[pct-l] Pack base weight

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Gosh Chuck, you can shave that down a bit by mailing a box to Onyx. I  
suppose being a man the 15 mile hitch is a deterrent, but I found it  
to be fairly easy. You can also shave a little bit of weight by  
hiking the 8 more miles to the main highway instead of Tehachapi/ 
Willow Springs Road. Then you don't have so long to go to get to  
Golden Oak Spring. Finally, if you time it just right, maybe they'll  
be having the ruck at Walker Pass when you go through. That'll save  
at least one meal you have to carry plus make it a little easier to  
get a ride to Onyx since you'll be sort of lingering around there  
wasting time anyway.


On Jan 28, 2013, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Pack base weight
>
> Good morning,
>
> UBSeRiOuS is correct:  The total-weight thing can creep up on a hiker,
> particularly after a big resupply.  My base weight is usually around 8
> pounds ? almost always sub-10 ? but here?s an example of how the  
> total pack
> will increase:  http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=277060
>
> For me the greatest load away from a resupply point seems to be out of
> Mojave.  The 38.7 pound pack weight noted was pretty accurate  
> because I
> weighed the whole thing on the postal scale at the Post Office just  
> before
> I departed Mojave.  I was loaded with food for 150 miles up to Kennedy
> Meadows, plus I was facing a pretty dry stretch for first 20-some  
> miles.  The
> water need will depend greatly upon the season, and when in the day I
> depart north; meaning if I depart mid-day I?ll probably have to dry- 
> camp
> that evening which increases the water requirement.
>
> This section has a greater total-weight requirement than others,  
> such as
> the section through the Sierra north of Kennedy Meadows, because  
> the water
> load is higher.
>
> There are options to reduce the food load by stopping more  
> frequently for
> resupply, but that costs time, money, and extra effort so we all  
> must make
> that decision for our self.
>
> My consolation during those first 10-15 heavy miles is remembering  
> that I?m
> not one of the sumo-hikers with a 60-80 pound pack.
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> -Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT ? 1965
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/