Pack weight

[Freedom Walker]

Question: Wouldn't a 30-35 lb pack with food and water for 4-5 days be a good target for someone who is taller and bigger? A smaller person would have a harder time with this weight and need to keep their weight down. What I am saying is this. I am a large person. My clothing, boots, sleeping bag are larger to accommodate my large size and I perfer a 2 man tent for the extra room. I could spend a few hundred dollars and drop 3 or 4 lbs.

[HoneyBear]

Question: Wouldn't a 30-35 lb pack with food and water for 4-5 days be a good target for someone who is taller and bigger? A smaller person would have a harder time with this weight and need to keep their weight down. What I am saying is this. I am a large person. My clothing, boots, sleeping bag are larger to accommodate my large size and I perfer a 2 man tent for the extra room. I could spend a few hundred dollars and drop 3 or 4 lbs.

I have a friend hiking now that couldn't agree more. To see Navy Seals, hardened Marines, and other strong, fit, healthy men obsessing about getting their pack weight down under 30 pounds or much less in some cases, strikes a humorous chord when you see 100 pound girls hiking up and down mountains doing 15 mile plus days every day just as happy as can be with their 40 plus pound packs. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get you pack weight down. My friend's pack weight hovers around 50 pounds when hiking long distance. Like you he carries a 2 person tent along with some things ULers would never even consider. He frequently does 20 mile days and will often outhike people carrying 1/2 that weight he does. It all depends upon the individual I guess. Take what you see here and use it as it applies to you. Process the info and decide for yourself. .

[NCcummins]

I'm at 38lbs with food and water. I may be heavier than most but also have some "luxury" items with me.

[TheChop]

Question: Wouldn't a 30-35 lb pack with food and water for 4-5 days be a good target for someone who is taller and bigger? A smaller person would have a harder time with this weight and need to keep their weight down. What I am saying is this. I am a large person. My clothing, boots, sleeping bag are larger to accommodate my large size and I perfer a 2 man tent for the extra room. I could spend a few hundred dollars and drop 3 or 4 lbs.

30-35 lbs with food and water is a great pack weight in my opinion. I'm down to 28lbs but that was only by spending a good amount of coin replacing things that I didn't really have to. I hiked with 40-45 total when I started out and can definitely hoof it but the lighter is better. At some point it becomes a trade off between being comfortable in camp and being comfortable on the trail. Losing 8 ounces by dropping reading material would make it easier to hike but leave me bored stiff in camp. Going with a small tent would leave me uncomfortable at night and give me less sleep but be easier to hike with. It seems with the right choices you can do a 17-22lb base weight without making too many sacrifices and if you've got a big frame to carry it you won't have any problems.

[HoorayCookies]

I think I'll be fine with my probably 34-38 lb pack (depending on the amt of food), and I'm 5'1". I have some luxury items, and I started out with a pack that's too big (at least it's a golite!) that I'm unwilling to spend money to replace at this point. It's 21 lbs dry now, with about 1-2 more lbs worth of things about to be shoved into it. I can whittle if i need to, but this weight is enough to make me stronger, but likely not high enough to damage myself. You, as a tall (and presumably more in-shape) man should be fine! Happy hiking!

[takethisbread]

I think I'll be fine with my probably 34-38 lb pack (depending on the amt of food), and I'm 5'1". I have some luxury items, and I started out with a pack that's too big (at least it's a golite!) that I'm unwilling to spend money to replace at this point. It's 21 lbs dry now, with about 1-2 more lbs worth of things about to be shoved into it. I can whittle if i need to, but this weight is enough to make me stronger, but likely not high enough to damage myself. You, as a tall (and presumably more in-shape) man should be fine! Happy hiking!

try to whittle that weight down. honestly with such a late start like you are doing, i'd probably be leaving Springer with a 20lb pack including food. i guess you will figure it out on the way (or rather those excruciating Georgian climbs will figure it out for you). I'd hate for you to haul 38lbs out of the gate, but, women tend to carry stuff id never consider.

I tend to only carry essentials and learn to live without the rest:
Bag
tent
Extra layer or two (top only)
3 pairs socks
food (3 meals for every 15 miles of trail)
pad
phone
lighter
stove
1 extra pair undies

and beer of course, but you knew that

[Trailbender]

I have a friend hiking now that couldn't agree more. To see Navy Seals, hardened Marines, and other strong, fit, healthy men obsessing about getting their pack weight down under 30 pounds or much less in some cases, strikes a humorous chord when you see 100 pound girls hiking up and down mountains doing 15 mile plus days every day just as happy as can be with their 40 plus pound packs. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get you pack weight down. My friend's pack weight hovers around 50 pounds when hiking long distance. Like you he carries a 2 person tent along with some things ULers would never even consider. He frequently does 20 mile days and will often outhike people carrying 1/2 that weight he does. It all depends upon the individual I guess. Take what you see here and use it as it applies to you. Process the info and decide for yourself. .

