backpacking question..two of them.
 

what is the average weight of a backpack load going up some rugged country? 60lbs?

3 day camp, how much water do you suppose a person needs once we are up on top of this mountain? 2-gallons per day? cooking, drinking.. minor washing.

thanks,.

Using freeze-dried food? If so with two gallons per day, you can probably get by with the weight of the water at 8.6 lbs. per gallon plus about 10-15 lbs. per person for tent and sleeping bag if you have lightweight stuff.

Remember, if it's more than one person, you can share the different parts of the tent... fly, poles, stakes, etc.

I think you want to invite him camping.

Saves you from carrying him into the woods in the back pack.

Don't dig the hole so deep and you won't need to spend 3 days out there.

Just my 2 cents.

Get a water purifier and some crystal light. Weight depends on what you consider to be necessities.

Where are you going?

And remember, you're going to need his name to put on the headstone.

ok, more info.

we need to get to the top of this mountian...super secret spot for archery stuff. zero water up there for humans. we want to blast up there, and bring water. two guys, backpack just the water and drop it off. then go back for the rest of the camp equipment. then crush the water bladders and pack everything out. two trips to build a drop camp of sorts. looking at the topos, it will be hell.

roflmao!!!!!!

It depends.

60 pounds used to be a normal\heavy load a few years ago but with newer lightweight gear the norm is closer to 30 for warm weather.

Water depends a lot on the climate and availability around you. If it is arid and there are no viable water sources close by you then need to look at the planned activities or miles covered and go from there. Where I live natural water sources are all over so I just had to pack a good filter and a container. Any fluids I bothered to pack were far more potent than water!

I carried about 50 but that was refilling water every day sometimes several times. Yes put all tent in one pack. Stakes and poles in the other. Remember that the more you spend on gear the lighter it gets. I would invest about 70 to 80 in either a first need or katadyn water filter. I have been on one long trek(~2wks) and several weekenders so if ya have any ?s hit me up.

i have that first need water purifyer. i dont think there is much water up there at all. i mean the deer have to be drinking something to be growing so huge (hint). i need to download google earth...

Vash, when we go out for 3-5 days in AK,, typically without water ( we have filter/pumps), we're carrying 70 lbs.. I suggest pre-frying bacon and chicken for a couple nights,, we take bagels and salami sticks and cheese ( good high fat foot, freeze dried has next to no calories so we add the chicken) Also take instant oatmeal for breakfast.. a plastic coffee press for coffee ( I hate instant) and crystal light for the vodka..
OH and one other thing,, it's cool to sneak a couple of beers into your buddies pack so when you finally get where you're going, you can pull them out and share a laugh that he carried two cold ones all that way to enjoy !!

Like Burnin' says bring Crystal Light, it gives you an alternative to just plain water. I met this guy on the John Muir Trail, he packs about 20lbs for a 2 week trip. He told me the majority of your nutrition is your body fat, plan to lose a pound a day. As an example, his breakfast consists of 3 pieces of jerky, 28 M&M's (1oz) and 3 chocolate covered espresso beans. Everything is measured out in daily meals in ziplocks. His name is "Purple Hat"

http://www.highsierrawildernessfitness.com/

If there is a water source that filter will do the trick. Might take some Micro pur tablets in the event you find really clear flowing water.

Heck, you're good for a week.

I'm comfortable on flat ground carrying over 80# in a good pack with everything distributed well. I'm comfortable with 50-60# for days on end over tough terrain. It all depends on your packs and the route. If your main goal is just to get stuff there and it isn't too long of a hike or too tough of on then take as much as you can get the pack to hold.

If this is a place you plan on returning to think of building a rainwater collection/holding setup. Then you just have to pack in you filter in the future.

What, do you guys bring a TV and couch? I've been on 5 day hikes with a day pack!

I am a bit of a minimalist, though...

My backpacking rig for spring through fall is about 27-28 lbs with food and fuel for 5 days and 2 liters of water.

In my former life as a professional mountaineering guide, my pack (which had the additions of an extra rope, an emergency bivy sack and the full medical kit) was just over 50 lbs.

As a rule of thumb, you're going to be pretty unhappy carrying more than 1/3 of your body weight. You guys referencing 80lb packs are masochists.

Packing in all of the water you're going to use will suck... find a water source and use a pump or iodine (some use bleach). Can you do some mule packing as an alternative? You're going to need at least 2 gallons of fluid per person per day. 3 days X 2 guys X 2 gallons = about 100 lbs of water.

hey, beer weighs a lot!

i'll second that
1/3 body weight is a comfortable limit, for backpacking a lot less if just for a few days. basics stay the same depending on the time of year. clothes, tent, s-bag/pad, stove, etc. fuel and food quatntities are all that will change on the length of trip. couple of liters in the pack while moving. stopping for lunch good time to reload stop at lake/stream and filter more. what fluids you need to cook for diner should be located close to camp and use a quality filter. but boiling will take care of most problem critters. many packs these days have a bladder pocket that will take up tow 3liters. plenty for everything but cooking.

light weight fly fishing gear a must in summer. fresh fish awsome calorie/protien bonus and no added weight to carry.

only once did i approach 60lbs for a week and that was due to going with a few beginers and wanted to make sure we were supplied with a couple of exta ecentials they might forget. average weekend trip under 40lbs now.

dog carries his own kibble, and will drink at every stream and mud puddle we cross:eek: bring colapsable food dishes, but he never bothers using the water bowl?

hard liquor lighter;)

I'm really in a hurry so I will be back, but backpacking is something I have started to get back into after about a thirty-year hiatus. Backpacks (loaded) are MUCH lighter than they used to be. Indeed, there is a popular, and increasingly popular, method called "ultralight" backpacking. A friend showed me his backpack, shelter, sleeping back, tool and first aid kits, stove, fuel, clothes, etc. recently. Everything he needs except "consumables" like water and food. You won't believe this, but it's true. His gear weighs 7.5 lbs. No, I am not kidding.

