How Much Should a Backpacking Pack Weigh
When you first get started backpacking, your focus may be more on getting all the gear you need and less on pack weight. This is totally fine… at first. You need to be fully prepared for your first adventures into the backcountry and having the right gear should be your priority! However, as you gain more experience you should start to focus more on how much your backpacking pack should weigh.
You don’t want your pack to weigh you down as you take on the trails. A heavy backpack makes you more tired, less agile, and slower. That’s why it is important to try to limit the amount of weight you carry in your backpack. As far as many backpackers are concerned, the lighter the pack, the better.
However, how much your backpacking pack should weigh depends a lot on your own goals and preferences. If you are going backpacking as a way to relax and unplug, you don’t need to cut your pack weight quite as aggressively. On the other hand, if you are tackling an intense mileage goal or taking on a thru hike, you may want to shed every ounce you can spare.
Regardless of your goals and experience, it is important to familiarize yourself with the general guidelines around backpack weight and what factors into it. That way you can make smart decisions about what you have on your back before you head out on the trail.
What is Base Weight
If you have been researching about how much a backpacking pack should weigh, you have probably came across the term “base weight” quite a bit. For people who are new to backpacking this term may be confusing.
Base weight refers to how much your loaded backpack weighs before you pack in food and water (AKA your “consumables”). Knowing this weight is important because it is a weight that stays consistent trip over trip. Your base weight includes all the gear that you will always bring with you and doesn’t take into account the items that vary by trip.
The weight of your food will vary depending on how many days you’re planning to hike for. A longer trip will require more food than a short one.
This is a similar case for water. You can get away with carrying less water when you’re hiking past numerous water sources. If you’re hiking in a desert, you’ll need to pack a lot more.
Your food and water weight will also vary throughout your trip. It will be heaviest in the beginning of your trip, then decrease as you consume it.
Base Weight Classifications
Base weight is important because it is the weight you can work to reduce. You can eliminate gear you don’t use often or invest in lighter gear to cut down on ounces. This is where light-weight backpackers work their magic. They take pride in trimming down their base weight to reach ultalight standards.
Ultra-light backpackers will have a base weight under 10 pounds. This is a challenging goal for a backpacker to achieve. It often requires a frameless backpack, a hammock tent or ultralight tent, a light sleeping bag, and absolutely no frills.
To qualify as a lightweight backpacker, you need to slim down your base weight to 20 pounds or less. Reducing your backpack to under 20 pounds is a difficult endeavor as well. You’ll need to leave behind some comforts and upgrade your gear considerably.
Most hikers backpacking packs will have a base weight under 30 pounds. This is a manageable weight to handle on the trail without having to sacrifice the camp chair or extra pair of sweatpants. However, if your backpack’s base weight starts creeping into the upper 30s and lower 40s, you should do some thinking about what you’re bringing along.
General Guidelines for Backpack Weight
Though base weight is important, you should also be aware of how much your backpacking pack weighs in total. After all, this is the weight you’ll be carrying on the trail for the next few days. You’ll want to make sure you have everything you need without putting too much strain on your body.
A common guideline is that a fully loaded backpack pack should not weigh more than 20% of your body weight.
For reference, that means someone who weighs 150 pounds should keep their full backpack under 30 pounds. While this guideline is helpful for some, it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Some people who are very small may need to carry more than 20% of their weight in order to bring along all their necessary gear. Meanwhile, large individuals shouldn’t push themselves to carry 40 pounds just because a general guideline said it is okay to do so.
At the end of the day, carry a weight that feels good for you. You shouldn’t be destroying your knees and back from poor walking form caused by an overstuffed pack.
Use your best judgement and always strive for a lighter pack. At the very least, aim for a backpack that is lighter than 40 pounds. 30 to 35 pounds is where most casual backpacker’s packs weigh in. This is a decent weight for someone who enjoys hitting the trails but aren’t investing a lot of time or energy into going light.
