[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Pack weight philosophy
In planning for my thruhike this year, I was aware of the universal admonition
to cut pack weight at all costs. As Thoreau says: SIMPLICITY!!!!
When thinking of what I wanted and needed to carry, I wondered whether it was
worth the worry to always be thinking "am I traveling as light as possible, if
not, what else could I pitch?" Personally, I wanted to avoid these anal and
distracting thoughts so I could enjoy the hike. A second reason was that I was
confident of my ability to carry a heavy pack because of my good health and
fitness.
I am not familiar with the terrain of the Sesquehannock Trail, but I am
confident that it CAN be done with over 60# on your back. Jim, you're the only
one who can decide is you WANT to do it with 60#, so perhaps give that pack
weight a try in your local park. If you cut weight, there is a threshold at
which it makes little difference to cut further. For me, a 40# pack felt great,
and going down to 30 wouldn't have made much difference. What is it for you? I
hiked from Glencliff to Gorham with about 50 pounds the whole way, and though it
was darn tough, I knew i could handle it, and didn't obsess that the extra
weight was ruining my enjoyment of the Whites.
One thought is that you haven't mentioned whether your pack will hold all of the
list (though I haven't read all the posts from Friday or the weekend). When you
start packing, you may very well find that this is a great way to eliminate
extras. Afterall, you can only strap on so much to the exterior. Also, another
rule of thumb is to eliminate anything that you won't use daily (except for
emergengy gear). Where will this get you?
My recommendation is to forget about the psychological and physical weight of
your pack, and go out to have a great hike!
Sir Goober Peas
GA > ME, 1996