[pct-l] Reading material & Pack Weight

[elee at microsoft.com (Eric Lee (GAMES))]

Sean wrote:
>
I was also curious as to public opinion on pack weight. It would seem
that a 
large number of thru-hikers are pro lightweight. I'm thinking of keeping
my 
weight under 40lbs max (that's loaded with water) I do plan on carrying
a 
tent through most portions of the trail. Does anyone have any
suggestions on 
lightweight tents that actually work well in rainy conditions? I
currently 
use a North Face Nebula tent whcih I love for it's functionality and 
pitching options. Unfortunately, this tent weighs about 9lbs which I
think 
is a tad heavy for a thru-hike.
>

There are a huge variety of opinions about weight, but it all comes down
to what works best for you.

Remember that thru-hiking is all about making the miles.  Every gear
decision you make should be made based on your answer to this question,
"Am I likely to make it farther down the trail with this thing or
without it?"  When you answer that question, don't look at the
worst-case scenario, look at the likely scenario.

Consider it from an engineering point of view.  Clearly, if you start
with a ridiculously heavy pack (let's say 100 lbs), you're not going to
be walking very far.  It's just not possible to maintain the kind of
pace you need with that much weight on your back.  What happens if we
reduce the weight to 50 lbs?  You walk farther and your chances of
finishing the PCT in one year increase dramatically.  What if you reduce
the weight even further?  You walk even farther.

However, at some point reducing your weight load stops increasing your
mileage and actually begins to *decrease* it.  For instance, what if you
didn't carry any food at all?  That clearly reduces your pack weight,
but it also clearly reduces your ability to make miles day after day.

The goal is to find that sweet spot where your pack weight is just
right, where you're making the most miles in the likely scenarios, and
where either adding *or* removing gear would mean fewer miles on
average.

The key is that sweet spot is different for everyone.  Get all the
advice you can, but do what works for you, not what works for someone
else.

Having said all that, yes, I think a 9 lb tent is way, way too heavy for
a thru-hike.  There are plenty of 2 lb tent solutions that will work
fine in nearly as many conditions and allow you to walk much father in
all of the likely conditions.

Eric