Pack weight

[sierra]

I'm just curious, my loaded pack for summer day hikes weigh's in at 18 lbs. That does include 64 ozs. of water. I see a lot of people with smaller loads, and sometimes when I shoulder my pack, it feels like it should be lighter. I've gone through my pack a million times and I cannot take anything else out. I like having what I have and as a soloist feel like it's all required. So bottem line, what does your pack for day hikes weigh?

 

[Trail Boss]

Someone just asked the same question recently so I have the answer handy. Just under 10 pounds including 1.5 liters of water, a small camera, and a brick of a GPSr. That's for a full day's bushwhack; 10 oz. lighter for a trailed hike (no GPSr).

Heaviest item (excluding water) is the pack: 19 oz (Osprey Hornet 24).

 

[Tom Rankin]

Post what you have and how much it weighs.

I've found that sometimes you have to spend serious money for the next lightest item that is comparable to the old heavy one you have.

It's like lingerie, the more you pay, the less you get!

 

[jfb]

For a summer dayhike up to one of the Northern Presidential peaks, I carry about 6 lbs. plus 4 lbs. water plus probably 2 lbs. food.


26 liter pack
small Evazote pad
wool long midweight bottoms
wool long sleeve midweight top
wool vest
wool liner gloves
wool beanie
cotton bandanna
2 Nalgene bottles
headlamp
rain jacket
rain pants
map
tp in plastic bag
bug spray
sunscreen

Food is normally a sandwich (in plastic box), fresh fruit and chocolate chip cookies.

 

[DayTrip]

I'm just curious, my loaded pack for summer day hikes weigh's in at 18 lbs. That does include 64 ozs. of water. I see a lot of people with smaller loads, and sometimes when I shoulder my pack, it feels like it should be lighter. I've gone through my pack a million times and I cannot take anything else out. I like having what I have and as a soloist feel like it's all required. So bottem line, what does your pack for day hikes weigh?

I'm a heavy packer as well and also hike solo. My day pack on most hikes with 3L of water, food, etc is somewhere around 22 lbs. I always carry my Gore Tex shell, pants and bivy regardless of location or weather and also a lot of "necessities" I have never used like 5 ways to start fire, duct tape, parachord, numerous lighting options (headlamps, back up flashlight, light sticks) and various other "MacGyver" type items. I carry a lot of electronics too so my spare battery bag probably weighs a pound as well. Every hike or two I lay the whole kit out, sort everything and wind up putting it all back in the pack. I just recently started overnight hiking again. You wanna see a guy with too much #$%#!!

Personally I'd rather have it then not have it and would rather get used to the extra weight versus getting stuck without something I wind up needing. It seems like most people at this time of year hike with just water and maybe a light jacket. I see a lot of people that don't appear to have any packs at all. Too each his own but I'd rather have the stuff.

 

[Trail Boss]

Pack (22 oz)

• Osprey Hornet 24
• Two tiny carabiners
• Extra shockcord
• Lip balm
• ID tag

Gear (32 oz)

• Platypus Big Zip 3 liter bag and hose (6 oz)
• Sawyer Mini Filter + 2 liter Platypus bag (3 oz)
• Map (2 oz)
• Compass and lanyard (1 oz)
• GPSr (11 oz)
• Camera and case (6.5 oz)
• Insect repellent (1.5 oz)
• Headnet (1 oz)

Extra Clothing (18 oz)

• GoLite Virga Jacket (8 oz)
• Patagonia Capilene Long-sleeve shirt (6 oz)
• Drymax socks (3 oz)
• Buff (1 oz)

Ditty Bag (14 oz)

• Black Diamond Headlamp w/batteries
• Spare batteries
• Bandanna
• Sunglasses
• Elastic bandage
• Pocket knife
• Matches
• Waterproof tape
• Assorted bandaids
• Blister bandaids
• Ibuprofen
• Sunscreen
• Toilet paper
• Plastic bags
• Tie-wrap

Pack + Gear + Extra Clothing + Ditty Bag = 5 lb 6 oz.


Water (53 oz)
1.5 liters of water = 1.5 kg = ~3 lb 5 oz.

Food (13 oz)
Food is typically two Clif bars, dates, and Skittles = ~13 oz.

Total = 9.5 pounds

Notes

• The list doesn't include the clothes I wear.
• The GPSr is probably the most expensive item but I found it, located the owner, and he let me keep it. My cost = $0. Anyway, I don't use it for trailed hikes so subtract 11 oz.
• The camera is the most expensive item (CDN$200).
• The pack cost me CDN$65 on sale.
• The rain jacket was CDN$40 on sale.
• Every other individual item costs less than $40 (much less).

 

[jfb]

I'm just curious, my loaded pack for summer day hikes weigh's in at 18 lbs. That does include 64 ozs. of water. I see a lot of people with smaller loads, and sometimes when I shoulder my pack, it feels like it should be lighter. I've gone through my pack a million times and I cannot take anything else out. I like having what I have and as a soloist feel like it's all required. So bottem line, what does your pack for day hikes weigh?

If you weigh 182 lbs. and carry a 18 lb. pack, your total weight is 200 lbs. If you reduce your pack weight by 2 lbs., that reduces the total weight by only 1%. Don't worry about it.

