Pack weight: Does anyone actually care?

[Huntin_GI]

I am curious if I am an outlier or part of the majority regarding my approach to pack weight.

Over the last few years, I have noticed myself departing from concern regarding my pack weight. I am weight conscious when shopping for gear but rarely try to find the lightest/greatest backpacking equipment and end up with quality, middle of the road/weight zone, pieces.

If I need it, it goes in the bag. If I don't, it stays. I hunt with a few guys who will refuse to carry a tripod or find themselves hungry because they didn't want to pack too much food. Other guys I know refuse to backpack because they NEED soooo much gear.


What is your approach? Excel spreadsheeting purchases based off weight? Packing bags while counting oz? Not caring and packing way too much gear?

 

[nobody]

I voted both yes and no. When purchasing new gear, I will always look at weight and try to make compromises I'm ok with. That said, there's things I can't cut weight on without compromising performance (rifle and scope setup, optics, etc.), and there's ultralight gear that I don't feel is worth the price premium over the "normal lightweight" gear.

I did go to a lightweight tripod last year (sub 2 lbs) because I was finding myself tempted to leave my 4 pound tripod home. So rather than go without, I decided to go lighter weight. I could've gone with an ultralight tripod, but to go from 2 lbs down to 1.5 or less would mean I would've spent more than double what I did for my 2 lb tripod.

It's a balancing act. I'll carry 40 lbs of gear. Do I wish I could get to 35? Sure, it would be nice. But the 35 lb pack is going to cost me 3 times as much as the 40 lb pack does, and my 40 lb pack is full of gear that works phenomenal and doesn't let me down at all.

Bottom line, if I need to have it, I try to find the lightest weight version of that thing without compromising performance or going broke. And if I need it, it's going in the pack.

 

[jayhawk]

How the pack carries is more important to me than the static weight. I pack only what I need for a hunt, and if that’s 20lbs or 50lbs I go with it.

 

[coloyooper]

Depends on the hunt for me and how far I’m packing in. Generally, no. But on a sheep hunt last year I was a little more meticulous given the 6-7 mile pack ins from 8,000 to 12,000ft to setup camp.

 

[CorbLand]

I haven't backpack hunted in a couple years but my theory has always been that if I get there and dont have the things I need to be effective I am wasting my time.

If you leave 10 pounds back at the pickup because you wanted to pack 40 pounds instead of 50, get there and you needed that 10 pounds to be effective. You didnt save yourself 10 pounds you cost yourself 40.

It can go the other way as well though. If you burn yourself out getting there because you packed too much, you are wasting your time as well.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

I find as the years go by the comfort i give up for certain ultralight pieces of equipment just doesnt justify it in my mind anymore. If i can be more comfortable by carrying a bit more weight i will almost always go that route nowadays. Ive never weighed a full pack in my life either though if i put it on and it feels good i just go.

 

[Whaledriver]

I would say if you are new to the game, weighing might be a good idea. Throwing a 70 pound pack in the garage versus hitting mile 5 uphill is a big difference. Style of hunting matter too. Run and gun, I like to be 55ish. Third season rifle, I don't like being cold so 65 is needed. Bottom line is train yourself to carry the weight. It will be a lot more fun!

 

[Justin Crossley]

My gear is as light as I can afford. I have spreadsheets that I used in the past, but now my gear is dialed in enough that I rarely use them anymore.

 

[ODB]

Never weighed a thing. But like @Justin Crossley said, I get the lightest I can get. The hardest part of getting my pack lighter is eliminating all the “what if” stuff…I have a tendency to create mind movies where I can justify carrying all kinds of shit…

 

[thegrouse]

I use the lighter pack website and have all my gear listed. When I pack for a trip I check weight from my gear list.

 

[chasewild]

Everyone has a different body that carries weight differently.

I have a smaller frame, soaking wet 150lbs. So the delta between what matters and what doesn't for me is smaller. Ounces matter more for me than someone with 50 lbs more muscle.

 

[Rifleman86]

My gear is as light as I can afford. I have spreadsheets that I used in the past, but now my gear is dialed in enough that I rarely use them anymore.

Same.

The forecast has a lot to do with it.

If it’s highs in the low 50s and sunny with lows in the mid 20s with no precip I’ll probably just tarp camp and save a few lbs.