And the military has a 15% discharge rate for problems directly related to carrying too much weight. I was one of them. Severe lower leg stress fractures, tiny fractures in my tibias from too much weight and shock impacts. People I knew in the Army had knee problems, back problems, ect, especially the older ones.

[58starter]

I am ready to go with 4 day of food and no water yet, 32lbs.

[FritztheCat]

34lbs here with food (4 days) and water (4 liters). Can't say it's "comfortable" to carry because going without a pack would be comfortable, but it does ride easy.

[aag1961]

I am starting out at Springer and I am at 31 pounds with food no water. I will be out for about 5 nights. I think you will be fine

[Tinker]

As my start date of 3/12 creeps closer, I find myself playing with my gear more and more. I finally weighed my pack with my bathroom scale and it weighs 31 pounds with 4-5 days food and a little water. Having a low pack weight can be a game to some and I often see a lot of bragging to go with it. My goal was to carry 30 lbs. or less, because it allows me to carry everything I want and it seems to be comfortable to me. I was just curious how I compare to others starting this year. Not that it matters but, has anyone else weighed their pack?

I weighed mine at the ranger station at the beginning of the approach trail. It was 36 lbs. That was with 6 days worth of food and not my traditional frameless pack (which weighs 14 oz). The pack I carried for that trip was close to 6 lbs. (I needed the extra capacity for the March trip). I could easily have continued north from the Ga/NC border if I had planned a thru. Except for food I had all I needed for the first month or two (bag and tent were actually a little warmer than I needed).
Thirty+ pounds is a good start unless you're used to going lighter.

[jima59]

Why not eat two days of food the first day to reduce the weight? Seems that so many people complain about not having enough to eat and losing weight. Force yourself to eat two dinners and snack all day. I look at the food weight as expendable very quickly after the first few miles.

[TheYoungOne]

Question: Wouldn't a 30-35 lb pack with food and water for 4-5 days be a good target for someone who is taller and bigger? A smaller person would have a harder time with this weight and need to keep their weight down. What I am saying is this. I am a large person. My clothing, boots, sleeping bag are larger to accommodate my large size and I perfer a 2 man tent for the extra room. I could spend a few hundred dollars and drop 3 or 4 lbs.

I came to that realization myself. I'm 6'2" so I need a "Long" bag, pad and tent. I was never in the Military, but I'm ok with hiking with a 38lb to 40lb pack. I can drop 5 pounds or more, but that would involve upgrading gear that would cost hundreds of dollars, and abandoning some things that makes my stay outdoors comfortable.

[skooch]

I did 10miles of the Fla Trail Saturday just to see what fully loaded w/5days food would be like. pack weight, 35 lbs included 2 full waterbadders. I am 5'5", 50yrs old and 40lbs overweight. I made 3 stops totaling maybe an hour to eat something and check my feet. I am carrying a 2 man tent, sleeping bag, inflatable pad as well as a book to read and journal. I could probably lighten my pack weight but feel that sleeping comfortably is a must. Because body weight will decrease and strength will increase I feel this is not too shabby.
TAKETHISBREAD I'm liking your 3meals for every 15miles ratio

[Trailbender]

I did 10miles of the Fla Trail Saturday just to see what fully loaded w/5days food would be like. pack weight, 35 lbs included 2 full waterbadders. I am 5'5", 50yrs old and 40lbs overweight. I made 3 stops totaling maybe an hour to eat something and check my feet. I am carrying a 2 man tent, sleeping bag, inflatable pad as well as a book to read and journal. I could probably lighten my pack weight but feel that sleeping comfortably is a must. Because body weight will decrease and strength will increase I feel this is not too shabby.
TAKETHISBREAD I'm liking your 3meals for every 15miles ratio

Well, the AT is much more brutal terrain wise, what you are fine with on the FT might be too much weight for the AT, probably will be, actually.

[skooch]

Yes I agree. I don't expect to do 10 miles a day at first and expect a lot more breaks for the 1st week or so. I guess I'll know, like everybody else, when I hit Neel's Gap. The flatness of Florida is not a challenge unless you try to hike in the summer (don't advise it at all). Most of the time we have to carry a lot more water and food before resupply than on the AT so my pack weight should be right at 30lbs for the mountains.

[topshelf]

31 sounds like a great weight, don't let anyone convince you otherwise, even yourself. HYOH

[Blissful]

Shouldn't need two full water bladders to hike with. Plenty of sources.

[Old Hiker]

Skooch,

We tell our Scouts when practicing for our section hikes that 5 miles in FL is 1 mile in the mountains.

[form]

when i first started this year my pack was 40 and killing me,i put my pack on a diet she's now 30 or so with food and 3 L water i hope to hike on the trail some this spring but if not i'm staying fit hiking here on the flats almost every day.happy hiking