Pack Light, Have more Fun! 1

1. Pack Light, Have more Fun!1 1. A study that indicates the lighter you pack, the further & faster you can hike, & have more time and fun.

2. What will I need for a 2-3 day hike? • Backpack • Sleeping bag • Tent & groundcloth • Food (dehydrated,~1 lb/day) • Clothes (extra) & Towel • Water & Purifier • First Aid Kit • Stove & Fuel • Mess Kit, utensils, light • Miscellaneous (toiletries et al) • Anything else?

3. What will I probably not need? • Scout Book • Propane stoves & lanterns (use Iso-propane) • Heavy sleeping bag • Big flashlight • Chair • Heavy clothes • (windbreaker & lite jacket, “layers” not a heavy coat or pants) • Complete cooking set • Non-freeze dried food • Lots of extra clothes • Anything that weighs more than 4 lbs • Serious consideration of anything over 3 lbs • Most things not on the previous list

4. How much weight should I carry? • Pack should be no more than 25%* Body Weight • If you weigh this, your pack should be less than this: • 80 lbs 20 lbs • 100 lbs 25 lbs • 125 lbs 33 lbs • 150 lbs 38 lbs • 175 lbs 44 lbs • 200 lbs 50 lbs *Lighter = better! Much lighter is much better! 20% of body weight is good 15% is excellent (but possibly more expensive)

5. Did you know, for each extra pound you add, you slow you hiking rate down? • For varied terrain, and a 100 lb hiker, going 10 miles • Each pound you add slows you down by about 1% • Requires more rest stops • Reduces the distance you can hike in a day by ~ 2% • Increases you chance of injury by ½%* plus blisters • At the end of the day, you’re tired! • * Goes up greatly after 1/3 body weight, assumes you hike into the dark a bear eats you

6. How much does what I need weigh?(Yes, you need to weigh it) Typical Weight • Backpack 2 – 7 lbs • Sleeping bag 2 – 7 lbs • Tent & groundcloth 2 –10 lbs • Food (dehydrated,~1 lb/day)3 – 4 lbs • Clothes (extra) & Towel 1 – 5 lbs • Water & Purifier 4 – 6 lbs • First Aid Kit ½ - 2 lbs • Stove & Fuel 1 – 5 lbs • Mess Kit, utensils, light 1 – 6 lbs • Miscellaneous ½– 5 lbs • Total 17 (nice) – 57 lbs (heavy)

7. What if… My stuff weighs 35 lbs but I only weigh100 lbs? • Backpack 5 lbs • Sleeping bag 5 lbs • Tent 6 lbs • Food (dehydrated,1 lb/day)3 lbs • Clothes (extra) & Towel 3 lbs • Water & Purifier 4 lbs • First Aid Kit 1 lbs • Stove & Fuel 2 lbs • Mess Kit, utensils, light 3 lbs • Miscellaneous 3 lbs • 35 lbs • Bad News: Your pack is too heavy! • Good News: You have several options…

8. What can I do? • 1) Take less stuff (or less heavy stuff) • Ask the question, do I really need that? • Make a list, did you use it on the last campout? • No heavy lifting • 2) Share!!! Work with your patrol and others: • Tents, water filters, mess kits, stoves and fuel, etc. • If you’re just using dehydrated food, you only need to boil water • One of the best options: You get everything, but don’t have to carry it all! • 3) Mom could take you on a spending spree at REI • You can spend $1000 and get below 10 lbs, but you don’t need to. Hey, do you know how much each item weighs?

9. What can I do? (cont) • 4) Pack Smart (You know better than your Mom what you need) • Plastic fork & spoon, Tyvek ground cloth, micro-flashlight, cheepie poncho/emergency blanket. • No Scout book or heavy items. • Count ounces to save pounds! • How about 2-4 scouts sleeping under a lightweight tarp? • 5) Weigh what you have, Borrow / Replace heaviest item • Replacing a few heavier items can make a BIG difference! • Smaller, lighter tent, sleeping bag • (Eureka Bivy Tent $50 3 lbs), (Kelty Stratus bag, $60, 2 lbs) • Ask people not going if they can loan you lightweight gear • (make very sure to return it in as good or better condition!) • 6) Plan resources • Cache water going down, refill & filter @ first stream • Plan what you need, share what you might, leave what you don’t • Weigh your pack and know before you go • Pack your own pack

10. Example1: Mom takes you to REI • WasIs • Backpack 5 lbs 2 lb $80 GoLIte pack • Sleeping bag 5 lbs 2 lbs $100 bag • Tent 6 lbs 2 lbs $100 Bivy Tent • Food (dehydrated,1 lb/day)3 lbs 3 lbs Food’s the same • Clothes (extra) & Towel 3 lbs 1.5 lbs $20 Polyester+ layers! • Water & Purifier 4 lbs 4 lbs Water weighs the same! • First Aid Kit 1 lbs 0.5 lb $20 lightweight kit • Stove & Fuel 2 lbs 1 lb $60 Titanium • Mess Kit, utensils, light 3 lbs 1 lb $90 Titanium & LEDs • Miscellaneous 3 lbs 2 lbs $30 Ultralight stuff • 35 lbs 19 lbs$500Thanks Mom -or- 10 lbs $1000

11. Example2: Share, plan & pack smart • Backpack 5 lbs 4 lbs Sharing =smaller pack • Sleeping bag 5 lbs 3 lbs $17 3lb bag @ SA • Tent 6 lbs 3 lbs Sharing saves 3 lbs • Food (dehydrated,1 lb/day)3 lbs 3 lbs Food’s the same • Clothes (extra) & Towel 3 lbs 2 lbs Light clothes saves 1 lb • Water & Purifier 4 lbs 2 lbs Share&plan saves 2 lbs • First Aid Kit 1 lbs .25 lb Sharing saves .75 lb • Stove & Fuel 2 lbs .25 lb Smart/share saves~2lbs • Mess Kit, utensils, light 3 lbs .5 lb Sharing saves 2+ lbs • Miscellaneous 3 lbs 1 lbs Share&skip saves 2 lbs • Smart packing light! 35 lbs vs.19 lbs (for $483 less!) • Rich, or smart & thrifty? Results are the same!

12. Example 3: Tyler B’s Backpack =20% Body weight

13. What’s the bottom line? • If your pack weighs more than 25% of your body weight, you need to talk to your leader before you backpack! • Take only items you really need • Share • Pack Smart • Weigh everything • There are alternatives! • Most of all, have fun!

14. Most of all, Have FUN!!!