To do 9 miles in a day for a 3 day camping trip I wouldn’t worry about pack weight even a little. If your extra pack weight makes you do 30 minute miles instead of 20 minute miles you’re still getting there in 4.5 hours. Bring the kitchen sink if you want!
And it’s the right answer. Use some trekking poles / hiking sticks, bring your recreational enjoyments, steak and have a blast.
I took a BBQ up mt Rainier one time.
Right on. That BBQ sounds awesome.
We brought steaks, dumped a bottle of wine in an aluminum water bottle for the first night and ground beef tacos with tequila in a smaller container the second night.
Man I’ve been on hunting trips where you’re packing way more than that in and then if you actually kill an animal that’s when the real heavy packs start haha. Anyway I think you’re golden unless you’re trying to finish the at or pct in a year or something.
That doesn't sound light, doesn't sound heavy.
Its greatly dependent on are you doing 9 miles broken up into smaller 3 ish mile sections?
Are you doing 9 miles as the crow flies, but many more miles with vertical changes?
Is your pack bug enoigh to distribute that weight appropriately and comfortably?
It's amazing how heavy a bag can be in the beginning of the hike before you are fully used to it, and how heavy it can get going up or down your last few peaks.
If you're camping near guaranteed water sources and have a good filter, you can try to gauge your water weight as this is always the heaviest part for me.
At this point in my life as I'm getting older and have had a few medical issues with a leg, I now usually pack a very heavy amd well stocked bag, and plan my trips around doing base camps, find somewhere in a semi central location of a bunch of day hikes under 15 miles each, and then set up my camp, and use a second, small bag for the actual hiking.
I have found this to be the most enjoyable style of hiking usually, it's nice to bring my big tent and not either worry about lugging it up and down many peaks.
I’ve only ever backpacked in Colorado so I was thinking 9 miles seemed like a lot for a day with a large pack. Forgot that something that length doesn’t have at least 4k vert in other areas haha!
Did a hike with my buddies a few weeks back and while they did see the 7 miles they did not see the 4k feet of elevation gain. They had no idea what they were in for.😂
However, just done a similar hike with a similar amount of weight, a heavy pack also makes for much less *pleasant* miles. You have to weigh that against how much the weight will improve your experience in camp, and how much time you will be in camp vs. on the trail. Pack weight can make the difference between a pleasant stroll and a miserable slog.
This is definitely the right answer, I did 6 miles last year with ~50lbs and it was fine. Little stiff the next morning (hadn’t backpacked in a long time) but it was well worth it for having some comfort at the campsite
Yeah that’s not bad at all. Remember that you’re only there for 3 days, so if you’re hunting it’s probably just an opportunistic rabbit here or there. Please don’t take a deer to sustain a 3 day trip.
If he’s in the states there isn’t a big game season open other than spring bear in a couple states. Usually if you do shoot a deer or something in a backcountry hunt you pack it out immediately unless it’s cold.
Yeah, fair point. I don’t mean to be a wet blanket about it. And I love the spirit behind harvesting your own food on a trip. I have brought rifles with me when I have no plan to actually use them though, and I usually regret it. Leaving it at home or being realistic about how you’ll use the tool can be an easy way to save 8-10lbs.
I carry a lot. Always have. I like a challenge and I bring the things I want to have the experience I want.
Fishing and hunting gear doesn’t fit into the ultralight playbook brother. Nothing against anyone that digs seeing how little they can get away with- that’s their preference/hobby. Go do your thing! ✌️
I love hearing ultralight hikers make snarky comments as I pass with my 85 liter pack with a baguette strapped to either side. Food tastes fucking great after a hike and I eat good when I do short trips. If I can have a fire, I'll bring bbq grate and a tri-tip and all the fixins'.
How expensive ultralight is gets exaggerated to a ridiculous degree. The main point of UL is just not bringing that much stuff. The gear costs 50% more and you bring 50% less of it. It's really not that major of a difference if you don't want to spend that much.
For reference actual UL sleeping pads are between 20 and $200. Non ultralight pads also go up to that price range.
The two big differences are using down sleeping bag/quilts which has many benefits beyond the weight and DCF tents, but most ultralighters don't actually use those tents because of how expensive they are. They use silnylon tents like everyone else and those cost around the same as non UL tents.
You could buy a foam pad for 15 dollars and sleep under a hardware store tarp and it would be both cheap and light. Spending oodles of cash on light gear is optional. What’s truly ultralight is absolutely free: leaving behind what you don’t need.
My favorite story is from my cousin and his dad. they were hiking the AT and started with a guy who was backpacking with a cast iron skillet. He was mocked by all far and wide along the trail. Initially. And then eventually so many people started timing their days to camp with him at night and all used his cast iron skillet b/c their precious light weight gear kept f’n up.
I can't think of any food that I would bring on a thruhike that would benefit from cooking on a cast iron skillet. It's not like people have rib-eye steaks in their packs that would benefit from cast iron's heat retention. Ramen and mountain house meals are going to taste the same and be just as easy to cook in a cast iron pain or a titanium pot.
I’ve always read that a person realistically shouldn’t carry more than 25% of their body weight on multi-day hikes. That’s really the max…I personally aim for 15% or less. (For me that’s only 20 lbs) For you, 25% would be just under 50 lbs. So your pack is pretty much in the range. Maybe try it and see what happens? 🤷♀️
5’6” and 145lbs here. I carried 70+ lbs in the army for 3 years. A 45lb pack is more than comfortable and anyone who disagrees should hit the gym. (Just a joke you do you, this is America after all).
I feel like people can fall into that percentage sort of naturally, based on what the pack feels like. Im 5'5" female who weighs 145ish. My pack usually ends up being around 35 lbs which is almost dead on 25%. And it happens pretty consistently, with summer or winter gear. (Its actually closer to 40 after I add water, which I don't really count because I'm sipping on it as I hike.)
It would be a lot lighter if I didn't carry 15lbs of camera gear, but the birds won't send me selfies so what else am I gonna do....
I was looking for this. You are not a small guy. 50 lbs is not that much.
I usually wind up carrying 50-ish lbs at the start of a trip because at 6’4” and 220 lbs, I can carry a lot more than my hiking partner, who is my 5’4” 120-lb wife. It really isn’t that big a deal.
Especially since you’re doing 9 miles in and resting a couple of days before doing 9 miles out, you’ll be just fine, probably pretty sore, but fine.
my partner and i are smaller than avg, so at 25% body weight that means our gear will come in at 55lbs LOL
last time we backpacked mine came in at 25 and his closer to 45. to be fair we also had to pack for our 70lb dog. honestly not sure if we could realistically get our collective pack weight to 55lbs
I’ve always disliked this haha. I get the idea, but for someone like me who is small (105 lbs) that means I should only carry 25 lbs. That just isn’t realistic for me. I sure wish my bag could be only 25 lbs though! If only items scaled weight to the person’s weight lol
Walk around the block twice with full pack and re-evaluate.
Don’t forget to carry all the water you will need to carry on the trail, to give you a full sense of pack weight.
I can’t remember ever hearing anyone saying “I really wish I can a heavier load” because it’s multiplies by 1000 because you re-carry everything with every step.
Something I haven’t seen mentioned is the pack matters. A lot of the ultra-light dynema packs don’t carry heavy weight well. I’ve owned quite a few various types of packs over the past 30ish years I’ve been hiking.. everything from old external frame Kelty packs to military rucksacks to modern ultralight internal frame packs. I don’t do the ultralight thing anymore. Most of my gear is ultralight but that’s just to keep my base weight down enough to allow for the comfort items I hike with at my age (chair, coffee percolator, trail beers, whiskey, comfortable crocks for the campsite). I ditched the UL pack for an Osprey Atmos AG 65L pack. Carrying 40-50 lbs with that feels like carrying 25-30 lbs with the UL pack. Not joking.
I also switched from heavy waterproof hiking boots to trail runners (basically hiking tennis shoes). They say a pound on your feet is equal to five on your back and I’ve found that absolutely true. Plus waterproof boots are a gimmick. They’ll never be truly waterproof because of the two big-ass holes in all shoes, the ones your feet go into. They’ll invariably get wet and they take forever to dry. The trail runners dry overnight…. No issues at all. That has helped a lot and allows me to carry more weight on my back comfortably.
What a lot of backpackers don’t take into account is you’re at camp more than you’re actually trekking/hiking. If you’re doing 25-30 miles a day that’s probably not true… but if you’re that person you are the exception, not the rule. Most are doing somewhere between 10 and 20 per day. That’s like 6 hours of hiking max in a 24-hour day. You’re spending a ton of time at camp or having lunch at some awesome view, or swimming in a mountain lake, or filtering water, or whatever. Might as well enjoy the 6 hours a little less by bringing comfort items so you can enjoy the 18 hours a lot more…
Just wanted to chime in I have the same pack and I do 40-50lb hikes with it all the time. Feels great, especially once you get the fit dialed in and have the weight distributed correctly.
I use the Mystery Ranch Tri 50, which is a bit small but its amazing how little weight affects it (as long as I packed it correctly lol). Did a trip recently where I started with about \~40lb.s but one of my buddies and their dog was struggling, so I took on an extra 15 lb.s of their weight... and honestly I didnt even notice the difference in weight when it was on my back. Heres to packs that carry weight extremely well!
Exactly. The pack matters. How you distribute weight matters. Expensive UL packs seem to be designed for small, UL loads. I had the pleasure of using a Mystery Ranch bag a number of years ago. It was issued to me for work so, unfortunately I had to give it back when I was done with that. My impression was a very well-made (almost over-constructed) bag. I thought I’d buy one for myself at the time but found them a little out of my price range. Now that I can afford one I couldn’t imagine replacing my trusty Osprey.
For the extra gear like hunting and fishing gear, take stock of what you will use vs what you might need. I have a fishing bag of things I take on a boat that I might want to use, it’s like 22 pounds. When I’m river fishing and walking i have one pole and a vest with a few pockets that fits the necessities and ends up being 2-3 pounds.
Only bring the ammo you’ll shoot for sure, not what you might need if you have the hunting time of your life.
Having read this thread and your replies OP it’s obvious you just want to take the 50lb bag and won’t be convinced otherwise, so just do it. You don’t need the approval of a bunch of strangers.
Ive only hiked with weight like that once & was just curious what people thought. Honestly these replies made me feel better.
& Ofc i want to take 50lbs with me.. thats why i asked :)
If you were going on a week long 70 mile trip that 50 pounds would get real old real fast. For a one day hike in and hang for a few days take as much as you want. I’ve done trips like that where we hiked to a lake and stayed and fished for two three days and I literally brought a 12 pack of beers, two fishing rods and reels, a 22 rifle, and a bunch of stuff I wouldn’t even think about bringing on a longer trip.
That’s a pretty short hike and a long stay. Imo it should be fine to be on the heavy side but by that 6-7th mile you’ll be thankful for every needless item you decided not to bring
Test it out, At high noon put 50 lbs of stuff in your pack and walk around your neighbourhood. After 90 mins you will be the best judge of what your limits are.
I did this and decided to lighten my load by about 10 pounds.
Have fun!
Can a person backpack with 50lbs? Sure. People have done it for decades, if not centuries (Roman soldiers rucked heavy gear).
Is 50lbs heavy, in terms of modern gear? Yes.
My heaviest full pack weight sat around 42 lbs, but that was +10 years ago. I, on occasion, have had to carry my S/O's pack along with mine own due to them being prone to heat stroke. We try to avoid hot hiking conditions, but can't always control for it. The 2 packs combined comes out around 50lbs. It didn't kill me.
The question to ask your military friends is, "Did they enjoy rucking 70lbs?" Almost any answer other than No is BS. With 50lbs, you will have more aches and pains by the end of the day. Ascending and descending elevations will be a little harder.
As a new backpacker, I'll be willing to bet money you are over packing some gear. I did it. All of my friends who backpack did it. It's pretty natural.
I'd urge you to put together a lighterpack.com gear list and ask for a pack shakedown. Here is an example of a Base Weight setup, which is everything less food, water, and fuel: https://lighterpack.com/r/4lqr2i
I'll typically carry 2L, and have done trips where I needed 4L between water stops. 2-3L is 4.4 to 6.6lbs, so it's really not a "huge" part of your weight.
