Weight of pack

So looking for some input from you guys. I am going on a backpack trip this weekend.

Leaving Sat morning hiking in 10 miles, camping Sat night through Monday morning, and hiking out 10 miles on Monday.
Looking at carrying 1/2 gallon of water. Temps are 49 - 54 at night w/ chance of showers. high is 85 in day times. Hiking along a river/creek so water pumping is available.

My pack is about 25 pounds. Do you guys think that Im packing to much crap or is that pretty fair. Thanks

My pack is about 25 pounds.

Is that including the 1/2 gallon of water and your food, or just the stuff aside from food and water? In the first case, you're doing just fine, but in the second case, you could probably stand to trim some weight (most likely in extra clothes).

Also, I'm not clear why you'd carry 2 qts. of water when you can readily acquire water en route.

I agree--but we carry 32-64 ounces of water whenever we hike...just so we don't have to stop and pump every time we are thirsty. It's a pain in the neck (and slows you down) if you have to do that every mile or two.

That weight is a fully loaded pack with water and food. I am hiking with 7 others and it seems everyone is carrying about 2 quarts, So I didn't want to have to stop and hold everyone up to fill water.

At 25 lbs for a fully loaded pack, including food and 2 qts of water, you probably don't need to sweat about being too heavy.

Of course, everyone has an item or two they could do without, but the only reasons I can think of to wring your pack down to the absolute barest minimum weight imaginable would be, if you are trying to make very high daily miles, or if you're trying to impress someone with how low your pack weight is. (Hey! I didn't say all the reasons were good reasons. )

How much are the others carrying? I have a 25 lb pack weight. There's one guy who carries less, and the rest of my group is all 30-50 pounders with 85 liter packs and crazy synthetic zero degree bags.

"Lightweight" is an ever shifting thing.

We have one guy going at 16lb.( But I'm sure as hell not going to be cold at night to save a few pounds.

Another at 28lbs.

Still waiting on the rest of them to toss up their pack weights. Were all carrying about the same water though. Except one guy really wants to carry 1.25 gallons:) I'll be laughing half way through the hike at him.

Got an official weight today on a scale at work and I was at 26.2. So I'm going to shave a little down to 23 lbs and then run with it.

I too carry 2 quarts per fill-up on the water. Too much hassle to filter it. Wouldn't be worth a stop for 1 quart.....for me.

I drink about 2 ounces per swallow and usually take about 5 swallows (or 10 ounces) each time I open the bottle for a drink. So the first bottle is usually gone within a half hour after filling it.

People vary greatly in their drinking habits. My sister jokes that she has a drinking problem because she can only take very small sips. My wife is similar. Nether of them even generates bubbles in the bottle when then drink. When I drink the water forms large bubbles in the bottle as if it is boiling. I'm pretty good at guzzling beer too.

I generally carry about 2 quarts (2 32 oz gatoraide bottles). But if I was going to follow a river or stream, I would probably only carry one (while still carrying an empty bottle).

How much I'm carrying depends on a lot of variables: where I'm going to be hiking, how hot it is. If it's high in the mountains, with frequent water sources, I start with a liter and, when it's half gone, pick up another liter and plunk a Katadyn Micropur tablet in it. By the time the I've drunk other half-liter, the new liter is ready to drink. I will start with at least 2 liters, maybe 3, if I'm ridge-walking or it's a hot day or if I can't expect to replenish water at least once during the day. And that's after "tanking up" before I leave camp! I'm not a desert hiker, but if I did, I'd carry at least a gallon a day.

On most trips in the mountains I have plenty of good clean water sources, temperatures are not very hot and I am relatively small so I only carry 12-oz of water (in a light salad dressing bottle- I like the shape - flat like a whisky flask!). That really lasts me the whole day if need be. I tank up in the morning and drink a lot at night. Yes, I get up and pee at night - but would rather do that than haul around 2 liters of water. I use chemical treatment so if I had to, I can refill and go without a few hours. I also have no qualms about drinking straight out of streams if desparate. Now that filters have become lighter and smaller I am seriously reconsidering a filter.