Hercules...Hercules....Hercules!!!!

[5MilesBack]

Look at it this way.......everyone probably knows a guy that's as skinny as can be and he might only be 5'8". He may be 150lbs, yet you could throw him over your shoulder and carry him quite a ways.......even that way. But now compress him down into a pack size load, and there you go........150lbs in a pack. It's doable.

Worse than those heavy loads though, are the lighter bulky loads.......like an entire elk head, cape, and rack. The size, bulk, and uncomfortable nature of carrying those kinds of loads is worse than just a heavy load.

But yes, I agree. Horses are nice.......until I have to take care of them.

 

[orionsbrother]

I've humped an overloaded pack. I just plod. I think it's reckless to look at it as a contest as far as weight and speed. That's a path to eventual injury.

But it's nothing new. 180lb packs used to be the minimum for engages... and those guys had crappy nutrition, smoked pipes and wore moccasins.

"Despite the fame surrounding the voyageur, their life was one of toil and not nearly as glorious as folk tales make it out to be. For example, they had to be able to carry two 90-pound (41 kg) bundles of fur over portage. Some carried up to four or five, and there is a report of a voyageur carrying seven for half of a mile.[8] Hernias were common and frequently caused death.[7] Most voyageurs would start working when they were twenty two and they would continue working until they were in their sixties. They never made enough money to consider an early retirement from what was a physically grueling lifestyle.[9]"

So, basically... I agree wholeheartedly that most stories about pack weight are exaggerated. Some are not. It's hazardous to do. When I've done it, I was methodical, slow and steady. I don't think that I'm Hercules. By comparison to some of the crappy footwear sporting, pipe smoking, rum soaked, undernourished laborers of the fur trade of old, I'm a pussy. And I'm fine with that. I like my discs to be in line with my vertebrae and my intestines inside my abdominal wall.

 

[huntsman22]

It was my first solo elk breakdown and I didn't realize how much neck meat I left behind. This year I broke down the bull and I must have got another 30lbs of neck meat..

I'd love to see the bull that had '30 lbs of neck meat'.......

 

[5MilesBack]

I'd love to see the bull that had '30 lbs of neck meat'.......

I got some really nice roasts and meat off the neck of my bull this year from the base of the head back to the shoulder. The back straps cut off at the shoulder and tenderloins weighed 34lbs by themselves. I didn't weigh the neck meat by itself but it was quite a bit.

 

[CoHiCntry]

What I've always wondered when I hear guys tout the weight of their packs is... how do they know? Are they just guessing, or do they have a scale back at the truck? I bet that accounts for a lot of 120lb loads that were actually more like 80lbs. Like many on here, I've packed out some heavy loads but have no idea how much it weighed... nor do I care. Heavy is heavy.

 

[Clarktar]

What I've always wondered when I hear guys tout the weight of their packs is... how do they know? Are they just guessing, or do they have a scale back at the truck? I bet that accounts for a lot of 120lb loads that were actually more like 80lbs. Like many on here, I've packed out some heavy loads but have no idea how much it weighed... nor do I care. Heavy is heavy.

A luggage scale left in vehicle at trail head.

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[Ucsdryder]

I'd love to see the bull that had '30 lbs of neck meat'.......

Not sure why you would question a good sized bull having 15lbs of neck meat from the jaw to the shoulder on each side?????

 

[woods89]

5mb, I'm that guy! Exactly 150#!

I've had over 100# on board one time( I think, no verification). For me, that's a lot! I too think that a lot of estimated 120# loads may not quite add up on a scale, but have no problem believing that there are guys that are doing it.

Last fall I hauled a boned out whitetail buck, head and antlers, and my rifle about 2 miles. Best as I can tell I was carrying about 90#. I was using a diy pack frame utilizing the Molle 2 straps and hip belt. That was probably one of the most physically demanding things I have ever done. I could not keep any lift so most of that weight was on my shoulders. The truck has never looked so good. But it makes me feel like a bit of a weenie when I read about these 150# loads...........

 

[JP100]

Agreed JP, some guys just can. It isn't necessarily just bigger guys either. Those packers I was referring to earlier are smaller stature 5'6"-5'8" 150-160 lbs but just MONSTERS at carrying weight.

