My arms got numb when I was wearing a fully loaded school backpack, too. It takes longer for it to happen with a well-balanced hiking backpack, but it eventually does due to the distances involved.
How far and how long? Were you also carrying a day’s worth of water and several days worth of food on top of that?
I completely agree, but change the number to 40 years.
He said his fully packed backpack, including everything, weighed 10lbs and made his arms numb. There is something seriously wrong with his backpack fit if so. I cannot imagine anyone disputing this.
I’ve hiked for a solid 6 hour day with an ancient Jansport external frame pack, with approx 20 lbs loaded weight, and not had the problems described by Ludovic. I am 5’2" and, at the time, weighed 105 lbs.
Clothing
You will need two sets of clothes. One for hiking in and one for camp and never shall the two meet. For hiking: one pair of shorts, one synthetic t-shirt, two pairs of wool socks, two pair underwear(optional). For Camp: one pair of pants, one long sleeve shirt, one pair warm socks, warm hat, long johns (top and bottom), and an outer layer(jacket). Clothing is a very personal thing and whatever you choose will probably be fine. A couple of things to remember: Always keep your camp clothes dry! Do not hike in them or wear them out in the rain. It’s very important for comfort and safety to have a warm, dry set of clothes to wear in camp. Synthetic materials or wool are better than cotton, and layering is key. Here is what I carry:
Camp: one pair merino wool socks
one pair nylon convertible pants
Fleece hat and gloves(the gloves only if the night temps are below freezing)
Thermawool long johns top and bottom
Fleece windstopper jacket from EMS
Hiking: nylon cargo shorts
polyester t-shirt
two pair merino wool socks (in case one pair gets wet)
I go commando when hiking. Underwear causes chafing and that is pure agony when hiking. No undies allows air to circulate around the equatorial regions and you will stay cooler and drier. You really don’t need warm clothes to hike in because your body heat from the exertion will keep you warm and they will get wet from sweat anyway. Make sure your camp clothes are warm because that is when you will need it, sitting around camp not exerting yourself.
Socks are important because the success of your trip depends on your feet. I use Wigwam brand merino wool socks. Cotton socks are way less comfortable and much rougher on your feet which leads to blisters. Wool socks are expensive($8-$15 a pair), but they are worth it!
As far as rain gear goes, I carry a Marmot Precip rain jacket and that is all. If it rains, you will get wet. There is really no way to avoid this unless you don’t hike in the rain. If the water from the sky doesn’t get you wet the water from your pores will. A rain jacket will insulate you when its wet out and help keep you from becoming hypothermic (which is VERY important!), rain pants perform the same function. If you want to go cheap get a poncho. They range from 98 cents to $110 in price. Watch the weather forecasts. If it looks like a chance of substantial rain go with something thicker and heavier like waterproof nylon, if not go with an Evil-Mart $0.98 poncho(which is basically a really thin garbage bag with openings for your arms and head).
more to follow
Boots - just give yourself 2 hours at REI or another top-of-the-line shop. Try on every pair with the right socks, walk around, etc. REI has a little ramp to get a feel for going up and and downhill. You want to have the right feel in both situations.
Personally I wear full leather REI hiking boots, and I carry a pair of moccasins in my pack for after I make camp.
I have that jacket and it leaks like a motherfucker. Especially on the back shoulder, causing drips of icy water to run into the small of your back. UGH! About half the reviews on REI.com mark this jacket “Not Waterproof.”
Light: You will need at least one reliable light source. Headlamps are better than flashlights because they leave your hands free for doing chores around camp. Its much easier to do anything around camp with both hands free and holding a flashlight in your teeth really sucks after about 30 seconds. You can get a cheap($10 or less) headlamp from Dick’s that will work just fine. I don’t carry a back up light, but you can if you want to(just remember: ounces add up to pounds very quickly).
