[pct-l] Pack Base Weight

[Mary Kwart]

I am 5' 4" tall and weight about 140 pounds. I carry a pack with a
base weight of 12-15 pounds. This is no problem for me. When I did the
JMT in 1980 my pack weighed 65 pounds, so this pack weight seems
miniscule. I have had to carry as much as two gallons of water (on the
AZT) but my pack was comfortable with that amount and it was only for
a day. I did carry a gallon and a half around Scissor's Crossing on
the PCT.

One of the ways (including cross country skiing) I stay in shape in
winter is by walking on a treadmill for an hour three times a week
with a 30 pound pack at an angle of 8-13% at a speed of 2.5 miles per
hour. That keeps my knees and feet toughened up so the first days of
backpacking aren't a big surprise for my body. 

--Fireweed