Why is my pack so heavy?

“That doesn't look like too bad a load, and I'm an ultralighter. The bear can is what is making it seem heavy.”

“I always take too much crap with me.....about 50 pounds for a week.....”

“chappy - I am down from 50lbs for three days! This is quite an improvement.”

“Sandyann, don't forget the water filter or treatment of some sort. Didn't see it on your list.”

“Ah Ha!... The one item of community gear I am not carrying. My stove-mate is carrying the Sweetwater.”

““Pamela - It is not winter but in the Sierra's it can get quite cold in the summer and has been known to snow in August. My down jacket is the only form of warmth I am taking besides getting in the bag. The fleece gloves are really just liners as is the balaclava. We will be above 11,000ft.”
sandyann
10:51:16 AM
7/19/07

ahhhhhhhhhhhh, then that makes sense. I have a very lightweight down jacket for that kind of trip.

How much do you weigh SandyAnn? Maybe 36lbs will be just fine. I've carried up to 37 for a long weekend. I shouldn't have with my knees, I only weigh 100 myself. But it's do-able.”

“I just returned from a 5 day trip from South Lake to Onion Valley. The low temperature (even at 11000 ft) is in the 40's so you don't need an elaborate jacket. Just some fleece layers and a rain jacket. (It did rain). Also the thermarest chair does add about 1 1/2 lbs.”

“Stop carrying your fire ring rocks around from camp to camp. You wouldn't believe the difference that made for me. ;-)”

“Just a note..

I've seen partner Amy carry 115lb, 80/90lb many times.

She weights about 115lb and is 5'2" tall.

Trust me, you'll do fine with 36lb.”

“Seeing as I am a very HEALTHY big girl at 5' and over 160lbs, I can easily carry over 50lbs, but I was really trying to reduce the weight just so my feet won't burn as much at the end of the day. If it is not those fire ring rocks then it must be those mini kegs....”

“Oh ya, sweety, you need to learn to leave the bear at home and only carry 80 proof stuff or higher. Think of it as "beer concentrate" Wild Turkey Rare Breed is very nice but not for the faint of heart at about 115 proof. (Super hiker hint: if you put the rare breed in a recycled water or pop bottle it qualifies as ultralight, and you can justify bringing even more of it. and in a real bind you could use it as fuel in your stove!)”

“good advice!

I carry my liner gloves and stocking hat all year round - it'll get dang chilly up above 10,000 feet any night of the year.”

“No kegs this time...those are reserved for sled trips only. If I only could figure out the picture posting thing I could show how we 'defrosted' the keg on the stove in January. I have taken everclear before to mix with gatorade or limes but this time it will be just a little spiced rum.”

“When I did my AT thru-hike last year, my pack started at 39 lbs, that was with 5 days of food,2 litres of water and winter gear. During the trip my pack got lighter and lighter until it was about 28 lbs in N.H. It is amazing how you will figure out what you really need and don't need on a long trip. But I think 36 lbs ain't bad at all.”

“whoops...I meant 5'9....jeez I would be a really healthy big girl if I was only 5ft and over 160!”

“i remember my first trip.........14yrs old and carrying a pack close to 50lbs....after that exhausting trip i vowed to pare it down, and that i did, down to 20lbs using communal gear, but found the weight shooting right back up courtesy of uncle sam. some of those packs weigh over 100lbs!”

““whoops...I meant 5'9....jeez I would be a really healthy big girl if I was only 5ft and over 160!”
Sandyann

I thought that was a little off, I even pulled up a picture to be sure, LOL.

My first backpacking trip was 3 days with 55lb :-)”

“I would love to carry only 36 pounds. I am going into the Beartooths in Montana for 9 days and my pack weighs 60 pounds. I carry alot of stuff, but then again I am a big guy and can take it.”

“I don't even want to think what that first pack might've weighed!

I was about to say.... That's a nice Low Center of Mass, SA! ... < VBG >”

“TILT!! Stop looking at her center of mass!!!!!
Have a little respect... sheesh”

“yes...what a visual. At 5ft and 160 lbs carrying a 50 lb pack.HAHAHA! i want to see that on the trail. A 300 lb bear couldn't have taken me down.”

“That bear would be in Trouble, LOL

I just happen to have a old clipping in the file, here.... Fairly yellow.... I apologise in advance to anyone named 'Linda' (or 'Glover'):

"An elderly Augusta man told the Augusta Police Department Wednesday that he was robbed of $137.  Glover Smalley, 1100 block of Eighth Street, said a woman named Linda snatched the money from his wallet while he was sitting on his front porch.  Smalley said the woman, who was white, was 25-years-old, 5-feet-tall, and weighed 300 pounds."

”

“I pulled this up because...yes...I am going again. No the pack isn't heavy. But I did want to point out that I used EVERYTHING in my pack on this trip.

Perhaps you read my story of Rain, Hail, Lightening (please...don't get me started on the lightening OR the thunder at 11,000ft), and Thunder. Two days saw hail and rain storms. The down jacket was really handy when it was only one of the semi dry articles in my pack. I believe it helped bring a few back from the brink. Unfortunatey, I didn't take the time to put on the waterproofs and risked hypothermia. Oh well...here I am and ready to do it again.
last edited: 8/28/07 10:01:41 PM”

“Wonderfull, I like hiking in thunderstorms, where are you heading off to this time? And how much is the packing weighing in at now.”

