What does your pack weigh?

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GH-Dave
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by GH-Dave »

What did my pack weigh during my recent 5-day solo?

Too much!

During my initial packing before I left I cranked it up to right at 50 lbs before water. So, I re-evaluated and threw out some food, a fleece blanket that I was planning to use to supplement my cheapy polyfill sleeping bag, and a couple of small miscellaneous items. I think I knocked off about 4 lbs ... then, add a couple of liters of water, and guess what? Back to 50 lbs.

Turns out I lost my appetite for my own cooking halfway through the trip and lived the rest of the time on jerky, trail mix and survival bars, and ended up bringing quite a lot of the food back.

Also, because the weather was so pleasant I didn't need any of the rain gear.

So, I learned.

I'm seriously re-evaluating my food needs, and even the need to bring a stove and all its paraphernalia on such a short trip. I might also eventually spring for a lightweight down bag.

I do believe that my comfort level is more around 35-40 pounds ... so that's my goal.

Added in Edit: Also, a couple of miles up the trial from the trailhead I discovered I had left my huge set of keys in my pocket. I had intended only to carry my one car key. In my trip journal are the words, "BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!" Egads! I was so angry at myself for having to carry 10 pounds of keys over 25 miles of switchback trails. :(

Dave
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Here are the stats on pack weight for the last part of my trip- Roper's High Route IV (see trip report). 10-days.

Total starting weight - 37.6 pounds
Worn or carried (ie trekking poles, clothing) - 5.4 pounds
Starting weight on back - 32 pounds (includes half liter of water - all I carried any day)
Food weight - 11.6 pounds (2380 calories per day)

I had a bit under one pound food left over - mostly sauces and soups and hot drinks. I went light on clothing so did not have enough to stay out in evenings - forced into my sleeping bag many times - but it was unusually cold (froze nearly every night). I took the large cannister of gas, and ended up with about 3 days left over. The medium cannister is just a bit short and by the time you add a small cannister, the big cannister is about the same weight. Given that I had hot drinks left over I should have simply had more hot drinks at night! I took Crocks for stream crossings and never used them for that purpose and my shoes were quite comfortable, so I really should have left them behind. Otherwise I used everything I brought. There were times I had on all my clothing! So, I went light but not ultra-light and had to tolerate some inconvience (like condensation in my single wall tent and a few boring nights with no book and the extra-small sleeping pad). But I do not mind a few discomforts for the lighter pack while hiking. There were lots of good clean water sources, thus rarely carried more water than half a liter. A few days I carried no extra water.

Because I am a relatively small person, my clothing is a bit lighter than a big guys would be and I probably can do with a bit less food. The starting weight (on my back) was about 30% my body weight. This is pretty average for all my trips of this duration for a late August trip in the Sierra. This time I took a one-man tent; usually I just use a bivy sack. And the medium gas cannister works OK if I can spend a few more nights below 10,000 and build a fire. Ropers High Route has very few places where it is below 10,000 feet.
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evan
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by evan »

Markskor-
you've got the right idea!

rlown-
Longest trek Ive done was six days, years ago, to McGee Lakes (north of Mammoth).
Believe my pack was in the upper 40's/ very low 50's. Most treks are four days & I happily
get my pack around the very low 40's ballpark!
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rlown
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by rlown »

so, in the last two years, I've replaced my thermarest with a new neo-air, A garcia bear can with a Bearikade, an REI down bag with a WM badger, and an old kelty tent with a tarptent.

Dropped 1k for a weight savings of 7 lbs.. Gonna have to pry that Tioga 5500 from my back though, even at 3.5lbs of base weight.
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mp88
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by mp88 »

1. ULA-Circuit: 35oz

2. Big Agnes FlyCreek UL1 (w/stakes): 36oz

3. Western Mountaineering Versalite 10degree: 36oz (PCT)

4. Compacter bag stuffsac: 2oz

5. ULA bag pack cover: 2.4oz

6. Patagonia Capoline 2: 5oz

7. Wool beanie: 2oz

8. Gloves: 1oz

9. Headlamp: 1oz

10.Charging kit: 3oz

11. Cell phone: 5oz

12. Fun kit: 4oz

13. GG groundsheet: 1.4oz

14. Maps, journal: 4oz (PCT)

15. Camera: 5oz

16. Cookset: 7oz

17. BV 450 Bear Vault: 2lb 1oz (only Sierra)

18. Personal kit (toilet paper, credit cards, etc..) 4oz

19. Headnet: 1oz

20. Sunglasses: 2oz

21. Sun screen, deet: 3oz

22. Ipod: 1oz

23. Puffy jacket w/pillowcase: 11oz

24. Rain Jacket: 7oz - Rainpants: 4oz

25. Sleeping pad: 10oz

26. 2L Smartwater bottle x2: 4oz
full: 2lbs 5oz

28. Platypus 2L: 2oz
full: 4lbs 14oz

29. Food stuffsac: 3oz

30. Hat: 2oz

31. Fuel container w/duct tape: 2oz

Total basweight: 12lb 9oz (PCT) w/bear vault 14lb 10oz
205.8 oz
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sparky
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by sparky »

Typical summer sierra or winter coastal/desert pack weight before food and water is 12 to 14 pounds.

I bring zero luxery items....just the nessecities. I hike and just use my five senses for entertainment
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

mp88- did you say I-pod is 1 ounce! I doubt that. Do you mean the electronic Applie I-pod?
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rlown
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by rlown »

I've kind of stopped fooling myself about base weight. Before every trip, I lay out all my crap on the dining table.. Configure the stuff I need for time, duration, and activities (fishing) including food, put it in the pack, and jump on the bathroom scale. Bent the scale on one trip, but that was a special trip.

Then I cull.

I like to fish early when it's cold, and late when it's cold, so I'm not a guy who jumps in the tent if the bite is on. Hence, I might be heavy on clothes depending on when and where I go.
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mp88
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by mp88 »

Wandering Daisy wrote:mp88- did you say I-pod is 1 ounce! I doubt that. Do you mean the electronic Applie I-pod?
Ipod shuffle 1oz 2gb 500 songs
I own a fish scale as well as a letter scale, leave nothing to chance. HA-ha
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Re: What does your pack weigh?

Post by Cross Country »

My last 10+ trips I used the same x - frame Kelty as rlown and like him, swear by it, and remember this, most days I was Cross Country. I tried an internal frame pack, but for me it was almost masochistic. As to weight in general I was always comfortable at 40 - 45 lbs. Under 40 was usually on the way out. Over 45 was a grind. Like I mentioned before, when I went with my son(s) It was heavy, slow and go -- very heavy and very slow.

On our way to Benson
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