[pct-l] base pack weight

[Ron Moak]

Jim,

By now you've received lots of advice about reducing your pack weight. Some
of which I agree with others which I don't. 

In your post you said, "I have a lot of backcountry experience, but not
multi-month trips." That's a comment most people make when thinking about
their first thru-hike. However, while your hike may take multiple months to
complete, you're NOT doing a multi-month hike. In fact you're simply doing a
lot of short section hikes that are strung together to form a long hike. 

If you think about things this way, you'll start looking at your gear from a
different perspective. If needed you can, as most hikers do, swap gear for
what's most appropriate for the section of trail they're hiking. There was a
time when people started at Campo carrying an ice axe they wouldn't need for
700 plus miles. This isn't the case much anymore.

On any of the long trails, the longest distance between resupply is about
150 miles. Even less if you're willing to do some serious hitchhiking. The
most severe weather is likely to be found in Sierra. However, Washington
rains can be bothersome at times. Think about each of the sections you're
traveling through and what you need to get through successfully and
comfortably.  

Several have mentioned "The Big Three" as the place to start in your efforts
to start cutting weight. That been the common theme for the last decade as
it's much easier to simplify the discussion to pack, shelter and sleeping
bag than to discuss all of the other doodads currently occupying your pack. 

My own recommendation is to leave decisions about the Big Three until later.
They are expensive. If you later decide to make changes as your knowledge
increases, you may be stuck with something that's hard to unload.

While going from a 5 pound to a 2 pound tent may be simple, it may not be
the best choice up front. Suppose you have a 4 pound tent and drop it to 2
pounds, you save 2 pounds of weight and spend a couple of hundred dollars to
boot. Try adding up the weight of all of your clothes, stuff sacks to hold
them. I wouldn't be surprised if it came to 5 to 6 pounds maybe more. If you
can whittle your clothes down to 2 to 2.5 pounds you could save
significantly more weight than what you'd save changing your tent. And it'd
be significantly cheaper.

If you expand this trick to all the other areas of your pack, first aid
(remember you don't need 4 months of bandages and pills), kitchen gear and
miscellaneous gear, you may find significant weight savings without even
touching the Big Three. 

Once you've completed the process above, start looking at your gear to see
if you can make a single item to multiple tasks. Why carry two things when
one will suffice. The more uses you can find for a single item of gear, the
more value it becomes. Common examples are sleeping pad used as pack frame,
hiking poles as tent poles, you cooking pot can be your mug, and on and on.
You can search the web for more examples. Combining multiple functions into
a single item of gear is another way to achieve significant weight
reduction.

Doing the exercises above helps to train your mind to think of your gear in
terms of systems and not just individual items. In it you're combining not
just multiple pieces of gear, but you also need to think about how you like
to hike and camp when solving problems you're faced with on the trail. 

Now when you look at your shelter selection you're better able decide how
it'll meet your needs. Are you going to be hiking sun up to sun down every
day. If so your shelter needs are less. Do you like to cowboy camp? Are you
afraid of bugs? Only you can answer these questions, but they will directly
influence the type of shelter you're comfortable with.

Finally there's the selection of your pack. When going light, it should be
the last decision you make. 
Too many have started their PCT adventures by simply worrying about the Big
Three. As a result they start out carrying 30 to 40 pounds in a pack
designed to carry 20. Misery is their only companion. 

Your pack must meet needs. At the end of the day if there's not enough
equipment money left to buy a new pack, no problem. Remember, you can always
carry light gear in a heavy pack easier than carrying heavy gear in a light
one.

Enjoy the adventure!

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Fallingwater