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[pct-l] Pack Weights.



Mountain Goat said:
>With the current technology I figure you could go
about 15
>days with a 50LB pack (food, fuel, and water), things
I
>could have only dreamed about a decade ago...
 Actually, you could do a lot better than that.  When
I left Weldon (west of Onyx on Highway 178) heading
north, I was carrying 20 days of food.  It turned out
that it took 17 days to reach Mammoth Lake but I had
had to share part of my food with a companion so he
was not forced to leave the Sierra to resupply.  There
were 3 of us who did this.  My base weight was
probably close to 25 pounds plus I added crampons and
snowshoes (already had the ice axe).  My boots were
5.5 pound Fabianos.  My original drop was at Tuolumne
Meadows, not Mammoth, but I had my dad change it after
I heard that Tuolumne would not be open when I got
there (as it turned out, the store/PO was opening as I
arrived).  As I only carried 1.5 pounds of food per
day, 20 days was 30 pounds.  So I am guessing that the
my pack weighed in at around 60 pounds initially.  The
great advantage of snow travel in spring is that you
do not have to carry any water.  Since my body weight
was somewhere between 140 and 150 pounds, I was
obviously carrying more than 1/3 of my weight.  Now I
am not recommending that anyone do as I did; on the
contrary, you should go as light as you comfortably
can (though it amazes me how picky people are
somethimes on this list about carrying an extra ounce
here or there).  I was (am) just an average PCT hiker,
just with a different mindset.
  Based on my experience, I'd say a hiker today could
go more than 20 days without resupply and have a pack
weight under 50 pounds.  Furthermore, with snow-free
trail, this hiker could easily go past Yosemite or
even Sonora Pass, maybe even make it to Tahoe.  That
is, if anyone wanted to do such a thing.

Alan


		
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