Gear Compartmentalization

[Just Tom]

The big stuff is pretty obvious. Keeping track of little stuff can be a problem. I store all my little odds and ends in a rectangular 24 oz Rubbermaid food container. Pointy metal objects go in there along with spare batteries, sew kit, patch kit, band aids, charger, cord and so on. Crush and waterproof.

I have never considered this before. I'll have to think on this one some more. I have tended to have a single stuff sack that all the little kits (baggie with batteries, spare lighter and a couple of vasline-soaked cotton balls,roll of tenacious tape and a few safety pins, etc). By the end, it is a fairly awkward and clunky object.

[shaq67225]

I use those multi-colored plastic drawers from Walmart for kids. Its nice because its all one piece buts still relatively inexpensive

Sent from my LGLS740 using Tapatalk

[jred321]

... the 2 side pockets have a Nalgene in each. Have a 3 liter camelback in my hydration pocket...

Is this on the AT or for other trips? That's a whole lot of water to carry on the AT.

[salsi]

Is this on the AT or for other trips? That's a whole lot of water to carry on the AT.

its what my pack plan is for the AT as well as what I carry on long distance hiking trips, I drink a lot of water so I carry lots, being 6,5 and playing athletics at collegiate levels makes me desire lots of hydration. Might adjust how much im carrying during my thru hike for water

[jred321]

its what my pack plan is for the AT as well as what I carry on long distance hiking trips, I drink a lot of water so I carry lots, being 6,5 and playing athletics at collegiate levels makes me desire lots of hydration. Might adjust how much im carrying during my thru hike for water

Just keep in mind that water is the heaviest thing you can carry and is readily available on most of the trail. You can still drink a lot without carrying the water with you. Your 5+ liters of water would be 11+lbs in your pack. Most people find that 1.5-2 liters is enough to carry at any one time (2 Smart or other brand water bottles you pick up at a gas station along the way, Nalgene bottles are heavy). Consider waking up, drinking at least a liter with breakfast (assuming you slept near a water source), pack out the 1.5 liters, stop for a morning snack near a water source, refill if necessary and/or chug another liter, stop for lunch near a water source with the same refill/chug, repeat for afternoon snack, repeat for dinner and drink as much as you want when you get into camp (again, assuming you camped near water). That makes it so you never go more than 2-2.5 hours without a planned opportunity to grab more water and on a lot of the trail you're stepping over water sources much more frequently. There will be some stretches that aren't quite that simple but those are easy to plan for. Staying hydrated is important and it's really easy to stay hydrated without the extra effort of carrying unnecessary weight.

Granted, if you're 18, what's a few more pounds?

[Odd Man Out]

I've been carrying two 20 oz Gatorade Bottles (strap nicely to the pack straps). Also have two 900 mL Evernew Bladders but will only fill if I need to dry camp or hit a long dry stretch. One is for dirty water to connect to the dirty side of the Sawyer Mini filter. The other is for collecting clean water when gravity filtering (and a back up in case there the dirty one breaks). That's 3 L or 100 oz total.

[salsi]

Just keep in mind that water is the heaviest thing you can carry and is readily available on most of the trail. You can still drink a lot without carrying the water with you. Your 5+ liters of water would be 11+lbs in your pack. Most people find that 1.5-2 liters is enough to carry at any one time (2 Smart or other brand water bottles you pick up at a gas station along the way, Nalgene bottles are heavy). Consider waking up, drinking at least a liter with breakfast (assuming you slept near a water source), pack out the 1.5 liters, stop for a morning snack near a water source, refill if necessary and/or chug another liter, stop for lunch near a water source with the same refill/chug, repeat for afternoon snack, repeat for dinner and drink as much as you want when you get into camp (again, assuming you camped near water). That makes it so you never go more than 2-2.5 hours without a planned opportunity to grab more water and on a lot of the trail you're stepping over water sources much more frequently. There will be some stretches that aren't quite that simple but those are easy to plan for. Staying hydrated is important and it's really easy to stay hydrated without the extra effort of carrying unnecessary weight.

