Taking a poll: What is you base weight

What is the base weight of you backpack when you go out on a multi-day trip? I'd like to take a poll here and I'll do some arithmetic and figure out (and report here) the average and the range. I think it is interesting because it might give you (and me) an idea or relative differences. I'm not considering body weights at this time, that would complicate a bit too much.

Mine is between 10.5 and 12 lb depending on the temperatures I anticipate and whether rain is likely. This, of course, does not include a bear canister.

Summer: 9.4 lbs
Winter (sub-zero): 17.5 lbs.

6,934 grams. (14 lb)

I never know exactly what I am supposed to exclude from "base weight", so I always just think in terms of how much does my pack weigh when I walk away from the trailhead. Because so far as I can see, no one ever carries their "base weight" on an actual hike - they always carry something heavier than that.

You exclude from base weight the consumables--water, fuel, food--whose weight varies with the length of the trip. However, I notice that most published gear lists, especially those at the UL end of the spectrum, omit a camera, even when they publish pictures of their trip! There is also the issue of a few other items whose weight varies according to the length of the trip (which base weight does not). In my case it's some extra toiletries that I require for medical reasons, which add up to almost a pound and a half on a 10-day trip. I suppose one could also include in consumables items like sunscreen and bug repellent, where you also take more for a longer trip, but that's getting, IMHO, a bit nit-picky. I don't think anyone empties out a dropper bottle containing several days worth of sunscreen for an overnighter.

Anyway, the theory is that base weight remains fixed regardless of the length of trip, while consumables vary. Therefore only the base weight is comparable to others because it is the same regardless of how many days you go out. As an ex-accountant, I prefer to call them "fixed weight" and "variable weight."

My base weight, without camera (to be comparable to the UL folks), is 10.7 pounds. This is for trips at high altitude in the northern Rockies, when it often freezes at night and can snow in July and August. I would take a little less for the Cascades in the height of summer, but probably no more than half a pound . Add in camera (with extra batteries) and fishing gear, and I'm up to 12.1 pounds.

12 for my wife, and 15 for me. Those include me carrying the bear box, because we always hike in areas that require them.

and it includes an extra Zrest for my wife, and we each carry Crocs.

Drop those things, and we are down around 10 for her, and 12 for me

14 pounds, summer. 18 pounds, winter.

Well, I am almost ashamed to post it, but I still have a ways to go.. I am pretty new to the lightweight mindset. Right now mine calculated (possible that I left a few small things out) is 16.9lb. 4lb of that is my pack.

My base weight 3 season, this is if carrying my fleece and down vest is 13pounds 9 oz. Most of my hiking is in spring when I have he time. Summer weight would easily be 2 to 2.5 pounds lighter? I weighed with fleece and vest in pack as unless very cold conditions I would be carrying it. In very wet weather I would carry second rain fly for my Hammock to ensure I would stay dry. That would be about 1 more pound. There are allot of variables.
Bye the way I credit my base weight being this low to this forum!

With my new jacket and my lightest setup, my base is around 13 pounds for 3 season. Winter is around 18.

I just realised I had a full fuel canister in pack for my next trip too when I weighed it. My scale has them at 13 oz so knock that off my weight.

My base for my upcoming trip in a couple weeks will be right at 20 lbs. But that includes a pack and sleeping bag that I want to replace eventually, swapping them for lighter models. Other than that, I don't foresee dropping any more weight for shoulder seasons, unless I find a fleece pullover that's lighter than the one I'm using now.

Summer weights (assuming a trip here in the southeastern US) are about 4lbs lighter, once you take out base layer, fleece and toboggan, and swap the sleeping bag for something a lot cooler. I could also go to a much smaller, lighter pack in summer, if I had one.

But considering I started at about 50lbs, I'm pretty darn pleased.

12 - 20 pounds, depending very much on where and when I'm going. Higher weights are for winter or early/late shoulder seasons or otherwise relatively severe conditions. Lightest weights tend to be trips where I don't anticipate a lot of rain (or other precip).