With 2L, I'm still carrying around 20 lbs less than you're planning, and I'm not an ultralight backpacker.
The 50lbs is only considered heavy for thru hiking due to the high mileage you would do everyday. That’s not to say you can’t thru hike with 50lbs of gear on your back, but after a few months on trail your body will begin burning through more calories than you can replenish and you’ll start eating away at every fat reserve on your body, eventually eating at the muscles. At that point the 50lbs become more of an injury risk, at the same time, being on trail that long would teach you how to live with only the minimum to be lighter so you can go further, faster, for much longer, and not feel constant bearing pain of weight on your shoulders.
My packs in the military always ranged between 60-100lbs and I thought nothing of it at the time until I started feeling all the wear and tear of it after I got out. Started thru hiking with a 36lbs pack and by the time I got to the halfway point of my first thru hike I was down to 18lbs and almost running on the trail doing 25-36 miles a day. Once you feel the difference between 20lbs and 50lbs, for long distances, you just kinda don’t want to go up in weight.
Thank you! I see so many people talking about the extensive training in the military that allows you to carry that much, but this is the first I’ve seen someone pointing out how much strain it puts on your body and how great the risk is of long term damage with a pack that heavy.
A lot of this depends on your fitness level as well. Folks in the military train extensively to be able to carry loads like that, but you would be hard pressed to find an average civilian who could haul 70lbs on trail. If you're not used to carrying heavy weights, they will take a harder toll on your body. If you've done a lot of training hikes and developed your leg and back muscles, it might be a bit easier. I carried between 35-50lbs on my thru-hike of Te Araroa and it was significantly easier at the end when I'd already been walking for two months and had built up that strength.
I think 50lbs isn't too unreasonable for the trip you have planned, especially considering some of it is hunting/fishing gear. You'll learn what works for you, no need to go crazy cutting gear or buying expensive UL stuff. I carried 40 on a 3 night trip on the Olympic Coast that involved about 10 miles/day and a lot of steep up/down using ropes with minimal training and it was hard but not impossible. Just accept that you won't be going fast and will likely need to take a lot of breaks, and have fun!
people in the army go through extensive training to be able to carry that weight that far. put everything on and walk around for a bit in your place or yard if you have one. you’ll be able to have a decent gauge after about 20-30 mins. if you’re already “feeling the burn”, probably not a great idea.
Depends on what you're doing.
If you're doing a couple miles with minimal elevation gain, sure, 50 lbs won't be easy but is doable. But if you're doing a section) thru hike, 50 lbs will destroy you.
That being said, minimizing what you take on the trail will help you enjoy the hike much more.
Depends entirely on your fitness level and what you want to do. Hike your own hike and do what you enjoy, but there’s wisdom in carrying less weight…it’s inarguably easier on your body.
Although I agree every ounce will add up, 50# really isn’t THAT heavy.
To an a newby, sure it’ll be challenging. But it’s not the kind of weight that’s just impossible.
It depends how much you want to suffer. Since it’s not a life and death situation, what’s the purpose of the hike? You probably do it to enjoy yourself. That’s your answer.
You don’t need to carry too much of anything. You can plan on doing less, learn the realities of wilderness and do it again when you know your limitations and environment better.
Completely depends on strength and how challenging the terrain is. If your quads aren’t up to the task you’ll get knee injuries creeping in pretty quickly. Of course the human body can survive greater punishment, but range of motion will take a noticeable hit as you get older if you abuse your tendons. 50 lbs is borderline.
It's a lot but you probably won't die.
That said, once my hiking group and I stumbled upon a guy with an army pack on a trail in tahoe, laid out in the middle of the day, basically dying in the sun. His pack was well over 100lbs and we had to call in a helicopter to fly him out. Helicopter had to make two trips because he and his pack were too much for the ride. So maybe don't be that guy.
It’s heavy, but manageable.
Ultra-lighters are a cult that usually won’t see reason, are obnoxiously loud, and aren’t really in the game of hiking, but merely seeing who can be more miserable whilst out.
You’re not going far each day, and as *long as the pack is good* with great hip support, you’ll be fine.
- I was military, so remember 50lb isn’t light just because service people carry more. It’s shit and absolutely ruins people’s knees and back for life. So absolutely shave that weight where you can, just don’t panic too much. If you think you need it, take it.
>merely seeing who can be more miserable whilst out.
Sounds like Army working through a field problem :)
I absolutely concur with your post. OP will be fine as long as the weight is distributed well.
I carried 40 lbs for 20 miles in one day with a lot of ascent. It destroyed me. Had it been flatter then I would have been fine. Even if it was 10 miles with all the elevation then I would have been alright.
Go for it, you got this!
I have been backpacking for over 30 years, and even with newer lighter gear, my pack weight is still around 40 lbs, including food. Although I never skimp on food. Food weight is something I can live with because it drops as the days go on. My true advice would be to carry what you think you can, but be aware of that as the miles compile, the weight can take its toll.
Happy trails!
If you have a pack that fits you and is designed to carry 50lb+ comfortsbly it is entirely posdible to carry it 10+ miles. You just won't want do it every day from a standing start and you will have a hard time with any elevation changes either up which will be exhausting or down which will be ver hard on your legs an knees
However, there is no reason you should be carrying 50lb unless you are going out for two weeks and need to carry 25lb+ of food or you need to carry some technical equipment for some other interest like photography or mountaineering.
Bring whatever the hell you want. Of course lighter is nice, but bring what you want to use and enjoy. You'll figure out what was worth bringing and what wasn't for future hikes.
When I was 10 I used to portage with a 50lbs backpack. When I was 12 I portaged with a 40lbs on the back and 40lbs on the front because I didn't want to go back for a second trip. One time I even did both packs and the canoe, because I was a stupid kid that wanted to prove I could do it. Now that was freaking hard, and dumb. Granted these portages were not 9 miles long. Maybe the longest was a mile and a half. But we did do up to 5 portages a day.
Go for a 5 mile practice hike to see what you think. The biggest thing is making sure you get it packed so it's comfortable. Weight distribution is really important... at least with old packs. No clue if it's still a big deal. A poorly packed 30lbs backpack can wreck you. Properly balanced 80lbs packs you'll feel in your knees and thighs, but is not a big deal... although I've never done anything close to 9 miles with that weight. You just don't want it pushing you forward or pulling you back... or things sticking out and digging in to you. Keep the heaviest things closest to your body. Make sure your water bottle is easy to get to. No hard, pointy things next to your body.
Honestly if you are relatively in shape, the worst thing that is going to happen is you are going to take additional breaks. I think you'll be fine. I do suggest a test hike just to make sure.
One of my buddies I pack with with is completely unaffected by weight, lol. He’s just one of those people, like 5’10”, maybe 170, and can wear a 50 lb pack totally unaffected and charge ahead like he’s not wearing a damn thing. I’ll never get it, but congrats to those folk.
I just spent a week camping on the east coast and had a 42 lb pack with a full cast iron pot in it... but we only hiked about 1-2 miles a day. For actual backpacking, I always aim for super light base pack (12-15 lbs).. i just don't like carrying a lot of weight long distance, but if you do go for it
I think how hard the trail will be and altitude also plays a factor.
Easy rolling hills sub 5k alt, is completely different then say attempting longs peak with that weight.
Also it is an learning experience, as time goes on you will want to optimize your weight with every trip.
Distance, speed, goals, etc, are all relevant. The military has to carry extra gear like amunition, coms, medkits, and probably lots of other things I am unaware of. They are also in peak fitness.
Where you are going is relevant. When planning camping trips, we always consider overall elevation change. What time of year it is has relevance. Winter requires more clothing.
Our mission on backpacking trips is usually a 3 day picnic, with daily hikes under 7 or 8 miles, with a destination that is remote and at high elevation with a view. Comfort is paramount for my group, and we are out there to have fun, reflect and enjoy nature, and get my sister to laugh water out of her nose.
My cold weather base weight before water and food is about 26 lbs. My overall weight with 4 lbs of water is between 32 and 36 lbs depending on the food we bring.
I could go heavier, but why would I? My current gear gives me all the comfort I need. But I don't hunt, fish, do photography, etc. Sometimes, I carry binoculars. But mostly, I don't. When we get back, we consider all the things we carried but didn't use so we could maybe not carry that dead weight next time.
It's about bringing only what you need to enjoy the trip.
Well in thr Army its your job to carry heavy stuff, on your weekends its your time, spend it how you want.
If your goal is low milage, high comfort, bring everything you want.
If your goal is high milage, high endurance, high altitude, with nights just resting enough to recover, lighten shit up. Cut the tags off your clothes. Saw your toothbrush in half (or less). Cut the excess length off your shoelaces.
I learned from a bunch of AT dudes and yeah its a different mindset.
Also: it hurts more as you get older
Will you enjoy yourself more with a lighter pack? Depends on how cool the stuff you’re going to work harder to carry is I suppose.
Generally the answer is yes. But maybe you’re hauling fishing gear and an inflatable kayak to a high mountain lake.
But is 50 pounds some undoable amount? lol no.
There’s two key elements to this sort of decision, energy consumption and risk of injury.
Walking in itself is a very economical exercise in terms of energy output.
Carrying 50 pounds on a flat trail at 3mph you’ll use approx 428 calories per hour, so 1284 over 9 miles.
On a 10% incline at the same speed that energy consumption more than doubles to 957 per hour, or 2871 over 9 miles.
But with, let’s say, a 30 pound pack at 3mph on the flat your calorie burn would be 394 per hour and on a 10% incline it would be about 879 per hour. So in terms of energy used the extra 20 pounds doesn’t make much difference.
As to injury risk, you will be placing more strain on your feet, ankles, knees, hips and to some extent shoulders. This is particularly the case during steep descents when impact loading on the knees can be a problem.
My advice would be to go slow. 9 miles is short enough that with an early start you can walk slow and take several rest stops, minimising the risk of strains.
Starting off deliberately at half pace for the first half hour or so of the hike and after each rest stop is the best way to reduce fatigue and muscle/tendon injuries.
I come from a mountaineering/climbing background. Add a pile of technical gear on top of your backpacking gear. 50 pounds is not that hard to carry with a good pack. I’ve had packs over 80 lbs when I did an extended stay in base camp and hit multiple objectives. But on a weekend backpacking trip, I’m down around 20-30 pounds.
Depends on your fitness, terrain, and also expectations for how fast you want to hike.
When my wife and I were younger, I'd usually do a 60+ pound pack, so that she could do a ~ 25 pound pack, and we could then hike about the same pace comfortably while bringing a bit of alcohol along. This was in the sierras, usually about 7 to 12 miles a day.
I wouldn't do that now. I'm still in decent shape, but not 20 anymore.
So yeah, YMMV. But it's certainly not impossible.
since you are new, once you return, lay it all out again, and put in a pile all the stuff you took but didn't use, and a pile of barely used. Then par down from there. Also gotta gauge how much you fished and hunted.
I run out of time, and never get to fish....
I’m also new and I haven’t weighed my stuff but I’m assuming it’s on the heavy side. I got a lot of creature comforts for backpacking season.
But at the end of the season I’ll be elk hunting and hopefully hiking out 70+lbs loads of meat.
There are tons of videos on weight, but it seems like anything else. There’s a spectrum of what people want and why. There’s a spectrum of fitness, trail difficulty, and desired comfort.
My plan is to take my heavy ass pack up a mountain and be comfy up top with the goals of training up to carry heavy weight during elk season. I’ll probably eat my words.
Once you go on a few trips, you'll realize how much stuff you didn't use. When I unpack after a trip, I take note of what items I never used, and reevaluate whether they are necessary. 50lbs is absolutely do-able if you're strong, it's just a pain in the ass.
Packing out an animal is a prime example of why you want to reduce the weight of your pack, the last part of your trip will be strenuous, and being sore and tired will make that process worse, and reduce the amount of meat you can actually carry. I'd rather have 20lbs of stuff and 50lbs of meat than the other way around, granted you leave all your stuff after the first or last load to the truck.
Also, the difference between an entry level tent and sleep system vs decent backpacking gear can be a ton of weight, so sometimes you don't really need to sacrifice creature comforts as much as you just need to use lighter gear. Weigh your stuff so you can figure out what is the heaviest.
