Pack weight vs trail weight

[MEB]

This may be a silly questions...but here it goes. I just bought a new tent and it gives two different weights on the tag; pack weight which is heavier and trail weight which is less. I'd like to think that once I put the tent in my pack that it drops some weight but I don't think that's the case. Can somebody fill me in??

thanks
-MEB

 

[Tramper Al]

The higher weight often includes everything that comes with the tent as a package, so that might be a ground cloth, stuff sack, stakes, lines, seam sealer, etc. The lower weight often is sort of the bare minimum, so without some or all of these accesories, and in general it is overly optimistic. Exactly how these weights are derived and what they are called differs a bit between tent makers.

 

[Chip]

Min Wt 3 Season: 7 lbs. 10 oz.
4 Season: 8 lbs. 6 oz.
Pkg Wt 3 Season: 8 lbs. 10 oz.
4 Season: 9 lbs. 5 oz.

Like this ? The Pkg weight is like the shipping weight, it includes the box, the manual, everything.
The Min weight is what you carry into the woods, and then there can be 3 and 4 season configurations.
I don't trust any of it, so I ordered a digital postal scale to see what ACTUAL weight is !

 

[sapblatt]

Everything Al said is what I once read on either EMS or ReIs site...cannot find it now. But basically the higher weight includes the box and other packaging. The lower weight may not include the stakes or ground tarp but probably covers the stuff sack, tent and rain fly.

 

[Gris]

Trail weight is what matters. Ever try pitching a tent w/o lines or stakes? It can be done, but it ain't easy!

BTW - if ya just bought a new tent you owe it to yourself to get a pack of these. Ya wrap em around a rock and voila - no more bent stakes! Best addition i ever made to my overnight pack.