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whats the deal with packing so light?

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skitertank

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im not understanding the need to go much lighter on the backpacking. to me 20 to 30 pounds on my back is not that much, and i have carried more without complaint.now,i have always been very physical fit naturally, and am currently a cage fighter so maybe being in shape is why i cant see the reason to get fanatic about loosing a few pounds in the pack. now i do know an older friend of mine in his late 40s that has bad knees and still goes packin. he considers his pack very light at 25 pounds and so do i.

im just thinkin that most men between 18 and 45 years old should have no problem totin around 30lbs. i know of many older men who have told me that carrying a 50-60lb pack or more was normal when hunting or packing back in the day.maybe the solution is not loosing a few pounds in the pack but rather,loosing a few pounds in the rear might suffice:Djust my two cents.all rebutles and comments are encouraged:D
 
i know a lot of older persons that say the same thing about the 50-60lbs packs. i also know that if they could carry the same gear back then and have it weigh half what it did they would have been all for it.
i don't think ppl do it out of necessity. it's not that they would stay at home if the packs were heavier. it's a matter of comfort, if you can get away with being just as comfortable as far as life in the bush or on the trail is concerned while loosing 20lbs of pack weight why not?
a lot of people i talk to never used electricity as children and got by fine (myself being one of them) doesn't mean it shouldn't be welcomed giving the option. it makes things easier and more comfortable.
nobody here that talks about going ultra light would quit being a part of the bush if packs weighed 60lbs, they're just embracing another tool we have available to us, low pack weight.
just my two cents. though i do largely agree with you, i'm definetly NOT an ultra light guy.
 
when I am doing a morning fastwalk with a 35 pound kettlebell in a backpack I am EXERCISING.

when I go out to do an ultralight hike and not waste any time messing with stuff I don't need- approaching simplicity- I am not going to carry extra weight just to prove I have .....muscle mass.

Simplicity and minimalism have their own merits, unrelated to proving how strong one is.
 
Your one cage fighting injury away from cutting your tolerable pack weight considerably, plus your still young in years. In time, you may understand why some must go with minimal gear.
 
Go heavy in a controlled environment like the gym but when out on rocky uneven terrain why risk puttin a knee out, twisting your back or ankle carrying a heavy pack if you don't need to ?
 
all good answers and very true.just for record, as i am in good shape,im not a muscle head.me personally,my pack weighs a little over 30 lbs
 
Long time hikers always look for ways to cut down weight.
My brother in law always says "The best place to get a good deal on hiking equipment is on the Appalachian Trail. People discard all the extra weighty crap they don't need after 20 miles on foot".
 
I'm a personal trainer and do my weightlifting in the gym. Someone above mentioned doing resistance training with controlled form and hiking uneven surfaces with a light weight. Spot on. As you get tired, the ankles start to roll, or the hip flexors and tibialis anterior tire and don't want to lift the feet as high.

If someone doesn't hike any further than 2miles into the bush, I guess it doesn't matter, but for those that do substantial hikes, it does.

Of course below a certain level, you reach diminishing returns in terms of extra mileage for no extra effort, but there's also just the fun of seeing how light you can safely go.
 
skitertank said:
im not understanding the need to go much lighter on the backpacking. to me 20 to 30 pounds on my back is not that much, and i have carried more without complaint.now,i have always been very physical fit naturally, and am currently a cage fighter so maybe being in shape is why i cant see the reason to get fanatic about loosing a few pounds in the pack. now i do know an older friend of mine in his late 40s that has bad knees and still goes packin. he considers his pack very light at 25 pounds and so do i.

im just thinkin that most men between 18 and 45 years old should have no problem totin around 30lbs. i know of many older men who have told me that carrying a 50-60lb pack or more was normal when hunting or packing back in the day.maybe the solution is not loosing a few pounds in the pack but rather,loosing a few pounds in the rear might suffice:Djust my two cents.all rebutles and comments are encouraged:D
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I'm 37, extremely athletic, 18% body fat, hike, cycle, swim, work hard, lift heavy loads at work, and i pack light. WHY? because I dont like carrying more than i need to. I can hike faster, FURTHER, with less fatigue, less energy expenditure, less food carried, less sweat exuded (less water consumption) . If the SHTF and i need to carry someone, I am able to. I try to keep my load out around 10lbs or less.

