[pct-l] Right pack for a thru-hike.

[dude at fastmail.ca (dude)]

I'll also say that someone gave me this advice when I was first 
starting out and I liked it as a general rule of thumb:  Your pack, 
your tent, and your sleeping bag should each weigh around 2 lbs or less.

Is this to say that a 2lb 4oz pack is out of the question?  No way.  
But it probably does suggest that a 6lb pack can easily be replaced 
with something much lighter.

This "2 lb rule" is also a little old now.  Today, you can find a 3500 
c.i. pack that weighs 14oz and a 30 degree down sleeping bag that 
weighs close to 1 lb.  When I first heard this 2 lb rule, everything 
weighed much more.

Just to show you how insanely light everything has become these days, 
here is a pack/bag/tent combo that weighs 2 lbs 8oz for ALL THREE:
1.  GoLite LAIR 1 NEST, 21 oz.
http://www.golitestore.com/store/NS_proddetail.asp?number=SH6009

2.  GVP G5 Gossamer Pack, 3800 c.i., 8 oz.
http://www.gvpgear.com/g5.asp

3.  Nunatak Arc Edge Sleeping bag, 30 degree, 11oz
http://www.nunatakusa.com/Sleeping_Bag_arc_edge.htm

HTH.

peace,
dude



>> 
>> I'm right now in the planning stages for a 2005 thru-hike on the PCT,
>> but am getting conflicting views on the type of backpack to use on
>> the trip.  Some people feel that the lighter, the better--and that as
>> long as all the equipment taken is also the lightest, the
>> suspension/padding/waist belt, etc. are all of little concern.  On
>> the other hand, some people claim that the weight of the backpack is
>> not as important as the way it holds the gear, protects and cushions
>> contact point, rides on the hips, and overall distributes the load. 
>> I plan on cutting my weight every place I can (e.g. lighter tent,
>> sleeping bag, clothes, headlamp, water filter, etc.) but must admit
>> that for the shorter trips that I've taken, I really, really like my
>> Osprey Cresent 90 (it handles loads better than any other backpack
>> I've ever owned and feels very nice on my back) and had planned on
>> using that for my PCT trek--unfortunately it come in at 6+ pounds. 
>> Almost everyone I talk to claims that I shou
> ldn't do this trip with any pack heavier than 4 pounds.  Even though
> my pack is heavy, I never feel like it's weighing me down--in fact, I
> can easily carry 50 pounds and not feel overly weighted down, but
> these were for trips of 5 days or less--obviously not quite in the
> same league as a 5-6 month trip.  Anyway, I'd love to hear from some
> of you "experts" on this issue.
>> 
>> Thanks in advance for any insights!
>> 
>> Shane
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