Every kilo matters

[Richard Smith]

I am doing some training for a walk in Tassie a bit later on and have been doing my usual graduated start, currently with 2 x 1.5 litre jugs of weight-water plus whatever else I would take on a short day walk, which includes another 1 litre to drink.
The other night I put the training pack on when we walked the dog but didn't realise it was 1 kg lighter without the water bottle - it felt like I was carrying nothing!
Today, I put the water bottle back in so it was normal, and added 1kg worth of cans of chickpeas. That extra 1 kg on the same local bushwalk we did 3 days ago felt heavy!
I am surprised how much difference just 1 kg makes.

 

[Robo]

Yep. It makes a lot of difference!
Last year when I had to carry extra water on some stages, it was very noticeable.

 

[Sirage]

One of my packing techniques is to never carry food, but always enough water.

Except on long days on Sundays with few places en-route.

 

[Lindsay53]

Working out the weight management compromises is part of the fun of bushwalking. Every gram does count.

 

[David]

It does feel heavy, yet strangely if one drinks the litre of water it doesn't

 

[Rita Flower]

I find the first few kilos in my pack feel lighter than that last one - and anything over about 7.5 kg ‘weighs a ton’.
@David - I love the magic that happens with food and water over the course of the day - the pack gets lighter but for some reason the body doesn’t feel heavier.

 

[Sandra Riordan]

I am doing some training for a walk in Tassie a bit later on and have been doing my usual graduated start, currently with 2 x 1.5 litre jugs of weight-water plus whatever else I would take on a short day walk, which includes another 1 litre to drink.
The other night I put the training pack on when we walked the dog but didn't realise it was 1 kg lighter without the water bottle - it felt like I was carrying nothing!
Today, I put the water bottle back in so it was normal, and added 1kg worth of cans of chickpeas. That extra 1 kg on the same local bushwalk we did 3 days ago felt heavy!
I am surprised how much difference just 1 kg makes.

Which walk are you doing?

 

[Richard Smith]

Which walk are you doing?

5 days in the Walls of Jerusalem, first time in this area. Have walked the Overland Track twice.

 

[OZAJ]

It only matters if it matters. If you are comfortable carrying 17kg, then why not? The slab of cheese and bottle of wine may make more of a positive difference to your experience.

The weight thing IS important if, like me, you are old and buggered. Maybe if this is the case you should consider having your gear transported. I don't need that yet, but the time will come ...

 

[David Tallan]

I am absolutely in agreement that every kilo matters. It is certainly something I pay attention to when I pack. But I must admit that I am not like many people on this forum for whom every milligram matters. Yes, they do add up. But it takes a thousand of them to add up to a kilo.

There are some things that are surprisingly heavy. Paper (in a book) is one of them. Just ask anyone who has had to lift a box of books. Water is another.

 

[David]

Agree re books - they are essentially the same as thinly sliced hardwood trees in weight.

The backpack problem for me is that there are so many irreducible items, one just cannot pack superlight and all those bits do add up - can be disheartening.

hhmmm ... it would take 1,000 litres of helium to lift one litre of water ... approximately 88 balloons ... a pack of 7 kilos? nah, 616 balloons would look very silly indeed.