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[pct-l] Pack weight to body weight ratio...



Kraig wrote:
>>> But, according to the formula, I who is 6'3" and weigh 
>>> 200 lbs, weighed 220 a few months ago before I started 
>>> working out, should carry 100 lbs. Is this correct?

Me writes:

In my experience, formulas are for the laboratory. Your 100 
lb. result proves this well. Luckily, in the real world, 
there's a simpler approach:

Minimize packweight to the utmost and then do some LD hikes 
with ready access to resupply and water. Packweight should 
thus remain within the range of the hiker's ability to carry 
it, regardless of body mass. Then as one gains experience, 
ability, and strength, base packweight would remain as low 
as possible but food and water weight could be increased to 
accommodate the demands of more advanced hikes.

Who invented the 1/3 body weight formula? I don't know, but 
I'm sure the makers of expensive packs designed to "carry 
heavy loads in absolute comfort" love the way it makes their 
products available to the overweight and out-of-shape 
majority of American consumers. By focusing the packweight 
discussion on an upper theshold, rather than on means of 
reducing packweight, the formulas (and in turn the gear 
companies) tend to encourage carrying the maximum packweight 
allowable.

- blisterfree

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kraig Mottar" <kraig.mottar@verizon.net>
To: "Mike Saenz" <msaenz@mve-architects.com>; "Mark Verber" 
<verber@gmail.com>; <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 7:07 PM
Subject: Re: RE: [BULK] - Re: [pct-l] Pack weight to body 
weight ratio...


> But, according to the formula, I who is 6'3" and weigh 
> 200 lbs, weighed 220 a few months ago before I started 
> working out, should carry 100 lbs. Is this correct? But if 
> someone with any ammount of will lose that body fat after 
> hiking for a while, thus messing up the scale of how much 
> can be carried. Though, if one is able to go to say, 
> 250-300 lbs with no to very little body fat would increase 
> the amount they can carry, correct?
>
> Kraig
>
>> From: "Mike Saenz" <msaenz@mve-architects.com>
>> Date: 2005/01/05 Wed PM 03:18:39 PST
>> To: "Mark Verber" <verber@gmail.com>, 
>> <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
>> Subject: RE: [BULK] - Re: [pct-l] Pack weight to body 
>> weight ratio...
>>
>> I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that if your body 
>> weight isn't
>> ummm..."ideal", let's say, then the whole pack weight/ 
>> body weight
>> formula falls apart.
>>
>> In other words, if you're 5'-10" tall and weight 300 
>> pounds, then a 75
>> pound pack is gonna kill you a couple miles into the 
>> trail...
>>
>>
>> M i c h a e l   S a e n z
>> McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
>> A r c h i t e c t u r e    P l a n n i n g    I n t e r i 
>> o r s
>> w  w  w  .  m  v  e  -  a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s  . 
>> c  o  m
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
>> [mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf 
>> Of Mark Verber
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 6:10 PM
>> To: Don Fletcher
>> Cc: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>> Subject: [BULK] - Re: [pct-l] Pack weight to body weight 
>> ratio...
>>
>> > Hey : does anyone have any thoughts about body weight 
>> > to pack weight
>> > ratios , for optimum physiologic work while hiking??
>> >  I have tried to find some science on this to no avail 
>> > ( so far )
>> >   Don ( malachi , trail name )
>>
>> Optimal is a zero pack weight.  Alas, that is typically 
>> not practical.
>>  Conventional wisdom is that more than 1/4 of body is 
>> definetely *not*
>> optimal.  My experience is that whenever my pack gets 
>> more than 1/6 my
>> weight I really start to notice it.  Hmm.. when my 
>> daughter's pack get
>> more than 1/6 her weight she starts complaining.
>>
>> I recall an article in a sports medical journal (or maybe 
>> it was from
>> the Army's research center) that had some data related to 
>> this question.
>> I can't find the article right now... but if I did it up 
>> and will send
>> you a copy.
>>
>> --mark
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>
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