How to weight a backpack?

[mmbackpacker]

I am wondering

1.) What you use to weight your backpack?
2.) What backpack do you use, the same one you hunt with, or any old backpack?

I tried a 50# bag of sand in an ALICE pack and it was unwieldy and uncomfortable. I am, at this point in the year, looking for more along the lines of 20# and my next experiment will likely be my Kelty Coyote daypack.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

I simply throw in weight plates or kettle bells in my normal hunting pack. The sand should do the trick though.

 

[G Posik]

I use sand bags. I have them in different weights. Put them in the bag, place some towels or other filler material and more sand bags. I try putting different amount of weight throughout the pack. This gives a good feel of how you would pack for your trip.

Glenn

 

[shaun]

I put 45# plates and laced the compression straps in the handle holes. Worked great for me

 

[sk1]

You can get a 40lb bag of water softener salt for like $5 and it spreads the weight out pretty good, I usually just throw it in a garbage bag (the whole bag, dont empty it, just to make sure it doesnt get stuff on my pack) and then put it in my pack

 

[caihlen]

Dog food.

 

[ohhiitznik]

I use 45# plates with compression straps through the holes of the plate. And use my grab it to hold it all together. Normally I use 2 45# plates, and a 45# Kettlebell.

 

[littlebuf]

Dog food.

this. you can buy 25# bags or 50# and they fill your pack so you get a good feel of how it will ride loaded, not just heavy

 

[HellsCanyon]

If you want to simulate boned out meat to test how a pack handles an 'awkward' load use the flexible water containers or hydration bladders. Can always empty out the weight at the end too!

For training hikes I've used concrete bags and sandbags...

Mike

 

[RUTTIN]

I do the same as HellsCanyon, fill a large bladder with water and hike uphill, empty the water out for the journey back downhill takes a lot of the strain off of your knees.

 

[couesbitten]

I bought a 50# bag of sand, 8 feet of 4 inch PVC pipe, and 6 end caps. Cut the PVC into three 28 inch sections, glued a cap on one end of each, filled the pipes with even amounts of sand, and capped them. Sit them on the meat shelf, strap them on, and on your way.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Maybe I'm the odd one here but I like to just load all my gear plus I will add another 100 oz water bladder for food weight. About as real as it gets unless you are trying to simulate a 100lb load.

 

[Xtorminator]

I use a 60# bag of concrete wrapped in a 3 mil bag. I put a sleeping bag in the bottom of the pack and then the concrete. Find a nice hill and start hiking. I use my Kifaru T2 it's the most comfortable and if it wears out I'll get another.