Backpack weight?

[shlingdawg]

I'm getting ready for a trip into Garfield basin next week and was wondering what the consensus is on proper backpack weight. I'm shooting for a goal of 35 lbs with a maximum allowable weight of 40.

[Wasatch Rebel]

I'm getting ready for a trip into Garfield basin next week and was wondering what the consensus is on proper backpack weight. I'm shooting for a goal of 35 lbs with a maximum allowable weight of 40.

I recommend this book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books
By Ryel Kesenbaum.

My own advice is to go as low as you can and still have comfort. I think 40 is too much and if I were to go again, I'd try to get it as close to 30 as possible.

Shane

[rockgremlin]

Much of it has to do with the type of backpack also. Some packs distribute weight better then others. I spent last saturday hauling a 40 pound pack through a grueling slot canyon, and it wasn't that bad - mainly because the pack I was using did a very good job of distributing weight evenly and it was comfortable. YMMV.

[Sombeech]

I still consider myself a beginner backpacker, even though I started about 4 years ago.

I ALWAYS overpack. I try to stay at 45 lbs, and then in the last half hour before the trip, all of this weight just comes from nowhere.

I brought 67 lbs up to King's Peak (Well, Dollar Lake anyways).

I brought in over 70 lbs up to Alsop Lake in the Uintas.

I had about 60 lbs going to Havasu Canyon.

I'm just a pack rat. I never go without though. I'm always comfortable.

[accadacca]

Yeah I think it is better to have a few extra things than to wish you had something. My packs used to weight around 60-65lbs several years ago. In fact my dad and I packed in our float tubes and gear to a few lakes one time. For two different trips in fact and our packs were around 90lbs. YOWZA!!!!

About 4 years ago I decided to bite the bullet and get some really good gear. I bought and ultra light bag/pad/bivy sack combo. Wow what a difference in weight. Now I don't need a tent and that really helps. I find that my pack is now around 40lbs and is much more comfortable to carry. I still bring some good/heavy food with me. Then I can also find some light stuff from Walmart to take. My brother just brought my dad and I a box of MRE's when he came home from 29 palms for the weekend. Although I have always been vehemently against them, I might give them a shot this year. He has told me which ones are good and it is really cool how they work.

[shlingdawg]

I can't imagine 90 lbs. I bought some good gear for this trip. Cat's Meow bag (3 lbs.) Mt. Hardward 3/4 pad, etc. etc. Round trip w/ the pack is going to be around 25 miles. Half of that will be w/out food though. I'm really stuggling with theh provisions that I want vs. need.

I'd love to have my tube/waders up there, but those Bucks Bags are HEAVY!

[accadacca]

I can't imagine 90 lbs. I bought some good gear for this trip. Cat's Meow bag (3 lbs.) Mt. Hardward 3/4 pad, etc. etc. Round trip w/ the pack is going to be around 25 miles. Half of that will be w/out food though. I'm really stuggling with theh provisions that I want vs. need.

I'd love to have my tube/waders up there, but those Bucks Bags are HEAVY!

Yeah I think we may have been taking drugs that year?

I also have the Mt. Hardwear stuff. NICE!!! You better have a good camera in the mix. We will expect a full report with pictures upon your return.

[shlingdawg]

Yup. I'm taking a Minolta Dimage X. Small, very lightweight in a 3.1 megapixel variety. Not the greatest of cameras, but it gets the job done well.

[crazy horse]

I'd say try to keep it as light as you can, barring crazy stuff that those gram counters do (cutting off toothbrush handles, removing clothing labels, etc., etc.) The lighter your pack is, the more terrain you'll be able to cover and the more agile you'll be. 30-35lbs is probably ok, but you could definately go even lighter if you want to. Check out like www.backpacker.com/ultralight for some tips.

[Shan]

Woah I need to reassess my pack S.T.A.T.! I brought a 50 pound pack to the local winter yurt, plus my skis and boots were another 13 pounds.

But it was only a sleeping bag, one set of dry clothes, food for 3 days, pots and water. What the.....?

[TreeHugger]

A pack should be approximately one quarter to one third of your body weight.

140 lbs = approx. a 35 - 46 pound pack. I try to never pack over 35 pounds. I learned better when I took about 50 or so pounds to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

[Shan]

Ha! I'm 125lb. I couldn't figure out why my pack was so heavy for that yurt trip. Hubby carried the alcohol too....

[Sombeech]

A pack should be approximately one quarter to one third of your body weight.

