[pct-l] Average Pack Weight on PCT

[giniajim]

I was at a hiking lecture a year or so ago.  The person who was giving the 
talk was a long-time expert backpacker.  She (I think it was a she, might 
have been Susan Alcorn) said that the key for light weight is to start off 
getting your "Big Three" under control.  For her, this mean two pounds each 
for: tent, sleeping bag and pack.
    And then another key thing is to look at your gear after a trip. What 
did you not use?  Would you be comfortable with taking it off your gear list 
for next time?


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Lee" <saintgimp at hotmail.com>
To: "'james rivet'" <airjay66 at gmail.com>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 2:33 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Average Pack Weight on PCT


>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
>