But hey, if you want to carry a 30 - 90 lb pack, BE MY GUEST ! you can carry our beer flats!

as for the comment lose the rear weight.......if i lose any more rear weight i anit gonna have an a** to crap out.....

I also like going lite because of injury, multiple shoulder dislocations and a spinal shift over the years = going ruck numb with a pack
 
Calebklyne said:
my backpacking pack is around 70 80 pounds for 3 days
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Would you mind detailing your pack? I've done 60 pounds or more before, but that was trail maintenance with tools being carried to the site as well. Only people that I know that pack that much NOT carrying stuff in for trails or to make a permanent camp are military.

Zero
 
no kidding, my pack of gear food water and a big FAK with chainsaw and fuel did'nt even hit 50lbs
 
Since I venture into areas like these with no man made trails to walk along..

Tributarygully-1.jpg


Drysclerophyll1.jpg


..it's an advantage to carry a light pack that's only got what I need in it :thumbup:



Kind regards
Mick
 
Bushman5 said:
I try to keep my load out around 10lbs or less.
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:confused:how? maybe i just dont put enough thought into going lighter. i have a simple rei flash pack that i took to halfdome.after water,food and very minimal gear it came out to about 13 pounds.is that an overnight/multi day pack or a small day pack?
 
Let the military guys carry the 80+ pound packs.........I've been there and done that, and it's no fun at all. I guess if you car camp or go to designated 'campgrounds' then your pack can weight as much as you care to have it weight and it really doesn't matter.

I personally do not like designated campgrounds or car camping. I like the feeling of isolation that you get from hiking / camping out in areas that are off the beaten path. I also do not like to just stay in one place the entire time. I prefer to move around. Carrying a lot of weight just makes shoulders sore, blisters more likely, and everything in general a whole lot more unpleasant.
 
skitertank said:
:confused:how? maybe i just dont put enough thought into going lighter. i have a simple rei flash pack that i took to halfdome.after water,food and very minimal gear it came out to about 13 pounds.is that an overnight/multi day pack or a small day pack?
Click to expand...

chest rig with the basics! water is NOT an issue where i live/hike/explore (WET COAST BC CANADA) , it can be found anywhere. Sometimes i use a TT3day pack, other times just a knife, firesteel, garbage bag, whistle.........NATURE provides what i need!

i do have a pretty high "comfort" level, i dont mid sleeping ont he ground, making my shelter every night, or eating strange foods...
 
My last hike was for six days, and I carried a thirty pound pack, including food and water. my longest hike during that time was eight miles. I am overweight and over fifty, and am happy with a thirty pound pack. If I replace gear, I tend to go lighter. For instance, my new stove would weigh a few ounces less than my old one. My wool blanket was traded for a light synthetic bag. My Eureka tent was replaced with a smaller version.
 
Why?

Because as time goes on we as lazy north americans get softer, wimpier and more emasculated.

Remember every kid is a winner now and nobody loses they all have to feel good about themselves.

Too bad the world dont work that way.

It will be our downfall in the end.

Skam
 
Zero_Time said:
Would you mind detailing your pack? I've done 60 pounds or more before, but that was trail maintenance with tools being carried to the site as well. Only people that I know that pack that much NOT carrying stuff in for trails or to make a permanent camp are military.

Zero
Click to expand...

i just checked mine and its only 50 ish but i have 2 sigg water bottles, 3man tent,sleeping bag,rain coat,hoodie,food,flashlight,knife,tomahawk(adds some weight but i dont care), t shirt,sleeping pad,water tablets,bear bangers/flares, bear spray

it adds up fast

i also have a cheap mec backpack which works for now but its pretty heavy itself
 
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