OK, so I guess I'm not such a loser when I pack 60 lbs. I weigh 220 lbs, and it's all man, baby!

[JDRower]

I've found the Granite Gear Virga or Golite Jam (both about 21-ozs and close to 3000 cubes) is fine for what I need. More than 3000-cubes and there's the temptation to fill the space. The Aether 45 is also nice but a tad heavy.

Including pack, tent, bag, mat etc (for up to 2-weeks), base weight is under 12-lbs. Food is 1.5-lbs a day (I weigh 170-lbs) and generally average 18-miles a day.

Carrying 20-22 lbs, depending on distance to resupply (water is carried on the hipbelt so it doesn't add weight to the shoulders - the day's food and other essentials are carried in pants cargo pockets) allows me to wear trail runners whenever less than half the day is spent on snow and/or ice.

JD

[Sombeech]

Including pack, tent, bag, mat etc (for up to 2-weeks), base weight is under 12-lbs. Food is 1.5-lbs a day (I weigh 170-lbs) and generally average 18-miles a day.

Dude, I hope I can get there!

Welcome to the forum, JDRower! Make sure you intro yourself in the Newbies section.

Man, I've just got to start spending some money on some light stuff.

I really do think that I plan my food out, clothes, and other stuff. But everytime, I'm killing myself. I'm a bigger lad though, and can usually handle it. I'm a little slower on the trail, but I make it, and I don't think I whine about it that much.

[canyonphile]

I've actually never weighed my full pack before a trip, but I guesstimate that it usually is between 30-40 lbs. The wild card is usually the amount of water I have to bring. I did research to find the lightest weight pack that could handle the type of trips I do (so, I have an REI Valhalla that has something like 3500 ci of space (is that right???? hmmm). It weighs around 4 lbs., I think. I also took weight into consideration when buying my tent - I have a Eureka Apex II that weighs less than 5lbs. I used to have a ridgerest pad, but it pretty much sucked, so now I have a thermarest short and I LOVE it and the extra weight is worth it. Plus, I always bring a real pillow (travel-size from Walmart). Tried the 'clothes in the stuffsack' pillow and that also sucked. I don't carry tons of extra clothes, but I have to have clean socks, tops and skivvies for each day. Of course, when your skivvies are basically two small triangles of fabric connected by a thin strip of fabric, weight isn't an issue . And wool socks don't weigh that much, either. I have a 600 fill down REI bag that compresses to nothing and weighs not much more.

I try not to overpack food because that can get really heavy, and do lots of dried food that I get at the local natural food store. I haven't actually purchased those dehydrated/freezedried backpacking meals, but on the Royal Arch trip I did in April, one of my partners did and it was quite tasty! Obviously, the technology has come a long way for those things.

Those weight nazis that cut their toothbrushes down or drill holes in them, etc., are a bit over the top for me . I like comfort, particularly when I'm sleeping. I like to bring small luxuries like some rum or port along on the trip in my trusty flask, and I also ALWAYS bring my Tevas. They saved my ass from uncertain misery and more serious damage to my feet when my boots failed to be adequate for the task of the Escalante route in the Big Ditch about 1 1/2 years ago.

SJ

[Scott P]

Before I was married, I usually carried a pack around 30 lbs, except for winter mountaineering or dry camps in the desert. Now days I often carry 100 lbs. Aaak.

[dbessee]

When I started packing with my son (he was 7 at the time) my pack weight jumped from 40-45lbs to 60 in a pack designed for 40, then 85!!! in a Lowe Contour IV. The only saving grace on that trip was the bomber suspension on the Lowe. By the time we hit 9000' I was only down to 75lbs or so at even as a CO native I couldn't find enough air! Since then he's grown and I've trimmed (no more Dinty Moore canned stew unless you carry it!) so the pack weight is down to 45 or so with water (4L in the summer as reliable water is sometimes scarce) this seems to work pretty well although I'm always on the lookout for ways to lighten the load while still having the stuff I need to have fun and be safe.

Post pics of the trip!

[accadacca]

I might be in that boat this summer with my 3 year old. I plan on taking him on some trips. We will have a newborn at home, so I am sure he will be coming with me. I wonder if I can teach him to mountain bike?

[dbessee]

They are never too young!!

My son started hiking on his own feet at 2 and snowshoeing at 5. You have to take it easy as they learn and you'll have more endurance than they will (enjoy it while it lasts...) but kids do great outdoors. They learn faster than we do and if you get them out using the information they are great problem solvers too.