’t see the point in measuring my final pack weight. It is what it is, and I’m not competing with anyone.

Similarly, I read a lot of threads where people constantly talk about how far they hike daily, or how fast, or how long. Who cares? Why bother tracking that? Walk as long as you feel like walking, or until you find a great place to camp. Explore. Enjoy yourself.

[dirtbag]

@ Dan…”Walk as long as you feel like walking, or until you find a great place to camp. Explore. Enjoy yourself” … While I agree 1000% with that statement you made.. I have to disagree with your comment.. ” I read a lot of threads where people constantly talk about how far they hike daily, or how fast, or how long. Who cares? Why bother tracking that?”..

You are right, its not a competition.. definitely not a competition at all but it does happen to be BackpackingLight forums.. all things related to Backpacking and Backpackinglight.

1. I always track my distance.. not to brag about it, but I do like to know how far i plan on going.. or how far i have gone, or how much further I have to go (if I have a destination point on said trip).  I also like to set goals sometimes.. personal goals.. say 15 miles today and 12 miles tomorrow.. maybe bang a 20 mile day in there too depending on the trip.
2.   Sometimes time is very important also.. how much daylight I have left before I have to start considering where I will camp for the night. How many miles am i averaging per hour on specific trip so I will know to set my pace if lets say I am doing a 60 or 70 mile trip and I only have 3 days to do it.
3. I do agree with you about pack weight.. lol. Who cares really.. I am the one carrying it anyway.. but I do like to weigh it usually before my trip just for schitts n giggles so I can say to myself while laboring up the mountain.. “Its only 20 lbs .. you got this!!”… or if I am with someone who is packing a years supply of gear and food.. “Take less do More, I will see you at the Top”
4.  I am not competing with anyone except myself and I do walk as long as I feel like walking and/or until I find a nice spot to call home for the night.

[Link .]

Dan,

Because I enjoy it, just like I enjoy hiking. I enjoy setting goals and I enjoy  not having a lot of weight on my back(especially as I get older)I like seeing a difference in weight and whether it has made a difference in my my comfort level either in my carrying the weight or in my being at camp or sleeping.  I like to see more and do more and weight makes a big difference to me being a 5′ tall 110lb woman who needs to keep the weight down not only because of my size but because of bad knees, if I have to make a certain distance and only have so much time ( because life and work happens)  and I want to keep enjoying this sport or if I feel proud of my accomplishment and want to post about it I think that’s cool too, everybody has different goals for different reasons, my competition is with me and if someone asks a question about the weight I carried I am happy to answer. If you don’t care and you don’t like the question then you don’t have to participate in the the thread. I don’t post in most threads because they don’t interest me or my style of hiking but that doesn’t make it wrong somehow…..HYOH . Enjoy your day.

[AK Granola]

Why bother tracking that?

Some people are data nerds; my husband always says if we don’t have data, we didn’t actually go. It makes him happy, and it is a useful training tool to know how far you went, how fast, how much elevation gain, etc. If I’m on my own, I couldn’t care less. To each their own.

[Bonzo]

Accumulating data and sharing data are two different actions with vastly different goals.  I always track how far I’ve gone – it helps me know approximately where I am at any given time, among other things – but I don’t usually share that data because it isn’t usually relevant to other people.  The same can be said for other data points: distance, time, elevation, how much one is eating or drinking, injury occurrences, etc, etc. are all very relevant pieces of information on a personal level, but not necessarily of public interest.

[Link .]

Some people enjoy sharing data and some people don’t, some people share trip reports and some people don’t(I don’t usually post pictures or info on trips I have taken because I feel them to be personal)I enjoy reading other peoples trip reports and find what other people carry or don’t and why helpful and or interesting. I also enjoy hearing about people pushing the envelope on trips and gear, other info I am not interested in I skip, but I see many responses from the community because they do, that’s great. It would be awfully boring if people only liked the same things, there would be very few discussions or categories in the forums to post in. What I find boring or not helpful to me might be of big interest to someone else for what ever reason and that is wonderful to me, I can find something interesting even if it is not relevant to me personally. Viva la difference!

[Tom K]

“It’s required in the national parks in the Sierra…and useful in the rest of the range.  But it sounds like the rest of the folks answering this question do not carry one?”

Unless something has changed recently, bear canisters are required in only some sections of the national parks, at least SEKI.

[Paul Wagner]

What the website for SEKI says is that bear cans are required in a long list of places, while steel bear boxes have been established in other places.  It then goes on to say this:

“3. Counter-balance Method

It’s a common misperception that the counter-balance method is a good way to protect food from bears. However, because bears are so adaptable, many have learned to obtain counter-balanced food. This method generally does not work in these parks. Only use this option if the others are not available.”

So you are correct…although I have never backpacked in SEKI without a bear can, for these exact reasons.  And they are required in Yosemite.

[James Marco]

A difficult question. I run about 7-8 pounds for a single overnight trip in summer. For two weeks out, my pack weight is between 23 and 25 pounds in summer. In fall and spring, my weight goes up to about 27-30 pounds for two weeks out. I haven’t used mail drops/resupplies in many years because I meet my wife at some predesignated spot on a trail.

[Brad Rogers]

For a week long Summer trip in the Sierra’s or Rockies about 25lb including food, water, fuel and bear canister.  I’m about a pound and a half lighter if I take an Ursack instead of the Bear Can (where allowed).

[HkNewman]

This also brings up body size.  A 10 lb base-weight is 10% of a 100lb hikers total “weight“, but only 5% of a 200lb hikers ”weight”, etc..

Then there’s conditioning and goals as well.  Someone trying to speed through a trip with a “running” style pack, a drilled mini bamboo toothbrush, etc.. vs. someone else bringing something like a camera, mini tripod, whatever where they may have to stop for a bit.

A modular pack would be great … unless you’re a pack maker.  Maybe a lot of other gear can go on different trips..

[James Marco]

HkNewman, Yeah, I hear that. Generally, nobody really cares except the person carrying the load. I have been out for two weeks with less weight (I go about 175#) than a woman I met going for three days(two nights) out(I estimate her weight at about 130# or so.) I was carrying 24# and she was carrying 45# including two changes of cloths! Someone had told her around 1/3 of her body weight was good.

Pack weigh is even less well defined than base weight. It is everything you carry as you leave for a hiking trip. That includes base weight, soo, an average person with a 10# base can easily add in a few pounds of discretionary weight. I add in about 5oz for fishing gear(rod, reel, line, hooks/lures, etc) with my base weight. A larger gentlemen (about 290#) requires a full 10#base with no discretion. My daughter is 5′ and 120pounds. She usually just fits into small stuff, small backpack, small sleeping bag, etc and she does not need the volume of food I do.

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