[at-l] Pack weights of yesteryear

[Raphael Bustin]

At 06:53 AM 9/25/2006 -0700, FallingWater wrote:

>Rafe,
>
> >> The burden is on you to show that pack *base weights* in 1990 or earlier
>were anywhere near current "ultralight" targets.
>
>You can't because it just wasn't so. Not when pack *total* weights were
>averaging 50 lbs. <<
>
>I don't know when the pack weights started to creep up but in '77 when I
>thru-hiked most people weren't carrying packs that heavy. Mine was never
>more than 35 pounds. Base weight was approximately 16 to 22 pounds depending
>upon the season.


My intended base weight in '90 was 24 lbs.
In practice, after a few weeks, it was probably
20-22 (April to June '90.)



>If you analyze Colin Fletchers gear he carried on his long distance hikes
>you'd be surprised how light much of it was. On his 1000 mile summer his
>tent and pack were 3# each and much of his other gear wasn't that heavy. He
>certainly carried nothing like a 50 pound pack.


See P. 604 of "The Complete Walker III" (1987.)
Total pack weight for a "1 week trip in high
mountains" was 55 lbs.  This did not include
the binoculars (18 oz) or walking staff (18 oz)
as they were outside the pack.


>My own feeling is that the arrival of heavier packs tracks with the arrival
>of local backpacking stores. One used to have to purchase the bulk of their
>gear via catalogs as backpacking stores were few and their selection
>limited.
>
>This forced people to do more of their own research plus it eliminated the
>pressure of the salesman toward larger, heavier or more gear than needed.
>Backpacking stores are orientated toward people who backpack not to
>thru-hikers, whose needs are often quite different.


Here in Boston it was always EMS and later REI.  But
if you go through Roland Muesers' book or read the 1990
Philosopher's Guide (or watch either of those videos
I mentioned yesterday) you'll see that the packs were,
in general, enormous.

Eg. the 1990 Philosopher's Guide (precursor to Wingnut's
current guide) lists the popular packs of '89 as:  Gregory,
Lowe, Jansport, Kelty.

I could quote lots more from the Philosopher's Guide,
if you want.  It was my Bible.  I had to plan my hike
without the aid of the Internet, by the way.

Maybe 1 in 10 AT thru-hikers was practicing anything
like "ultralight" in those videos.  Ward certainly did,
and a handful of others I met.


rafe b
aka terrapin



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