Granted, if you're 18, what's a few more pounds?

Im 18 at 6,5 and 290 pounds mostly muscle assuming 11 pounds for water + 17 pound baseweight + 10 pounds for food and 2 pounds for snacks, that's only 40 overall, doesn't seem heavy at all, would like to hear more of your thoughts about the subject though.

[jred321]

If you're only packing 12lbs of food you won't be 290 for very long Are you a power lifter?

It's not that you won't need 11lbs of water throughout the day but why bother carrying it up and down mountains all day long, passing water sources on the way? If you're planning on doing shakedowns before you start, try doing one in a place with abundant water and carrying less to see how it feels to you.

[salsi]

I do power lifts to train for collegiate football and have played collegiate baseball, yea my estimate of food was off, it will probs start heavier but I assume the average it will be over the course of the days will be 12 pounds assuming 6 days on average between resupplies. Will be heavier at a lot of times for sure. I hike in a place where there is lots of water access however I tend to like to add more at lunch and at the evenings/mornings.

I was assuming 2 pounds of food per day, would love any insight you have into that.

[Okie Dokie]

i just carry less stuff, less to organize and the weight of those stuff sacks add up quick.

Exactly...carry only what you'll really need...it's not like someone will have a gun to your head at the end of the day's walk, forcing you to be super-organized...

The only worthwhile tip I can offer, based on my thru and years of backpacking experience, is to structure your pack so that you can access and pitch your tent without taking your pack rain cover off...if you can pitch in the rain and keep your pack and thus the gear inside dry while you do so you've got it made...I've never had a wet night...

[jred321]

I do power lifts to train for collegiate football and have played collegiate baseball, yea my estimate of food was off, it will probs start heavier but I assume the average it will be over the course of the days will be 12 pounds assuming 6 days on average between resupplies. Will be heavier at a lot of times for sure. I hike in a place where there is lots of water access however I tend to like to add more at lunch and at the evenings/mornings.

I was assuming 2 pounds of food per day, would love any insight you have into that.

Canadians don't play football. Lies

As far as food goes, I'll relate what happened to me last year. I started off with my food bag weighing around 10lbs for 3 days. I dropped 20lbs within the first month. After that I decided that I didn't want to lose any more weight so I started bringing more food. I never weighed it but I would estimate my 3+ day (you can't always buy food in the exact quantities you need so I'd carry the extra) food supply was 12lbs, or a lot of my pack weight. It worked and I didn't lose any more weight. I packed on a few lbs before starting so I weighed just shy of 190lbs when I left at 5'9". I finished around 170lbs with a lot of people asking how I maintained my muscle (I didn't really, I just didn't look like a stick). You're going to need a lot more calories to stay at 290. Your BMR is 900 calories above me, and with extra muscle you'd need a lot more calories to not lose weight. Trade carrying extra water for carrying extra food

This is what I would use for meals to give you an idea. It was in the 4-5000 calorie/day range. I tried to get around 800 calories 5 times per day.
Breakfast - 3 packets of Quaker Protein instant oatmeal when I could find it. If not, 4 packets of normal instant oatmeal. I started adding Carnation instant breakfast or powdered milk to regular oatmeal towards the end.
Morning snack - Pop Tarts and trail mix.
Lunch - Peanut butter and pepperoni on a wrap with a Snickers for dessert.
Afternoon snack - Clif bar, chocolate covered fruit. Once I would stop for a day I'd have a protein bar.
Dinner - pasta/rice side or instant potatoes with tuna, salmon, Spam, or, on special occasions, chicken. Sometimes some more trail mix.
And of course there was some variation but that gives an idea of what it took to not lose a ton of weight.

And you never really need 6 days of food. You'll have easily accessible towns more frequently than that everywhere except the 100 Mile Wilderness but even there you can send yourself a resupply.