A good way to determine how much your backpacking pack should weigh is to check the weight often. Weigh your pack before every trip and make note of how you felt on that trip. That way you get a feel for what weight ranges work for you.
If you are prepping for your very first backpacking trip, take your fully packed backpack on a test hike. Consider whether you can manage the feeling of that weight for several days of hiking.
What Contributes to Backpacking Pack Weight
There are a lot of things that contribute to how much your backpacking pack should weigh. When judging the weight of your pack, keep these in mind.
- Trip Length – An obvious factor is the length of your trip. The longer your backpacking trip is, the more your pack will weigh. You’ll need more gear, more food, and more clothing for each day on the trail.
- Weather – The weather or climate of where you’re hiking will play a large role in your pack weight. Hiking in cool or snowy climates requires more gear, heavier gear, and bulkier clothing. Going somewhere with a diverse climate, you’ll need to bring a variety of clothing in order to be prepared for unpredictable weather. That extra gear comes with extra weight.
- Gear Quality – Some people invest in the newest, most lightweight gear options in order to pack light for their trips. Others may be willing to carry a few extra pounds or ounces in order to save $40 on a tent.
- Priorities and Preferences – You can shed quite a bit of weight from your pack if you prioritize pack weight over comfort and convenience. For example, someone may leave a camp chair or extra sweatshirt behind to save some weight in their pack. Other people may prefer to have a thick and warm sleeping bag over having a light backpack. It really depends on what you are going out there to do. Are you someone who values comfort and relaxation, or distance and speed?
- Group Size – The number of people you are backpacking with will also affect your pack weight. If you are able to share gear such as tents, stoves, or first aid kits, you can pack a lot lighter. However, if you are out on your own you’ll need to bring all this gear on your own back.
Why Keep Backpacking Pack Weight Low
For most backpackers, the goal is to keep weight as low as they comfortably can. But why is that important?
When you have a lighter backpack, you feel a lot better on the trail. You feel more energetic and agile, with better balance as you move through the forest. With this energy, you’ll be able to move more quickly and travel farther distances to see even more beautiful sights. A lighter pack also means less aches and pains because you are putting less stress on your joints.
The difference a couple of pounds can make on your energy levels is tremendous. The less weight you have in your pack, the better you are going to feel backpacking. Check out this article about reducing pack weight.
Reducing Backpacking Pack Weight
If you weighed your pack and realized there is some room for improvement, there are some things you can do to trim down some of those ounces or pounds.
- Invest in Light Gear – Gear is constantly being improved to be more efficient, more effective, and more lightweight. If you replace some of your large, heavier items with something newer and nicer you can easily shave off weight. Backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and tents are a great place to start because they are large items that make up the most of your base weight.
- Have a Light Backpack – A backpack is a major contributor to your base weight. Choosing one that is light can keep that weight low. A light backpack will be made with efficient materials, fewer zippers, and a lightweight frame. If you want to go ultra light, you may opt for a frameless pack. Keep in mind there are some tradeoffs for going the frameless route. Comfort and load distribution is typically better in a frame backpack.
- Determine Which Items are Unneeded – After your first few trips, you will start to get a feel for what items you use consistently and which are rarely touched. If you always use your hammock but never set up your camp chair, ditch the chair. You can save a lot of space and weight by doing this. Just make sure you keep carrying important items such as your first aid kit, bear spray, or emergency tools that you’re not supposed to get a lot of use of anyway.
- Always Use a Packing List – Packing without a list is an easy way to forget important items and pack in non-essentials. Using a packing list like this one can help you stay organized. Update it consistently with notes on things you no longer need to bring or what items should be replaced soon.
Conclusion
Not everyone wants to become an ultralight backpacker. Some people would rather have a leisurely experience on the trails, complete with creature comforts they know and love. No matter what your goals are in the backcountry, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with your backpacking pack weight. Doing so will keep you feeling good about your pack as you head out to the trail head.
Cover photo by Eric Dekker from Pexels
