Author Topic: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking  (Read 10859 times)

madame cholet

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Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« on: 20:30:58, 03/09/14 »
I'm mainly a day walker and have packed my sack for a week or 2 its 7kg that includes my waterproofs and fleece if its hot and several maps and a guide book food and 1L of water. This is about 1st which I lost in January so I guess this will be ok  to carry i'm 5' 3 and under 9st. 
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Glyno

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #1 on: 21:11:04, 03/09/14 »
by 'Backpacking', I presume you've included tent, sleeping bag, mat, toiletries, stove, cookware etc? If so, 7kg is pretty good!


where are you going?

madame cholet

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #2 on: 21:15:47, 03/09/14 »
I'm staying at yhas  so no tent or stove but yes every thing else camping towel ect.
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Glyno

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #3 on: 21:34:00, 03/09/14 »
I'm staying at yhas  so no tent or stove but yes every thing else camping towel ect.


nice! I'm staying in Keswick YHA next week, my home from home.

madame cholet

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #4 on: 21:37:00, 03/09/14 »
Hoping to visit some lake district YhAs in the spring and get some practice in for the C2C
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C2C10

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #5 on: 23:01:25, 03/09/14 »
I'm backpacking the Coast to Coast, that I'm camping and my rucksack is 8 kg minus water and food, will be 10 kg max otherwise. 7 kg is a little bit heavy for hosteling and bbing the C2C. Aim for 5 kg.

mananddog

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #6 on: 07:19:36, 04/09/14 »
I also think 7Kg is rather on the heavy side. 5Kg in a 20 litre sack or less would be my usual - minus dog food. It is a personal choice. I go heavy on some things like a good mattress and light on food (where possible) and clothes (which means I do a lot of clothes washing). I also do not carry much water preferring to use a travel tap only.

madame cholet

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #7 on: 07:29:53, 04/09/14 »
Not sure what to remove? The water weighs  1kg


WP trousers and jacket
1 Fleece
spare trousers ron hills
2 pairs socks
2 pairs knickers
1 base t shirt
slippers very light.
camping towel
flannel
t paste mini
t brush
deod
vaseline tiny tin
comb
gloves head band
packed lunch
water 1 L


compass
6 maps could buy harveys 2 maps
steadman guide this is quite heavy
torch very small
camera this is heavy too
tablet for gps ect
mobile phone
money cr card pen paper
blister kit


wearing
hat
t shirt
fleece
trousers zip offs
boots
undies








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mananddog

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #8 on: 07:39:55, 04/09/14 »
That does not look too bad at all so it is probably down to the weight of the individual items.

I photocopy only the sections of the maps I need or use Harveys strip maps if I know I am sticking to a particular route.

I only take one set of clothes on and one in the bag and these are usually very light, I don't bother with guidebooks when on the route, I have never found them particularly useful. On JOGLE I took some pages from the guide where there were detailed maps and instructions for awkward places other than that the guide stayed at home for The Missus to follow.

Too late to get a superlight camera and if you are keen on photography the phone will not really do justice.


route2rock

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #9 on: 07:40:12, 04/09/14 »
You could take pictures of the guidebook pages (or scan them in to a computer) and have them on the tablet, if you have a charger, battery should not be an issue.

Does your phone or tablet take pictures? If so, I would loose the camera and use one of these instead.

When are you planning on walking? 1lt of water might be minimal, I would at least take some purification tablets with you.
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C2C10

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #10 on: 07:58:11, 04/09/14 »
The coast to coast route is well trodden and well-signed (apart from the Lakes), navigation should not be a problem unless the hill mist is there.  I have the Harveys maps, but never used, instead use the Footprint maps or my latest is the A-Z Adventure coast to coast 1:25 000 scale and cheap at £8. Guide books are fine for background info.

madame cholet

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #11 on: 08:01:14, 04/09/14 »

Thanks great ideas

Yes I was wondering about the book, photocopying in the library is expensive, but I could take photos of the maps and GPS points and just print them off on paper, there's a lot of info there you don't need on route. I could throw them away each day as I'm finished with them.


The tablet has an awful screen that you can't see when the sun's out, If I can afford another by then that would do every thing. The phone is old no way of transferring the photos to the pc. Just weighed the camera its nearly 1kg. :o


I would be walking May I'm happy with 1L I can fill up from streams if needed in the Lakes or top up in the shops elsewhere.
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madame cholet

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #12 on: 08:06:10, 04/09/14 »
Thanks I like the look of the A-Z that plus GPS points and notes/ photos from the book should suffice I can map read anyway.
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C2C10

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #13 on: 08:18:26, 04/09/14 »
I've just purchased a travel tap for my coast to coast, which will be handy for any steams to hand, although I will still carry 600 ml of water, about 700 gms and have the travel tap as a back-up. The trouble is with the North Yorkshire Moors, it's basically peat moor and never any steams, but there are in the nearby dale or valley. Once past the Lion Inn, there is a abundant of steams to hand.

C2C10

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Re: Is 7kg a good weight for backpacking
« Reply #14 on: 10:27:03, 04/09/14 »
There are many long stretches on the Coast to Coast, where shops don't exist, having closed down many years ago. There are shops on the route such as Grasmere, Patterdale, Shap, Orton, Kirkby Stephen, Keld, Reeth, Richmond, A19 service station, Glaisdale, Grosmot and Robin Hood's Bay. Not forgetting many cafe's and tea-room dotted along the route and if you are lucky, feeding stations in some places, using a honesty box.

 

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