What size backpack for 8 Days of Food and Equipment?

[Lawn Sale]

It's actually not that hard to get the pack that light. My pack for the 100-Mile this year will be sub 30 pounds, and I met a few NOBO thru-hikers that were doing it. I am a gear-head and weigh everything, which I keep on a spreadsheet. Here is an example of going light, but not ultra-light.

Pack: REI UL45...2.56 pounds
Bag: LL Bean 750 Down 15°...2.75 pounds
Tent: LL Bean Light Stuff 2 rainfly, with footprint...2.20 pounds
Sleeping pad: Ridgerest (full length).....0.76 pounds
Stove: Alcohol Foster's can, plus 12oz fuel...0.63 pounds
Cooking set: Snowpeak Titanium pot and spork....0.29 pounds
Total for base pack weight: 9.19 pounds

That leaves 15.81 pounds left for clothing and food for the week if you're aiming for a 25 pound pack, easily do-able.

Food is equally easy to add up, depending on how you want to eat and what you want to spend. A day could weigh about a pound, and it'd look something like this:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 2 packets...3.2 ounces total
Lunch: Freeze dried beef stew...3.9 ounces
Dinner: Mashed potatoes and salmon pouch...3.8 and 3.3 ounces
Snacks: 3 special-K bars...2.4 ounces

Total for the day: 16.6 ounces, or 1.04 pounds and all found at Wal-Mart. I usually skip lunch and snack on the go, so I could substitute 5 more Special-K bars in place of the beef stew, for a total of 8 for the day.

It'd actually be easier to go even lighter overall, I'm just using what I have available, which is nothing special. I also don't believe in being uncomfortable, what's the point if you can't enjoy yourself.

 

[sapblatt]

Pack: REI UL45...2.56 pounds
Bag: LL Bean 750 Down 15°...2.75 pounds
Tent: LL Bean Light Stuff 2 rainfly, with footprint...2.20 pounds
Sleeping pad: Ridgerest (full length).....0.76 pounds
Stove: Alcohol Foster's can, plus 12oz fuel...0.63 pounds
Cooking set: Snowpeak Titanium pot and spork....0.29 pounds
Total for base pack weight: 9.19 pounds

That leaves 15.81 pounds left for clothing and food for the week if you're aiming for a 25 pound pack, easily do-able.

Food is equally easy to add up, depending on how you want to eat and what you want to spend. A day could weigh about a pound, and it'd look something like this:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 2 packets...3.2 ounces total
Lunch: Freeze dried beef stew...3.9 ounces
Dinner: Mashed potatoes and salmon pouch...3.8 and 3.3 ounces
Snacks: 3 special-K bars...2.4 ounces

Total for the day: 16.6 ounces, or 1.04 pounds and all found at Wal-Mart. I usually skip lunch and snack on the go, so I could substitute 5 more Special-K bars in place of the beef stew, for a total of 8 for the day.

Lawnsale -
Great info - How are you making out with that backpack? I reledgated mine to the dust bin after about 10 hikes...it cannot take the useage...I had holes thru the bottom and never ending strap problems. My sole relief in the matter is that it only cost me $29 - still more that it was worth for me.

My base stuff is comprable to yours - on fact I have a Marmot 15 degree bag that is under 2 pounds, and I love the esbit stove which weighs almost nothing.

Me (and I am quite sure Tuco) could never live on your diet - I wish I could - I would be healthier, but I would be starving!

 

[marty]

Comfort and Joy

Eric -

If comfort and light weight are more important than convenience, you might want to check out the Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone Nimbus Ozone. Its weight is 3 pounds, its capacity is 3800 c.i., but with a huge extension collar, it can pack way over that. It is incredibly comfortable. The side compression straps work well for lashing on snowshoes, should you also want it for winter hiking.

Its downside is that is extremely spartan. With the extension collar, it is hard to get at your stuff, unless you organize everything well. I segregate my stuff in different colored silnylon stuff sacks and that works sufficiently.

If you do go with this pack, I suggest getting the Granite Gear Lid The Lid . It really helps you keep your convenience items close by and weatherproofs the top a bit better. You would probably have to order that on line.

I also suggest buying the pack at an outfitter that carries multiple sized straps and hipbelts, so they can tailor your fit. I bought mine at EMS in Burlington, MA. They switched out my straps to a longer size and the fit is perfect.

A more utilitarian version and slightly heavier version of this pack is the Nimbus LatitudeNimbus Latitude . You would not need The Lid for that pack.

Good luck!
Marty

 

[Tuco]

Thanks everybody for your input. Just a few responses or comments to posts-

I am planning on dehydrated meals once per day and then cold for the other two and will carry stove and gas. I eat early and often- Sapblatt has that right! Even if I am not hungry there's no way I will be able to head out without a large meal and snacks for each day. What doesn't get eaten I can give away.

I am not against going light- just purchased a tarpent to lose over 2 pounds off my tent weight. I have a light sleeping bag and pad. The thing is I do tend to eat quite a bit and and the bear can is rather bulky. I tend to think of trading off weight, lighter tent but maybe bigger pack, etc. Days may be in the 80's but nights near 32 so I'll need a small variation of clothing.

One other note- the trip is really around 16-18 days, but 8 should be the longest without resupply.