There are also some guys that hike unladen at the same speed as they do fully dressed packing out meat. Our saying is they're the diesels. My bro in law stomps me bad for speed with packs under 60, he's the V6. All RPM, less torque. I despise when we don't kill because I feel like I never get a chance to shine on the hike. North of 90 lbs is primetime for me.

Oh and 270/290 lbs, good Lord. Nope, not unless it was to save a life.

I'm a v6 as well haha. Ile run all day with 30lbs. Once I get to about 50lbs I slow up. I can carry heavier loads but I'm slow as a snail.

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[JP100]

This is the best one I've seen yet.
Check out them light weight boots!

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[SLDMTN]

Those guys are crazy tough. The rubber boots in ibex country always blows me away.

 

[EastMT]

This fall we killed a very large caribou on a hike in hunt. His body was huge, biggest I have seen. We decided to split it and do one trip out. In this area of Alaska the ribs, front quarters, hind quarters must be left on the bone until you are processing them. When we left, the only thing laying there was the backbone up to the base of the head and the hide. We had to help each other get the packs on and made it about a quarter of a mile with both of us slipping on the broken rocks. It was heavy! We decided 2 trips was a better idea, instead of a rolled ankle or worse. We guessed the weight was around 120. I do the treadmill and elliptical with 60 lbs of sand in a frame pack, and that feels fairly light, so it was heavy. I wouldn't want to try it again, 2 trips, no broken bones. I respect the guys that can do it, but it's just a little past my capabilities.


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[Kevin Dill]

I won't spend any time worrying what weight others can or do carry. I just go with what I can do and that's pretty much where it ends. If a guy can march 3 miles out of the mountains carrying 150+ pounds I say great. If he's carrying 90 and claiming it's 120 I'm not losing sleep. It's wonderful to be strong and full of machismo...or maybe just full of machismo. I figure those who measure their manliness by numbers are always going to do it, and there will always be someone out there who claims to be capable of hauling 20 pounds more in less time up a steeper grade. I just grin and pack what loads I want. Most of the time I won't max out above 90 pounds, but rarely I might. I prefer 60 to 80 pounds when hauling meat through tundra and knowing there are many repeat loads waiting.

I know what back injuries are about. I understand disc collapse and herniation. Severely sprained back muscles can spasm with a pain level of 10/10. It's not a joke to abuse your back earlier in life. Those monster loads may make you feel like a warrior today....and like a Walmarter when you're older.

The guy in this picture is a friend. You'd have to see him to understand his physique. The image is an outtake from a video.

 

[C Bow]

I absolutely love Rokslide This is my go to place to learn and I love the stories As an old man if I could have had access to this info 45 years ago I could have pushed myself more and not have suffered all the hard learned lessons. I am sooo jealous and envious of all you young studs. Please don't stop chasing your dreams. The human body can do some amazing things. ROK ON

 

[IdahoElk]

It's embarrassing when you slip crossing a stream and go for a swim or face plant into a blowdown crossing a slimy log because of too much weight on your back,done both and my friend still makes fun of me.

 

[IdahoElk]

This is the best one I've seen yet.
Check out them light weight boots!

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This guy reminds me of being in Austria way up in the mountains en route to some Alpenhut and coming upon some little old lady wearing nothing more than house shoes and a dress,all while dragging on a unfiltered cigarette carrying a rather large pack.Some things have to be seen to be believed.

 

[JP100]

How to carry a massive deer across a waterfall on your back - YouTube

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[5MilesBack]

It's embarrassing when you slip crossing a stream and go for a swim or face plant into a blowdown crossing a slimy log because of too much weight on your back,done both and my friend still makes fun of me.

I've always said "You haven't lived until you're carrying 100lbs on your back and you let it get ahead of you on the downhill side on a steep slope".

 

[sasquatch]

Didn't weight it but I've killed enough to come pretty close on guess. 120-130lbs I would think. Not gutted or anything. Yes my knees did hurt for a bit. But it was nowhere near 5 miles. Prob 1/2 mile.


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[stratofisher]

Not sure how much it was, but I carried out two hind quarters and a front quarter of my caribou in my Barney's bag across about two miles of tundra to the ATV. Certain it was over 100lbs. Not sure how I see people moving the big loads without hiking poles. Using the poles are about the only way to do the heavy loads for me and I am a pretty solid guy at 260 as a former college linebacker.