My Pack Weigh 40 Pounds!

[DLP]

I'd take the rain gear. Or at least the jacket. If you are out for 5 weeks, you can send it home after 10 days. Being wet makes hypothermia more likely, and I'd take the rain jacket.

You'll want to take a set of sleeping clothes that you obsessively keep dry. That way, if you are cold, you can change into dry clothes and get in your sleeping bag.

[bigcranky]

Take the rain gear. You'll be out for five weeks and you'll need the shell for warmth more than once. You can leave rain pants behind if you like.

[colorado_rob]

Any normal human can carry a 40 lb pack for a 5 or 6 day trip. Most responding posts will try to convince you to go lighter as Lightness seems to be the overall goal. Getting outside is in my opinion the overall goal and a 40 lb pack should not present a problem. Heck, go heavier and bring an avocado or a couple books or a little radio or even a watermelon.

Yep, and I will be one of those responding posts that seem to rile TW up.... because I get riled by anyone trying to promote carrying ridiculous weight.

On WB we have campers and we have hikers, and those in between... If you're mostly a hiker, meaning you get enjoyment out of the act of hiking, go lighter; if you get light enough you don't even notice your pack after a while. That's true freedom of enjoying the out of doors; the ability to hike comfortably for days on end and both be safe and comfortable at camp in the evenings. Really not bragging because there are those much lighter, but my 5 day pack would weight about 22 pounds with food and 2L of water. But I have a lot of expensive gear; you can surely get well under 30 even with much cheaper stuff. There is a HUGE difference in comfort between 30 and 40 pounds on you back all day. There is a lesser comfort difference between 30 and 20 though, and virtually no difference between, say, a 18 and an 12 pound pack. Diminishing returns.

If you like to camp for days on end in one place, admittedly a very enjoyable thing to do, don't sweat it so much. Still, weigh your items and at least think about going lighter. For a simple example, I see people out there for a week or two with a full tube of toothpaste and sunscreen, about a pound total. Why not buy the little 0.7 ounce toothpaste and a 1-ounce film canister full of sunscreen? Why not carry Gatorade (or equivalent) water bottles vs. those stupid-heavy nalgenes and save close to another pound (difference in weight for 3 bottles).

[Wil]

Any normal human can carry a 40 lb pack for a 5 or 6 day trip.

Agreed. If you are only going to do the one big hike, or maybe hike 2 or 3 years before beginning real life as an adult or whatever, it is not imperative to spend attention on shaving weight. Unless you just want the pleasure of a carrying a lighter weight.

But a normal human CAN'T carry a 40 lb pack for 60+ years of a hiking lifetime. If you want to be hiking through your 70s, and enjoying it, you need to start doing the work as early as possible. Save the knees, save the feet, save the back. You'll need them some day.

[BirdBrain]

You guys are missing then operative word. Tipi ain't normal. He is a freak. I say that in kindness. Us normal people desire less weight on our backs. Not him. He wants more. .

[sittinguy]

Did my first hike last April, started at the falls, 5 days to Neels Gap. Easy hike, and I am from Florida, and have NEVER stepped foot on a Mountain. My pack weighed 36lbs with 2 liters of water. But I trained with my pack for about a month at home (flat ground) it helped alot! Everyone thought I was a homeless person for a while, but after they saw me day after day I think they figured it out that I wasn't.
Anything that was in my pack that I thought I might need,, had to go.
good luck

[4Days]

I'm @ 28 #'s w/o water. I carry 1.5 liters. I also have 10 days of food.

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[msheald]

Hello! I tried a 3-day hike from Damascus to Sugar Grove with 40 pounds and about 15 miles a day (too many daily miles in this terrain for a trial run!). I developed significant blisters by the end - on both heels and a particularly nasty one under the left great toe nail. I had good 511 boots (or I thoughts so) that I had had for several years and worn continuously for a couple of months along with good quality hiking socks. Still, the 40 pounds did not agree with my setup. I think I will switch to trail runners. I carried too much food - 1 to 1-1/2 pounds a day vs. 2 pounds a day, especially for this type of hike, would have been more than sufficient. However, the 3 liters of water seemed appropriate. I went through a lot of water climbing the mountains and ridges north of Damascus. I'll have to think about how to manage water sources better in order to reduce the weight of carried water. Best regards. Mike

[Heliotrope]

Nothing like getting out there to learn what works for you. I learn something new every trip. And I often have ideas or gear to test which adds another level of enjoyment to the outing. As for "good" boots, I am not sure what they are. I stopped trying to use boots in the 80s. One of my first backpacking trips as an adult of 18 years was with hiking boots. Day one was a 2.5 mile hike to a summit. Day two I awoke to numerous painful blisters. Pretty much the end of boots for me.




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[AO2134]

I have a long history with blisters. Mine never get really really bad, but I have them all over. During warmer months, I bring 2 pairs of socks and switch out my socks. I also take a break every 3ish hours to air out my feet, socks, and boots. At night, I treat the blisters if needed. Last year I had blisters with every hike. This year, I haven't have many significant blisters. The switch in socks and the "air out" breaks helped a lot.

[Mountain Bluebird]

Originally Posted by RockDoc
If you are carrying water uphill to places where you can get water, you need to think about this.

+1. Hard learned wisdom.
Another +1
"If you arrive at a water source and you are carrying water, you've made a mistake." --from Mike Clelland's book on Light and Ultralight Backpacking.

[shelb]

You will learn with each hike. I carried nearly that weight my first hike on the A.T.

This year, I was down to 27.4 pounds SKIN OUT.... (meaning everything - even my shoes/hiking poles, and the clothes I wore). This also included 4 days of food and 2 L of water.

It has taken me 5 years to get to this point - and I do not spend mega bucks on gear - just try to purchase one item a year for $120 or less....