This is the first in a series of posts I plan on writing about weight! Backpack weight, food and water weight, maintaining body weight on trail. Weight is one of the main topics on every backpacker's mind and is related to pretty much every topic in the hobby.
The most commonly talked about is backpack weight. Backpack weight is the easiest to measure, easiest to change, and the target weight is as low as possible while remaining in budget and comfortable. Because of this you'll generally be able to find a lot of information about how to minimize pack weight.
The only real question surrounding backpack weight is: What is the correct weight?
The rule of thumb many people use is to have a 15 to 16 lb base weight. Base weight includes everything except for your worn set of clothing, water, fuel, and food. Once you've gotten the consumables put together, your pack ends up weighing about 30 to 35 lbs for a 5-6 day trip. This is about as light as most people are going to go without starting to spend a lot of money (though you can find decent light weight gear for a low cost if you look for it).
One problem with this rule of thumb is that it neglects different body sizes. Smaller people can not carry the same amount of weight without risking injury. One study (linked here) shows that you should not carry more than 20% of your body weight, or 30 lbs, which ever is lower. The 30 lb limit falls in line with the above rule of thumb, but only for people weighing 150 lbs or more.
Why does pack weight matter?
There are three main reasons pack weight matters: Fatigue, Energy Consumption, and Risk of Injury.
The heavier your pack is, the faster you will fatigue. Increased fatigue means you won't go as far in a day, you will have an increased risk of injury, and you won't recover as quickly during down time. All of these issues mean that you lower your chance of completing your hike on time and injury free.
Energy consumption is somewhat related to fatigue, but increased energy consumption is a problem all on its own. Backpacking long distances with weight requires a lot of energy and many long distance trips require 4000 to 6000 calories per day to keep up with energy needs. If your pack increases your energy consumption even more then you may have to carry more food. Which leads to a heavier pack and a slower speed. A slower speed potentially means more food is required, which again increases pack weight. From what I have read, a fair sized group of people lose a lot of weight and many people stop hiking due to malnutrition. Lower pack weights can help with this by reducing energy consumption.
Increased risk of injury is probably the most significant impact of a heavier pack. The more you carry, the more stress you put on your feet, ankles, and shins. These parts of your body are prone to repeated stress injuries, and lower weights help to reduce the risk. You are also better able to control you body with a lighter backpack, mitigating the potential of tripping or reducing the severity of a fall when it does happen.
Our Pack Weight Journey
Roslyn and I started out with about 40 to 45 lbs of gear each on our first hike. By the end of it our feet were painful to walk on and we decided to start losing pack weight. Over two years we have succeeded in getting down to an 18 lb base weight or about 30 lbs for a 4 day trip. Over the next year we plan on trimming small amounts of weight from items until we can hit about a 15 lb base weight. This is both our comfort zone for pack weight and we get to keep some extra items we'd rather not go without.
If you struggle or have struggled with pack weight, or want advice on how to lower it, drop us a comment and let us know about it!
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