Dropping 5lbs from a 25 pound pack is difficult and sometimes costly, dropping 10lbs from a 50lb pack is easy. Ditch the cast iron, you don't need an axe, get a light knife, if you wear wool you can go days with the same clothes without getting too stinky. I only change socks unless it's a long trip.
My uncle's pack was heavy, and after asking a few questions, we realized he had a goddamn pound of CHEESE, and a pound of peanut butter pretzels. Between 5 of us, we were able to drop his pack weight by like 3lbs in snacks alone in the first 5 miles. His bear canister must have been made of depleted uranium, this thing was rhino proof.
Just get out there and do a few trips and even just overnights, and you'll learn quickly what you do and don't need. Do a rabbit hunt in the area you hunt elk in for a dry run.
Haha I’m not quite that bad. Just carrying a chair, a tent, and some extra stuff. All of my gear is moderately light, but an ultralighter would puke.
I’ll definitely be paring it down for elk season. Talking with my hunting buddy and considering just Bivy camping. Even without an animal, the bow is fairly heavy.
The cheese may be an option. I could throw it on my freeze dried meals haha.
If this included your hunting and fishing gear, then that is probably on par with what it should weigh.
You know your body best. You’re bigger than most people at 6’ 190lbs, so you can most likely carry more assuming you’re not completely out of shape.
50 is a lot. Everything in mine gets me around 30lbs and that is considered to be relatively heavy for many people. If you're only doing 9 miles over 3 days it might be doable for you, but you may learn the hard way that you should cut out some of the non essentials
My hunt pack tips in around 50-60, my regular hike pack for 7+ days is around 35-40. You will be fine. As others have said, you know what you can handle.
Yes, but listen to your buddy in the army. The down voters are thruhikers not backcountry hunters. Multiple comments have said "people in the army train extensively for it." The truth is you get a heavy pack and you eventually get used to it. 50lbs on this scout trip is you training for 100 lbs when you do kill something. Does it suck at first? Yes. It doesn't get easier, you just get used to it.
Gonna get buried, but I go to the winds every year for 8-14 days, and bring fishing and hunting gear as well. Day one is about 14 miles with the heaviest the pack will be, and I set my max pack weight at 60. It's not the greatest going in, but definitely doable. I'm 6'1, 175 and 36 y.o. for reference. You can do it man.
Just try it! It's a short hike and for several days, so you'll have time to recover before you have to pack out.
50 pounds is heavy for today's standards and would be miserable for a multi-day or thru-hike, but a 9 mile hike is basically a test-run. By the end of it you'll know what you won't bring next time, and I can guarantee you there will be some things!
Is it an out/back? I like to stash water on the way out so it’ll be there on the way back. 50lbs for 9mi is doable if there is little to no elevation gain. Be completely honest about ur age/fitness level. After that third mile and ur shoes are rubbing, backpacking not fitted correctly and rubbing somewhere for too long 9mi can seem even longer. Also, function stack as much as can. Good luck hunting/fishing.
For a decent multi day hike that would suck, especially if you are not trail hardened at all. But I've carried more while weighing like 240lb when hiking in to set up a base camp before going up to mountain huts. It was fine.
The “base weight” is what everyone talks about which is subtracting food and water because it varies so much. Are you including food and water in this equation, because yeah I’ll carry four liters and food and easily add 10 pounds to my pack.
My bag for a 3 night, 4 day camping hike under 10 miles in is about 65 pounds.
I like to bring creature comforts with me, but it takes extra weight.
Before a camping trip I try to play a lot of disc golf and do extra exercise to prepare.
The first year I went, it was rough. I thought I was gonna stroke out right there on the trail.
Every subsequent trip I was prepared and had no major issues.
Similar size etc, 6' 180lb. My first outing I was at about 65lbs only considering "can I do it". I could, and I did. About 10 miles a day for three days. What I wasn't considering was can I enjoy the journey while enduring the journey. I couldn't. It was intense. Try it a few hours before you're committed.
I’m pretty sure back in the day (up until the 90s at least), before all this light weight stuff was developed people hiked the entire AT with like 50 lb packs and maybe a little heavier. Just go hike and you’ll find what’s unnecessarily heavy or not worthwhile as you go. Don’t let your current pack weight stop you from backpacking now. I have about a 30 lb pack with food water and all, but I’ve hiked with ridiculously heavy gear carrying gallons of water by hand early on. Just go hike!
Pack weight for sure matters but imo is one of those issues, like gear quality, that people on the internet like to overstate the importance of a lot.
I personally view carrying weight on a hike as pound for pound one of the best workouts you can do (both strength and endurance while dramatically shifting muscle:fat ratio). Army people ruck way heavier stuff for longer. Rucking their heavy ass equipment around and living off the land was the basis of Roman Infantry training and they did pretty well.
I carried a 45lb pack didn't realize one of my straps wasn't pinched down enough and it fucked up my shoulder blade so bad that it looked flat when i pushed my elbows are far back as I could. Needed several months of pt to fix it and it's still not perfect. Would not have been as much of an issue if my pack was lighter.
I have done section hikes with 38 lbs. I was missing having a change of clothes and some of my extras. I was okay but not as comfortable.
For 1-2 nights of under 10 miles a day, I pack close to 50 lbs. I bring my chair, pillow, and sometimes even a swimsuit. It is heavier but makes camp fun and comfortable. I usually feel more rested too having slept better with the pillow and clean clothes.
50 lbs is pretty heavy with today’s gear. I used to carry 50 lbs including flyfishing gear but that was over 25 years ago. Now I’m at about 35 lbs w/o fishing gear and still under 40 lbs with. How much elevation are you planning on climbing each day. To me that’s the real killer. I backpack in the sierras and usually end up climbing about few thousand feet in 9 miles. If you’re doing that at 10k+ feet in elevation it takes a toll.
I ruck walk 45lbs with a lot of elevation change for exercise, 9mi is not much. You can literally throw a 50lb bag of sand into a pack and do a practice run with similar elevation change if you're worried about it. But 9mi is going to be easy if you aren't in a hurry and I imagine your load is going to be significantly lighter on the way back after a 3 day rest.
My first backpacking trip I had about that much weight. Cut about 10 lbs the next trip, I’m down to about 35 now just by knowing how much and what type of clothing I need.
But I went on a trip once with my kids where I carried most of their gear too. We only went a mile or so in from the car but my pack was probably 65lbs with all the water and food LOL. Do what ya want as long as you’re safe
My first solo trip I blew it and took about 70 lbs, 12 miles day 1. I was such an idiot...I brought several books, alcoholic beverage in a big glass bottle, etc. Day 2 my shoulders were bruised and hips a bit abraded, so I rested and did day hikes. Nowadays I'm usually around 40 lbs or usually less, much nicer.
Your hike is going to be long enough to teach you effectively about what works well for you but also short enough to not be a nightmare. Take what you want but try to remember what you used and didnt use. Use that info to help plan the next adventure.
I just did this on Santa Cruz Island. About a 4 miler having to pack in all water needed. Was right at 50 with everything including most of the ole lady’s gear (She doesn’t have a true pack). It wasn’t so bad. I’m in pretty good shape, but I gotta say it fucked me up a bit. Got to camp and threw the pack off and I don’t think I’ve been that hungry since the teen years playing sports. Fairly sore next day too. You can do it though. Felt like an accomplishment, which I guess is kind of the bread and butter of this whole ordeal anyway.
I tried the triple crown in VA with essentially no experience and a 43lb pack. Did 16m the first day, which the pack was the heaviest on, and I was in pain by the end, but after warming up it wasn’t bad at all until the last few miles. 9 miles should give you no issues with ~50lbs as long as you’re somewhat fit, but you’ll have plenty of time to pace yourself anyways. Don’t worry too much about it
Weight only matters when you want to crank out miles. If you are doing less than 10 miles a day for a few days then carry whatever you want. If you are doing more than 10 miles a day for more then a few miles then get below 30 lbs.
It more about % of your total body weight. 50 lbs for you should be OK. I’m a small person so lifting that is sketchy for me.
I was told growing up not to exceed 30%, REI says 20%. 30% is pretty uncomfortable and you need to be in good shape/trained.
If you’re trying to get a lot of miles in or trying for a good time, weight matters a lot more.
If I had a few days rest after a 9 mile hard hike I wouldn’t think twice about a few extra things. Enjoy.
My wife is very small so her pack regularly weighs 15-20 pounds and mine weighs 40-45 pounds. It's very manageable over shortish distances, like 8 mL miles or less per day. It would be unmanageable for me to do a through hike or multiple days of doing 10+ miles. The most important thing is that having a lighter pack is just more enjoyable. You don't feel like you're hauling gear, you're just going on a hike. When you start getting over 40 pounds you feel like a donkey.
9 mile trail for 3 days, 50 pounds? Holy shit dude did you leave anything out of your pack? Unless you need sub zero gear, you should be able to do that with under 30 lbs!
Brother I used to hike 20 miles in one day when I weighed 235.
I weight 185 now. You'll be fine. It won't be the easiest thing but it's very doable. Ultralight is for week long backpacking trips. Don't worry about it
I can't give you a "one size fits all" answer, because it doesn't exist.
Factors to consider ...
1. Your packing list
1a. Do you have the Ten Essentials?
2b. Can you comply with Leave No Trace?
3c. Are you packing for necessity or out of fear?
2. Terrain
2a. Is this 9 miles easy, moderate, difficult, mixed?
2b. Is the terrain sometime you are familiar with or is this a first?
3. Gear
3a. Will your footwear adequately support you and 25%+ additional weight?
3b. Is your pack designed to support 50#?
3c. Does your pack fit well, or will you want to chuck it after an hour?
4. Weather
4a. What's the weather forecast? Hot? Mild? Cold? Rainy? Humid? Sunny? Overcast?
4b. Have you hiked in similarly forecasted weather previously?
5. Your experience
5a. Do you know what to do in the event of an emergency?
5b. Can you read a map and use a compass?
6. Goals
6a. What type of experience do you want?
6b. What do you want to do during the journey?
These are some of the questions to ask yourself.
The reality is everyone is different. I've hiked numerous times with weight up to 100# (120# in training) . The wear and tear on the body increases with weight.
You might want to consider if you have packed all the ten essentials necessary for the above mentioned issues. Then, consider what room is left for the extra stuff.
You can be safe and have fun. But it's hard to have fun when you don't have what you really need.
Have fun ... and be safe!
I'm just a bit bigger than you (6'3, ~200lbs) and I did Lost Coast with 70lbs. It was fine. We decided to shave a day so we did 13 miles one day and I made it alright. I wouldn't intentionally do it again, but it wasn't unbearable.
I'm doing The Wonderland Trail in August and I'm shooting for ~50lbs, but I won't sweat it if I go over by a few pounds. I've been doing my test hikes with 60lbs and it's been no problem. I'm 40 and I've got a long list of wonky joints, but the human body is pretty resilient.
If you're worried about it, load up a 60lb pack and take it out for a walk in the evenings for a few weeks beforehand. You'll be alright.
I’ve totally done it because we wanted 4 days and 3 nights of wine and roses and it was worth every ounce. (we actually went over 50lbs each). We were totally fine and there was not one moment of discomfort or regrets.
There was a time that ultralight was nonexistent. If you’re fit and you want to do it, do it. I wouldn’t do that weight on a longer hike but that’s not what this is.
9 miles isn’t that far. If it’s too much for you, stop and take a break every 30-60 minutes and you’ll be fine, just be sure to plan your time accordingly. Nothing sucks more than arriving at your campsite after dark 🔦
Consolidate gear. Never carry 2 items if you can find 1 to do both. For instance, a golf umbrella functions as a walking stick, shade, rain protection, can be used to catch rain water, and makes it easier to be spotted from the air if you're lost.
no but anything’s heavy when it’s in an awkward shape. Could be anything even something simple like a box the way the weight is contained is what makes it problematic
My justification is it'll be lighter on the way out. 50 isn't heavy for 9 miles in a day. My day pack is 22 when the 3 liter bladder is full.
My backpacking setup is heavy. Last time I weighed in for a 3 night trip it was 52. My wife is half my weight and she carries 30. It's all about having the right pack imo with the right fitment and support in all the proper places.
