wow..my backpack is kinda heavy!!
 

i taking my wife on her first backpack trip. heading in the Sierras for a 2-3 night overnighter to chase trout and crayfish.

we packed last night. i'm using one of my smaller hunting packs and that thing is STUFFED! typical mountain house pack-food supplemented by processed foods from the middle aisles of any mega-mart. i focused on putting all of the heavier stuff into my pack. i got the tent, her chair..etc. plenty of real food like almond butter with local made tortillas..oh yes..a collapsible bottle filled with wine. its a short hike for me, and i could use the exercise. i get to test out the new pack as well.

i really want to make it fun for her. i'll save the torture-fest for a future hike if she decides she likes it. it's funny how she is so afraid of bears. i'll be stunned if we see one. \

wish me luck..marriage fit test #14,968 (and counting) :)

Have fun and keep it mellow. I met the mother of my children in the High Peaks of the Adk Park. We backpacked there for our honeymoon and went back every year on our anniversary. I always carried 50 to 60 pounds. Did you stash any secret treats like chocolate to surprise her? Remember keep it mellow bro.

Vash's packing list:

• duct tape
• large black contractor garbage bags
• hunting knife
• shovel
• quicklime

Be careful around water. The streams are really runnin' right now. I mean REALLY runnin'.

How much do each of your backpacks weigh Vash? I seem to remember the last time I backpacked for overnight camping my pack was about 36 lbs. I prefer dayhiking now. Pack weighs no more than 20 lbs. Even day hiking I might take a tent just in case.
Enjoy your camping. It is a lot of fun.:)

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Laughing at a fun memory. A pack into the 3 sisters wilderness, my buddy's wife came along. She'd packed his pack, and it was HUGE. She even packed a hammer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsRP9EUrXjo

take a tip from Ryan Bingham....

How heavy?

The heaviest pack I ever had was 85 pounds. It was for a 3-week trip. The first thing we did was climb Mt. Whitney. It's a 6100 foot elevation gain over two days. No big deal.

Two or three nights on her first pull?

Cordell and Cordell

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My wife's first time overnighting with a backpack was a 9-day completion of the Wonderland Trail, a 95-mile circumference of Mt Rainier. All of it steep, either going up or coming down.

She did it with a friend who also had never gone on an overnighter. They borrowed my small tent and some of my equipment, and off they went.

Amazing experience.

Both of them came off the trail thinking there is nothing they couldn't accomplish.
Turned both of them into hiking fanatics. They have done several smaller hikes since then. Both of them will quickly say hiking the Wonderland Trail was an absolutely one of life's highlight experiences.

Both girls are fit. My wife is a competitive swimmer, her friend runs multiple marathons every year. Both say the Wonderland is the most arduous thing they have ever done.

Amazing experience.

Edit: Both of them are still learning how to lighten up their backpacks!

Just had 18 of my favorite cubs on a 2 night backcountry adventure!
Fun and challenging!

That's fun. I have done a couple 16 mile rucks, prolly 80ish lbs. Start at dusk finish around dawn. Good boots are a must, and fresh socks.

THAT is heavy. I went away for a year with a pack weighing less than that.

Our Search/Rescue has a goal of a 25 LB pak, prepared to spend the night.....Just home from a 18 hour motorcycle day with them (3rd day this week).......My water weighs a lot but drank it all today B4 dark.......

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/update-kittitas-county-sheriff-s-office-expands-search-for-missing/article_3eb5eb74-5ced-11e7-9aed-33384c182d74.html

For 2-3 night, that shouldn't weight more then 40-45 lbs each. But I pack pretty light and no tent. I have done 10 days trips up there with a 65-70 lbs pack, but that was when I was young and beautiful. Now, that will kick my teeth in but I think its still doable if I really push it.

Urban camping? It's all the rage up in Portland & Seattle. Just about every camp-site is taken.

A few years ago I went on a three day hike in Big Bend Ranch State Park with my two brothers, two nephews and my son and daughter. We were not paying much attention to what went into everyone's pack when we set out. My poor daughter was really dragging by lunch. Turns out she had way more heavy stuff than her 115 # body should have been lugging. We reshuffled packs and teased her about her selection of "community" gear.

Tent
Sleeping pad
Sleeping bag
3 Liters of water
Water filtration device
Head lamp with extra batteries
Sunglasses
Head net for bug control
Bug spray (permethrin)
Basic first aid
Daily vitamins
Ibuprofen
Stove and gas
Dinner
Lunch
Breakfast
Snacks
Toilet paper
Wet wipes
Food bag to keep out pests
Compass
Map of the area
Fire started for emergencies
Small knife
Any meds?
Clothing
Smart phone