Why Is My Backpack So Much Bigger Than Yours?

[Neil]

Everyone plays the game according to their personal level of comfort and enjoyment. We all take our chances and we mitigate the risks in various ways. One way, carrying a heavy pack with a lot of gear is not unlike conceding that you consider the activity to have a fairly high level of danger. Enough so to feel uncomfortable or unsafe without the gear. You would be right. It's a delicate balance between the pleasure of a light pack and the peace of mind a heavier pack offers. Every outing is different and as such one's pack contents will vary according to that balancing act and the way one plays the game. However, prevention through fitness and sharp reflexes, adequate sleep and nutrition, careful planning and careful hiking are more important.

On another note, I like a big, heavy vehicle because I have run into 2 deer and a moose (2 at high speed) and my Volvo, while being damaged to over 5K, kept purring along. I believe the biggest risks are on the road.

 

[Jazzbo]

I use Osprey Variant 52L. This sounds like high volume, but normally it is only filled to 35L-40L for winter. Maybe only 30L for warm season trips. I found this out last winter when I did overnight to Zealand hut when I filled it up to max capacity. It was pretty tall. I was making use of the attachment points too to hang stuff externally. That is one of the things I like about the Variant 52L. It is very flexible.

 

[iagreewithjamie]

On another note, I like a big, heavy vehicle because I have run into 2 deer and a moose (2 at high speed) and my Volvo, while being damaged to over 5K, kept purring along. I believe the biggest risks are on the road.

Twin Mountain, Rte 302, Sunday August 10, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. - I'll never forget my first introduction to a moose.

 

[dug]

On another note, I like a big, heavy vehicle because I have run into 2 deer and a moose (2 at high speed) and my Volvo, while being damaged to over 5K, kept purring along. I believe the biggest risks are on the road.

Interesting. My father-in-law, who lives in Berlin, NH, has hit two moose. One driving a little Toyota Corrolla and one in his full-size pickup. Much, much less damage with the Corrolla. He basically went right under it and took out it's legs. There was damage to the hood, cracked (but not smashed) windshield, and the roof. The pickup's front end was smashed and had internal (i.e. radiator) damage and it was rendered undriveable.

I know that seems counter-intuitive, and I think I'd rather hit one in a pickup than a car, but food for thought....

 

[John H Swanson]

I have one that is 35L and one that is 50L. I like the large one because I can load it easily when hypothermic with cold hands.

Most times I carry nearly the same gear for all winter trips with a few exceptions depending upon the trip. I usually don't breing the crampons (but most often have microspikes) And the facemask and goggles are usually only brought in extreme cold or significant above treeline trips.

I can see the logic of going fast and light. I made a lightweighting effort a few years ago and it reduced my pack weight from the first to the second values.

Weight without crampons or snowshoes 23.7 17.8
Weight carrying crampons 25.8 19.9
Weight carrying snowshoes 28.3 22.4
Weight Carrying both crampons and snowshoes 30.4 24.5

I must say it is really nice to carry 20 pounds vs 25 pounds. While not quite light, it is not as heavy.

I have it all on an excell spreadsheet - the bigest weight savings were from changing my puffy jacket, changing my water bottles and insulator, smaller FAK, no raincover, and no extra fleece jacket.

One subject that has not been covered is the psychological influence of carrying the gear. I think there could be a positive or negative impact. For instance, if you have emergency gear, you might be more likely to do something risky because you can survive an incident. Or conversely, having the gear my give you a beneficial sense of confidence. I know sometimes I feel safer and more confident when I have some gear.

 

[Billy]

I was taken aback on the trail last week when a guy asked me if I was staying out overnight. Hanh?

Such a question reveals the ignorance of the questioner...

Such a question might also reveal the friendliness of the questioner. Maybe he was just casually asking DayTrip about his hiking plans. It's not unusual for people to do that. Seeing someone with a 90L pack and asking if he's spending the night doesn't make the questioner ignorant.