You purify your water on site. You won't want to carry it all. Indeed, if you go backpacking with a 60-lb pack, you will weigh less than forty lbs the next time. And then the next time you will be much closer to 30. Sixty pounds is not fun. The experience is MUCH more enjoyable if you lighten up, and you will meet many backpackers whose packs weigh less than half of yours.

One final note. Today's high-tech undergarments are terrific. A savvy packpacker takes not a single stitch of cotton into the woods.

i was told there is no water up there.

what'cha gonna do if you bag something? Deer weigh a lot, even dressed.

I just bring a water filter. For food I eat: beef jerky, granola bars, and trail mix. My pack includes: an axe, food, water bottle, binoculars, map, a compass, the water filter, lightweight tent and footprint (with rainfly if it is going to be raining), lightweight sleeping bag (appropriate for the climate), high power LED flashlight (a Fenix), a lantern (slow burn candle type w/ LED built into the base), rope, waterproof matches, knife, tiny first aid kit, poop shovel with toilet paper in the handle, a compact lightweight jacket, and an extra pair of socks. Oh yes, if it is bear or mountain lion country I also have a handgun.

How far is the walk in?

There are very few areas that really have no water... If you haven't done so already, I'd recommend checking out a USGS map of the area to see if that gives you any leads.

If you really have no other options, packing in 50lbs of water per man is possible, just sounds like a pain in the a$$. Of course, I once carried a watermelon and two pints of ice cream 15 miles or so to surprise a group of teenagers who were three days into a 5 day backpacking trip... but I was younger and stupider (and more fit!) in those days. Plus I was dating the girl who was guiding the group :D

Hmm didnt realize there were so many backpackers on the board. We should put together a pelican trek sometime.

Philmont?

Is there snow up there now? If there is , theres your water. lightweight pot and stove, and your all set.

Hiked the west coast trail last year (45 miles long I think). Starting out my pack was about 50#. In the morning of day 2 I found a 10# practice weight at the bottom of my bag! That was a first. Weight did not include water which is in abundant supply. Katadyn filters are great. Slow to get water but awesome. We filtered water with that thing all through mexico without any sickness.

I never did get to Philmont, but my older brother did. I was definitely a Scout though... got my Eagle (as did my brother), went to the national Jamboree in '97 as the SPL for the Boston area troop, etc. Many, many 50 milers under my belt :)

Did you get to Philmont?

That is 1/3 of my body weight... ;)

Can't you kill a deer and drink the blood? http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...amingdevil.gif

Vash, when we have to pack an animal out in AK, we normally de-bone it and throw the meat in the backpack, and everything else gets put in a sack and tied to the outside of the pack. Not sure this is legal in CA so you might want to check it out ( there may be meat on bone laws)...

3 day camp in rugged country

backpack 45-50 lbs this is w/ 1980s era technology and one person carrying everything incl tent. Maybe a little bit lighter w/ the latest gear. Also lighter if sharing load w/ others.

water depends on heat but in not-real-hot weather, 2 qts/day is minimal. That will cook the freeze-dried food and give you just enough to drink. Not to "wash" - washing will be scraping pots clean and the occasional moistened towlette. Since only 3 day camp, take extra, and use trip to figure out your own water needs.

Edit - geez, I read the thread and see others are saying 2 gallons of water per day per person! That is way more than minimal needs, in my backpacking experience anyway. Unless you're sweating a river in 100F heat. (Go look up medical recommendations for how much water a human should drink, and realize those are already excessive.) And way more than you can carry, 8.6 lbs x 2 x 3 = 52 lbs of just water.

If you are nervous about it, I say, hydrate a lot in the days before the trip, then bring 3 qts/day per day per person, and figure out how much you personally need. And no "washing", for heaven's sake.

Unless you plan to carry a lot of "stuff", I don't think you need to make two trips.

Starting tommorrow, you and your buddy should log exactly how much liquid (water, coffee, beer, soda, anything) you drink per day, for a few days. That'll give you a baseline. Add however much water you need for the freeze dried meals. Then increase by some amount to account for the extertion - like by 1/3X, not by 2X. That's your minimal water need. Add 0.00001 oz/day for "washing" and up to 1 qt/day for safety.

Also, consider skipping the tent, instead bringing a large but lightweight tarp and enough cord to hang it up in some trees. Weather and bugs permitting.

Can't you just fly everything in on a helicopter?

Is there anyplace near by that rents pack horses?

(if horses are even allowed in the area)

There is a place up in the redwood forest that does that.

And, if you use pack horses, you can drink their urine. Not as good as bovine, but acceptable.

Yes I did philmont 2 summers ago. It was a life changing experience and something I will never forget. I am working on my eagle project right now and will most definitely finish in time unless the new scout master manages to screw me over like he is trying to do to one of my friends.

I'm tellin' ya. Lots of folks these days with 25-lb packs, including everything, for a week. Not winter of course, but 50-lb packs are not necessary these days.

I use the famed "pepsi-can" alcohol stove, but my friend uses the Esbit tablets because of the weight. For him, stove and fuel for a week probably don't weigh six ounces. The legs unzip from his pants, making shorts. One pair of socks are washed each day and dried in a mesh pocket on the outside of his pack. Same with underwear. Polyester, basically. So....his entire wardrobe doesn't weigh a pound. Besides what he wears while hiking, probably doesn't weigh five ounces. Et cetera.

I'm learning. As I say, at least half the backpackers you will see up there are "light" or "ultralight" folks. That means their full backpacks weigh no more than half what yours will likely weigh. You can tell by looking at them.