[pct-l] Pack weight to body weight ratio...

[dude at fastmail.ca (dude)]

we've all seen these people when we are out hiking.  One year on the 
PCT, just north of Dick's pass heading southbound over the pass, my 
wife and I had just covered about 15 miles by about 2pm when we sat 
down next to a wonderful little leake to take a break.  After a few 
moments another group came by with the same idea and we started talking 
to them.  They were testosterone-laden young men and were very proud to 
be carrying massive packs loaded with ever convenience you could think 
of.  They noticed the puniness of our packs and assumed that we were 
day-hiking.  They asked where we had started and when we told them it 
was like 25 miles back, they couldn't beleive it.  They started asking 
all about the ultra-light (I am sure everyone has had a similar 
experience).

when we started to pack up to leave, they did too and we continued 
talking along the trail.  They tried really hard to keep up with us, 
but as the climb went on toward the top of the pass, they started 
dropping like flies until there was only one of them hanging with us 
and the other 3 were nowhere in sight.  That last guy was determined to 
hang with us and he was huffing and puffing with his 50 lb pack.  my 
wife and I were not even breathing heavily and maintained a steady 
pace.  eventually, the guy just couldn't hang with us and stopped 
suddenly and threw his pack off and sat down on a rock to rest.  

That's the difference between ultra-light and old-school.  its just 
easier on you physically to go ultra-light.  you may not have ever 
creature comfort, but you just gotta decide how important that stuff is.


peace,
dude




> The most miserable looking group we saw on our trip this summer was a
> group of about 12 boy scouts carrying absolutely massive packs from
> tuolomne toward Cathedral peak.  No smiles, only very pained looks -
> even their leaders!  I'd certainly bet some of them were carrying half
> their weight.
> 
> David
> david@dalbey.org
> 
> :
> :Some have told our Boy Scouts that they pack weight should be 1/4
> your :body weight...now seriously, we have a few 70 pounders in our
> :Troop....and NONE have ultra-light gear. Coleman bags, some have
> :full-sized packs, Boy Scout mess kits...
> :One kid, I found HUGE carabineers in his pack! Along with 2 gallons
> of :water....in separate 10 oz. plastic bottles...
> :They're lucky to be able to go HALF their weight! And then they still
> :want to bring along the "game boys".
> :
> :
> :M i c h a e l   S a e n z
> :McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
> :A r c h i t e c t u r e    P l a n n i n g    I n t e r i o r s
> :w  w  w  .  m  v  e  -  a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s  .  c  o  m
> :
> :
> :-----Original Message-----
> :From: Steve Sergeant [mailto:stevesgt@effable.com]
> :Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 4:14 PM
> :To: Mike Saenz
> :Cc: verber@gmail.com; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> :Subject: Re: [pct-l] Pack weight to body weight ratio...
> :
> :Mike Saenz typed:
> :> I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that if your body
> :weight isn't
> :
> :> ummm..."ideal", let's say, then the whole pack weight/ body weight
> :> formula falls apart.
> :>
> :> In other words, if you're 5'-10" tall and weight 300 pounds,
> :then a 75
> :
> :> pound pack is gonna kill you a couple miles into the trail...
> :
> :Note that the Swiss study I described was specific about pack weight
> as :a percentage of "Lean Body Weight".
> :
> :Lean body weight is the weight of your body, minus fat. Nobody has
> zero :percent body fat. A very fit male athlete might have 8% body
> fat, and a :similarly fit female might have 14% body fat. Much below
> that :percentage
> :is considered dangerous by doctors.
> :
> :You can find out your lean body weight by getting a "body composition
> :test."  Here's an article I found in a quick and superficial Google
> :search about measuring body composition:
> :http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/body_comp/a/aa090200a.htm
> :
> :When I finished my JMT through hike this summer, my lean body
> :weight was
> :measured at 164 lbs. Since I weighed 182 lbs. at the time, I must
> have :had slightly less than 10% body fat. Referring to the Swiss
> study I :mentioned earlier, that would mean that the maximum pack
> weight I could :carry without degrading my balance significantly would
> be between 13.1 :and 16.4 pounds.
> :
> :
> :
> :
> :
> :
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