Hit 500 miles on the PCT this season and finally figured out my pack weight issue

I was averaging around 35 lbs total for the first 300 miles and my knees were killing me... turns out my tent was way heavier than I thought. I weighed everything at a hiker hostel and ditched the extra stuff sack, saved 4 lbs right there. Has anyone else found a random item that just added up way more than expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

leebrown7d ago

Man that tent stuff sack thing is so real. I had a similar moment on the AT when I realized my cook pot lid weighed almost half a pound for no good reason. The small stuff really sneaks up on you when you are not paying attention. Good for you for catching it early though, your knees will thank you big time down the trail. That extra 4 pounds makes a world of difference on the climbs especially.

charlie_stone727d ago

Question whether that 4 pounds is really the smoking gun here. In my experience, sometimes when you strip down one thing you end up just carrying the weight in your head thinking about what you're missing. I've seen folks ditch their stuff sack then end up with a soggy tent because they didn't think about condensation at night. Take this with a grain of salt but your knees might just be adjusting to the mileage too, 300 miles is a lot of pounding even with a light pack. I'd keep an eye on your footwear and maybe your pace before you go cutting everything down to the bone.