Further muddying the waters is that I think that sometimes folks will go out on a base-camping or other low (with a full backpack) mileage trips that aren't necessarily their norm, but include a higher base weight for camp comfort or the like.

For what I would call "3-minus" season trips (late spring, summer, early fall), my base weight tends to be in the 13 - 16 pound range, perhaps that's an answer that fits better with what you're asking (?).

Agreed, or at least agreed assuming that you and I are using the same common definition for terms like base weight, skin-out weight, etc.

I would be highly doubtful of results reported in the way that we're doing it on this thread. I'm not saying that folks are intentionally dishonest (!), but in general when I see someone give their actual gear list with specific weights included, it's very common for me to end up with the feeling that the list is not complete. "Where's the first aid kit?" "Do you plan to brush your teeth?" "Do you use toilet paper or just snow or smooth rocks and such?" Etc etc. In some cases a very lean-looking gear list reflects a true ultralight approach; in practice I think it more commonly represents things that the person didn't remember to include. Or they're stuffing their pockets so full that we really should be talking about skin-out weight!

12 pounds, but that is with separate sleeping clothes, hammock and comfortable down to 20. I can do 8 if I am willing to sleep on the ground in my hiking clothes (yuck).

I do not like these broad surveys. Exactly what is base weight is not defined. Do you exclude stuff carried in your pockets? If you exclude the clothes you wear, what exactly is counted as "worn". I change clothes all the time during a trip based on the temperatures. Climate makes a huge difference. I use a 5-degree sleeping bag because I camp near 12,000 feet elevation and often encounter low-20's even in August. And there are no trees up there for hammocks or tarps. If I am out for 20 days in a very remote location, I am going to take some repair gear that I do not take on a weekend trip. Where I hike, a bear cannister is almost always required so it is part of base weight. What about your GPS- these are about 6 ounces or more and I do not think the UL people count this (supposedly because it is attached to their belt or shoulder strap. A lot of us fish. Do we count our fishing gear?

To me base weight should also include the clothing you wear because although it is not on your back you have to haul it uphill too. And what about water? Most people always carry at least a half liter of water. I am probably one of the few here who actually do not carry much water.

All said, my base weight in my pack excluding consumables ranges from 18-20 pounds. This allows me to be safe in 2 weeks, remote areas, at high altitude in crappy weather - not a usual condition, but a very plausible one that I have been in more than once. I do not think I have been through a season without getting snowed on several times. I have certainly done less for a short weekend trip, but that is not my normal trip.

I totally agree! I hardly know anyone who does not add a thing or two not on his "ideal list", before heading down the trail. I do think that a lot of people do not count all that "little stuff". All my misc little stuff adds up to about a pound.

It is good to work on going lighter. I have been doing that for years. But it is not a contest. You take what you need to be safe and enjoy your trip. I DO give myself a limit of about one pound for "goodies". Sometimes it is a book, sometimes fishing gear, sometimes a down vest (not necessary but just nice to have on cold mornings), sometimes wine! The point is I have to pick and choose, cannot take ALL my goodies ALL of the time.

WD I do not count the stuff in my pockets or clothes I carry the same knifes etc every day. I count my fleece and vest as when Hiking we build heat and they would be in pack. But you are right the spectrum is broad.I think big three is maybe a better judge. It really doesnt matter what we take we gotta haul it! My bag 20 deg. pack hammock and pad are 7 lbs 8 oz and that includes diy underliner for hammock as well.

I would have to agree that the poll is rather vague. For instance, my lightest base weight does not include a bear canister which would put the weight closer to 16 lbs rather than 13. But I include all the little pocket things, cause I don't carry them in my pocket to start. Fishing gear is out as well. And for winter, I am talking being comfortable in the mountains of the South west US, NOT Canada. The only times I have done serious winter stuff, I didn't weight anything; I just said I need this, I need that, ect. ect. and loaded it all up. Except when with my dad. He just told me what to bring and double checked for it .