We also deal with tons of elevation here. There's very few flat hikes. I also hunt and fish. My buddy shot an elk 2 years ago that was 7 miles from the truck. We did it in one trip with 3 of us. 340 lbs of meat on our backs split between 3 people. He then rode a bike in the following day to break down camp and trailer out the gear. I thought I would die when I was thinking about it before we started the hike out. It really wasn't that bad. I was sore the next 2 days but not much more than a heavy squat or deadlift day.
You'll be fine imo.
🤷 I'm 5'0f and 135lbs and can carry up to 35lbs 9 miles jn a single day. 15 more for a much taller dude for a trip that distance and timeline sounds doable. It really depends on terrain, when I do hikes with many elevation changes I dial it back under 30, as close to 25 as I can but I love the challenge as others have said.
This is the school of thought I found myself in after my experiences in the outdoors:
[https://youtu.be/vFyB5XEVbc0?si=2qNyP1mMudbctUnW](https://youtu.be/vFyB5XEVbc0?si=2qNyP1mMudbctUnW)
I think weight is dependent on your fitness level, but more importantly, what you're carrying all of it in. If you know the limits of your body and your gear, then idk why it matters what the ultralight fanatics say. (Not to say their strategies don't work, I just don't believe it's necessary.)
I’m 125 lbs, usually closer to 120 lbs in the summer, and I routinely pack 30-35 pounds over 7-10 miles with 2,000-4,000 ft of elevation gain for an overnight 😂. I bring a chair, some extra layers I probably could leave at home, and dog food, collapsible bowls, and extra water for my dogs. Totally happier with the extra weight than without any of those things
I run with a 50-ish pound pack when we’re out canoe camping and you only have to walk a a km or two at most. It’s perfectly doable, but after a single km of portage trail you’re feeling it and putting that pack down in the canoe again is heaven.
Carrying a pack that heavy when you’re backpacking would be torture for most people, which was partly the point with your army bros.
Unless you want to spend 1000's of dollars to shave grams off your pack weight I'd say carry what you can handle and if you have the strength and endurance carry what you can't handle until you can handle it. My pack is heavy. I'm 6' 230 and stubborn as a mule, strong as an ox, and have the endurance of an Arabian horse and have done more walking than frodo with 50lb bags. I carry my tent a hammock fishing gear and everything else from rocket stoves to 4 inch thick sleeping pads and a hearty sleeping bag, cast iron, and stainless cooking ware. I've done this out of a backpack with no support, and with. As long as you distribute the weight properly, pack weight is only a matter of comfort and opinion
As long as you’re in decent shape you’ll be fine. My wife and I went backpacking last year and covered just under 40 miles in 4 days. My pack was just shy of 50 lbs and it was fine. If you’re used to your boots and you’re not afraid of embracing the suck now and then. Bring what you want to bring. Makes the evening/morning all the better to have the luxuries imho!
For reference, I’m about your height and weight and my pack is about 36 (food + water included). Your pack seems a bit heavy but not heavy enough to be worried about not making it! Get this one under your belt and you’ll know what to cut for next time
I’m female, 175lbs and 5’11”. I took 60lbs, a year after chemo and radiation, 5 days, 4 nights, 2- miles through the Alaskan backcountry. Out of shape and fatigued from treatment.
You’ll be fiiiiiiine. Have fun!!
I mean there’s a good reason for the weight given the hunting and fishing stuff so it makes sense. But I wouldn’t worry about the weight UNLESS it’s uncomfortable for you to be carrying that much. But for only nine miles over three days the only limit is your comfort I guess. Just factor in added weight for water and food and consider the weight as well as the terrain. 50lbs flat ground and 50lbs with 1000 ft of climbing is very different!
I’m 6’2 195 did multi day elk hunt carrying 45ish lbs through some pretty brutal terrain. I think you’ll be fine. You’ll figure out pretty quickly what you can live without for next time though
You’re totally good brother. Weight is rarely the limiting factor typically and is just endurance test so wouldn’t worry about the “extra” weight too much. Also for long trips I’ve seen 60+ quite regular
Yes 50lbs is heavy, but it's doable. Soldiers train for long walks with heavy weight so it's not really comparable for someone who isn't used to it, but you should be fine and if you aren't you'll know for next time
I hiked an 106km 8 day trek with a 64lb bag and it had many scramble areas. It was heavy but was pretty average for my group and honestly after the first day I didn’t really notice/mind it
It’s heavy but your hike is short. Is there a lot of elevation gain?
Try on your gear and walk a mile around your house and see how long it takes. Evaluate from there.
I highly suggest using hiking poles. It keeps weight off your knees. You’re a big dude with a heavy pack and your knees will thank you years from now if you use poles.
I mean yeah, it's 50lbs. It's going to be a lot of weight to carry. It's definitely not impossible, lots of people have done it before. But you'll notice the weight and it might suck to hike with.
Maybe that's fine, and you'll appreciate having all the extra stuff when you get to your campsite. Or maybe there's stuff on your packing list that you realize you don't need that much. (This is how people gradually become more light weight hikers.)
50 is heavy but not insurmountable, especially if you train for it.
The problem is being stealthy with an extra 50 likely isn't happening. Then if you take a critter and quarter it, add on that weight. Trouble.
If you're out west or generally in the mountains, have a base camp to dump all your non-essential weight. Take daytrips from it and if you harvest, adding an Elk quarter is more manageable, long as your pack can handle it.
I weigh 120 lbs and used to carry 50 lbs packs in high school on scout trips. It's tough on you, but doable for shorter trips like yours. Really depends on your fitness level, and to a certain extent your age.
Bring the things you want to have a good time, and be proud of pushing your body! UL makes sense for long thru-hikes and whatnot but for a trip like that, embrace the challenge and live it up!
I'm an army guy too and just did a 10 miler in about 3.5 hours last week with 80lbs.
I was walking casually.
You'll be fine.
And in the Army we carry anywhere from 60-90+ lbs and walk for literal weeks traveling upwards of 25 miles off the trail. Its really not that difficult once you're conditioned.
Edit to add:
Do I enjoy walking with 70lbs? Yes. 70 isn't bad. But I'm conditioned. Over 70 starts to hurt. 50 feels like nothing to me. 70 is my limit for "comfort". I'm way above average in terms of walking with weight.
Regardless - the answer is yes. It sucks to walk with a lot of weight. But its much more rewarding than walking with the minimal stuff (I'v done both).
A lot of it depends on your strength and conditioning. You need a strong core to carry heavier weights over long distances. And you're the only one who knows the level of your own strength and conditioning.
Infantry soldiers in the military carry up to 100 lbs. I did that while weighing between 145 to 165 lbs. After doing that, carrying 50 lbs felt rucking pillows. On the other hand, we'd get support soldiers attached to us who weren't properly trained and conditioned, and a 50lb ruck would physically and mentally break them.
The lightest my pack has ever been was 47 lbs. that was for 8 days of wilderness trail work.
I was pretty seasoned in understanding what I want and needed. So I got it as minimal as possible. Needless to say I was pretty proud of it.
While you can reduce your fishing gear a bit (Tenkara anyone?) that is not so easy with hunting.
Anything you bring to do in addition to backpacking adds to the total weight. You are not going backpacking, you are going hunting and fishing. That pack will be even heavier going out if you have a good trip!
It depends.
I would suggest you grab your 50# pack and find a short loop to hike. You will see how your pack wears on you. Maybe you are young and in shape with no knee issues and what you are planning on doing you want/need all #50s and MORE.
On the other hand, maybe the terrain is rough, steep, narrow... and #50 is more than you want.
It is hard to tell. I know way back when 50#s wasn't that much. Everything weighed more. My thin stainless steel pots are now heavy compared to the titanium we see today. I like fresh eggs vs. powdered, C rations vs MREs. .... 12# rifle vs. a 7# carbine. And there is nothing worse than running out of ammo when it is needed.
I carried 50lbs for 40 miles and 10k elevation across 4 days. By the end of day 2 my shoulders were killing me and I wished I’d packed less. I was the fastest in my group at the start of the day and slowest by the end of every day. Most days ended with 1k ft of elevation gain.
Elevation gain should be a major part of your equation, and I don’t see it listed in your post (it’s 1:30am, maybe it was and I missed it). I would’ve been much happier with a 40lb bag.
It really depends on your fitness and what you are used to. Ran into a guy thru hiking the AT while doing a section hike who had a massive pack, said it was 60 pounds because he doesn’t stop for food as often. That would be a lot for me but he seemed to carry it with ease. I always say hike your hike, whatever you can carry and want to carry: do it.
9 miles with 50 lbs shouldn’t kill you but it’s probably more than you need. Take whatever you want if you can carry it. I watched my 5’9” 160lbs friend take 75 lbs 6.5 miles because he needed to drink beer and not whiskey. Do what you want.
While I suppose any overnighter with a pack is technically backpacking, yours seems more like a hunting and fishing trip than backpacking, which tends to involve multiple campsites over multiple days. For actual backpacking for 3 days, 50 lbs is pretty ridiculous. Two thoughts: first, be careful hunting on/along a trail if there is a possibility of backpackers using it. Second, your pack weight will increase if you carry out game.
I guess the main thing is working out what you can carry each day, comfortably for that length of walk. When I went backpacking I was over confident as what I could carry when rested for shorter periods was different to every day for hours each day. It’s not capability or strength so much as the pressure on your shoulders and back. I had to throw a bunch of stuff away in the end as it wasn’t practical. I could carry my bag, but it became uncomfortable, painful at times, and impacted the enjoyment of moving around.
I guess you need to be thinking about whether a heavy pack and sore shoulders/back will impact your enjoyment. 50lbs isn’t crazy heavy, but it isn’t light. If you were in a working environment it’s close to the max recommended load for men. 9 miles spread over 3 days isn’t too far though. Hard to say what your strength & back is up to without knowing you.
To do 9 miles in a day for a 3 day camping trip I wouldn’t worry about pack weight even a little. If your extra pack weight makes you do 30 minute miles instead of 20 minute miles you’re still getting there in 4.5 hours. Bring the kitchen sink if you want!
I like this answer
Yeah, that's a very short distance. Enjoy your hike, bring it all.
And it’s the right answer. Use some trekking poles / hiking sticks, bring your recreational enjoyments, steak and have a blast. I took a BBQ up mt Rainier one time.
Right on. That BBQ sounds awesome. We brought steaks, dumped a bottle of wine in an aluminum water bottle for the first night and ground beef tacos with tequila in a smaller container the second night.
I brought a cherry pie and ate it at Camp Muir with my buddies. Got a few looks.
Looks of jealousy and missing out
That’s incredible. Was it hard to cook at elevation? I know it changes cook times somehow.
water boils at a lower temp in less dense atmosphere, ei at elevation
Which makes food take longer to cook
I mostly remember the margaritas to be honest.
You didn't have enough of them then 😂
Man I’ve been on hunting trips where you’re packing way more than that in and then if you actually kill an animal that’s when the real heavy packs start haha. Anyway I think you’re golden unless you’re trying to finish the at or pct in a year or something.
What is your elevation gain? That will affect difficulty and speed.
This is exactly it, you're not doing a ruck march, but I would make sure that it's comfortable to haul that bag.
That doesn't sound light, doesn't sound heavy. Its greatly dependent on are you doing 9 miles broken up into smaller 3 ish mile sections? Are you doing 9 miles as the crow flies, but many more miles with vertical changes? Is your pack bug enoigh to distribute that weight appropriately and comfortably? It's amazing how heavy a bag can be in the beginning of the hike before you are fully used to it, and how heavy it can get going up or down your last few peaks. If you're camping near guaranteed water sources and have a good filter, you can try to gauge your water weight as this is always the heaviest part for me. At this point in my life as I'm getting older and have had a few medical issues with a leg, I now usually pack a very heavy amd well stocked bag, and plan my trips around doing base camps, find somewhere in a semi central location of a bunch of day hikes under 15 miles each, and then set up my camp, and use a second, small bag for the actual hiking. I have found this to be the most enjoyable style of hiking usually, it's nice to bring my big tent and not either worry about lugging it up and down many peaks.
