packing for a hike

[616kayak]

I love to hike, but I hate heavy packs. After a few years of experimenting I've found a good way that suits me. my question for you is how do you pack?

For comparisons sake: I'm 5'8'' and 138 lbs

Pack: A medium golite speed pack
... It is extremely light and it offers as much support as an external frame

Sleeping bag: I don’t know the brand but it’ll go down to 30 and it’s down filled it’s extremely light, not positive on weight

Trekking poles: Leki Makalu titanium w/ cork grips

tent: the north face canyonlands

Stove: MSR pocket rocket

Food: mountain house and assorted energy bars. I also always bring a powdered cool aid or something to add to my water.

[Mad Dog]

Have you checked out: http://www.backpacking.net/ultralit.html

[616kayak]

umm just to clarify i meant how do you pack for your own hikes.. like whats your setup because ive already got mine.

by the way, mad dog, that site does have alot of into

[hacimsaalk]

heres how i do it

pack : kelty comanche 6600 ( a one time shot only available at gander mtn)

sleeping bag: slumber jack of some sort. it weighs about 1.5 lbs.

one of the major ways i keep weight down is by carrying a tarp instead of a tent. it might be a little more in convienient , but it saves you the weight. for food we hae oatmeal, MRE's, and mtn house meals. we also have snacks for the trail. clothes is another area where weight can come into view. for a weeks camping trip i pack 2 pants, 2 shirts, 2 underwear, a sweatshirt, 3 cotton socks and 3 heavier hiking socks. i also dont carry any towel or wash cloth of any sort. water- probably the heaviest part of a pack. how much do you carry? i use a 2.5 liter camelbak, and am fine all day.

if i think of any more pointers, ill let u know.

[EagleBoy62204]

Food: mountain house and assorted energy bars. I also always bring a powdered cool aid or something to add to my water.

NO NO NO NO!

The misconseption about sugar is that if you eat alot of it you can keep on that high of sugar to get you through anything. This is not true. Hiking is not like walking around the mall, riding your bike or working out. Expecially with carrying a heavy pack. The sugar burns up alot quicker than it regularly does, and can leave you dehydrated alot quicker.

Energy bars are the worst things to ever pack. Doesnt matter what you are doing. They are not healthy for you and only give you crap sugar that burn up within 5 minutes of doing any rigourous activity.

Cool Aid is another no no for hikes. The sugar will kill your system and make you dehydrated quick. The same goes for powerade, gatorade, and any of that other endurance drinks that keep you going. This stuff still has sugar in it even though it claims not to.

Your best bet is just to keep water in a cantene (sp?) or thermos or whatever you are taking with you along your hike. Camel packs are a good way to go, they strap onto your back and you drink out of it using a straw. The only downside is they dont hold that much.


when my group was in philmont on horseback, we had peanut butter crackers alot of times. The peanut butter has alot of natural sugars and protein i believe, that will keep you going alot longer. Plus they are alot better than energy bars are healthy wise.

[hops_scout]

Your best bet is just to keep water in a cantene (sp?) or thermos or whatever you are taking with you along your hike. Camel packs are a good way to go, they strap onto your back and you drink out of it using a straw. The only downside is they dont hold that much.

2 liters and 3 liters is a lot more water than what you'd be carrying in a canteen. Most canteens are what 1 liter at most.

[hacimsaalk]

Your best bet is just to keep water in a cantene (sp?) or thermos or whatever you are taking with you along your hike. Camel packs are a good way to go, they strap onto your back and you drink out of it using a straw. The only downside is they dont hold that much.

2 liters and 3 liters is a lot more water than what you'd be carrying in a canteen. Most canteens are what 1 liter at most.

most do hold 1 liter. i used to have one that held 3 liters, but i havnet been able tofind one in ANY stores. camelbaks are definitely the way to go for an on-the-go drink.

[616kayak]

The reasone why i carry 2 liters is because my camel back setup is inside my pack. I would carry less but its a pain in the but to take out unless i am at the site. and since my pack is frameless it takes a little longer to pakc in order to get the same support as an internal frame. Another reason is living in FL i dont getr much of a chance to find fresh water on our hikes. tho mostly instead of hikes we go canoeing.

My scoutmaster puts a camel back on the outside of his pack he uses a smaller one and its easier to refil

[616kayak]

Eagleboy:

I don’t add much cool aid just enough to give it flavor a little bit of sugar will not hurt you it is an excess that will cause problems. By the way, about Gatorade 1 part Gatorade for every 10 parts water will give you more than enough electrolytes for a hike.

My energy bars have very little sugar it is mostly carbs and electrolytes.