WD
If you would be so kind as indulge us,
I think it would beneficial for beginning backpackers to see a real alpine gear list and see the weight breakdown. Besides being sobering, it might give them an idea of how little IS actually required for the camping part.

Personally most of the "interior hiking/climbing" that I've done included a 25 pound camping pack with another 25 pounds of gear. We figured that to be fully loaded with a 50m 10mm rope each, a large rack, slings, and descneders that we had 50 pounds of climbing gear for two people. In other words the packs weighed 45 to 50 pounds each and had to be capable of handling 50 pounds of heavy dense gear. Oh and with ropes wrapped over and tied down the sides of ythe pack. BUT I left the pack at the bottom of my climb, and thats the weight difference between rock climbing and alpine climbing.

Jim