[salsi]

yea I eat about 4500 calories a day just in the athletics world so then I guess ill budget 4 pounds a day for meals, + like 1/2-1 a pound of snacks. That means for 6 days id need like 28-30 pounds of food, but that would go down rapidly but assuming 30 pounds still only keeps my pack weight at 58 at the first day, still doesn't seem to bad, but I might try using just my nalgenes to mix water into my bladder meaning theyd empty quicker.. Thoughts?

[salsi]

Canadians don't play football. Lies

lol, 3 down football is the best, and thanks for all your insight so far

[jred321]

yea I eat about 4500 calories a day just in the athletics world so then I guess ill budget 4 pounds a day for meals, + like 1/2-1 a pound of snacks. That means for 6 days id need like 28-30 pounds of food, but that would go down rapidly but assuming 30 pounds still only keeps my pack weight at 58 at the first day, still doesn't seem to bad, but I might try using just my nalgenes to mix water into my bladder meaning theyd empty quicker.. Thoughts?

30lbs of food and a 60lb pack are crazy numbers. Firstly, you don't ever need 6 days of food so that cuts down your weight. Even with 30lbs of food, your pack shouldn't weigh another 30lbs. Cut back. Secondly, you're going to lose weight. And in your case, a lot of weight. Accept it. It's actually to the benefit of your joints and feet that you lose weight. The ideal body type for this activity looks more like a marathon runner than a linebacker.

Let's say in your normal life, without factoring in exercise, you need 3,500 calories to not lose weight. Add in another 3,000 or so for hiking 20 miles a day, so you'd need to consume 6,500 calories a day. Plan out what a day of food would consist of for you, then add up the calories and see how close you are. Weigh it, multiply by 3 days of food, and see if that seems reasonable.

[Heliotrope]

One strategy I have established is to keep all of the day's food within easy reach in my back mesh pocket (gossamer gear gorilla) this includes the dinner meal. All other food is in my bear bags at the bottom of my pack. Food that I plan to snack on within a few hours I keep in hip belt pockets.

My tarp and rain gear and stove are all at the top of my pack for quick access when I stop for the day or meal or weather.

I try to organize everything for fluid transitions from hiking to stopping to hiking again. I don't want to have to repeatedly hunt for things but rather to know where everything is, even in the dark.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[salsi]

30lbs of food and a 60lb pack are crazy numbers. Firstly, you don't ever need 6 days of food so that cuts down your weight. Even with 30lbs of food, your pack shouldn't weigh another 30lbs. Cut back. Secondly, you're going to lose weight. And in your case, a lot of weight. Accept it. It's actually to the benefit of your joints and feet that you lose weight. The ideal body type for this activity looks more like a marathon runner than a linebacker.

Let's say in your normal life, without factoring in exercise, you need 3,500 calories to not lose weight. Add in another 3,000 or so for hiking 20 miles a day, so you'd need to consume 6,500 calories a day. Plan out what a day of food would consist of for you, then add up the calories and see how close you are. Weigh it, multiply by 3 days of food, and see if that seems reasonable.

that's including the weight of the water I was thinking about carrying, the pack including my gear is approx 17 pounds and so with reduced food only needing it for 3 days puts my full pack weight including full 5 liters of water at about 45 pounds which isn't very much to me

[Another Kevin]

Almost exactly this. Things I will probably use during the day are outside the pack body and things that I only use at camp, are inside the pack body. Things I know I will use are handy, easy to get to, like water bottles, snacks, sunscreen or sunglasses, bandana, for example.

Me too. One thing that is always outside the pack is noxious fluids. Sunscreen, bug spray, Gurney Goo, stove fuel, and the first aid/repair kit (in which there's Neosporin at least, and maybe superglue and Friar's Balsam) go outside because they will all ruin gear if they leak.

The configuration changes, of course, in winter, when I have a second sleeping pad lashed on top, and may have a full rack of gear on the outside: snowshoes and poles, crampon bag, ice axe, snow shovel, probe, Heaven knows what-all else, occupying every lash point that the pack has plus a couple of improvised ones. I've been known just to leave my mittens dangling on the idiot cords for want of a convenient place to stash them.

