Pack dead weight was Re: [at-l] Guidebooks, maps, etc.

[DTimm65344@aol.com (DTimm65344@aol.com)]

Thank you -

That's what I've been waiting for somebody to toss out there as an answer.

Since I've already got the books

I use the books primarily to identify the water sources (which are pretty 
clearly marked on the section maps and have been accurate so far despite the 
copyright age) and to identify the type of woods through which I'm walking 
and the historical landmarks in the area.  Having said that, I read the 
section before I leave the house for hike planning purposes and I rarely use 
it on the trail.  But then I rarely use my map or compass on the trail as 
well and I drag them along as essentially dead weight.  Seems like I always 
drag about 15 to 20 pounds worth of stuff along on hikes that I never use so 
I guess I've not worried about the weight as much as I probably should, but 
from others postings I can see that many folks do worry about such things.  
There's a question on which we could noodle:

Q:  How much dead weight, on average, do you take on the trail and are you 
getting better or worse on this topic over time:

A:  My guess - I use 28-33 pounds worth of stuff I bring on a 50 to 100 mile 
hike and the pack typically weighs 48 pounds when I start.  I typically get 
home with 5-10 pounds of spare food, the spare clothes I carry never get 
worn, etc.

Anybody else out there making their walk more of an effort than it need be?