Knife: Think about what you might need to cut. It’s probably not much. I carry a small folding pocket knife that weighs a couple of ounces (cost $5) and cuts anything I need it to, which is usually cheese, summer sausage, and nylon cord. I’ve never had a need to cut anything more than that. Anything more than a simple blade is overkill. You won’t be fighting bears and wolves with it, you’ll be cutting a carrot for the stew you’re making for supper.
Water Treatment: The easiest, lightest, and least expensive option is chemical treatment. Go to the camping section of Dick’s Sporting Goods and buy some tablets or drops. Brand names are Polar Pur, Potable Aqua, and Aqua Mira.
Water Supply: You don’t need a Hydration Bladder($10-$30) or Nalgenes($8) to carry your water in. A few 32 ounce Gatorade bottles will work fine and they are much lighter and cheaper than anything else. Seriously, $8 for a water bottle is a little much.
Stove: If your friend doesn’t have a stove you can share, you will need to buy one. A solid fuel stove (brand names are Esbit and Coughlins) burns small tablets of (I think) Tri-oxane or Hexachloramine. You can buy one of these stoves for $10 with fuel. The other light, cheap option is an alcohol stove. You can make these pretty easily and they burn denatured alcohol or HEET automobile gasoline additive(use the yellow bottle of HEET not the red one). Google “cat food can stove” for instructions. If you want to invest a few more dollars go with a cannister stove like the MSR Pocket Rocket ($40). It weighs 3 ounces and is the easiest, most efficient stove I’ve ever used.
Shelter: Please do not get a hammock to use on your first backpacking trip. You will not like it. If you decide you like hiking, it’s something to look into in the future but not now. Hammocks are cold! They are not really made for cold weather camping. You can do it, but it will require quite an investment in time and money. If you need to buy a shelter go with a tent. There are more tents than you can possibly imagine but choose one that is five pounds or less(for a two person tent). I don’t have a specific recommendation because I use a hammock, but a tent is the easiest option for a begining backpacker.
Boots: Your choice, just make sure they fit well and you break them in. Several others have mentioned Merrell Boots. I’ve worn Merrell’s exclusively for the past nine years and have gotton a grand total of 2 blisters(and those were my fault, not the boot’s). They are very comfy and require very minimal breaking in. You will spend around $100-$130 for a good pair of Merrels.
Food: If I were you I wouldn’t try anything elaborate or plan big meals. You probably won’t have a huge appetite your first day. Buy some freeze dried meals. They are expensive, but require nothing more for preperation than adding hot water. Some brand names are Mountain House, Backpacker’s Pantry, and Alpine Aire. Some of them are very tasty (I’m partial to the Beef Stew and Pasta Primavera) and they are very easy to prepare and clean up. Instant oatmeal makes a great breakfast and Snickers make a great snack.
Other stuff: Duct Tape for repairs and blister coverage if needed.
Ziplock Freezer Bags for organization and waterproofing. Seriously - ziplocks are a backpackers best friend. Almost everything I carry goes into ziplocks to keep things organized and to keep water out.
Garbage Bags: line the inside of your pack with a trash compacter bag. They are thick and durable, and most importantly, waterproof. It will keep rain from soaking through you pack and getting everything inside wet. Wrap your sleeping bag inside another compacter bag before putting it in your pack.
Rope: 50 feet of paracord will be all you need. Use it to hang your food, make a clothes line, support your tent if you break a pole, etc. Carry one or two carabiners as well(the light ones, not for actual climbing)
First aid: A couple of small and medium sized bandages, a bottle of Ibuprofin, and a couple doses of Immodium is all you will need for a short trip on a trail like the one you’ll be hiking. Slings, anti snake bite kits, compresses, scalpels, neck braces, inflatable casts, wound irrigation syringes, and the like are not needed. I’ve actually met people who carry all those things, but never met anyone who’s used them. If you are hurt that badly call 911 or have your buddy get to the nearest trailhead for help.
Toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, blister block, a bic lighter, matches, and a map & compass. If you don’t know how to read a map or use a compass you should learns the basics. There are several tutorials online.
I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head, but I probably will later. Remember weight is everything! The pack will feel three times heavier on the trail than it does in your living room. PM me if you have any questions about specific brands of gear or any other tips and tricks. I hope I’ve helped a little
Really? I’ve never had any leaks in mine except when I left the underarm vents open by mistake in a downpour. I wouldn’t trust it to remain waterproof through multiple days of rain though. I think rain gear is good for keeping hypothermia at bay, but not for keeping you totally dry. When I’m hiking I work up a sweat regardless of the weather and air temp. I get twice as sweaty wearing a rain jacket so I never stay totally dry. The jacket keeps the rain from robbing my body heat away so its value is really in keeping me warm. Mind you this is in spring and fall. I don’t bother with rain gear in summer when the air temps are nice and warm.
You’ve helped more than a little! Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for all that great information.
Thank you to everyone else who has responded so far as well. I appreciate it.
For the record, my friend does have a bear bag and a first aid kit. (I don’t have a complete list of what’s in the kit yet.) He also has a collapsible saw, so I won’t need an axe or hatchet to chop wood into manageable sizes.
Unfortunately, my access to quality stores is limited. I’d have to drive a couple hours (each way) to get to an REI. There’s a Cabela’s much closer, and I’ll be there this weekend to see what I can find. I know they’re a little more focused on hunting than hiking per se, but they should have some stuff. I’ll probably buy much of my gear over the Internet, but of course I don’t want to do that with something like boots.
Another thing to think about is many online shoe stores, Zappos, Runnersworld, offer free shipping both ways. I’ve bought 5 or 6 pair of trail runners or running shoes, in varying sizes at once, and then returned the ones I didn’t want.
Helps if you can’t find a store offering what you are looking for.
Every jacket has its limit, but I had only been out for around 15 minutes in a steady, not driving rain when I noticed the leaks.
Also there may be quality differences between the men’s and women’s versions, since they don’t have the exact same consutrction. It may be that the women’s model (which I have) is flawed and the men’s model is fine. Usually Marmot is a great brand, so I was ultra-PO’d about it.
Cabelas will be fine for your needs. Hunters needs aren’t that different from hikers. Just concentrate on simple, quality gear and you’ll be fine. As long as you nail down the boots, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and rain coat you should be fine.
Fair enough – they work for me and my master good old Ray Jardine turned me on to using light shoes and thin (but durable) socks, so I guess it works for him too.
Whatever works for you is fine with me – I don’t have a philosophy, I just like to walk and backpack.
+1 to using raingear – I’ve been very happy with DriDucks. They were like fifteen bucks for a full, breathable, lightweight suit, and they haven’t let me down yet. Some people use umbrellas, but I could never make it work when carrying a bit of stuff on my back. Cool idea, but cheap-ass rain suit works well for me.
Hmmm, I guess the GPS is heavier than I thought because I hit 10 lbs on the dime and haven’t added clothes yet. I just did and it came out to 12 lbs for what I was about to take on a 3-day trip if it hadn’t been cancelled by the recent upstate NY flooding. Then again I emphasize weight over safety even though I shouldn’t sometimes – but hey if you add too many lbs on you can injure yourself, too.
– Backpack - hair over 2 lbs but it can carry everything I need for a 3 day hike.
– 20 degree (or maybe better) bag - 3.5 lbs.
– Sleeping pad – under 2 lbs and it feels like I can go even lighter except I have never looked for another pad that wraps up with Velcro – I like the fact that you then don’t need bungee to attach it to the outside of your pack.
plus:
– Garmin eTrex GPS
– Combo whistle-compass
– 1 oz bottle of deep woods OFF
– 1 roll camper’s toilet paper
– Iodine tablets
– Maglite-style flashlight
– 2 empty Nalgene bottles
– 1 sweater
– 1 long-sleeve water-wicking shirt
– 1 extra pair of pants
– 1 extra pair of Underarmour underwear
– 2 extra pair of water-wicking socks
Coming to a bit over 12 lb. When I loaded up I also had a poncho and a 1 oz sunscreen which would have added some weight, too.