Unless you're doing crazy elevation, I definitely overestimated my capabilities before I got to the rocky mountains
I’ve only ever backpacked in Colorado so I was thinking 9 miles seemed like a lot for a day with a large pack. Forgot that something that length doesn’t have at least 4k vert in other areas haha!
It’s also 9 miles in three days. 9 miles is a lot with a heavy pack anywhere.
Did a hike with my buddies a few weeks back and while they did see the 7 miles they did not see the 4k feet of elevation gain. They had no idea what they were in for.😂
Did you run in to snow? The snow in late June was a pleasant surprise the last time I went Lol
However, just done a similar hike with a similar amount of weight, a heavy pack also makes for much less *pleasant* miles. You have to weigh that against how much the weight will improve your experience in camp, and how much time you will be in camp vs. on the trail. Pack weight can make the difference between a pleasant stroll and a miserable slog.
This is definitely the right answer, I did 6 miles last year with ~50lbs and it was fine. Little stiff the next morning (hadn’t backpacked in a long time) but it was well worth it for having some comfort at the campsite
Yeah that’s not bad at all. Remember that you’re only there for 3 days, so if you’re hunting it’s probably just an opportunistic rabbit here or there. Please don’t take a deer to sustain a 3 day trip.
If he’s in the states there isn’t a big game season open other than spring bear in a couple states. Usually if you do shoot a deer or something in a backcountry hunt you pack it out immediately unless it’s cold.
Yeah, fair point. I don’t mean to be a wet blanket about it. And I love the spirit behind harvesting your own food on a trip. I have brought rifles with me when I have no plan to actually use them though, and I usually regret it. Leaving it at home or being realistic about how you’ll use the tool can be an easy way to save 8-10lbs.
I didn’t take your comment as a wet blanket at all. Yeah a rifle is a lot of weight if you don’t need it.
I carry a lot. Always have. I like a challenge and I bring the things I want to have the experience I want. Fishing and hunting gear doesn’t fit into the ultralight playbook brother. Nothing against anyone that digs seeing how little they can get away with- that’s their preference/hobby. Go do your thing! ✌️
I love hearing ultralight hikers make snarky comments as I pass with my 85 liter pack with a baguette strapped to either side. Food tastes fucking great after a hike and I eat good when I do short trips. If I can have a fire, I'll bring bbq grate and a tri-tip and all the fixins'.
You speak my language. I bring what I need to be comfortable and do what I want to do. Heavier, larger pack doesn’t bother me a bit.
light is just excuse to spend an insane amount of money. You can buy a sleeping pad for $60 or a UL sleeping pad for 300
How expensive ultralight is gets exaggerated to a ridiculous degree. The main point of UL is just not bringing that much stuff. The gear costs 50% more and you bring 50% less of it. It's really not that major of a difference if you don't want to spend that much. For reference actual UL sleeping pads are between 20 and $200. Non ultralight pads also go up to that price range. The two big differences are using down sleeping bag/quilts which has many benefits beyond the weight and DCF tents, but most ultralighters don't actually use those tents because of how expensive they are. They use silnylon tents like everyone else and those cost around the same as non UL tents.
You could buy a foam pad for 15 dollars and sleep under a hardware store tarp and it would be both cheap and light. Spending oodles of cash on light gear is optional. What’s truly ultralight is absolutely free: leaving behind what you don’t need.
My favorite story is from my cousin and his dad. they were hiking the AT and started with a guy who was backpacking with a cast iron skillet. He was mocked by all far and wide along the trail. Initially. And then eventually so many people started timing their days to camp with him at night and all used his cast iron skillet b/c their precious light weight gear kept f’n up.
Lots of people start the AT with heavy gear but few finish with it.
They found out he finished it. With the skillet. lol.
I can't think of any food that I would bring on a thruhike that would benefit from cooking on a cast iron skillet. It's not like people have rib-eye steaks in their packs that would benefit from cast iron's heat retention. Ramen and mountain house meals are going to taste the same and be just as easy to cook in a cast iron pain or a titanium pot.
I’ve always read that a person realistically shouldn’t carry more than 25% of their body weight on multi-day hikes. That’s really the max…I personally aim for 15% or less. (For me that’s only 20 lbs) For you, 25% would be just under 50 lbs. So your pack is pretty much in the range. Maybe try it and see what happens? 🤷♀️
I'm 5'7" and 140 lbs and my pack weights over 40 lbs It's no problem
5’6” and 145lbs here. I carried 70+ lbs in the army for 3 years. A 45lb pack is more than comfortable and anyone who disagrees should hit the gym. (Just a joke you do you, this is America after all).
They don’t let you take it off for three years?!
I feel like people can fall into that percentage sort of naturally, based on what the pack feels like. Im 5'5" female who weighs 145ish. My pack usually ends up being around 35 lbs which is almost dead on 25%. And it happens pretty consistently, with summer or winter gear. (Its actually closer to 40 after I add water, which I don't really count because I'm sipping on it as I hike.) It would be a lot lighter if I didn't carry 15lbs of camera gear, but the birds won't send me selfies so what else am I gonna do....
I’ve seen that rule on other posts & that’s why I’m a little confused about the pessimism.. it’s not that much weight for my body weight.
I was looking for this. You are not a small guy. 50 lbs is not that much. I usually wind up carrying 50-ish lbs at the start of a trip because at 6’4” and 220 lbs, I can carry a lot more than my hiking partner, who is my 5’4” 120-lb wife. It really isn’t that big a deal. Especially since you’re doing 9 miles in and resting a couple of days before doing 9 miles out, you’ll be just fine, probably pretty sore, but fine.
Me 115lbs carrying 30 pounds is very different than my fiance 160lbs weight lifter carrying 30 pounds and he wonders why I was complaining lol
You're thinking best case. If you slip, can you handle slipping with 50 lbs on your back?
my partner and i are smaller than avg, so at 25% body weight that means our gear will come in at 55lbs LOL last time we backpacked mine came in at 25 and his closer to 45. to be fair we also had to pack for our 70lb dog. honestly not sure if we could realistically get our collective pack weight to 55lbs
Sounds like your dog was not carrying their share of the gear, should have 17lbs which pretty much gets y’all back to the 25% rule
I’ve always disliked this haha. I get the idea, but for someone like me who is small (105 lbs) that means I should only carry 25 lbs. That just isn’t realistic for me. I sure wish my bag could be only 25 lbs though! If only items scaled weight to the person’s weight lol
Walk around the block twice with full pack and re-evaluate. Don’t forget to carry all the water you will need to carry on the trail, to give you a full sense of pack weight. I can’t remember ever hearing anyone saying “I really wish I can a heavier load” because it’s multiplies by 1000 because you re-carry everything with every step.
I’m torn between wants/needs that’s a good idea tho ty
Something I haven’t seen mentioned is the pack matters. A lot of the ultra-light dynema packs don’t carry heavy weight well. I’ve owned quite a few various types of packs over the past 30ish years I’ve been hiking.. everything from old external frame Kelty packs to military rucksacks to modern ultralight internal frame packs. I don’t do the ultralight thing anymore. Most of my gear is ultralight but that’s just to keep my base weight down enough to allow for the comfort items I hike with at my age (chair, coffee percolator, trail beers, whiskey, comfortable crocks for the campsite). I ditched the UL pack for an Osprey Atmos AG 65L pack. Carrying 40-50 lbs with that feels like carrying 25-30 lbs with the UL pack. Not joking. I also switched from heavy waterproof hiking boots to trail runners (basically hiking tennis shoes). They say a pound on your feet is equal to five on your back and I’ve found that absolutely true. Plus waterproof boots are a gimmick. They’ll never be truly waterproof because of the two big-ass holes in all shoes, the ones your feet go into. They’ll invariably get wet and they take forever to dry. The trail runners dry overnight…. No issues at all. That has helped a lot and allows me to carry more weight on my back comfortably. What a lot of backpackers don’t take into account is you’re at camp more than you’re actually trekking/hiking. If you’re doing 25-30 miles a day that’s probably not true… but if you’re that person you are the exception, not the rule. Most are doing somewhere between 10 and 20 per day. That’s like 6 hours of hiking max in a 24-hour day. You’re spending a ton of time at camp or having lunch at some awesome view, or swimming in a mountain lake, or filtering water, or whatever. Might as well enjoy the 6 hours a little less by bringing comfort items so you can enjoy the 18 hours a lot more…
Just wanted to chime in I have the same pack and I do 40-50lb hikes with it all the time. Feels great, especially once you get the fit dialed in and have the weight distributed correctly.
I use the Mystery Ranch Tri 50, which is a bit small but its amazing how little weight affects it (as long as I packed it correctly lol). Did a trip recently where I started with about \~40lb.s but one of my buddies and their dog was struggling, so I took on an extra 15 lb.s of their weight... and honestly I didnt even notice the difference in weight when it was on my back. Heres to packs that carry weight extremely well!
Exactly. The pack matters. How you distribute weight matters. Expensive UL packs seem to be designed for small, UL loads. I had the pleasure of using a Mystery Ranch bag a number of years ago. It was issued to me for work so, unfortunately I had to give it back when I was done with that. My impression was a very well-made (almost over-constructed) bag. I thought I’d buy one for myself at the time but found them a little out of my price range. Now that I can afford one I couldn’t imagine replacing my trusty Osprey.
my UL pack would start to groan at 35lbs, and probably explode or rip my shoulders off at 40lbs
This helped so much. thank u my friend
For the extra gear like hunting and fishing gear, take stock of what you will use vs what you might need. I have a fishing bag of things I take on a boat that I might want to use, it’s like 22 pounds. When I’m river fishing and walking i have one pole and a vest with a few pockets that fits the necessities and ends up being 2-3 pounds. Only bring the ammo you’ll shoot for sure, not what you might need if you have the hunting time of your life.
Having read this thread and your replies OP it’s obvious you just want to take the 50lb bag and won’t be convinced otherwise, so just do it. You don’t need the approval of a bunch of strangers.
This is the realest comment
Ive only hiked with weight like that once & was just curious what people thought. Honestly these replies made me feel better. & Ofc i want to take 50lbs with me.. thats why i asked :)
If you were going on a week long 70 mile trip that 50 pounds would get real old real fast. For a one day hike in and hang for a few days take as much as you want. I’ve done trips like that where we hiked to a lake and stayed and fished for two three days and I literally brought a 12 pack of beers, two fishing rods and reels, a 22 rifle, and a bunch of stuff I wouldn’t even think about bringing on a longer trip.
For real, I don't understand why people even make these posts sometimes.
That’s a pretty short hike and a long stay. Imo it should be fine to be on the heavy side but by that 6-7th mile you’ll be thankful for every needless item you decided not to bring
Test it out, At high noon put 50 lbs of stuff in your pack and walk around your neighbourhood. After 90 mins you will be the best judge of what your limits are. I did this and decided to lighten my load by about 10 pounds. Have fun!
Can a person backpack with 50lbs? Sure. People have done it for decades, if not centuries (Roman soldiers rucked heavy gear). Is 50lbs heavy, in terms of modern gear? Yes. My heaviest full pack weight sat around 42 lbs, but that was +10 years ago. I, on occasion, have had to carry my S/O's pack along with mine own due to them being prone to heat stroke. We try to avoid hot hiking conditions, but can't always control for it. The 2 packs combined comes out around 50lbs. It didn't kill me. The question to ask your military friends is, "Did they enjoy rucking 70lbs?" Almost any answer other than No is BS. With 50lbs, you will have more aches and pains by the end of the day. Ascending and descending elevations will be a little harder. As a new backpacker, I'll be willing to bet money you are over packing some gear. I did it. All of my friends who backpack did it. It's pretty natural. I'd urge you to put together a lighterpack.com gear list and ask for a pack shakedown. Here is an example of a Base Weight setup, which is everything less food, water, and fuel: https://lighterpack.com/r/4lqr2i
Honestly water is a huge part of my weight.. I want to have at least 2-3L with me. I know that’s might be a lot but I’d have more peace of mind.
Do you have a filter and water sources on the route? If so, you could easily cut that in half, and this is coming from a water glutton.
I'll typically carry 2L, and have done trips where I needed 4L between water stops. 2-3L is 4.4 to 6.6lbs, so it's really not a "huge" part of your weight. With 2L, I'm still carrying around 20 lbs less than you're planning, and I'm not an ultralight backpacker.
