Re: How much weight are you really carrying?

In message <opadnSxxZeZMIzXanZ2dneKdnZydnZ2d@xxxxxxxxx>, Paul Saunders <pvs1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
I've noticed that when some people talk about how much weight they carry
when backpacking, they're just talking about their camping gear, and don't
include the weight of the food they carry. Obviously the weight of food will
vary from trip to trip, and will also reduce as the trip progresses, but
even so, you're still carrying it, so it's still part of the overall weight.

This might explain why some people are so astonished at how much weight
other people carry. There are other things that can be taken into
consideration too, like the weight of the clothes that you're wearing, and
other items that you're carrying that aren't packed into your rucksack.

Firstly though, there's the question of how you actually weigh your
equipment. There are two obvious methods, one is to weigh each item
individually and add them all together, the other is to pack everything into
your rucksack and simply weigh the sack.

The latter method is likely to be far more accurate. Why? Well have you ever
tried weighing a single tent peg, then multiplying the result by the number
of tent pegs to get the total? Well try weighing all the pegs together and
compare the results. You might be surprised!

What causes this difference? Rounding errors! These tiny errors can add up,
especially if you weigh a large number of small items. But if you weigh the
whole lot together in a single measurement, there won't be any rounding
errors, so you get the most accurate result.

If you want to be really accurate do both.

Having said that, I'm not suggesting that it isn't worthwhile to weigh all
those small items individually. It can be very useful to help you decide
which items to take and which to leave behind. For example, try weighing
your socks, or your shirts, fleece jackets, etc. There will be differences.
If you choose to use your lightest socks, hats, shirts etc, those difference
will add up, enabling you to travel lighter without having to leave anything
out.

Anyway, here are the different ways that you can calculate how much weight
you are carrying:

1. Weigh just your camping gear and ignore trivialities like food and
clothing. This is a good method for impressing ultra-light campers with how
little you carry.

2. Weigh your camping gear and your food, i.e. everything you put in your
rucksack. This gives a much more accurate figure of what you're actually
carrying.

3. Weigh all the clothes you're wearing too. Even though they're not in your
pack, you're still carrying the weight. This can make a big difference to
your overall weight if you're wearing a lot of clothing on a winter trip for
example.

4. Also weigh other external gear such as cameras, GPS, walking poles etc.
You're still carrying them so it all adds up.

I prefer to start with what the late Colin Fletcher called FSO - From The Skin Out. That is, everything. Then deduct items worn or not carried in the pack for the starting pack weight.

Assuming you want to weigh it all, what's the easiest way to do it? Simple,
start by weighing yourself naked, then load yourself up and weigh it all
again. Subtract your naked weight and that's how much you're carrying.

But is that all you're really carrying? This may seem a bit obsessive, but
let's face it, most of us are a bit overweight these days, so what about
that excess body fat? You're carrying that too!

This is beyond the point where I bother! I want to know what I am carrying extra to my body weight.

So how do you calculate that? Well first you need to work out your optimum
weight. Without going into this in too much detail, I'll just point out that
the optimum BMI (body mass index) for a male is 18.5-24.9. The halfway point
is 21.7, which is probably the ideal BMI for most males.

One source I read suggests that the optimal BMI for those aged 20-29 is
21.6, while the optimal BMI for those aged 70-74 is 23.9. But why does it
increase with age? Another source I read insisted that your optimal BMI
should remain the same throughout your life, and I agree with that. After
all, why should it be "optimal" to get heavier as you get older? Just
because people usually do doesn't mean that it's a good thing. (Of course,
gaining muscle rather than fat is a different matter, but it's usually the
latter.)

Anyway, there are plenty of websites providing information on BMI, from
which you can determine your current BMI and work out your optimum weight,
so go ahead and do that if you feel inclined. Once you've determined your
optimum weight, you can then add your excess bodyweight to all the other
gear that you're carrying, so method 5 is as follows:

5. Put on all your gear and weigh yourself, then subtract your optimum
bodyweight from the result. That's how much you're *really* carrying!

It follows from this therefore, that if you want to carry as little weight
as possible when backpacking, instead of being obsessive about cutting
spoons in half and counting sheets of tissue paper, it may be easier just to
cut a few calories from your diet, exercise a little more, and lose some
excess bodyweight instead.

That makes some difference but not as much as you might think. Getting fitter is more important (this tends to involve weight loss but not necessarily). On multi-month walks I have lost a stone in weight. Packs still feel just as heavy. The difference is how long I can carry them without needing a rest.

It *all* adds up!

Indeed. But the weight on your back is the most significant.

Chris


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