Weights and pack volume

[Hangin Hillbilly]

Winter in the south is different. Based on my personal experience (been to Alaska in the winter before to compare to the south winter), the south has a very wet style winter. To me that makes even temperatures in the low 30s and even lower a lot more miserable. It was single digits in Alaska and it felt like the souths 30s because it was a dry cold. I think each group location has a different type of winter each with pros and cons or differences of opinion. So gear will vary between each as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ouroboros]

I use a 58 liter pack and my winter weight (for 1-2 nights) is anywhere between 25-35 pounds depending on the "extras" that I bring.

I tend to bring more tools in winter because I like to get to camp earlier and "bushcraft" more... set up a nice, comfortable area with a big fire.

I go leaner in the other seasons.

[Big Fish]

My winter weight for 10* - 30* is about 30lbs in a Catalyst with a WBB XLC and HQ TQ/UQ's. That's with 2 L and 4 days of food. So probably 21 base weight. Thinking about switching to a ZPacks Arch Haul and a lighter hammock... maybe dream hammock or a Dutch. My 40*- 60* base is 16 lbs and 25 lbs total. Man, would I love to have a sub 25lb pack weight in the winter. I too am a southerner, MS boy here but hike all over.


Big Fish

[OneClick]

Just packed up for my trip starting in a few hours. 25.26lb total (including food, 2L water, 1L wine, fuel). Nice, low-bulk in my 50L pack too.

Crazy temps for January in southern IN. 57 and 64° for highs, 50° lows so it will be mid-50s most of the time. Man, living in "the south" would be so easy! I could get my pack down to nothing if I tried. But I would miss the cold...this 64° stuff is approaching my limit. Seriously. Definitely won't find me out above 70°. January

[DuneElliot]

For your 25* weather, which is possible here in the Wyoming mountains even in the summer and I carry a 10* sleep set-up. My base-weight is around 13lbs with that gear for temps down to around 25-30*. I think my total weight for a week-long backpacking trip was 24lbs including food, fuel and water in a ZPacks Arc Haul and I that all fits in my 62L pack very easily and without things hanging off the outside.

[Jhp45auto]

I just weighed in last night at 21 pounds including food, hiking poles and chair for 2 night trip.
I have an Ohm 2.0 which claims total volume of 63L, but main body and front pocket is more like 50L.

Now my dogs winter gear and food adds another 4.5 pounds. Just can not find a pack to fit him and be worth the trouble of having him wear it and make him help with the load.

[DuneElliot]

I just weighed in last night at 21 pounds including food, hiking poles and chair for 2 night trip.
I have an Ohm 2.0 which claims total volume of 63L, but main body and front pocket is more like 50L.

Now my dogs winter gear and food adds another 4.5 pounds. Just can not find a pack to fit him and be worth the trouble of having him wear it and make him help with the load.

A little off-topic but I would check out Ruffwear packs if you haven't already. Almost every part of them is adjustable to fit pretty much any dog.

[Billy Goat]

I just weighed in last night at 21 pounds including food, hiking poles and chair for 2 night trip.
I have an Ohm 2.0 which claims total volume of 63L, but main body and front pocket is more like 50L.

Now my dogs winter gear and food adds another 4.5 pounds. Just can not find a pack to fit him and be worth the trouble of having him wear it and make him help with the load.

My pup uses a onetigris gear molle harness and two cheapo deployment packs hung on the sides. It won't fit his sleeping pad, but it does fit two bowls, enough food for 4 days if needed, 3in1 jacket and his down sleeping bag. The pack was about $40 and the packs were about 15 each, but the thing is pretty bomb proof. Got it all from amazon. Wish I had a pic of him in it on my phone, but I do not.

Cheers,
the Goat

[Billy Goat]

I use a 75l pack but I have plenty of room left over with 2 days of food and 3 liters of water. Without food and water I'm looking at about 20 lbs. All down sleep gear and a synthetic puffy coat. I often bring my rain jacket to wear as a "hard shell" over the puffy to kill wind and add another layer, but it's kind of heavy and packs fairly large. Titanium cook pot and tiny isobutane stove. I haven't gotten anything more than the smaller fuel cans thus far. Socks and sometimes an extra shirt and base pants to sleep in. After food and water I'm usually around 30-35 lbs. The dang pack is nearly 4 lbs itself... so I'm looking at making a new one.

Cheers,
the Goat

Just packed up for an overnight with the wife. Using wife's old 45l pack, 20* quilt set, mid weight wool base layers, sacred socks, fleece hat, hammock, synthetic puffy coat, 1.5l TI pot, brand new full 230g iso/butane fuel, sterno butane micro stove, camp soap, lighter and fire steel, fly, fly beak, bear bag line, sawyer mini filter, spoon, 3 liters of water in a bladder and toilet kit (tp, biodegradable wet wipes and "homemade" stainless trowel) and rei flex lite chair. Full weight is 23 lbs 2 oz. Wife's 48l osprey pack contained all of the same except tarp and beak, with our food for lunch, dinner, breakfast and lunch next day and her weight was 20 lbs 10 oz. I was shocked. My very first cold weather load out was 67 lbs!



Cheers,
the Goat

[tmgnewport]

On a winter set, lets say around 25 deg what would the average weight of everything you use weigh. I know every bodies sets are different, I'm just trying to get an idea of what size pack it would take and how much room there will be left for other essentials.

So..10-35lbs and between a 40-75 liter pack?

I think it's individual and dependent on what gear you have available and what you bring with you. Have down quilts and a lightweight tarp or synthetics and a Noah 12? Gonna build a fire and plod up a mountain through snow? You can throw in snowshoes, crampons, a hatchet, a folding saw and an ice axe and add 7-8+ lbs right there. Just my winter cook kit for low temp cooking and snow melting adds about 2 lbs to my pack.

When I started winter camping (and I'm in New England for reference, so lots of snow, wind and fairly low temps - not quite like those crazies up in the great lakes region, but still cold.) I started heavy and pared down as I went. Kept me safe and comfortable and I quickly learned what I did and didn't need to haul with me. My pack weight for 15° down to about -10° hangs right around 30lbs including food and water for a 3 day/2 night trip, from 15° to 35° is about half that.