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  1. #21

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    I weigh my crap so I know what I weigh before I start moving. You can romanticize the idea of just being out there with what you have and not giving a damn but I want to be part of the successful 10% and to me that means planning and preparing. I have a scale at home, and there are plenty of great websites to help you keep track of everything your carrying. Why wouldn't I take advantage of these two things? Every pound counts and things add up quickly. I constantly play with what I need compared to what I want, I look for deals on equipment I need but don't own and compare them based on weight vs. reviews to try and determine whats worth the extra ounces. The hike boils down to mental toughness, but a 20lb pack vs a 35lb pack makes a substantial difference on the impact your body endures with every step and at this point I have 11 months to find alternatives to the gear I have. I can't work on mental toughness over the next 11 months, but I can improve my physical strength and try and polish up my equipment situation. That might mean buying new, waiting for sales on items I want, it might mean scouring the swap sites for used gear or it may just mean leaving something at home or replacing it with another piece of gear I have. This may be my only just to attempt a thru hike before I'm of retirement age and I'm sure many people have completed their hikes with 30-40lb packs, not even batting an eye at the weight they carried but that's not me.

  2. #22
    Registered User
    Join Date
    10-17-2007
    Location
    Michigan
    Age
    64
    Posts
    5,126

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    After my 4 day outing last month I took all my gear out, cleaned it thoroughly, repair if necessary, and then put everything back in my pack for storage. A few things I decided were superfluous were demoted to the "extra gear" box. I added a couple of things that I thought would improve my gear kit.

    When I am ready for my next trip, I will take out the gear to check it out and repack, add the quilt (which is stored separately), fill the food bag with food, fill the fuel bottle, fill the water bottles, add to the clothes bag one each of socks, underwear, shirt, and pants. Essential stuff gets transferred from my regular wallet to my hiking wallet. Put on my hiking clothes, shoes, hat, and grab my poles.

    If I'm curious, I weigh everything on the bathroom scale, but each bit of gear has already been selected to optimize weight/function ratio based on my wants and desires, so any additional analysis seems unnecessary.

    No list or spreadsheet.

  3. #23
    Clueless Weekender
    Join Date
    04-10-2011
    Location
    Niskayuna, New York
    Age
    68
    Posts
    3,879
    Journal Entries
    10

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    I'll confess, I'm always a little frantic before a trip, because while my dedicated hiking gear stays in one place, other things that aren't hiking-specific, or the things that are specific to a particular trip or dependent on the weather, get a little disorganized. So I always have a few moments of "where did I put the camera tripod?" or "Honey, have you seen my black fleece sweater?"

    I have a spreadsheet where I check off what I plan to bring, then hide the unchecked lines and print.

    It helps a little. What helps more is having a neurotypical wife who can find the things I lose and remember the things I forget. (Thanks, Mary Ann!)

    I don't bother with adding up the weight. I try to choose lightweight items, and I bring what I need for safety, comfort, and enjoyment. The stuff fits in my pack, and I can carry it, albeit slowly. Then again, I'm not trying to finish a thru-hike. I'm trying to get out, take pictures, make maps, see sights (from awesome views to rare creatures to mysterious ruins), smell balsam, and generally have fun. When the sights that I want to see or photograph, the places I want to map, and so on are more than half a day's walk from the highway, or I'm stringing together a set of places that's longer than a day's walk, then the stuff I need to do more than one day in safety and comfort comes along for the ride. I guess I'm more a tourist than a Real Hiker.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  4. #24

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    I have not previously weighed, except at the total level. Then, I decided my pack was really too heavy to cover significant mileage. I'm weighing individual items for a little while, in order to make better decisions about what to leave out. Excel is handy because I can compute totals, base-weight, etc., and I can sort by weight.

    After I come up with a new, lighter gear list, I don't plan to track it beyond a simple checklist.

    Tracking weight isn't a goal for me -- it is a technique to tune my gear list.

  5. #25

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    I weigh my pack. I find it fun and it's part of MY experience. I am also a sensible backpacker. While being conscious of weight, I will never sacrifice safety for the sake of being able to say I have a 10 pound base weight. The availability and science of lighter weight materials allows us to have a lighter pack without sacrificing safety. Granted, it comes at a cost, but it's possible.

  6. #26
    Registered User Old Hiker's Avatar
    Join Date
    07-10-2009
    Location
    Tampa, Florida
    Posts
    2,593
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    5

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    Borrowed a triple beam balance from my work - Science teacher.

    I've been weighing, packing, unpacking, re-weighing, etc. I'm down to 30 pounds without food, carrying one 64 ounce bottle of water. I'm trying to cut my fears and equipment.

    Bought a lighter quilt and pack. Got rid of never-used stuff that probably won't get used. Etc. Etc. Etc.


    Most of my weight is from clothing now. As it gets closer to 29 Feb 16, I'll pay more attention to the weather forecasts for the first few weeks. I'm also going to try and get up to mid-GA (Providence Canyon State Park - Lumpkin, GA) for testing over Thanksgiving. If the wife drags me to TX for Christmas, I'll be testing there as well.
    Old Hiker
    AT Hike 2012 - 497 Miles of 2184
    AT Thru Hiker - 29 FEB - 03 OCT 2016 2189.1 miles
    Just because my teeth are showing, does NOT mean I'm smiling.
    Hányszor lennél inkább máshol?

  7. #27
    Registered User heckyesnugent's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-16-2015
    Location
    Fairfield, Ohio
    Age
    33
    Posts
    22

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    What kind of rain gear does everyone recommend? I have everything else but my rain gear and I'm a little stumped.

  8. #28

    Join Date
    05-05-2011
    Location
    state of confusion
    Posts
    9,866
    Journal Entries
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    I know all my wts, dont care much. I take what i need for conditions out of the items i own.
    My gear lists are on xcel, its only used as a checklist to insure i dont forget anything.

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