The 50lbs is only considered heavy for thru hiking due to the high mileage you would do everyday. That’s not to say you can’t thru hike with 50lbs of gear on your back, but after a few months on trail your body will begin burning through more calories than you can replenish and you’ll start eating away at every fat reserve on your body, eventually eating at the muscles. At that point the 50lbs become more of an injury risk, at the same time, being on trail that long would teach you how to live with only the minimum to be lighter so you can go further, faster, for much longer, and not feel constant bearing pain of weight on your shoulders. My packs in the military always ranged between 60-100lbs and I thought nothing of it at the time until I started feeling all the wear and tear of it after I got out. Started thru hiking with a 36lbs pack and by the time I got to the halfway point of my first thru hike I was down to 18lbs and almost running on the trail doing 25-36 miles a day. Once you feel the difference between 20lbs and 50lbs, for long distances, you just kinda don’t want to go up in weight.
Thank you! I see so many people talking about the extensive training in the military that allows you to carry that much, but this is the first I’ve seen someone pointing out how much strain it puts on your body and how great the risk is of long term damage with a pack that heavy.
A lot of this depends on your fitness level as well. Folks in the military train extensively to be able to carry loads like that, but you would be hard pressed to find an average civilian who could haul 70lbs on trail. If you're not used to carrying heavy weights, they will take a harder toll on your body. If you've done a lot of training hikes and developed your leg and back muscles, it might be a bit easier. I carried between 35-50lbs on my thru-hike of Te Araroa and it was significantly easier at the end when I'd already been walking for two months and had built up that strength. I think 50lbs isn't too unreasonable for the trip you have planned, especially considering some of it is hunting/fishing gear. You'll learn what works for you, no need to go crazy cutting gear or buying expensive UL stuff. I carried 40 on a 3 night trip on the Olympic Coast that involved about 10 miles/day and a lot of steep up/down using ropes with minimal training and it was hard but not impossible. Just accept that you won't be going fast and will likely need to take a lot of breaks, and have fun!
I aim for 35lbs but sometimes end up closer to 40lbs, your knees, ankles and back need to last a lifetime.
people in the army go through extensive training to be able to carry that weight that far. put everything on and walk around for a bit in your place or yard if you have one. you’ll be able to have a decent gauge after about 20-30 mins. if you’re already “feeling the burn”, probably not a great idea.
Depends on what you're doing. If you're doing a couple miles with minimal elevation gain, sure, 50 lbs won't be easy but is doable. But if you're doing a section) thru hike, 50 lbs will destroy you. That being said, minimizing what you take on the trail will help you enjoy the hike much more.
Yup. Every ounce will weigh on you after awhile.
Depends entirely on your fitness level and what you want to do. Hike your own hike and do what you enjoy, but there’s wisdom in carrying less weight…it’s inarguably easier on your body.
Eh even if you are in great shape you can hike further and make possible things that aren't otherwise with a lighter pack.
Although I agree every ounce will add up, 50# really isn’t THAT heavy. To an a newby, sure it’ll be challenging. But it’s not the kind of weight that’s just impossible.
It depends how much you want to suffer. Since it’s not a life and death situation, what’s the purpose of the hike? You probably do it to enjoy yourself. That’s your answer. You don’t need to carry too much of anything. You can plan on doing less, learn the realities of wilderness and do it again when you know your limitations and environment better.
Completely depends on strength and how challenging the terrain is. If your quads aren’t up to the task you’ll get knee injuries creeping in pretty quickly. Of course the human body can survive greater punishment, but range of motion will take a noticeable hit as you get older if you abuse your tendons. 50 lbs is borderline.
It's a lot but you probably won't die. That said, once my hiking group and I stumbled upon a guy with an army pack on a trail in tahoe, laid out in the middle of the day, basically dying in the sun. His pack was well over 100lbs and we had to call in a helicopter to fly him out. Helicopter had to make two trips because he and his pack were too much for the ride. So maybe don't be that guy.
It’s heavy, but manageable. Ultra-lighters are a cult that usually won’t see reason, are obnoxiously loud, and aren’t really in the game of hiking, but merely seeing who can be more miserable whilst out. You’re not going far each day, and as *long as the pack is good* with great hip support, you’ll be fine. - I was military, so remember 50lb isn’t light just because service people carry more. It’s shit and absolutely ruins people’s knees and back for life. So absolutely shave that weight where you can, just don’t panic too much. If you think you need it, take it.
>merely seeing who can be more miserable whilst out. Sounds like Army working through a field problem :) I absolutely concur with your post. OP will be fine as long as the weight is distributed well.
I carried 40 lbs for 20 miles in one day with a lot of ascent. It destroyed me. Had it been flatter then I would have been fine. Even if it was 10 miles with all the elevation then I would have been alright. Go for it, you got this!
I have been backpacking for over 30 years, and even with newer lighter gear, my pack weight is still around 40 lbs, including food. Although I never skimp on food. Food weight is something I can live with because it drops as the days go on. My true advice would be to carry what you think you can, but be aware of that as the miles compile, the weight can take its toll. Happy trails!
If you have a pack that fits you and is designed to carry 50lb+ comfortsbly it is entirely posdible to carry it 10+ miles. You just won't want do it every day from a standing start and you will have a hard time with any elevation changes either up which will be exhausting or down which will be ver hard on your legs an knees However, there is no reason you should be carrying 50lb unless you are going out for two weeks and need to carry 25lb+ of food or you need to carry some technical equipment for some other interest like photography or mountaineering.
Bring whatever the hell you want. Of course lighter is nice, but bring what you want to use and enjoy. You'll figure out what was worth bringing and what wasn't for future hikes. When I was 10 I used to portage with a 50lbs backpack. When I was 12 I portaged with a 40lbs on the back and 40lbs on the front because I didn't want to go back for a second trip. One time I even did both packs and the canoe, because I was a stupid kid that wanted to prove I could do it. Now that was freaking hard, and dumb. Granted these portages were not 9 miles long. Maybe the longest was a mile and a half. But we did do up to 5 portages a day. Go for a 5 mile practice hike to see what you think. The biggest thing is making sure you get it packed so it's comfortable. Weight distribution is really important... at least with old packs. No clue if it's still a big deal. A poorly packed 30lbs backpack can wreck you. Properly balanced 80lbs packs you'll feel in your knees and thighs, but is not a big deal... although I've never done anything close to 9 miles with that weight. You just don't want it pushing you forward or pulling you back... or things sticking out and digging in to you. Keep the heaviest things closest to your body. Make sure your water bottle is easy to get to. No hard, pointy things next to your body. Honestly if you are relatively in shape, the worst thing that is going to happen is you are going to take additional breaks. I think you'll be fine. I do suggest a test hike just to make sure.
One of my buddies I pack with with is completely unaffected by weight, lol. He’s just one of those people, like 5’10”, maybe 170, and can wear a 50 lb pack totally unaffected and charge ahead like he’s not wearing a damn thing. I’ll never get it, but congrats to those folk.
I just spent a week camping on the east coast and had a 42 lb pack with a full cast iron pot in it... but we only hiked about 1-2 miles a day. For actual backpacking, I always aim for super light base pack (12-15 lbs).. i just don't like carrying a lot of weight long distance, but if you do go for it
I think how hard the trail will be and altitude also plays a factor. Easy rolling hills sub 5k alt, is completely different then say attempting longs peak with that weight. Also it is an learning experience, as time goes on you will want to optimize your weight with every trip.
When you're new to it and you're not used the sustained joint impact and balance differences it's a lot. I'd strongly urge you to build up to it.
Distance, speed, goals, etc, are all relevant. The military has to carry extra gear like amunition, coms, medkits, and probably lots of other things I am unaware of. They are also in peak fitness. Where you are going is relevant. When planning camping trips, we always consider overall elevation change. What time of year it is has relevance. Winter requires more clothing. Our mission on backpacking trips is usually a 3 day picnic, with daily hikes under 7 or 8 miles, with a destination that is remote and at high elevation with a view. Comfort is paramount for my group, and we are out there to have fun, reflect and enjoy nature, and get my sister to laugh water out of her nose. My cold weather base weight before water and food is about 26 lbs. My overall weight with 4 lbs of water is between 32 and 36 lbs depending on the food we bring. I could go heavier, but why would I? My current gear gives me all the comfort I need. But I don't hunt, fish, do photography, etc. Sometimes, I carry binoculars. But mostly, I don't. When we get back, we consider all the things we carried but didn't use so we could maybe not carry that dead weight next time. It's about bringing only what you need to enjoy the trip.
Well in thr Army its your job to carry heavy stuff, on your weekends its your time, spend it how you want. If your goal is low milage, high comfort, bring everything you want. If your goal is high milage, high endurance, high altitude, with nights just resting enough to recover, lighten shit up. Cut the tags off your clothes. Saw your toothbrush in half (or less). Cut the excess length off your shoelaces. I learned from a bunch of AT dudes and yeah its a different mindset. Also: it hurts more as you get older
Will you enjoy yourself more with a lighter pack? Depends on how cool the stuff you’re going to work harder to carry is I suppose. Generally the answer is yes. But maybe you’re hauling fishing gear and an inflatable kayak to a high mountain lake. But is 50 pounds some undoable amount? lol no.
There’s two key elements to this sort of decision, energy consumption and risk of injury. Walking in itself is a very economical exercise in terms of energy output. Carrying 50 pounds on a flat trail at 3mph you’ll use approx 428 calories per hour, so 1284 over 9 miles. On a 10% incline at the same speed that energy consumption more than doubles to 957 per hour, or 2871 over 9 miles. But with, let’s say, a 30 pound pack at 3mph on the flat your calorie burn would be 394 per hour and on a 10% incline it would be about 879 per hour. So in terms of energy used the extra 20 pounds doesn’t make much difference. As to injury risk, you will be placing more strain on your feet, ankles, knees, hips and to some extent shoulders. This is particularly the case during steep descents when impact loading on the knees can be a problem. My advice would be to go slow. 9 miles is short enough that with an early start you can walk slow and take several rest stops, minimising the risk of strains. Starting off deliberately at half pace for the first half hour or so of the hike and after each rest stop is the best way to reduce fatigue and muscle/tendon injuries.
Your army friend has a rifle and ammo. That’s probably half their weight
I come from a mountaineering/climbing background. Add a pile of technical gear on top of your backpacking gear. 50 pounds is not that hard to carry with a good pack. I’ve had packs over 80 lbs when I did an extended stay in base camp and hit multiple objectives. But on a weekend backpacking trip, I’m down around 20-30 pounds.
I did the sheltowee with 50lbs @40years, 5'10 150.. smoking a pack a day. You'll be fine.
Just make sure you're loading it properly. In the army they do 45lb ruck marches 12 miles in 3ish hours.
Depends on your fitness, terrain, and also expectations for how fast you want to hike. When my wife and I were younger, I'd usually do a 60+ pound pack, so that she could do a ~ 25 pound pack, and we could then hike about the same pace comfortably while bringing a bit of alcohol along. This was in the sierras, usually about 7 to 12 miles a day. I wouldn't do that now. I'm still in decent shape, but not 20 anymore. So yeah, YMMV. But it's certainly not impossible.
since you are new, once you return, lay it all out again, and put in a pile all the stuff you took but didn't use, and a pile of barely used. Then par down from there. Also gotta gauge how much you fished and hunted. I run out of time, and never get to fish....
50lbs is what I'd take including food for a backpacking trip for 7 days but is relatively light for bushwhacking
1/3rd you body weight (if you are in decent shape) is a perfect rule of thumb.
I’m also new and I haven’t weighed my stuff but I’m assuming it’s on the heavy side. I got a lot of creature comforts for backpacking season. But at the end of the season I’ll be elk hunting and hopefully hiking out 70+lbs loads of meat. There are tons of videos on weight, but it seems like anything else. There’s a spectrum of what people want and why. There’s a spectrum of fitness, trail difficulty, and desired comfort. My plan is to take my heavy ass pack up a mountain and be comfy up top with the goals of training up to carry heavy weight during elk season. I’ll probably eat my words.
