[quote=Nick K.

and just to restate. when i added up weights of everything before i started cutting a few things out the total weight of the bag loaded was close to 35lb. which comes out to around 15% of my body weight. where is a forum for people that want to sweat while hiking? lol [/quote]

Come back after you carry the 35 lb pack every weekend for a few months and let us know how much it matters what the pack weighs!

Every single pound matters to me. But I've been backpacking for a few years longer than you have. Maybe you can carry 80 lbs - so what? Why do you want to carry a heavy pack when you can be more comfortable with less?

You can of course carry anything you like. But you came and asked a bunch of people who have done exactly what you're doing - sorry the answer you've gotten doesn't make much sense to you. Wait ten years and a few long backpacking trips and it will!