Noticably absent on that list is a tent and stove. I don’t think the stove is worth the weight especially since I’m usually too lazy to cook anyway. I don’t like sleeping in tents and would prefer hiking in the dark to sleeping outside a shelter when you throw in the weight. But my tent was probably under 3 lbs when I used one.
Ideally, I’d also take some sort of mini-tarp, emergency medical equipment, and fire-starting gear. I’m not sure how many lbs that would add though.
Can I add in my pack as well?
Bag: North Face Recon backpack Carried regardless of location
(clothing and food will change of course) all assuming a three day hike.
2 Princeton Tec LED headlamps
1 Adventure Medical Kits ultralight 7
1 Go ready sunscreen vial .05 oz
1 Cutter insect repellant vial .05 0z
1 mosquito headnet
3 rolls campers mini ductape
1 bar camp soap
1 15 ct travel size wet wipes
1 Adventure Medical kits pocket survival pack 4"x2"x1" (whistle, mini paracord, minicompass, tweezers, fishing kit, safety pins, fire kit, tiny folding blade, water tabs, etc)
2 mini glow sticks
1 emergency foil blanket
1 emergency poncho
1 bag paracord (500 feet)
1 ziplock mini bag filled with cottonballs and vaseline and a box of matches packed flat.
1 gerber suspension multitool
2 250 lb rated carbiners
1 bag batteries (four AAA, one 9 vt, steel wool)
Total weight: 4.5 lbs
Hot weather: One extra shirt, socks, shorts. aluminum water bottle (filled) 1 MRE’ and baggie of other dried foods
Total weight: about 4 lbs
Cold weather: Extra shirt, pants, socks, oilskin “”
Total weight about 6 lbs
Tent and bag 10lbs, bag or hammock only : 4 lbs.
So in warm conditions without the tent I can get away with about 12 lbs, On cold conditions with the tent, it is 20.5
That still is a vast improvement over the one they made us hump about in the military though!
Personal items: Weight not calculated because I carry them every day. I-phone, Firestash keychain and multi key on keyring.
Missed the edit… I wanted to add that I usually spread some of those redundancies out to the pockets of my cargo shorts or pants. This way if I lose my pack or my partner I’m not totally screwed.
The basics (sorry for the formatting; it’s from a spreadsheet):
pack Skareb 55 M 1420
tent, poles, stakes Seedhouse SL2 1590
sleeping pad Thermarest Prolite 4 449
sleeping bag LaFuma Warm n Light 800 Down 920
pillow Big Agnes Sleeping Giant Pillow 270
first-aid kit First aid kit 330
stove Exponent Titanium 413
water bottles Nalgene (2x) 358
mess kit Snow Peak Titanium 231
Total so far is 5981 grams, or ~13 lbs. Haven’t included clothes, food, or miscellaneous essentials (lighters, etc.).
I could go with a lighter stove in many cases, though this one does come in handy for fast cooking. The pillow is a luxury but one I’m not willing to give up–other than ground slope, it’s the single biggest factor in me getting a good night’s sleep.
So fully loaded I’m at around 20-25 lbs. Lighter would be nice but there’s not a whole lot to cut out without spending a lot more. For summer hiking I can lose the outer shell of the tent, but I don’t like risking being caught in high winds.
Some of you cats are hard-core! Way to get base pack-weight down! I’m impressed.
For the OP, you can safely ignore the ultralight details. There’s nothing wrong with paring down your gear but it takes some experience to really know what is important to you and what your safety margins are. A few pounds won’t kill you over a long weekend trip.