Of course every situation requires some thought and weights vary a great deal depending on circumstances. The system is complex and how the parts of the system interact is impossible to predict. No two trips are the same, even on the same trail. You can not predict how you will feel, the weather, or how much of your lunch the squirrels will eat. But it is fun to look at approximations and consider where you might stand in the broad scope of things. From this small sample I'm thinking those who contributed are certainly in the lowest 10% or so. See my graph attached.

So Pliny...where did the rest of the data come from? That bell curve looks more theoretical than realistic; so how did you develop it? Just curious. Some of the base weights are way heavier than even my Boy Scout days! I would have to say if you are hauling around more than 50 lbs base weight, then you are counting food or hauling some major equipment with you.

If you're worried about "base weights" you're not fit to do the hike IME.

If you'd like a bit more weight, I could slip a rock or two into your pack. A really fit guy wouldn't mind, I'm sure!

That's funny! As a geologist, I used to make sure I had room enough to collect rocks to carry out.

Large rock specimens, another reason for a large pack or pack frame.

base weight only counts if you are going on a trip where you will only carry exactly whats on the list. Of course as OM says, the camera, steaks, smores, camp chair, etc etc still add up and another way of looking at it is "TRAILHEAD WEIGHT". HOW MUCH ARE YOU CARRYING PAST THE TRAIL HEAD INCLUDING A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF WATER? We assume the pack will get lighter than that as you eat food and consume items, and then you may also accumulate some items, like garbage, so that there is a "LEAVING WEIGHT". THEN THERE IS THE AVERAGE OF THE GOING IN WEIGHT AND THE COMING OUT WEIGHT. That is a much more telling number than "living room spread sheet base weight. Hey do you add the weight of a wet tent? Probably not. To me whats important is the change in the actual weight carried over the trip and whether I am going uphill with the least weight, which generally means hiking down into a canyon from a ridge.
Jim

Often I weigh myself with the pack on as I am about to leave home . Than I subtract my weight (plus clothing worned) to get what I have on my shoulders.
At the trailhead I add water (usually 1 to 2L) .
On my last 6 day trip I had just under 12kg ,( 26.4 lbs) , that would take me down to around 30f comfortably (food and gear)
I find it a bit peculiar when people rave on about how light their "..." is but in reality they HAVE to have a book or two, a bottle of whisky or other stuff never included in the original weight.
Again what matters to me is the total weight on my shoulders not on a spreadsheet.
Franco

I agree with some of the above posters. It's hard to pin a number on base weight without an exact definition. If it is the weight of your pack minus consumables, what about clothing worn, hiking poles, and the contents of your pockets? That can add up to quite a bit. "Skin out" weight is the term I like to use. It includes all of the above and I feel that it paints a much more realistic picture.

My base weight is all over the board depending on the time of year, daily mileage, presence/absence of snow, group size (shared equipment) expected temps, duration of the trip and, most importantly, the level of comfort/convenience I desire. I can safely say that it has never been the same from trip to trip.

Thanks everyone for the data. And I know there are variables, but it is still interesting what can be extrapolated. I'm still trying to figure out how to add a Jpeg pic to a message here.

What catagory does the "wag bag" contents fall into? If you climb Mt Whitney you must carry out the end product of your "consumables". Guess that is "base weight".

I have a friend who always comes out with nearly as much as he has going in. He considers himself a professional salvager and just cannot resist hauling out a great "find".

I have been know to haul out rocks.

Jim,

Your picture has to be hosted on another site like Flickr. Once you have the picture's URL, hit the fourth icon from the left in the reply box to add an image.

WD
I was being polite when I said "accumulate some things"... The point being - I didn't notice any fecal matter on anybodies UL list ha ha. Nor large plastic bags nor pee bottles, nor watches or key chains.

I met two guys with huge completely empty frame packs, except for their fishing gear, along a salmon stream in coastal California. They said "ever try to carry out two 40 pound salmon in your arms?" So thats maybe 5 pounds going in and 85 pounds going out. If we said it was an average weight of 42 pounds, would that convey any real information?

