What does your kit weigh?

RoyalM

RoyalM

Joined
Dec 10, 2007
Messages
2,152
I've seen in a few threads that people seem to be trying to travel with almost no weight on their backs. To me carrying a bit of weight, when i'm out, comes with the territory same as maybe getting a little wet, cold, dirty or tired.

I'm all for weight saving but I was thinking what is a reasonable weight for:
1) A day hike
2) An over nighter maybe extending to 3 days
3) A week in the woods or hills

If i'm in the woods for more than 2 days I expect to carry around 30-40lbs. If I start extending my time I expect my weight to increase up to about 60lbs, mainly due to food.

I don't think these weights are excessive but was just wanting to see what general weights people carry out of interest.
 
for a dayhike, no more than 2-5 pounds, depending on what i want to bring with me to play with.

an overnighter (including food and water) in the summer i haven't weighed it but i would guess less than 30 pounds.

i haven't done a week or more yet, but if i had to carry enough water to last me (if i couldn't get it from wherever i was going) then i would be carrying alot of weight... if i didn't have to carry all of my water then the food would be heaviest. the only real difference i can see between a 2-3 night and a week or more is the amount of food and water...

added; i don't really worry about poundage. my main concern is that i carry as little and as light as i can be comfortable with. i don't like to have alot of stuff floating around camp. car type camping i bring alot of extra stuff, but when carrying it on my back i like to simplify as much as i can.
 
1) A day hike/overnighter: 13 pounds -- it's a full survival kit with enough food for one night, enough water purification for 3 days.
2) extending to 3 days: 16 pounds (carry more food)

Add 3 pounds to the above if it's winter (add sleeping bag).

3) A week in the woods or hills 50 pounds or so. But understand, if I spend that much time in the woods, then I set up a camp, and hike around from there with my day hike pack. The freighhauler pack stays back at camp.-
 
I normally only get day hikes. It's rare I get an overnighter, so my kit is pretty light. I use a Maxpedition Fatboy, and it fits everything I need in it really well. The only thing I feel I'm lacking is a good poncho.
(In this picture, my Surefire E1L is missing. I forgot to take it out of my pocket.)
Camera
Firesteel
Gerber saw
SAK Farmer
Spyderco Paramilitary
Altoids tin (bandages, gauze, alcohol swabs, fishing hooks, fishing line, dental floss)
Jute-twine sling (compliments of Siguy)
Paracord
Zip-lock baggy (Paper towels, bic lighter)
Gerber Multitool
Simmons 8x21 monocular
Match case - matches and advil
Small sharpener
S&W 36-1 (and 10 rounds of Federal Hydra-shoks)
Victorinox SOS whistle

DSCF3602.jpg
 
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Interesting topic!

For a day hike: I usually just carry my PSK, a nalgene, and possibly an extra layer of clothing in a backpack. This comes out to about 5 pounds.

For an overnight: I usually throw in my water filter, some food, and some more warm clothing. This will add another 5 pounds or so (10 in total). Then depending on season and how much I feel like roughin' it, I will bring either a tent or a tarp. The tarp maybe weighs 2 pounds, while the tent is closer to 6 pounds. Plus I usually have a slightly larger pack, which will add an extra pound or so.

For a week long trip: I will bring more clothing, more food, a second nalgene, and possibly a water bladder if its really hot, possibly my MSR pocket rocket, I will bring a sleeping pad as I sleep better with that. I will also bring a small axe. This extra gear requires an even larger pack. This probably adds on about 18 pounds.

So that leaves totals for me at:

Day hike: 3-6 pounds
Overnight: 9-16 pounds
Weeklong: 26-32 pounds

These are just some quick estimates I threw together for the purpose of this thread. I haven't actually weighed my gear ever, but I might start now.:)
 
andrew7978 said:
Interesting topic!

For a day hike: I usually just carry my PSK, a nalgene, and possibly an extra layer of clothing in a backpack. This comes out to about 5 pounds.

For an overnight: I usually throw in my water filter, some food, and some more warm clothing. This will add another 5 pounds or so (10 in total). Then depending on season and how much I feel like roughin' it, I will bring either a tent or a tarp. The tarp maybe weighs 2 pounds, while the tent is closer to 6 pounds. Plus I usually have a slightly larger pack, which will add an extra pound or so.

For a week long trip: I will bring more clothing, more food, a second nalgene, and possibly a water bladder if its really hot, possibly my MSR pocket rocket, I will bring a sleeping pad as I sleep better with that. I will also bring a small axe. This extra gear requires an even larger pack. This probably adds on about 18 pounds.

