Budget and List Building
IN THIS LESSON
40 pounds of ultralight gear is still 40 pounds
The start to intentional gear purchasing and strategic packing is to understand the fundamentals of weight. How heavy is too heavy? Where does all the weight even come from?
Base weight vs Pack Weight
Pack weight is ultimately the TOTAL amount of weight on your back. This includes gear, food, water, and other consumables. Base weight is gear only and does not include any major consumables.
Wait a minute, what even is a “consumable?” Consumables refer to items that are reduced as they are used. Food, water, fuel are the biggest consumables in backpacking, but other examples include toothpaste, sunscreen, wipes, and band-aids.
Starting with Pack Weight
As a general rule of thumb, your pack weight should be under 20% of your body weight. If you weigh 135lbs you want your pack weight to be under 27lbs. If you are 180lbs your limit is around 37lbs. Now before you start bulking up, the higher weight “limit” is not mean you can carry extra gear. The same number of clothing items will be heavier for a larger individual compared to a smaller person. Caloric needs will also be higher and require a greater weight of food.
Overall, the lighter your pack the less wear your body will feel from it. For any backpacker, long distance or not, the maximum weight we recommend carrying is 30 lbs. As with any maximum there will always be times you might exceed and that is perfectly okay, but having a 30lb max in mind will keep those exceeding times low.
Base weight at the core
The reason backpackers focus on base weight is because pack weight fluctuates. It will rarely be the same day-to-day. You are at the mercy of the terrain and environment when deciding how much water and food to carry. Having a low base weight is preparation for the times when you might need to carry a heavier consumable load. As an example, one liter of water weighs 2.2 lbs. In a long water carry, you might take 4 liters (8.8lbs) while in a wetter environment you can carry one liter (2.2lbs) at a time.
Being thoughtful about your base weight will ultimately keep your pack weight down even in times of high consumable weight.
Base Weight Goals
Advancements in backpacking technology and gear has ushered in a movement called “ultralight.” Ultralight, or UL for short, is not just about purchasing light gear, but about embracing a backpacking lifestyle to keep your needs minimal while out in the backcountry.
For new long-distance hikers, going ultralight will be expensive and frankly uncomfortable. A tenable goal is the lightweight range, between 10-19lbs.
<10lbs : Ultralight
10 - 19lbs : Lightweight ⭐
20-30lbs : Traditional
Remember, if our goal is a sub-30-lb pack weight then anything over a 20lb base weight will easily put you 30lbs+.
For any backpacker, a 15lb base weight is the maximum weight recommendation. Whether it’s for a 2-day, 2-week, or 2-month plus trip a sub-15lb base weight is doable within an average gear budget and without giving up too many creature comforts.
The Price Tag to Ultralight
It is unlikely that any hiker sets out to have a heavy pack, so isn’t everyone ultralight?! There are two main causes that keep packs heavy (1) overpacking and (2) cost. At the end of the day ultralight gear costs more, sometimes substantially more, than heavier versions. This course will address both of those to help you get the lightest pack possible for the budget you have.
In the next lesson, we will build a gear list. Working from a list help keep non-essential items out your pack and out of your base weight.