 

[Maineman]

If I have to pull out extra socks, them means I've fallen into a brook over the boot tops. For me, it's time to leave then. I've only used my goggles once or twice, if they come out, unless I'm near the summit, I'm likely turning back. I've had cold fingers before so multiple pairs of gloves and mittens are where I over pack. If it's so cold & I need to pull out my warmest gloves (EMS Expeditions mitts from the late 90's) it's time to consider turning back

This is so right on the money. I don't typically carry tons of extra gear but a few key pieces are held in reserve (big mitts are a perfect example) and if I have to take them out, it is a flashing red light to carefully consider turning back or at least elevate my level of situational awareness. I've often thought that I'm as likely to use emergency gear (bivy, Spot, extra clothes/food/light) to help someone else as myself and that is a pretty good reason to carry it. Great conversation here.

 

[Neil]

Late November after doing Colden on a single digit morning my partner stepped onto thin ice and broke through over his boot top not once but twice. Same boot though! In this case a change of socks and a plastic bag worked out well enough that he could go on and summit Gray, Sky, Marcy, Tabletop and Phelps. Always a good idea to carry that stuff.

 

[skiguy]

I pretty much put a different pack together for every hike, depending on my familiarity with the hike, the weather, etc. Usually about 18-25 lbs before camera gear. If I am just getting a quick run up something like Camel's Hump on a nice day, I won't be carrying much more than a light shell, a few GU's, and a pinch light, because then it wouldn't BE a "quick run".

Hey that pinch light on Camel's Hump isn't going to attract any Jet Air Liners or State Police. You might just be on your own!

 

[DayTrip]

I'm looking for stories where the heavier pack has caused real trouble. Tim

Maybe not so much becasue of the weight but how the weight gets distributed was my issue. This was one of the reasons I didn't like my smaller packs. When everything was loaded and jammed in there it felt like my center of gravity pulled away from my body, especially on ledges and spots where you lean. Might be a function of my particular pack (I do find the Kelty I own to have a bowling ball type of shape that gets away from the body). I find with my larger pack I can distribute the items more "up and down" my body, cinch down the straps and keep the load more distributed and closer to my body. I'm not a big fan of having all kinds of crap hanging off my pack and dangling everywhere. I like everything stowed away where it doesn't shift, come loose or fall off. Clearly I'm using a bigger pack then most but I like the more comfortable suspension and ease of organization.

 

[DayTrip]

Seeing someone with a 90L pack and asking if he's spending the night doesn't make the questioner ignorant.

Did I say that? Was not my intention. The person's question was asked in a very friendly way. It just kind of got me thinking why do I appear to have all this extra crap no one else has? I must be doing something wrong or being overly cautious. It was my first day out in the larger pack too so it didn't immediately dawn on me that people might think I was doing more than I was with a pack of this size.

I forget who made the point too but it was a good one about conditioning: if what you need to carry seems too heavy and makes you tired than you are probably not in good enough shape for what you are intending to do. I know my conditioning took quite a hit during the holiday season and my focus is probably better spent in the gym, not eliminating gear. I certainly learned on my last hike that breaking trail in a foot of new snow as a solo hiker is not something I am ready to do for any significant distance with a 30lb pack. Huge difference from normal hiking with a smaller pack.

Great points of view from everyone as always. Always get valuable bits of information from my posts. Thanks.

 

[Billy]

Did I say that? Was not my intention...

You did not call the questioner "ignorant", DougPaul did. My post was directed at him. I included your quote to give a more complete context.

 

[hikerfred]

So as I sit here with my leg up getting ready for my "date" with the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow, I can only say that my winter pack while heavier than a lot of the people that I have seen on the trails this winter and previous helped me avoid a rescue.
I use an REI winter pack, probably 50L. I like it because I can attach my snowshoes right to the back of the pack, it has straps. There're are no separate pockets but after many years of winter hiking and using stuff sacks I know where everything is. The weight with water and food is somewhere in the 25-30 lb range, maybe more. I have gotten used to the weight, besides come spring it feels like a weight has been lifted when I switch to the summer pack.
Many times I have been asked the same question "Are you staying overnight? Why do you have a pad attached to your pack? Why is your pack so large?" My quick answer is " the weight of my pack is directly relayed to the sum of my fears"
The reality is that I do not depend on anyone else to bring the gear that I need to save myself. In fact on all of the winter hikes I lead I make that point known, although I will probably be the only one carrying a sleeping bag and a stove as group gear.
During a winter ascent actually the descent of the Tripyramids on Pine Bend I didn't get a good bite with my crampons and and slipped. I found out later after the MRI that I tore my quad tendon. I was able to get out on my own due to the fact that I had all of my own cold weather gear because with butt sliding and hobbling along it took more than 5 hours to get down from above Scaur. All of my participants had enough gear to keep themselves warm since all 10 stayed with me and helped in any way they could.
So even though my hiking is done for probably the next six months, no finishing the winter 48 or the NEHH this year, I will have a new answer when anyone asks those questions - Because I needed everything I had in this pack before!