If it’s spitting rain/snow/sleet or below about 20 at night I’ll probably pack the tipi/stove and maybe an extra layer.

But the standard stuff is pretty well dialed in at this point.

 

[Lawnboi]

First few years I cared. Made lists and stuff.

After that I just started packing what I knew I needed and left the stuff I didn’t in the truck

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Weight matters and I cut as far as I could with lightweight tech. You'll get to the point where your rifle and food weight is about all you can cut, and from the rifle choice the food is one of the last components you could shed a lot of weight. I went from a 10-day supply weighing 25 lbs to weighing 16-oz per day (10-lbs for 10 days). That 15-lb weight loss in my pack was immediately evident. I now eat the same field menues, just much less of it.

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[2-Stix]

I have a mountaineering and climbing background...I aways work towards the right value of durability and weight savings. It 100% makes a difference...until the animal is down then its out the window. I like to sleep well, not be cold, and eat well. Then its off to lightweight on everything possible. Buy as light as your can afford. But there tends to be a durability value that is loss. For me 32# all in I don't feel it at all, I can do 3-5 days at that weight all in (not hunting). I have done a lot of peaks over 14k in CA. Once we get a rack of climbing gear and rope and were over around 55# it sucks on big push days. We might go 5-7 miles and 2,500-5,000' gain from 7,500'-14,000' range. Elevation, training, weight, all play into it. I quit 5 years ago because if I am gonna work that hard I would rather bring home dinner and not die from rock fall.

 

[taskswap]

I'm not ashamed to admit I obsess over every ounce. Everything is an edge. If I can get a half mile farther, a half hour faster, a little more energized and ready for my next task... sign me up.

That doesn't mean I debate over what to bring or not to bring on any given hike. I'm not carrying weird stuff like griddles or camp tables, even if they're titanium, ultralight versions. But my trail weight for an overnight spike-out hunt has gone from 31lbs to 18 (not counting food and water). That's a huge difference. I don't even notice my pack at all any more, and I'm not unhappy at all I spent the time to do it.

I wouldn't say it was all that hard, either. It was just expensive. Most of the areas where you can save the most also cost the most. My Mystery Ranch pack is 2lbs lighter base weight than my old Eberlestock J34 was. My tent is half the weight of my old one, my sleeping bag is a pound lighter, etc.

There are a few nice exceptions though. I spent a little time 3D printing a handle to a Silky Tsurugi saw and got that down to about 3oz. That cost very little (I didn't even buy the original saw, just the replacement blade) and saved me 7oz over what I had been using before. Ounces lead to pounds, and that's a half pound right there...

Honestly, I see this more as an excuse to always bring everything I need.

 

[schmalzy]

Counting oz has saved me multiple pounds. I had thought I had a lightweight pack/list until I posted it in the lightweight forum. A couple guys were super helpful and I trimmed at least 5 pounds off, and honestly didn’t feel like I gave up much “comfort”. Saving 4-5 oz on a few different items quickly turns into saving pounds.

Grab a 5 pound weight and decide if it makes a difference for you. Some guys it really doesn’t. For me it did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[westsloper]

I cared more about back weight before I got my weight way down and realized that not all of the lightest options (in my price range) worked for me. Since then I’ve made some changes, but I still keep a spreadsheet.

 

[moxford]

I didn't weigh or care ... until I did. You get that "one hunt" and the lightbulb goes on. Maybe you don't go full-ultra-lightweight (NEVER go full-ultra-lightweight...) but you start noticing where you can shave a bit here, a bit there, and suddenly your stamina goes up, your milage improves, and you simply enjoy being out there more because you're not humping a heavy ruck.

Now I care ... more than I did. I'm not going trailrunners-in-the-snow light for sure (not because it doesn't work if done properly, but because you may really need the ankle/arch support and stability on the way out when loaded down. But I've shaved a few more pounds off my load, and lightened up the rifle.

The ONLY downside to weighing your kit ... the realization that the fix, beyond a certain point, it is either a) expensive, or b) uncomfortable. Pick your poison.

Cheers,
-mox

 

[Blackdog317]

I weigh my pack in an attempt to go lighter each year. With experience and gear upgrades, I have cut some significant weight. But it's still too heavy.

I have come to the realization that my pack will never be ultralight. I think some of the comfort items are worth the weight and I don't have the funds for top tier ultralight gear in every category.... so, I just deal with it and go hunt.