[Another Kevin]

that's including the weight of the water I was thinking about carrying, the pack including my gear is approx 17 pounds and so with reduced food only needing it for 3 days puts my full pack weight including full 5 liters of water at about 45 pounds which isn't very much to me

45 pounds? In summer? Whoof! I carry about 26 for the same scenario, and my base weight is only a couple of pounds lighter than yours.

I've never had a five-litre water carry in the East. I most often carry two. Three or (rarely) four if I'm going to be walking a long way on a high ridge. Even on the high ridges, there's lots of water to be had, but you have to lose enough elevation to get it that I'd rather carry an extra litre or two to avoid climbing down to it.

You are probably planning a lot of water weight in your food. For me, consumables for a three-night trip plus a couple of litres of water are maybe 11-12 pounds. If I carry heavy stuff like fresh fruit on the first day, I carry correspondingly less water, because I'm going to need to drink less if I eat an orange instead.

The typical food plan for a 4-day jaunt is to eat a big breakfast in town on the first day, grab a big sandwich and some fresh fruit for lunch, and plan to pig out in town on the evening of the last day. So for a three-night trip, I'm packing three dinners, three lunches, three breakfasts, snacks, and whatever looked good in town for the first day's lunch. The dried food is about 6.5 pounds, and the extra water weight of the town food will disappear over the course of the first day, so on the remaining days I can carry more water. A lot of times I'll finish the hike with a meal or two still in my pack because my eyes were bigger than my stomach for the town food, and so I had the leftovers and some snacks for dinner on the first day, or because I decided not to do a lunch stop and just snacked through the day.

Even scaling up the food to your larger size - and someone your size will lose mass on a long hike, guaranteed - I can't make the numbers come out at what you estimate. It would be only about six pounds more even if you eat twice what I do.

Mind you, I'm just a clueless weekender - but a thru-hike is very like a lot of weekends or short sections, just done back-to-back.

[salsi]

45 pounds? In summer? Whoof! I carry about 26 for the same scenario, and my base weight is only a couple of pounds lighter than yours.

I've never had a five-litre water carry in the East. I most often carry two. Three or (rarely) four if I'm going to be walking a long way on a high ridge. Even on the high ridges, there's lots of water to be had, but you have to lose enough elevation to get it that I'd rather carry an extra litre or two to avoid climbing down to it.

You are probably planning a lot of water weight in your food. For me, consumables for a three-night trip plus a couple of litres of water are maybe 11-12 pounds. If I carry heavy stuff like fresh fruit on the first day, I carry correspondingly less water, because I'm going to need to drink less if I eat an orange instead.

The typical food plan for a 4-day jaunt is to eat a big breakfast in town on the first day, grab a big sandwich and some fresh fruit for lunch, and plan to pig out in town on the evening of the last day. So for a three-night trip, I'm packing three dinners, three lunches, three breakfasts, snacks, and whatever looked good in town for the first day's lunch. The dried food is about 6.5 pounds, and the extra water weight of the town food will disappear over the course of the first day, so on the remaining days I can carry more water. A lot of times I'll finish the hike with a meal or two still in my pack because my eyes were bigger than my stomach for the town food, and so I had the leftovers and some snacks for dinner on the first day, or because I decided not to do a lunch stop and just snacked through the day.

Even scaling up the food to your larger size - and someone your size will lose mass on a long hike, guaranteed - I can't make the numbers come out at what you estimate. It would be only about six pounds more even if you eat twice what I do.

Mind you, I'm just a clueless weekender - but a thru-hike is very like a lot of weekends or short sections, just done back-to-back.

does your 26 include water weight?

[jred321]

does your 26 include water weight?

I'm going to assume it does. 26lbs is a very reasonable weight, especially in the summer. Getting down to low 20s in the summer is not uncommon.