Originally Posted By TerraPathic
Holy Crap!!!!
Everyone is right if you are having fun.
Your pack weight xxxx no, let me just say this....my pack weight has never been a certain number. I have backpacked in for one night, two nights, three nights, four nights, five nights, with one kid, with two kids, with kids at 5 years old, 6 years old, 7 years old, etc., with a chance to fish, with a chance to hunt, etc. If you take all variables and multiply each against each other, my weight has run the gamut, not to mention buying new lighter gear as time goes on. I think experience determines what you can live without. You also have the excersise factor. I used to carry more than I needed to just for the excercise...notice I said used to.


To me carrying a lighter pack allows me to have more fun. Instead of hiking 15miles and my mind being consitantly focused on the pack digging into my shoulders, my aching back and constantly praying for that 5 minute break to get the dam thing off my back, I find that carrying less, means that I enjoy the hike the more. Not only that but it allows the added variables of going with my wife, dog or bringing a long the fly-fishing gear or staying out for 5, 6 7 nights at a time less of a hassle because I am still never carrying more than 25lbs, which is a world away from the 35-45lbs that I used to carry.

Now on those five minutes of rest I can actually enjoy what I came to mountains for.