I will likely view my gear list, trim down and then decide on my pack. Thanks for all the good info and Youngblood I will contact you for some input. And Mike- (Sapblatt), I will take you up on the offer to either way, sounds like a great place.

 

[Lawn Sale]

Lawnsale -
Great info - How are you making out with that backpack? I reledgated mine to the dust bin after about 10 hikes...it cannot take the useage...I had holes thru the bottom and never ending strap problems. My sole relief in the matter is that it only cost me $29 - still more that it was worth for me.

My base stuff is comprable to yours - on fact I have a Marmot 15 degree bag that is under 2 pounds, and I love the esbit stove which weighs almost nothing.

Me (and I am quite sure Tuco) could never live on your diet - I wish I could - I would be healthier, but I would be starving!

Actually it's been holding up well. I don't use it on bushwacks though, and when I need a larger pack I take a different one as I have a huge selection. I saw a couple of thru-hikers on the 100 Mile last year with them and inquired as to how well they'd held up, both said they were fine. They were visibly grungy and one had been repaired a few times with tape, but they were hiking with them no problem. Still, I purposefully didn't take mine as I didn't think it'd hold up, and the pack I did take proved to be heavy and way overkill.

I also have an Esbit, original stove I bought in Germany 20 years ago, but I never thought to take it along. Doesn't it take a long time to boil water?

Never live on my diet? Wow, and I thought I ate well! I'm just curious, but what would you guys eat across the course of a day if you were doing a long trip? I brought 7 days of food, less than what I described, and actually had 2 days worth of food left at the end.

 

[BorealChickadee]

I'll add that my REI UL is holding up fine also. But again, it doesn't get any tough hikes. I've been using it on all my day hikes, especially in the high peaks. But for backpacks, I prefer my external frame Kelty. Or when I need to haul serious weight, like last night for New Year's Eve it had about 55 pounds of wood packed in for the midnight fire.

 

[Rick]

I have only had the ULA45 out several times. I hope it holds up enough to get my $29 worth

I used Esbit tabs for a couple of years and 1 tab will get 2-3 cups of water boiling within about 9-11 minutes (summer use). They are great, but a little pricey at $.50 each for 2-3 day overnights - a tab for Breakfast and a tab for dinner. Sometimes I would put the remaining breakfast tab out with a stone (after my 2 cups of coffee have boiled) and save it for boiling a cup of soup before dinner.
I have tried the much cheaper Coughlin's (Hexamine?), but they smell worse and it takes at least 2.5-3 of those to equal the power in an esbit.

 

[sapblatt]

Actually it's been holding up well. I don't use it on bushwacks though, and when I need a larger pack I take a different one as I have a huge selection. I saw a couple of thru-hikers on the 100 Mile last year with them and inquired as to how well they'd held up, both said they were fine. They were visibly grungy and one had been repaired a few times with tape, but they were hiking with them no problem. Still, I purposefully didn't take mine as I didn't think it'd hold up, and the pack I did take proved to be heavy and way overkill.

I also have an Esbit, original stove I bought in Germany 20 years ago, but I never thought to take it along. Doesn't it take a long time to boil water?

Never live on my diet? Wow, and I thought I ate well! I'm just curious, but what would you guys eat across the course of a day if you were doing a long trip? I brought 7 days of food, less than what I described, and actually had 2 days worth of food left at the end.

REI pack has not been abused, but just putting it down on rock during a break has put holes in it - the chest strap clasps fall off all the time...when I asked the REI backpack guy in Readign about it he basically said that is what you should expect from a UL...I have face reality that at least as far as packs are concerned - UL is not for me...I am very happy with the Kelty MOraine I replaced it with.

Lawnsale - as far as food...I probably carry a lot more than I actually eat (fear of being without food is big with me - and to think I was born 35 years after the Depression - I guess I listened to my grandparents a lot!) I would typically eat 3-4 oatmeal packets for breakfast, snack on gorp or cliff bars - probably lunch on them too. Dinner - two cups of instant rice - either foil pack chicken or fish - 6 ounce range. I know a recent two night trip to Crag camp I carried 10 pounds of food - did not even eat half of it - I need to work on this! I concur with Rick's time on boiling water with an Esbit - I would pass on the Esbit for melting snow - not enough heat. Cubes also make an emergency fire starter.

 

[blownaway]

8 day hike with no resupply

I spent 8 days in Ansel Adams Wilderness (August time frame). I needed to carry two bear cannisters. Meals were repackaged (to save space due to air) mountain house dinners, gorp, powerbars, dry cereal, oatmeal, powdered milk, etc... 4 days rations fit in each cannister. I used a gregrory denali pack to haul the large cannisters. Also carried clothing, 20 degree sleeping bag, tent and misc things like head lamp, first aid stuff, etc.. Friend carried tent poles, fuel and stove. The denali was a bit overkill but that's what I had at the time.

An Osprey Aether, or Gregory Shasta, Palisade, Wind River, would be a good choice. I wanted to fit both cannisters in my pack to avoid strapping/latching it on the outside. Once you emptly the first cannister you can store clothing or other items inside unless it has food smell left over. We could build camp fires in the Sierra so I burnt as much trash as possible to save alitte weight and get rid of smelly wrappers.

My food for the 8 days weighed on the average of 2lbs per day. Started out with 16-17lbs of food.

Went back to Yosemite Valley and ate almost an entire pizza at the end of the hike. Oh was that good......