[pct-l] base pack weight

[Austin Williams]

Hey,

Great questions!  Love em.  According to some polls I took, most thru-hikers
have a base pack weight between 10 and 15 pounds.  The next-largest group of
hikers have a basepackwieght between 16 and 20 pounds. I kept the polls up,
you can check em' out if you want to get an idea of how other's hiked their
hike:
http://www.planyourhike.com/polls/

My base packweight bounces around between 8 and 10 pounds.  Here are my
pieces of advice (ignore any and all that you'd like):

1) use a down sleeping bag.  Synthetic is too heavy.  Period.  I
*highly*reccomend
The Marmot Helium or the Marmot Hydrogen sleeping bag (depending whether you
sleep cold or warm respectively).  Price tag may be a little high, but it's
not too bad, and you will not regret it.  It's the best piece of gear I ever
bought.

2) Use a tarp instead of a tent.  Tents are for weenies (I'm totally just
joking, I love all you tent people  :D ).  You don't need a $140 Cuben fiber
tarp (although, that *would* be awesome).  Even a cheapo, $20, homemade, 14
oz Tyvek tarp (like mine) will work.  Not a make-it-at-home person?  No
problem.  Buy a tarp for $80.  But go with a tarp and save at least a pound
over the lightest of tents ( or igore this one, HYOY).

3) if you're commited to going lightweight (and you are right?  I mean
anything worth doing is worth doing right...  :D   ) then go with an
ultra-light backpack - the kind that dosn't have a frame... the kind that -
when you pack your bag - you put your folded up (3/4 length) sleeping pad
towards your back and *that* becomes your frame.  I made a Ray-Way pack.
It's the most awesome pack in the world.  First thing I ever sewed... held
up over 30 miles of intesive bushwacking.  Even still, I think 'kits' are
too expensive for what they are.  I'd have spent an extra $20 to have
someone sew it for me.  So maybe just buy one.  The simpler the better.

4) if you are still using a stove that requires a canister, let me help you
out:  get rid of it.  Use an alcohol or Esbit burning stove.  You can make
at home for about 50 cents.  Try googling it.  That will easily pull a pound
or two out of your pack.  And they are way cheaper.  (In fact, going
ultralight, for me at least, was always cheaper than going LW or heavier...
with the excepion of the Marmot Helium sleeping bag).

5) while we're working on your backcountry kitchen, rid yourself of all your
extra cups and bowls and excess silverware.  All you need is one aluminum
(you're not scared of aluminum are you?) or titanium (much more
expensive..... but hey, at least it's not aluminum) cookpot.  I do this and
I have my entire kitchen (including pot, stove, and spork) under half a
pound.

6) Then we come to water.  Leave your water filter at home.  Bring Aqua
Mira.  Feel lighter yet?  Nalgene bottles are banned, too.  Too heavy.

7) If your headlamp weighs more than three ounces... go to jail.  Do not
pass Go.  Do not collect $200.

8) Since you're already at 20 lbs, I know you aren't bringing the entire
Wilderness Press guidebooks (They weight about 30 pounds each, so you're
doing well on that front).

9) If your sleeping pad inflates (or weighs more than a quarter pound) try a
3/4 length blue foam pad (cheap) or a Zrest (fancy-shmancy).

So far, without clothing, you should be somewhere around 5 pounds or so.

I'll stop here, though.  If you'd like more on clothing, let me know.

Despite my jokingly all-knowing-ultralighter tone, you should do whatever
works for you.  Even if that means a 20 pound pack.  Seriously.

Good luck!

-Austin