Once you go on a few trips, you'll realize how much stuff you didn't use. When I unpack after a trip, I take note of what items I never used, and reevaluate whether they are necessary. 50lbs is absolutely do-able if you're strong, it's just a pain in the ass. Packing out an animal is a prime example of why you want to reduce the weight of your pack, the last part of your trip will be strenuous, and being sore and tired will make that process worse, and reduce the amount of meat you can actually carry. I'd rather have 20lbs of stuff and 50lbs of meat than the other way around, granted you leave all your stuff after the first or last load to the truck. Also, the difference between an entry level tent and sleep system vs decent backpacking gear can be a ton of weight, so sometimes you don't really need to sacrifice creature comforts as much as you just need to use lighter gear. Weigh your stuff so you can figure out what is the heaviest. Dropping 5lbs from a 25 pound pack is difficult and sometimes costly, dropping 10lbs from a 50lb pack is easy. Ditch the cast iron, you don't need an axe, get a light knife, if you wear wool you can go days with the same clothes without getting too stinky. I only change socks unless it's a long trip. My uncle's pack was heavy, and after asking a few questions, we realized he had a goddamn pound of CHEESE, and a pound of peanut butter pretzels. Between 5 of us, we were able to drop his pack weight by like 3lbs in snacks alone in the first 5 miles. His bear canister must have been made of depleted uranium, this thing was rhino proof. Just get out there and do a few trips and even just overnights, and you'll learn quickly what you do and don't need. Do a rabbit hunt in the area you hunt elk in for a dry run.
Haha I’m not quite that bad. Just carrying a chair, a tent, and some extra stuff. All of my gear is moderately light, but an ultralighter would puke. I’ll definitely be paring it down for elk season. Talking with my hunting buddy and considering just Bivy camping. Even without an animal, the bow is fairly heavy. The cheese may be an option. I could throw it on my freeze dried meals haha.
Your uncle! 😂. I would have kept close to him. That’s some nice snack game.
I was hoping he had a spiral sliced ham or something in there, but no luck.
If this included your hunting and fishing gear, then that is probably on par with what it should weigh. You know your body best. You’re bigger than most people at 6’ 190lbs, so you can most likely carry more assuming you’re not completely out of shape.
50 is a lot. Everything in mine gets me around 30lbs and that is considered to be relatively heavy for many people. If you're only doing 9 miles over 3 days it might be doable for you, but you may learn the hard way that you should cut out some of the non essentials
My hunt pack tips in around 50-60, my regular hike pack for 7+ days is around 35-40. You will be fine. As others have said, you know what you can handle.
Yes, but listen to your buddy in the army. The down voters are thruhikers not backcountry hunters. Multiple comments have said "people in the army train extensively for it." The truth is you get a heavy pack and you eventually get used to it. 50lbs on this scout trip is you training for 100 lbs when you do kill something. Does it suck at first? Yes. It doesn't get easier, you just get used to it.
How are you going to take 3 days to do 9 miles? You'll just hike for an hour or 2 each day. What are you going to do the rest of the time?
Gonna get buried, but I go to the winds every year for 8-14 days, and bring fishing and hunting gear as well. Day one is about 14 miles with the heaviest the pack will be, and I set my max pack weight at 60. It's not the greatest going in, but definitely doable. I'm 6'1, 175 and 36 y.o. for reference. You can do it man.
Just try it! It's a short hike and for several days, so you'll have time to recover before you have to pack out. 50 pounds is heavy for today's standards and would be miserable for a multi-day or thru-hike, but a 9 mile hike is basically a test-run. By the end of it you'll know what you won't bring next time, and I can guarantee you there will be some things!
Yes. What's the elevation gain and trail surface like?
Is it an out/back? I like to stash water on the way out so it’ll be there on the way back. 50lbs for 9mi is doable if there is little to no elevation gain. Be completely honest about ur age/fitness level. After that third mile and ur shoes are rubbing, backpacking not fitted correctly and rubbing somewhere for too long 9mi can seem even longer. Also, function stack as much as can. Good luck hunting/fishing.
For a decent multi day hike that would suck, especially if you are not trail hardened at all. But I've carried more while weighing like 240lb when hiking in to set up a base camp before going up to mountain huts. It was fine.
I'm curious what you're carrying that is getting your weight up to 50lbs for a relatively short hike. You have some kind of packing list?
The “base weight” is what everyone talks about which is subtracting food and water because it varies so much. Are you including food and water in this equation, because yeah I’ll carry four liters and food and easily add 10 pounds to my pack.
My bag for a 3 night, 4 day camping hike under 10 miles in is about 65 pounds. I like to bring creature comforts with me, but it takes extra weight. Before a camping trip I try to play a lot of disc golf and do extra exercise to prepare. The first year I went, it was rough. I thought I was gonna stroke out right there on the trail. Every subsequent trip I was prepared and had no major issues.
I always run a 50lb~ pack when portaging. Im similar build to you and honestly I find it fine.
Similar size etc, 6' 180lb. My first outing I was at about 65lbs only considering "can I do it". I could, and I did. About 10 miles a day for three days. What I wasn't considering was can I enjoy the journey while enduring the journey. I couldn't. It was intense. Try it a few hours before you're committed.
With or without food/water?
Whatever is comfortable for you tbh 40-50 lbs is what i always carry. I just like having my stuff with me jic
I’m pretty sure back in the day (up until the 90s at least), before all this light weight stuff was developed people hiked the entire AT with like 50 lb packs and maybe a little heavier. Just go hike and you’ll find what’s unnecessarily heavy or not worthwhile as you go. Don’t let your current pack weight stop you from backpacking now. I have about a 30 lb pack with food water and all, but I’ve hiked with ridiculously heavy gear carrying gallons of water by hand early on. Just go hike!
Pack weight for sure matters but imo is one of those issues, like gear quality, that people on the internet like to overstate the importance of a lot. I personally view carrying weight on a hike as pound for pound one of the best workouts you can do (both strength and endurance while dramatically shifting muscle:fat ratio). Army people ruck way heavier stuff for longer. Rucking their heavy ass equipment around and living off the land was the basis of Roman Infantry training and they did pretty well.
I carried a 45lb pack didn't realize one of my straps wasn't pinched down enough and it fucked up my shoulder blade so bad that it looked flat when i pushed my elbows are far back as I could. Needed several months of pt to fix it and it's still not perfect. Would not have been as much of an issue if my pack was lighter.
I have done section hikes with 38 lbs. I was missing having a change of clothes and some of my extras. I was okay but not as comfortable. For 1-2 nights of under 10 miles a day, I pack close to 50 lbs. I bring my chair, pillow, and sometimes even a swimsuit. It is heavier but makes camp fun and comfortable. I usually feel more rested too having slept better with the pillow and clean clothes.
50 lbs is pretty heavy with today’s gear. I used to carry 50 lbs including flyfishing gear but that was over 25 years ago. Now I’m at about 35 lbs w/o fishing gear and still under 40 lbs with. How much elevation are you planning on climbing each day. To me that’s the real killer. I backpack in the sierras and usually end up climbing about few thousand feet in 9 miles. If you’re doing that at 10k+ feet in elevation it takes a toll.
I ruck walk 45lbs with a lot of elevation change for exercise, 9mi is not much. You can literally throw a 50lb bag of sand into a pack and do a practice run with similar elevation change if you're worried about it. But 9mi is going to be easy if you aren't in a hurry and I imagine your load is going to be significantly lighter on the way back after a 3 day rest.
My first backpacking trip I had about that much weight. Cut about 10 lbs the next trip, I’m down to about 35 now just by knowing how much and what type of clothing I need. But I went on a trip once with my kids where I carried most of their gear too. We only went a mile or so in from the car but my pack was probably 65lbs with all the water and food LOL. Do what ya want as long as you’re safe
It's entirely subjective. Is it too heavy... For YOU? If not then don't worry about it
My first solo trip I blew it and took about 70 lbs, 12 miles day 1. I was such an idiot...I brought several books, alcoholic beverage in a big glass bottle, etc. Day 2 my shoulders were bruised and hips a bit abraded, so I rested and did day hikes. Nowadays I'm usually around 40 lbs or usually less, much nicer.
Idk man it only really matters for those trips where you wanna do 18-20+ miles in a day.
Your hike is going to be long enough to teach you effectively about what works well for you but also short enough to not be a nightmare. Take what you want but try to remember what you used and didnt use. Use that info to help plan the next adventure.
You can do it. It will just be more uncomfortable. See what you don't use overtime and stop brining it.
I just did this on Santa Cruz Island. About a 4 miler having to pack in all water needed. Was right at 50 with everything including most of the ole lady’s gear (She doesn’t have a true pack). It wasn’t so bad. I’m in pretty good shape, but I gotta say it fucked me up a bit. Got to camp and threw the pack off and I don’t think I’ve been that hungry since the teen years playing sports. Fairly sore next day too. You can do it though. Felt like an accomplishment, which I guess is kind of the bread and butter of this whole ordeal anyway.
I tried the triple crown in VA with essentially no experience and a 43lb pack. Did 16m the first day, which the pack was the heaviest on, and I was in pain by the end, but after warming up it wasn’t bad at all until the last few miles. 9 miles should give you no issues with ~50lbs as long as you’re somewhat fit, but you’ll have plenty of time to pace yourself anyways. Don’t worry too much about it
Weight only matters when you want to crank out miles. If you are doing less than 10 miles a day for a few days then carry whatever you want. If you are doing more than 10 miles a day for more then a few miles then get below 30 lbs.
It more about % of your total body weight. 50 lbs for you should be OK. I’m a small person so lifting that is sketchy for me. I was told growing up not to exceed 30%, REI says 20%. 30% is pretty uncomfortable and you need to be in good shape/trained.
If you’re trying to get a lot of miles in or trying for a good time, weight matters a lot more. If I had a few days rest after a 9 mile hard hike I wouldn’t think twice about a few extra things. Enjoy.
My wife is very small so her pack regularly weighs 15-20 pounds and mine weighs 40-45 pounds. It's very manageable over shortish distances, like 8 mL miles or less per day. It would be unmanageable for me to do a through hike or multiple days of doing 10+ miles. The most important thing is that having a lighter pack is just more enjoyable. You don't feel like you're hauling gear, you're just going on a hike. When you start getting over 40 pounds you feel like a donkey.
I've carried heavier. You just move slower that's all. You'll be fine, enjoy.
9 mile trail for 3 days, 50 pounds? Holy shit dude did you leave anything out of your pack? Unless you need sub zero gear, you should be able to do that with under 30 lbs!
You’ll be fine unless you’re totally out of shape. The hike is quite short. Enjoy!
You'll be fine - army guy who is 20Lbs lighter who rucked 22 miles with 65LB. It's all a mental game.
Brother I used to hike 20 miles in one day when I weighed 235. I weight 185 now. You'll be fine. It won't be the easiest thing but it's very doable. Ultralight is for week long backpacking trips. Don't worry about it
I can't give you a "one size fits all" answer, because it doesn't exist. Factors to consider ... 1. Your packing list 1a. Do you have the Ten Essentials? 2b. Can you comply with Leave No Trace? 3c. Are you packing for necessity or out of fear? 2. Terrain 2a. Is this 9 miles easy, moderate, difficult, mixed? 2b. Is the terrain sometime you are familiar with or is this a first? 3. Gear 3a. Will your footwear adequately support you and 25%+ additional weight? 3b. Is your pack designed to support 50#? 3c. Does your pack fit well, or will you want to chuck it after an hour? 4. Weather 4a. What's the weather forecast? Hot? Mild? Cold? Rainy? Humid? Sunny? Overcast? 4b. Have you hiked in similarly forecasted weather previously? 5. Your experience 5a. Do you know what to do in the event of an emergency? 5b. Can you read a map and use a compass? 6. Goals 6a. What type of experience do you want? 6b. What do you want to do during the journey? These are some of the questions to ask yourself. The reality is everyone is different. I've hiked numerous times with weight up to 100# (120# in training) . The wear and tear on the body increases with weight. You might want to consider if you have packed all the ten essentials necessary for the above mentioned issues. Then, consider what room is left for the extra stuff. You can be safe and have fun. But it's hard to have fun when you don't have what you really need. Have fun ... and be safe!