So that leaves totals for me at:

Day hike: 3-6 pounds
Overnight: 9-16 pounds
Weeklong: 26-32 pounds

These are just some quick estimates I threw together for the purpose of this thread. I haven't actually weighed my gear ever, but I might start now.:)
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I am about spot on with andrew. I think the weather plays a good part in how much you carry. since you are in scottland I think you are going to carry more clothing than anything. at least you don't have to carry a stupid bear can. I think max for a week long hike should be about 40 pounds with water. the other contributing factor to weight is how far apart is you water sources and how long do you plan on hiking inbetween water sources. there has been a few times where it was 8-9 miles between water sources so we had to pack extra water. 2 liters is about 8 pounds extra..
also a common problem with weight is people think on long hikes they need the biggest pack they can find! most big packs weigh about 6 pounds. weigh your pack.:thumbup: go titanium, go lite... also instead of nalgene bottles I use platypus bags
great thread.
 
I also think it really depends on the conditions. I went for about ten days at the northern tip of Vancouver Island one february and man, you do not want to be underequipped for that!

I would say in general, though, there are pretty reasonable weights given in this thread. I did an eight day through-hike with five summits a couple of years ago and I think I weighed my pack at 47 lb.

The more money you have, the lighter your gear can be, but on that trip I didn't even take a lot of expensive gear. I just cut everything down to essentials, and brought a really light fishing setup and had rainbow trout once a day, usually breakfast. That allowed me to pack less food, although of course there was the risk of not getting anything.
 
About 30 lbs. That's for an "unknown" emergency. I throw it in the back of the truck if I'm going more than a few hours away from the house. Of course the truck has an old flight bag with sleeping bag, mat, and and water with a light cooking kit as well. If I need to, I can sleep in the truck for a few nights very comfortably.
 
Most day hikes I carry an old military buttpack set up with a two quart canteen as an over the shoulder bag. Weight is around 5-7 pounds max, longer jaunts or winter clothing may tke it up to 10 pounds.

For 7 day trips it depends on how light weight I want to pack. weight varies between 15 -50 pounds.
 
Just under 20 lbs base pack weight for a few nights to a couple weeks allows me a lot of luxuries. I could cut 5lbs easy if I was so inclined by removing 'luxury'-type items, but it's not like I have any back problems. (this also doesn't include any extra clothes)
 
woods walking/dayhike, less than 5 lbs

overnighter, less than 20 lbs

longer, 25 - 50

truck camping: 500lbs
 
Wabajack said:
Just under 20 lbs base pack weight for a few nights to a couple weeks allows me a lot of luxuries. I could cut 5lbs easy if I was so inclined by removing 'luxury'-type items, but it's not like I have any back problems. (this also doesn't include any extra clothes)
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That must be excluding food, though, right? If not I want to see what you're doing, that's incredible!
 
My backpacking gear weighs about 31# with everything I need for a week. My PSK weighs about a pound, maybe a few ounces more and if need be, it'll last me just as long. Just won't be near as comfortable or well fed.
 
Okay I thought so! I mean travelling light is great but if you could do two weeks on twenty pounds of gear and food combined...jesus, I wouldn't even know what to say!
 
longbow50 said:
My backpacking gear weighs about 31# with everything I need for a week. My PSK weighs about a pound, maybe a few ounces more and if need be, it'll last me just as long. Just won't be near as comfortable or well fed.
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Yikes! I'll eat 20lb of food in a week and be hungry! I did a strenuous warm-weather five dayer where I weighed my stuff and was at: Pack = 6 lb, water = 10 lb(desert), food = 20lb, everything else = 9 lb for a 45lb starting weight.

Weirdly, I tend to over pack for day hikes, but most of them are way off trail, out of cell phone coverage and messing up could be real bad. 10lb of water, four pounds of pack, and four pounds of survival kit and first aid kit are the base.

Gordon
 
My camera equipment takes up more weight than my base pack! But without it;
For a day in the wilds - 5 kilo
For a weekend - 12 kilo
For a week - same 12 kilo plus food... about 22 kilo. I use a LOT of freeze-dried foods and don't eat 'fancy.'


Stitchawl
 
A general daay hike would be around 3-5 pounds, thats including knives and everything. On an over nighter and more, add a 15 pound pack. I've never gone on a week trip, but 3-4 days were a regular back east. and 20 lbs I didnt like having with me for that time. Im still working on getting lighter.
BTW I only take essentials, tarp, blowup pillow, fires starting, firstaid, signal/navagation and food/water procurment. There were lots of lakes and streams back east so water was never problem, and I had been trapping for years so food wasen't hard. Out of hunting season I used to carry a Crosman 2240, it was a .22 caliber airgun, and that would take rabbit no problem.
 
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