Pack sizes

The rule of thumb I am familiar is no more than 25% of your body weight and up to 33% is possible. I have carried horrendous 10 day packs that I could only put on when I placed them on a raised surface first. (mountain radio, climbing gear, Olympus tent) The heaviest known weight I've carried is 25kg when I weighed 60kg but those days of machochism are over and now the weekend pack weight is generally under 10kg. I did manage 9kg for a 4 day trip last summer. I'm battling with one tramping club I do trips with to get their party gear lighter as it stops them getting to their destinations. I often just go self-sufficient for their trips. On my last trip with them I took just a Minaret fly and stayed dry whereas they took an Olympus fly and tent and got wet both nights with the flapping fly letting in rain into the impermeable tub floor so it pooled!