I guess all I can add is that lately for summer overnights at 7,000' in the Cascades with a tent due to the winds/changeable weather, my pack has been running around 22-24 pounds including water and everything except the clothes I wear at the trailhead.
Jim

My base weight is whatever I need to be comfortable in the destination and expected conditions. Somewhere between 10 - 20 lbs.

SAR pack I try to keep to bare minimum. 25 lbs in winter. 15 in summer. (I have to add weight to manage the physical fitness test, they want us to be able to carry 20 before water).

Fishing trips I have about 25 total. Long distance trips I am lean and mean because the food and bear canister will put me up to 30 lbs before I know it.

I just got back from an overnight where we intended to spend the night on a peak (a whole 3,000 feet, woo) and slogged up there with 8 lbs of extra water, on a stupidly steep trail with 1,400+ feet of gain for the day. The pack was 23 lbs with water and food. Until I added the extra water....

Well, that's taller than anything we have around here, but a "stupidly steep trail with 1,400+ feet of gain for the day" is about the only kind we have

If I had to guess I'd say 15-20 lbs never weighed it but its plenty light enough to get the job done and have a good time doing it!

Thanks Trailrunner.

Hi Jim M
Not sure about Shutterfly but generally there are different codes connected to each picture. The one that works here from Photobucket is the "direct link" code not the img code.
Anyway, when you want to insert the picture , you click on the fourth icon above the text window. (the first is the smiley one)
When you click on that, a separate window will open and you insert the code there deleting first the "http// "prompt highlighted in blue.
Depending on your Internet settings, when you click on that " Insert Image here" box , you may need to allow the image to be inserted by clicking on the "temporarily allow...." bar that will appear above this forum page .
Franco

Okay, here goes. I'm trying this from Photobucket as an experiment to see what happens.

Thanks again to all who took the time to respond. My conclusions are as follows. Not everyone was enamored with the idea of coming up with a "Base Weight" to begin with. Some found it a nebulous term that lacked clear definition. Others seemed to have a range of base weights depending on circumstances. Still others seemed indifferent about the idea of coming up with an exact number. In any case here is what I came up with when including my own "Base Weight" to the list.

Range: 12 to 20 pounds
Average: 15.53
Standard Deviation: 2.82

I wondered what the average BW was as a percentage of body weight. The average American male is now 191 pounds. I took off 10% because backpackers are more fit than the average person. So: 15.53 pounds divided by 171.9 = 9.0% of body weight. Not bad considering people used to say you can carry 20% of body weight in comfort.
Probably not a scientific poll, but something to think about and more importantly, something to do when it is raining and I can't get out hiking. BTW the curve attached looks like the numbers are normally distributed. I don't know whether this should give me more confidence in the numbers or not.

I think the stats are meaningless. You do not have a "representative sample" to begin with. Simply the title of your post scared off anyone who carries a heavier pack. You never adjusted for conditions. Believe me, I would pack differently for a trip to the High Sierra vs a trip in Alabama. And your "average weight" backpacker with the "assumption" that we are under the national average is also bogus. Throw out my pack weight- I am so far under your average body weight that I skew everything! Also, because I think we are on the older side in this forum, I would guess quite a few are NOT 10% under the average weight. I suggest that if you are serious about this kind of "study" then get some real training in statistics. Man, it really must be raining where you are from! Too much time on your hands!

Wow. That was quite a reaction! It was all done in jest. Sorry you didn't get it. I apologize if I made you angry. Maybe you should get some help with that hostility. (I'm joking, please don't write me another diatribe.)

harsh!

Well, yeah, to get anything that was truly statistically accurate you'd have to get a lot more data and it'd have to be detailed, but it was just for amusement, not science, so I don't think we need to send him back to school

I was in No Illinois one Spring when it rained for 483 days in a row. It really does get to you. At least it did me

I don't know how you upper west coasters live in that rainforest.

LOL I am as uptight as uptight can get. but this was hmmm I digress!