[pct-l] Average Pack Weight on PCT

[Eric Lee]

J Rviet wrote:
>
I'm curious what the average pack weight is for PCT thru-hikers. Base weight
mostly.
>

The hard-core ultralight people tend to run about 6-10 pounds, the
lightweight people tend to run 11-16-ish, but there are a whole lot of
people who thru-hike with heavier packweights than that.  I'm surprised
every year when I meet thru-hikers in Oregon and Washington carrying packs
that are much heavier than I would ever want to carry, but there they are,
trucking along and having a good time.

As other people have said, you should reduce your packweight as much as
reasonably possible but don't go below the limit of safety determined by
your current level of skill and experience.  15 pounds base weight is
actually a very respectable number and I guess would put you firmly in the
average category, or probably even better than average.

I like to think of it like this: as you reduce your pack weight, the wear
and tear on your body is reduced and your likelihood of making it to the
other end of the trail goes up. However, as you continue to reduce pack
weight, at some point you will pass the magic optimum point and your
likelihood of finishing your thru-hike actually starts to go down.  After
all, hiking gearless and naked isn't going to get you very far, right?
Imagine a bell curve here.

But here's the trick - that magic optimum point is *different for everyone*.
Mine is pretty much at about 14 pounds.  That allows me to carry everything
I need to keep body and soul together in any reasonably-foreseen
circumstance without wasting energy on anything I'm not likely to need.
Yeah, I could go lighter, but I don't want to.  I like the gear that I've
got and I know how to use it to maximum effect.  Peace of mind is another
valuable thru-hiking tool.

Eric