 

[Pete S]

Very nice discussion. Recently while packing for a 6 day ski traverse, I noticed that my pack was much bigger -- and heavier -- than the other 2 group members. After emptying all our packs and comparing the gear we were bringing, we discovered my bigger, heavier pack had less gear than the others, but all my clothing was size XXL, and theirs was M.
Bigger gear weighs more and takes up more space!

 

[blacknblue]

I get the questions about staying out overnight quite frequently in the winter; I think it is mostly from the Z-rest on the outside of my pack. I use a 3000-cubic-inch pack from EMS, and I usually don't quite fill it, but I may have crampons/microspikes and snowshoes on the outside as well. On more ambitious hikes (longer, worse weather, more remote, etc.), it can be pretty full, what with a -15 sleeping bag, down parka, food, etc.

I have done the 'fast and light' strategy, too, although that's only 'fastER and lightER' compared to what I normally carry, and is still probably more than most people on the trail. FaL hikes include short, local hikes, or maybe well-tracked hikes in good weather that stay below treeline and are known to be very easy (no icy sections, stream crossings, etc.) Tecumseh, Waumbek, some sections along the LT, plus some local ones closer to home come to mind.

 

[sierra]

I use a Gregory Reality in the winter, not sure of the CU inches or the weight, but its not light. Even my summer load is heavy. I have tried many times laying out my gear and lightening my load and I just cant do it. I look at what I choose to leave behind and I snap and shove it back in. I feel comfortable knowing that no matter what I run into, I'll never mutter the words, " If I just had ..... I be a lot better off". I once ran into a group of 4 in trouble up high on Washington, they where lost and cold, one dude had only a light jacket. I helped them find their way back to Lions head, then left them, I did not give up my extra coat, sorry.

 

[TomD]

My question is this == other than expendables like food, fuel, batteries and extra socks and underwear, why would you not carry the same load for a weekend as for a longer trip, assuming stable weather in similar terrain? If I need snowshoes, for example, I need snowshoes, whether it's for one day or ten. For a long distance hike, in variable terrain and conditions, I can see a different load than a winter trip to a fixed or limited area location, carrying a spare jacket, perhaps, but other than that, tent, bag and clothes, the basics seem necessary regardless of the length of the trip. Am I missing something here?

 

[Mike P.]

Destination will play into it, I've never needed and stopped bringing snowshoes to Monadnock. People can get up Pierce without crampons on the Crawford Path as snowshoe cleats should be enough to get you very close to the top and that leaves you just short of the top. Some trips take you above treeline for a several miles, some stay below treeline.

 

[John H Swanson]

My question is this == other than expendables like food, fuel, batteries and extra socks and underwear, why would you not carry the same load for a weekend as for a longer trip, assuming stable weather in similar terrain? If I need snowshoes, for example, I need snowshoes, whether it's for one day or ten. For a long distance hike, in variable terrain and conditions, I can see a different load than a winter trip to a fixed or limited area location, carrying a spare jacket, perhaps, but other than that, tent, bag and clothes, the basics seem necessary regardless of the length of the trip. Am I missing something here?

Moisture accumulates reducing the effectiveness of the insulation. So for longer trips moisture management becomes mor critical. For an overnight or two nights it is less of an issue.

Secondly. For a weeklong trip you might need to deal with different weather condition. As an extreme example if condition are good I might not bring a pack rain cover for a two day trip but I will definitely bring it for a week trip because a warm spell could produce lots of melt and drip from the trees