“That's the right thread at the right time: In about one week I am going backpacking in the Wind River Range. Packing my backpack is one of my major concerns. I have been test packing last weekend and unpacking, sorting out, test packing again, pulling everything out, stuffing everything in again, unpacking, sorting, stuffing...until I suffered a nervous break down.
last edited: 8/29/07 4:37:44 AM”

“I have been test packing last weekend and unpacking, sorting out, test packing again, pulling everything out, stuffing everything in again, unpacking, sorting, stuffing...until I suffered a nervous break down.

Nervous breakdown? That's the best part of the hike!”

“My pack with water weighs 45 pounds.”

“Zoiks, Bacpac, that's pretty heavy!

It reminds me of the first time HPM got me out backpacking. My pack weighed in at 59 pounds. As soon as I got that thing on, I felt all the cushioning squeeze right out of my knees. I don't let him choose my gear any more. :)”

“Just looking at the mighty pile of gear and stuff that I will have to pack makes my intervertebral disks shiver and pop with anticipation.”

“Forty-five pounds isn't heavy to me.”

“I am not sure about the weight this time but I don't have to carry a bear can, no down jacket, and various and sundry other items. I will however be taking a swim suit. Going to Lassen and I hope it is warm enough to swim.”

“my average is 53 pounds.......but there are a 'few' items I could probably do without, but you know how that goes....I'd rather have and not need that need and not have.”

“~AHEM~
---------------------------------------------------------------------->>>>
last edited: 8/29/07 6:36:55 AM”

“I think my pack for CAN is gonna be pretty heavy. The weather forcasts look like a real mixed bag (35 at night, up to 70 during the day, rain, wind, sleet, sun). It seems when you throw days straight of rain as a possibility into the equation, all of the sudden your pack gets heavier.”

“Euro Hike
PLEASE TAKE A FACENET TO KEEP THE BITING INSECTS AWAY!
The most valuable piece of gear I took to the Winds!
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=1061&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
last edited: 8/29/07 8:42:14 AM”

“All my backpacking is in cooler/cold weather.”

“I know in crappier weather my pack is a tad heavier, but 45 lbs???? How do you do it? Even in winter and snow, I can keep it under 35 lbs (and that includes shell/pants and down jacket/o* bag, etc).

My back cannot take heavy loads anymore. I give high fives to those that can hump 40-60 lbs loads!”

“OOouuuugh! I DON'T HAVE A FACENET! I HAVE NO FACENET!

Panic time---”

“I'm not kidding about the Mosquitos. I went without a Mosquito head net and got eaten alive the first day. Someone that was hiking out (Gonzo?) took pity on me and gave me their head net.

Euro Hike, my Wewbshots album has lots of Wind River pics, just click on my name for my profile link.
Check the date of my trip, I understand that the Mosquitos are not to bad at other times of the year.
last edited: 8/29/07 11:49:17 AM”

“Thanks for the tip Stove. I will need a headnet. The mosquitos in South Carolina really sucked up on me and totaly ignored my friends. I guess they fancied my european blood for a change in their regulare diet.”

“
It ain't heavy
It's my backpack



That tent does weigh twice as much wet, tho'....”

“The pack, tent, sleeping bag, everything becomes so much heavier after being in a downpour and hail for 2o minutes. Although, when you are running for your life you don't necessarily take note of that. Once you realize you live afterall, that is when you feel the weight of all that water. Oh yeah, Osprey Ariel packs are NOT waterproof or water resistant. =)”

“Wore BP around house last night with 7 days food, no water or stove fuel but everything else--able to lift with one hand and felt good on my back.
Highs at 11K running around mid 50's-60 and lows in upper 30's and 40's.
Can't wait.”

“Sandy, that reminds me of a few Yellow Jackets I ran into once.... Actually, I ran about 75 yards straight up the hill (with a full pack, of course) with about a dozen of 'em stinging my legs ---”

“The visual I get from you running up a hill with a full pack is too funny. Sorry....

Examples of when you run with a full pack, lightening, rain, yellow jackets, feet are sore and you just want to get to the trailhead and get those boots off, trying to beat others to the bomber campsite to name just a few.”

“The yellow jackets were pretty bad, but I'll take them over lightning Any Day, LOL

Oh.... to complete the picture, my then girlfriend was cussing at me to stop running before I tripped and busted my ass out in the middle of nowhere!

It was something like ---- "Quit running before you fall and break your leg you GD idiot!!!!"

She couldn't possibly think I was running up that hill for FUN could she???   LMAO!


(and these are those backpackpacking moments we treasure most!?!  ---  Yes, we're all crazy)”

“Dang Tilt, we're going to have to get you into long pants.”

“The items that I have found to add excess weight are clothing. Way to easy to take more than you need and they add more weight than you would think.”

“On our recent partial JMT hike, we encountered a very friendly family - a guy about my age, his 12-year-old nephew, and his 70-year-old dad. They had huge loads. The guy casually mentioned something about the kid carrying 55 pounds (I think that was an exaggeration, but I digress). They were hiking with smiles on their faces. After we parted ways, I looked at B-Son and said, "Good god, we don't even have 55 pounds between the two of us! What the heck do they have in those packs?! Lead weights?"

I think at the start of our longest segment (so, the most food), which also required carrying the most water, I had 43 pounds and B-Son had 25. Usually, I was at around 35 or so, and B-Son around 22. We each had our own Garcia canister.
last edited: 8/30/07 9:02:37 AM”

“Yeah, I've been know to smile while carrying a pack of 50lbs....it's called delirium.”