I took my first backpack trip with my older brother in 1969 at the ripe old age of 12. I used an old (an antique even then) Trapper Nelson packframe that my brother found someplace and an equally old (WWII era) army mummy bag. I slept directly on the ground with just a tarp and as with others, if it rained I pulled the tarp over me. This was in the Sierras and thankfully it didn't rain much. It was not until 1972 that I got my first real backpack - a Kelty Standard... I thought I was in heaven and able to carry anything I might need - SO I DID and my pack weighed over 55# and as much as 70# for every trip until I moved to Colorado in 1997. At that point I caught the light-weight bug and I have been reducing my pack weight incrementally each season since. I now carry just over 30 pounds for a 4-5 day trip. WHAT A RELIEF!