So I'm not obsessive about going lightweight. When I read about people drilling holes in a titanium spoon or rejecting a cord lock because it weighs 0.2 grams, I roll my eyes. I do strive to reduce my pack load where I can, but I don't take it to extremes.

I was thinking about it the other day and it struck me that the ability to go down to a 5 pound base pack weight is partially contingent on where one lives. It's all well and good if one lives in Florida or Texas or California, but if I go for a hike here in Ontario in October, the temps can go from 20°C in the day time to -5°C at night. Not sure that I want to be traipsing around with gossamer light gear that has no margin for error under those parameters.

But something else affects my ability to trim weight off my loadout. My height.

I'm 6'7" or a touch over 2 meters, and a solidly built 235 pounds or a bit over 100 kilos.

I'm a big guy.

My hammock is bigger. My tarp is bigger. My quilt is bigger. My underquilt is bigger. My clothes are bigger. The stuff sacks they go into are slightly bigger. If I was to use a tent, there are many that I can't fit into, necessitating a larger model. My pack consequently needs to be a bit bigger. I tend to eat slightly bigger portions than a smaller person.

I can try and shave weight off where I can, but at some point I hit a limit that someone a foot and a half shorter than me can squeeze past. Obviously some things are size independent - stove, pot, tools, etc. - but there are certain things that a smaller person has a distinct advantage with.

Not sure if there is really a solution. More just an observation. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.