 

[Trail Boss]

When numbers don't tell the whole story:
You should gain weight. Then the ratio of your pack's weight to your poundage will be reduced.

 

[jfb]

Then the ratio of your pack's weight to your poundage will be reduced.

I forgot why that ratio is important.

 

[Trail Boss]

Efficiency.

Not a universal concern but, I believe, of interest to the OP.

 

[jfb]

Efficiency.

Not a universal concern but, I believe, of interest to the OP.

I think the OP should go on a hike with, let's say, half of his normal load and see how it affects his hiking speed.

 

[DayTrip]

When numbers don't tell the whole story:
You should gain weight. Then the ratio of your pack's weight to your poundage will be reduced.

Exactly. I carry a heavy pack but luckily I weigh 235 lbs so my ratio of....

 

[Trail Boss]

Ratio of 1 to 16 for me but lately I've been having trouble maintaining it. Seems it's easier to control the pack's weight ...

 

[John H Swanson]

I was used carrying a heavy daypack (15 to 20lbs) on all my hikes.
Then after some particularly difficult dayhikes I came to the conclusion that I needed to reduce the weight.
I did not want to eliminate too much prepardness. So I took a good look at everything and applied ultra light priciples to many items.

The real change was finding a pack that was light but did not feel like a sack of potatoes with two straps. Finding a good quality pack that was comfortable and weighted approximately 1 pound was not an easy task 10 years ago.

I still carry some luxury gear like my cooler. 200g is a small "price to pay" to drink cold water all day.
I still favor convienence over absolute weight reduction by not stripping my wallet and car keys for each dayhike.
I still bring non-essential emergency gear like the garbage bag and rain pants. The latter because I usually hike in shorts and want to be able to have at least 1 clo of clothing.
Must say that the windshirt is usally left out in summer if I'm not going above 3500ft.
And I might not ave the headlamp on all summer hiker.
And technically some things are usually not in the pack like my map and sunglasses.

After making the changes I must say it is nice to have that 6.5 pound pack for the last few miles of the hike.

Here is my list with the weight in grams.

Item (weight in grams)
PACK-Deuter Speed Lite 20 500
Precip Jacket 328
Precip Pants 208
Water Bottle insulator 200
20oz PET with Water 622
20oz PET with Water 622
20oz PET with Water 622
20oz PET with Water 622
DITTY BAG 40
PENCIL 4
Rope - 15ft x 4mm x 2 56
Iodine 24
WHISTLE 8
IBUPROFEN 10
Dental Floss w needles 12
Lip Balm 8
LIGHTER 18
COMPASS 25
Shoelace and Small Rope Pieces 18
SWISS ARMY KNIFE 84
LED Pinch Light 12
Stub Candle and Fire Starter 26
Phone 152
MAP 50
Headlamp 94
SUNSCREEN 50
Insect Repellent 50
TP w/lighter 68
PLASTIC BAG Contractors grade 33 gal 188
First Aid Kit 125
SUNGLASSES / Saftey glasses 68
Wallet and keys 200
Marmot Wind Shirt 200
Food 500

Total Weight in kg 5.81
Total Weight in lbs 12.82

 

[Stan]

I weigh about 165-170 lbs. and carry a MountainSmith fanny pack with shoulder straps, total weight of 20-25 lbs., 12-15% of body weight. I find I'm more sensitive to extra body weight than the same load in the pack. I wear this, along with lightweight clothing and the lightest durable boots I can find (Vasque or New Balance goretex), whether the hike is 4 miles or 14. Not hiking as much or as regularly as in the past so I consider it important to maintaining strength to wear it no matter the hike. The pack is stuffed with "basics" which I'm happy to never use but has been sufficient for unplanned overnights in the woods and occasional assistance to damsals in distress (usually blisters).

On the other hand, my backpack weighs in at over 40 lbs., and that starts to get uncomfortable. Admittedly, its the cast iron frying pan, which I insist upon, that blows up the weight ... which helps explain why I've come to enjoy paddle camping so much more!

As an aside, two sentimental items are of as important to safety as just about anything else: 1) my father's WWII antiaircraft compass in canvas case attached to my shoulder strap, and 2) a Vichy German made knife and scabbard salvaged from a soldier who got the worse end of the deal and gifted to me years ago by my Belgian Godmother. Ohhh ... the stories these things can tell around the campfire.

 

[TJsName]

Ratio of 1 to 16 for me but lately I've been having trouble maintaining it. Seems it's easier to control the pack's weight ...

I'm right there with you. I might actually be close to 1/20 for day hikes (base weight).

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

When this discussion comes up there are many interesting suggestions, but one thing that is rarely mentioned is that losing ten or more pounds of body weight would probably help as much as anything else.

 

[Trail Boss]

...one thing that is rarely mentioned is that losing ten or more pounds of body weight...

True but there are very few situations where replying "Why don't you just lose weight?" will win friends and influence people.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

True but there are very few situations where replying "Why don't you just lose weight?" will win friends and influence people.

You found that out huh?

 

[sdways01]

When this discussion comes up there are many interesting suggestions, but one thing that is rarely mentioned is that losing ten or more pounds of body weight would probably help as much as anything else.

Just make sure to go to the bathroom before you head out. That's free and easy weight to shed. That was a suggestion I saw in a bicycling magazine when talking about cyclists trying to shed a few grams of weight at high costs($$).