Pack sizes

I have never heard anyone talk about pack weight to body weight ratios. Packs usually come in variable lengths according to the length of your back, other than that i guess you have to find the pack weight that best suits you. I personally carry a fairly heavy pack. I guess I just like to have all my gadgets with me and have a spare this and that, just incase. I have got used to that and I suppose I am strong enough but sometimes I wonder. I notice some of the smaller women in our tramping club have got their packs down to a very small weight. I would have thought that a small person would need a very similar amount of tentage, clothing and food as a big person but I think it is just sheer necessity that they have managed to get their load down to something that they can enjoy carrying. One thing that I have found is that you don't need to add very much to a pack that feels light before it begins to feel heavy. The difference can be only a couple of kilos. A good trick that I have found is that at the beginning of a trip if you think your pack is too heavy, get it audited by one of the other party members. Lay everything out on the ground and get someone else to go through it and suggest what you don't need. Putting another mind on the job might help you change you mind over some treasured object that you thought was essential. The good news is that you probably don't have to chuck out much before your pack starts to feel manageable again.

I do not believe there is any such ratio, because on a 10 day trip you would need to carry more weight then on a 1 day trip. When I pack and buy equipment I purchase the lightest gear which would do the task while remaining affordable of course. By doing that I have probably reduced my base pack weight by 35%. Having a properly fitted pack also helps alot, a badly fitted pack would feel much heavier then one which feels comfy.

Thanks for your replies. I do believe there is a percentage of your body weight that you shouldn't go beyond, i thought it was 20%. This enquiry was on behalf of a friend, where we had a lengthy discussion on the subject. I agree that you just have to carry what you have to carry, and it usually is just the basics. I always feel responsibility toward s doing my part of the shared load ie. dinner and the extras, i also think that a woman cannot possibly carry the same load as a man, cos that is just the way it is, but yes we do need the same amount of gear. The comments that people make at the start of a trip are always interesting aren't they, comparing who has the heaviest pack!

20% sounds like a good number. I would think that 20% of my body weight would be about the line between a heavy pack and a light one. But am slightly overweight and am sure that if I was fitter and lost weight I would find my pack easier. If I was heavier than I am now would definitely be because I was unfit and any pack would be trouble

It depends how fit I am or how out of shape. As for 20%, that would mean limiting mine to 9 1/2kg which would be great! But not often possible. I agree with the others that you have to carry what you have to carry. I usually carry between 1/4 and 1/3 of my weight depending on the length of the trip / weather / tents. I have done half but that was when I was young and stupid, and it was HEAVY :-) I have learnt to do without more stuff since then!

20% of my body whieght would kill me my knees are stuffed already. I agree look for the lightest clothes and gear. audit yourself after every trip ie what didnt i use that i can safely do without. For me that means a pack whieght of about 10 to 12 kilos during summer and about 15 to 17 kilos during winter inc food and water (thats winter in the winterless north for you mainlanders). I have watched eccentric gismo nuts carry the kitchen sink and can only marvel at their masochistic leanings.

I must admit after years of being a gear junkie when I was younger I have become very fussy on the amount of gear I go bush in. Personally I have found you only need the basics and to be fair that is half of the fun of being in the bush is not having all the luxuries

I have always worked to the basic rule of maximum loading at the start of a tramp not to exceed one third of my body weight(fit slim male 90kg]I have found this backed up in several publications that suggest a quarter of body weight as maximum for women,children and teens.However saying that it would have to be an extensive long distance mission that would induce me to carry thirty kilos!

Really depends how long you're going for, and what type of weather you're expecting. With today's advance in gear, lighter weight is much easier to achieve. One big saving is footwear, ok they're not on your back, but I've seen it quoted that weight on your feet is three times that in the pack. I've worn lightweight all terrrain shoes rather than full hiking boots for practically all my walking now. Also the little things add up, do you really need them? There's some good advice on lightweight backpacking on available on the web. I've found this site useful in the past http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/ some decent podcasts on there.