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Thread: Math problems

  1. #1
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    Default Math problems

    Can’t figure out where I’m going wrong. I’ve weighed everything individually and added it up but my packed bag weighs almost 10 pounds more than the totaled individual weight. Anyone else have this problem?

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    Garlic
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    What are the numbers, or what's the percent spread? 10 vs 20 is different than 70 vs 80. And how many items are on your list?

    Presumably you're using two different scales, a small one for individual items and a large one for the whole pack. Scale accuracy is best near the rated limit. If you're using a bathroom scale to weigh your underwear, the accuracy will be way off. And errors compound when adding dozens of inaccurate numbers.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  3. #3
    Registered User Hikes in Rain's Avatar
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    Silly question, but did you weigh the consumables (water, food, fuel, etc.) as part of your total weight? That could easily come to 10 pounds or so.

  4. #4

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    Try taking a known weight and weigh it on all the scales you use. You should be able to tell which scale is giving you incorrect weights.

    "To make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." - T.S. Eliot

  5. #5

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    Weigh things individually as you take them out of the packed bag. Keep going until the bag is 100% empty.

  6. #6

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    Stop weighing, start hiking!,

  7. #7
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    Are you mixing decimals and ounces? I've seen people record 2 ounces as .2 pounds, but it's actually .125 pounds (2/16ths vs. 2/10ths).

    I like Caleb's idea - seems like things have a habit of creeping into the pack without getting their moment on the scale, but not 10 pounds worth!

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    All great points. All things I’ve already considered. The amount a scale might be “off” would surprise me as a 10 pound difference. I will test out a know weight item. I’ve used a person scale to weigh the bag as a whole and a cooking scale for smaller items. In between items I just went with the listed weight. That may be the problem.
    Water fuel and food were considered.

    As far as getting out and hiking - I’m definitely pushing myself in terms of skill, ability, and strength and trying to minimize damage to my body by lightening the load. I’ve worked really hard to keep weight down and it’s frustrating to have it still weighing so much.

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    Thank you for all the ideas!

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Spring.Bear View Post
    All great points. All things I’ve already considered. The amount a scale might be “off” would surprise me as a 10 pound difference. I will test out a know weight item. I’ve used a person scale to weigh the bag as a whole and a cooking scale for smaller items. In between items I just went with the listed weight. That may be the problem.
    Water fuel and food were considered.

    As far as getting out and hiking - I’m definitely pushing myself in terms of skill, ability, and strength and trying to minimize damage to my body by lightening the load. I’ve worked really hard to keep weight down and it’s frustrating to have it still weighing so much.
    See if you can find a small, hanging, luggage scale to do your full pack weighing. They are pretty accurate and are great for doing a final check the night before a trip to make sure you didn't pack too much cheese
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    For the person scale, are you using the difference between you and you with the pack? People scales tend to be inaccurate at low weights.
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  12. #12

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    Go to Walmart and get a digital fish scale, about 20 bucks. Good up to 50 pounds. For small items, I use a digital postal scale.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Go to Walmart and get a digital fish scale, about 20 bucks. Good up to 50 pounds. For small items, I use a digital postal scale.
    Do you then have to subtract the weight of the fish?

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    a nickel weighs exactly 5.0 grams to test your scales... not that I worry about weight and weigh my pack like that. I like to not weigh my pack, that way I can think it's under 50 pounds when surely it's over ; )
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  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by HankIV View Post
    Stop weighing, start hiking!,
    Disagree. Weighing gear can easily become an obsession; the "gram weenie" is the butt of jokes for a reason.

    But carrying excessive weight in your pack is a pretty major cause of injury. Managing how much weight is on your back is worth some effort, and not just for beginners.

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Go to Walmart and get a digital fish scale, about 20 bucks. Good up to 50 pounds. For small items, I use a digital postal scale.

    I get all the fish scales I want for free at the seafood counter

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    Did you use a calculator to add up the individual weight ?

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Franco View Post
    Did you use a calculator to add up the individual weight ?
    Can do that, or use a spreadsheet. There's also a web site called https://lighterpack.com where you can keep track.

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    FWIW here are my 2 cents. This is an interesting issue that isn't discussed much.
    Write down all the weights in one direction. Add them top to bottom and then add them bottom to top until they agree, Check your spreadsheet manually.

    Did you zero out both of your scale?

    I also use multiple scales but primarily to compare weights of individual things not to add them up and then compare.

    Combine your stuff into piles of about the max weight of your scale. Reweigh. The bottom 10-20% of many sceles is inaccurate

    You can perhaps check the calibration of your scales with purchased bottles of water in cheap plastic. Check both scales. For the large scale see how many bottles you can hold. 4 one-gallon bottles will simulate weighing a pack. Many people scales can vary 1-2 lbs just by how you stand on it.

    Beware of manufacturers' weights. Some include extras, some include only the minimum.

    Go to UPS/doctor's office/gym ... to weigh your pack with stuff. Take your small scale to UPS/USPS and check the calibration and/or error for your lightest/heaviest items.

    Take your people scale to the doctor's office, gym or a store and compare your weight on both.

    Weight of the pack is only one small portion of injuries on the trail. I think lack of experience, mileage and speed are the biggest causes of injury.

    Who cares? Your 32 go hike. If your hiking soon don't delay it. At 39, I started with 55ish lbs and was happy. We all carried 40+ to start in late March. I actually added stuff to entertain me when not hiking so I would hike fewer miles. The best way to figure out what you need and if you're too heavy is by hiking not by weighing.

    Go do a practice hikes with your full weight in the Berkshires: 4 mile round trip north, then 2 to 4+ round trip south. You can swap out food for water that can be poured out. I think snowshoes/spikes are still required in western ma. The Blue hills in Boston are snow free.

    If both weights are under 45 lbs, then add a little food if necessary and start your hike. Plan for 8 mpd max. At the first PO or store, you will likely send stuff home anyhow. Perhaps change your starting plan to make an earlier stop. Add a real book to spend your exta time if needed to slow down. Or takeout junk that you can do without that first 4 days and mail it to the first store/PO/... You can always ligthen your pack or buy lighter equipment as go. Experience the trail.

  20. #20
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    Thank you for all these ideas!
    We have been getting out on some practice day hikes. Southern ma is close to snow-free so that’s where we’ve been going. 4-6 mile hikes at a time with Around 35 pounds - basically all our supplies we’ll bring. Hoping to do some practice overnights along the NET.

    We are doing Sobo so anticipating the challenges that starting with Katahdin and the 100mi wilderness will bring.

    I plan to drop some boxes off as we drive up to Maine instead of doing mail drops.

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