Quote Originally Posted by Leanthree View Post
Not sure where your stats on average base weight comes from but according to halfway anywhere's 2016 thru-hiker survey the average base weight is as follows:

Thru-Hikers: Start: 19.84 End: 16.2
Finishers: Start: 18.2 End: 15.53

15 lbs seems to be fine. Can definitely be improved upon, but there will be plenty in that ballpark.

Source: http://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trail...ey-gear-guide/
Thank you for sharing that Leanthree. Lots of good stats to consider that Mac "Highway" has gathered! I'll offer some context that certainly some might debate but I'll offer for consideration

http://www.pcta.org/discover-the-tra...00-miler-list/

From the PCTA claimed 2600 Miler List survey in 2013 there were 277 claims of doing a thru-hike. Mac, in his survey for 2013, surveyed 100 participants, little bit more than only 1/3 of all the PCT thru-hikers. In 2014 PCTA records indicate 487 completions with Mac gathering info on 106 less than 25 % of all PCT thru-hikers making the claim. In 2015 PCTA records show 653 PCT 2600 Miler completions with Mac surveying 193 less than 30% of all PCT thru-hikers. In 2016 PCTA says 688 completions with Mac gathering 381 completed surveys well more than 50%.

As Mac states:

NOTES ON THE DATA

  • This year’s survey saw a total of 381 completed surveys (up from 193 last year).
  • The responses to some questions have been sorted and colorized to normalize the results and (hopefully) make them more useful (e.g. northbound vs. southbound).
  • Not everyone meticulously documents the stats of their thru-hike (I guess I’m weird). Therefore, the data is not 100% guaranteed accurate. However, I am hoping people gave their best guesstimates when answering questions.
  • For simplicity’s sake, I refer to the survey respondents collectively as this year’s “class“. Remember that this is but a percentage of the overall number of this year’s hikers and is not necessarily representative of the entire PCT Class of 2016.
  • If you’re that kind of person and you find some small discrepancy in the data, get over it – may I remind you we aren’t dealing in exactness here. However, if you find any large or obvious air-roars (<----like that!), please let me know.

Pts to further ponder:
1) Since the release of Cheryl Strayed's Wild book in March 2012 and the 2014 Wild movie in 2014 were seeing greater exponential interest in PCT Thru-hiker class numbers. Low snow yrs and greater PCT seminated data has further sparked interest. IMO, I believe it is also affecting a much greater drawing of interest of a wider and different PCT thru-hike attempter, NEWBS to LD hiking, than previously. This is similar to AT thru-hiker data where the AT has traditionally attracted LARGELY fist time LD hikers. As seen in Mac's data for 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 71-77% of those claiming to have done PCT thru-hikes it was their FIRST LD hike. Anecdotally, this is a higher % of NEWBS attempting PCT thru-hikes as their first LD hike than pre Wild release yrs. A full 77% of PCTers in 2014, right in the midst of the Wild releases, in Mac's survey said the PCT was their FIRST LD hike. IMO, this is now where near the % in 2008 or 2010 or 2012 when I did PCT thru-hikes or started among PCT thru-hikers to do long PCT section hikes.

What does this mean? IMO, it means higher base wts than previous yrs for more experienced LD PCT thru-hikers pre Wild yrs and IMO it also means more people bragging about their kits as, anecdotally, from my observations, many experienced LD hikers have long gotten over beating to death ceaselessly publicly talking about their kits. IMO, most NEWBS LOVE to dwell on gear, going on and on and on about their kits. These characteristics affect Halfway's survey data!

Additionally, although not a deciding PCT manager, I strongly strongly suspect the PCTA was well aware of the increased interest from the Wild book and movie hubbub that might result as well as being aware of the possible "quality" of PCT thru-hiker attempter represented in those increased users and issues on the AT as far as usage when they decided to institute the quota system. IMHO, the PCTA made a wise choice instituting a quota system that promoted stretching out and limiting PCT thru-hiker NOBO numbers.

2) On the PCT some thru-hikers TRADITIONALLY change their kits, kit wts, not because they are evolving their kits to lighter wt hauls so much as can be seen for say AT NOBOers but because
kits and hence kit wts are being tweaked based on conditions as they change. This affects starting and ending base wts. What conclusions you draw from this is up to you.

Uhh, aren't these pts being played out here in this thread?