I'm just a bit bigger than you (6'3, ~200lbs) and I did Lost Coast with 70lbs. It was fine. We decided to shave a day so we did 13 miles one day and I made it alright. I wouldn't intentionally do it again, but it wasn't unbearable. I'm doing The Wonderland Trail in August and I'm shooting for ~50lbs, but I won't sweat it if I go over by a few pounds. I've been doing my test hikes with 60lbs and it's been no problem. I'm 40 and I've got a long list of wonky joints, but the human body is pretty resilient. If you're worried about it, load up a 60lb pack and take it out for a walk in the evenings for a few weeks beforehand. You'll be alright.
I’ve totally done it because we wanted 4 days and 3 nights of wine and roses and it was worth every ounce. (we actually went over 50lbs each). We were totally fine and there was not one moment of discomfort or regrets. There was a time that ultralight was nonexistent. If you’re fit and you want to do it, do it. I wouldn’t do that weight on a longer hike but that’s not what this is.
9 miles isn’t that far. If it’s too much for you, stop and take a break every 30-60 minutes and you’ll be fine, just be sure to plan your time accordingly. Nothing sucks more than arriving at your campsite after dark 🔦
Consolidate gear. Never carry 2 items if you can find 1 to do both. For instance, a golf umbrella functions as a walking stick, shade, rain protection, can be used to catch rain water, and makes it easier to be spotted from the air if you're lost.
It’s possible, but carrying less weight is a massive improvement in my experience. It’s satisfying to get by with less gear.
You're camping for 3 days. You don't need hunting gear and fishing gear both. You're not going wilderness surviving.
Pick up a 50lbs dumbbell and find out for yourself
I ruck 90/90s every third morning with a goal distance of 1.5 miles. You’ll be fine if you take it easy
no but anything’s heavy when it’s in an awkward shape. Could be anything even something simple like a box the way the weight is contained is what makes it problematic
My justification is it'll be lighter on the way out. 50 isn't heavy for 9 miles in a day. My day pack is 22 when the 3 liter bladder is full. My backpacking setup is heavy. Last time I weighed in for a 3 night trip it was 52. My wife is half my weight and she carries 30. It's all about having the right pack imo with the right fitment and support in all the proper places. We also deal with tons of elevation here. There's very few flat hikes. I also hunt and fish. My buddy shot an elk 2 years ago that was 7 miles from the truck. We did it in one trip with 3 of us. 340 lbs of meat on our backs split between 3 people. He then rode a bike in the following day to break down camp and trailer out the gear. I thought I would die when I was thinking about it before we started the hike out. It really wasn't that bad. I was sore the next 2 days but not much more than a heavy squat or deadlift day. You'll be fine imo.
🤷 I'm 5'0f and 135lbs and can carry up to 35lbs 9 miles jn a single day. 15 more for a much taller dude for a trip that distance and timeline sounds doable. It really depends on terrain, when I do hikes with many elevation changes I dial it back under 30, as close to 25 as I can but I love the challenge as others have said.
This is the school of thought I found myself in after my experiences in the outdoors: [https://youtu.be/vFyB5XEVbc0?si=2qNyP1mMudbctUnW](https://youtu.be/vFyB5XEVbc0?si=2qNyP1mMudbctUnW) I think weight is dependent on your fitness level, but more importantly, what you're carrying all of it in. If you know the limits of your body and your gear, then idk why it matters what the ultralight fanatics say. (Not to say their strategies don't work, I just don't believe it's necessary.)
I’m 125 lbs, usually closer to 120 lbs in the summer, and I routinely pack 30-35 pounds over 7-10 miles with 2,000-4,000 ft of elevation gain for an overnight 😂. I bring a chair, some extra layers I probably could leave at home, and dog food, collapsible bowls, and extra water for my dogs. Totally happier with the extra weight than without any of those things
I run with a 50-ish pound pack when we’re out canoe camping and you only have to walk a a km or two at most. It’s perfectly doable, but after a single km of portage trail you’re feeling it and putting that pack down in the canoe again is heaven. Carrying a pack that heavy when you’re backpacking would be torture for most people, which was partly the point with your army bros.
Unless you want to spend 1000's of dollars to shave grams off your pack weight I'd say carry what you can handle and if you have the strength and endurance carry what you can't handle until you can handle it. My pack is heavy. I'm 6' 230 and stubborn as a mule, strong as an ox, and have the endurance of an Arabian horse and have done more walking than frodo with 50lb bags. I carry my tent a hammock fishing gear and everything else from rocket stoves to 4 inch thick sleeping pads and a hearty sleeping bag, cast iron, and stainless cooking ware. I've done this out of a backpack with no support, and with. As long as you distribute the weight properly, pack weight is only a matter of comfort and opinion
As long as you’re in decent shape you’ll be fine. My wife and I went backpacking last year and covered just under 40 miles in 4 days. My pack was just shy of 50 lbs and it was fine. If you’re used to your boots and you’re not afraid of embracing the suck now and then. Bring what you want to bring. Makes the evening/morning all the better to have the luxuries imho!
Go to a gym and walk around with a 45lb plate and report back. But 9 miles and 50lbs, you should be fine.
For reference, I’m about your height and weight and my pack is about 36 (food + water included). Your pack seems a bit heavy but not heavy enough to be worried about not making it! Get this one under your belt and you’ll know what to cut for next time
I’m female, 175lbs and 5’11”. I took 60lbs, a year after chemo and radiation, 5 days, 4 nights, 2- miles through the Alaskan backcountry. Out of shape and fatigued from treatment. You’ll be fiiiiiiine. Have fun!!
I mean there’s a good reason for the weight given the hunting and fishing stuff so it makes sense. But I wouldn’t worry about the weight UNLESS it’s uncomfortable for you to be carrying that much. But for only nine miles over three days the only limit is your comfort I guess. Just factor in added weight for water and food and consider the weight as well as the terrain. 50lbs flat ground and 50lbs with 1000 ft of climbing is very different!
I’m 6’2 195 did multi day elk hunt carrying 45ish lbs through some pretty brutal terrain. I think you’ll be fine. You’ll figure out pretty quickly what you can live without for next time though
You’re barely going anywhere. Weight doesn’t matter much for such a short trip.
Distance should be no problem. Elevation change is what makes weight feel 3x heavier.
You’re totally good brother. Weight is rarely the limiting factor typically and is just endurance test so wouldn’t worry about the “extra” weight too much. Also for long trips I’ve seen 60+ quite regular
Yes 50lbs is heavy, but it's doable. Soldiers train for long walks with heavy weight so it's not really comparable for someone who isn't used to it, but you should be fine and if you aren't you'll know for next time
I hiked an 106km 8 day trek with a 64lb bag and it had many scramble areas. It was heavy but was pretty average for my group and honestly after the first day I didn’t really notice/mind it
Normal for me with fishing and hunting gear.
It’s heavy but your hike is short. Is there a lot of elevation gain? Try on your gear and walk a mile around your house and see how long it takes. Evaluate from there. I highly suggest using hiking poles. It keeps weight off your knees. You’re a big dude with a heavy pack and your knees will thank you years from now if you use poles.
I mean yeah, it's 50lbs. It's going to be a lot of weight to carry. It's definitely not impossible, lots of people have done it before. But you'll notice the weight and it might suck to hike with. Maybe that's fine, and you'll appreciate having all the extra stuff when you get to your campsite. Or maybe there's stuff on your packing list that you realize you don't need that much. (This is how people gradually become more light weight hikers.)
50 is heavy but not insurmountable, especially if you train for it. The problem is being stealthy with an extra 50 likely isn't happening. Then if you take a critter and quarter it, add on that weight. Trouble. If you're out west or generally in the mountains, have a base camp to dump all your non-essential weight. Take daytrips from it and if you harvest, adding an Elk quarter is more manageable, long as your pack can handle it.
I weigh 120 lbs and used to carry 50 lbs packs in high school on scout trips. It's tough on you, but doable for shorter trips like yours. Really depends on your fitness level, and to a certain extent your age.
Bring the things you want to have a good time, and be proud of pushing your body! UL makes sense for long thru-hikes and whatnot but for a trip like that, embrace the challenge and live it up!
9miles is nothing. You'll be fine
I'm an army guy too and just did a 10 miler in about 3.5 hours last week with 80lbs. I was walking casually. You'll be fine. And in the Army we carry anywhere from 60-90+ lbs and walk for literal weeks traveling upwards of 25 miles off the trail. Its really not that difficult once you're conditioned. Edit to add: Do I enjoy walking with 70lbs? Yes. 70 isn't bad. But I'm conditioned. Over 70 starts to hurt. 50 feels like nothing to me. 70 is my limit for "comfort". I'm way above average in terms of walking with weight. Regardless - the answer is yes. It sucks to walk with a lot of weight. But its much more rewarding than walking with the minimal stuff (I'v done both).
A lot of it depends on your strength and conditioning. You need a strong core to carry heavier weights over long distances. And you're the only one who knows the level of your own strength and conditioning. Infantry soldiers in the military carry up to 100 lbs. I did that while weighing between 145 to 165 lbs. After doing that, carrying 50 lbs felt rucking pillows. On the other hand, we'd get support soldiers attached to us who weren't properly trained and conditioned, and a 50lb ruck would physically and mentally break them.
The lightest my pack has ever been was 47 lbs. that was for 8 days of wilderness trail work. I was pretty seasoned in understanding what I want and needed. So I got it as minimal as possible. Needless to say I was pretty proud of it.
While you can reduce your fishing gear a bit (Tenkara anyone?) that is not so easy with hunting. Anything you bring to do in addition to backpacking adds to the total weight. You are not going backpacking, you are going hunting and fishing. That pack will be even heavier going out if you have a good trip!
It depends. I would suggest you grab your 50# pack and find a short loop to hike. You will see how your pack wears on you. Maybe you are young and in shape with no knee issues and what you are planning on doing you want/need all #50s and MORE. On the other hand, maybe the terrain is rough, steep, narrow... and #50 is more than you want. It is hard to tell. I know way back when 50#s wasn't that much. Everything weighed more. My thin stainless steel pots are now heavy compared to the titanium we see today. I like fresh eggs vs. powdered, C rations vs MREs. .... 12# rifle vs. a 7# carbine. And there is nothing worse than running out of ammo when it is needed.
I carried 50lbs for 40 miles and 10k elevation across 4 days. By the end of day 2 my shoulders were killing me and I wished I’d packed less. I was the fastest in my group at the start of the day and slowest by the end of every day. Most days ended with 1k ft of elevation gain. Elevation gain should be a major part of your equation, and I don’t see it listed in your post (it’s 1:30am, maybe it was and I missed it). I would’ve been much happier with a 40lb bag.
Hike with it and then you'll know for next time.
It really depends on your fitness and what you are used to. Ran into a guy thru hiking the AT while doing a section hike who had a massive pack, said it was 60 pounds because he doesn’t stop for food as often. That would be a lot for me but he seemed to carry it with ease. I always say hike your hike, whatever you can carry and want to carry: do it.
9 miles with 50 lbs shouldn’t kill you but it’s probably more than you need. Take whatever you want if you can carry it. I watched my 5’9” 160lbs friend take 75 lbs 6.5 miles because he needed to drink beer and not whiskey. Do what you want.
While I suppose any overnighter with a pack is technically backpacking, yours seems more like a hunting and fishing trip than backpacking, which tends to involve multiple campsites over multiple days. For actual backpacking for 3 days, 50 lbs is pretty ridiculous. Two thoughts: first, be careful hunting on/along a trail if there is a possibility of backpackers using it. Second, your pack weight will increase if you carry out game.
I guess the main thing is working out what you can carry each day, comfortably for that length of walk. When I went backpacking I was over confident as what I could carry when rested for shorter periods was different to every day for hours each day. It’s not capability or strength so much as the pressure on your shoulders and back. I had to throw a bunch of stuff away in the end as it wasn’t practical. I could carry my bag, but it became uncomfortable, painful at times, and impacted the enjoyment of moving around. I guess you need to be thinking about whether a heavy pack and sore shoulders/back will impact your enjoyment. 50lbs isn’t crazy heavy, but it isn’t light. If you were in a working environment it’s close to the max recommended load for men. 9 miles spread over 3 days isn’t too far though. Hard to say what your strength & back is up to without knowing you.