what would the max load need to be for a drop hang of someone who weighs 125 lbs

Like everything with backpacking, the decision on how much weight you should deport is personal and depends on your backpacking goals as well as each specific trip.

Most beginners volition deport around 30 to 35 pounds for their offset few trips (including the pack itself). As you proceeds more than experience and upgrade gear, your weight will likely decrease to around 30 to 32 pounds.

Some backpackers stay effectually the thirty pound mark while others strive to get their weight every bit low as possible.

There'due south a lot to consider when thinking about pack weight and information technology helps to understand some of the history.

A Bit of Background
The Reality
What About the Rule Y'all Shouldn't Carry More than 20% of Your Body Weight?
A Deeper Dive into Weight
Pros and Cons for Going Light or Ultralight
Should I Not Worry About How Much Weight to Carry Backpacking?
Who Are Y'all and What Trip Are You Taking?
- Backpacker 1
- Backpacker 2
- Trip Difference
What I practise
Summary
More than Backpacking Tips and Gear Insight

A Bit of Background

When y'all think near how much weight y'all should carry backpacking, you lot have to sympathize a bit of backpacking history.

As a friend likes to reminisce, back in the day, packs were easily 50 to 60 pounds with external frames and stuffed with heavy equipment. Undeterred, backpackers made due and had peachy adventures, although many volition tell you they now accept bad backs and damaged knees.

Fast forward to today and through-hiking has become a sport with thousands attempting to tackle the Appalachian Trail every year, many of whom are vying to get the next big podcast or blogger. They highlight their new equipment and hint at the super-clandestine gear they're testing.

Everyone is talking about how low they can go with weight.

"I'thousand downwards to 12 pounds with food and water."

"Actually? I fabricated information technology to ten pounds. I don't need a tent or a sleeping bag."

You start reading nigh the new gear and looking at your sleeping bag, beginning to hate it for being three pounds.

Visions of being an outdoor badass, sleeping under the stars with simply your pack as your pillow run through your head.

"I tin can do this", you recall. "I can go out with nothing merely the true survival essentials."

[Insert scratching record noise here]

The Reality

You begin to realize that you lot're looking at hundreds of dollars in updated equipment, you're going to get eaten alive by mosquitos, and yous kind of like your tent.

So the question remains, does pack weight matter?

The answer is yeah. And no. Dislocated? So is anybody else.

What Virtually the Rule Yous Shouldn't Bear More than 20% of Your Body Weight?

Argh, the 20% myth. If I hear someone say that your pack should non exceed more twenty% of your torso weight again, I'1000 going to lose it. That'southward bunk.

Call back nearly this for a 2nd. This is saying a 150 pound healthy person should not conduct more than xxx lbs., but it's also saying that a 300 pound, not so healthy person can carry up to 60 lbs.

Like most everything else in life, you lot shouldn't really utilize trunk weight when calculating what a person can and cannot exercise.

A Deeper Dive into Weight

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Let's look at what you're really carrying up a mountain. For ease of math, say you weigh 150 pounds and are carrying a 30-pound pack.

That'south twenty% additional weight you're hauling upwards mountains and across rims. You lot're effectively taking 180 pounds upwards that mount.

If you drop 5 pounds, which isn't that difficult to do, the pack decreases to 25 pounds. You lot're now at 16.vii% additional weight, less than a v% driblet.

You'll notice the departure, merely you're still lugging 175 pounds up the mountain.

In society to become downwardly to merely x% boosted weight, or 165 pounds total, you have to drib 15 pounds from your pack, aka half the current pack weight.

That's hard to exercise without specialized gear and no luxury items.

Pros and Cons for Going Light or Ultralight

The pros of lightening your pack include: Easier hiking and more fun with less weight to carry, less curt and long term impact on your body.

The cons of lowering your pack weight include: Expensive gear upgrades, less luxury in camp (which some may say is a pro).

Should I Not Worry Nearly How Much Weight to Bear Backpacking?

Now don't go me wrong, even beginners with less expensive equipment should non be above 30 to 35 pounds.

I would question anyone creeping towards 40 pounds and want to accept a expect at their pack.

At the end of the day though, if they but had heavy equipment or were adamant they have to modify their shirt every mean solar day, and they can carry the weight, then I say become for information technology.

The easiest way to sort out how much weight to deport backpacking is to ask yourself, what are my backpacking goals?

Who Are You lot and What Trip Are Yous Taking?

Backpacker one

You enjoy weekend trips with less than x miles per day with the goal of exploring, getting away, and hanging out at camp with a loving cup of tea.

Your mornings are slower as you savor your piping hot java.

The extra weight of a luxury item, or a heavier sleeping purse, or extra clothes, may be something you're willing to carry.

Backpacker ii

You're out to pound the miles and push yourself to the limit hiking 20+ miles per day.

At campsite, you're awake before 6 am and out on the trail past vi:30. You don't accept time to sit down and savour java, you take miles to hike.

You don't need the creature comforts, hanging out at camp isn't your focus.

Investing in ultralight gear similar a Hyperlite Mountain Gear tent to lower those pounds may be your preference.

Trip Difference

Packing for a three-day trip volition be different from packing for a five or seven-day trip.

You'll be carrying more than food and will likely find yourself taking a hard await at whether that coffee cup is really needed or you'll only drinkable out of your pot.

You may besides think well-nigh using article of clothing for extra insulation at nighttime if necessary rather than a sleeping bag liner.

What I do

I tend to be a scrap in the middle, simply definitely closer to backpacker one.

While I can get downward to 26 pounds, my average for a weekend trip is usually 28. This includes everything: water, food, electronics, wallet, knife, et cetera.

When it comes to differences depending on the blazon of trip, I'll take my Helinox chair zero on shorter, easier trips similar South Mountains Land Park . If it'due south a longer trip, more than difficult terrain or longer miles, the chair stays habitation and I may take a long, hard wait at the coffee mug.

I was at 32 pounds at the start of a v-day trip with seven of those lbs existence food, and I'1000 however non entirely sure how I pulled that off.

All that being said, through experience I know how much weight I tin deport and I besides know what pack weight makes me happy.

I know I tin acquit twoscore+ pounds. It's a lot easier at 28, but knowing I can exercise 40 is helpful. My preference is to keep information technology nether 32.

This information helps guide me as I pack for each individual trip.

Summary

There'south no magic weight you take to attain.

It's all about balance. Know what y'all can carry, know what you're comfortable carrying, look at the trip plan, and decide on a weight range.

If you're over what y'all call up you can comfortably do, look for items that tin serve multiple purposes and call up well-nigh what can stay home.

Don't go crazy.

Bask the enquiry into new gear and engineering science. It'south fun to scout the through-hikers and learn virtually what they're doing and the newest ideas and gear.

Upgrade if yous really desire something, but know yourself and your needs.

If carrying 30 pounds makes hiking miserable and you're in farthermost pain every night, and so investing in ultralight equipment may be the best option and don't apologize for upgrading to the all-time gear you tin find.

If weight isn't an issue and the best sleeping pad for you lot is the 1 pound four ounce super insulated, 4 inches of padding, comes with a pump and you sleep all night with no hurting or problems pad, so bear it.

I tin tell you lot from personal experience that a casual backpacker (backpacker one) and an ultra-lighter (backpacker 2) tin co-exist, and even take a lot of fun, on the trail with a little compromise from both sides. It'due south all almost mutual respect.

Be honest with yourself and invest in the gear that works for yous and provides the best feel.

It'due south your hike. Hike it your way.

More Backpacking Tips and Gear Insight

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