[at-l] Pack weights of yesteryear

[Raphael Bustin]

At 08:49 PM 9/25/2006 -0400, skeeter wrote:

>There's been a distinct bell curve in pack weights since then.
>Dig out the old Rodale Press set and check out some of the gear listings.
>When you went hiking in the 60's you bought a Kelty frame pack at
>about 3.5pounds. Your tent was a coated nylon
>pup tent at about 3 pounds max, or a sheet of plastic for a tarp for even
>less. Rain gear was a plastic poncho instead of
>pounds of Goretex.


 From the two Rodale books.  This took about an hour
or two to skim (there are about 40 diaries or so, in
1866 pages.)  I may have missed a few.


Earl Shaffer: (p. 36) 30 lbs, "including camera and hatchet."
Gene Espy (p. 38) 45 lbs.
Granny Gatewood (p. 58) 14-17 lbs.
Owen F. Allen (p. 293) 25 lbs max
Max Bender (p. 384) "around 40 lbs."
James Fox (p. 389) "around 25 lbs with a week's food"
Ray Baker (p 440) "around 40 lbs"
Howard Bassett (p. 664) "35 lbs, with a week's food"
Everett Skinner (p 817) 40 lbs
Nell Skinner (p 817) 20 lbs
Jeffrey Hancock (p. 1113) 50 lbs
Branley Owen (p. 1166) 27-28 lbs, max
Charles Konopa (p. 1185) 30 lbs or less
Art Smith (p. 1477) 45 lbs at Springer, 30 lbs in Maine
Robert Winslow (p. 1531) "40-43 lbs leaving town"



>Then somewhere in the 80's and 90's the gear manufacturers came out with the
>"bombproof" stuff that so many people
>bought into. And now that we're getting older and our knees are shot we're
>going back to the lighter gear... <g>


As good a theory as any I've heard.  I'll buy it.
How many of those who hiked 30 years ago are still doing so?
How many of those who hiked 15 years ago are still doing so?
I'm proud to answer "yes" to both.


rafe b
aka terrapin


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