Weights & Measures 19th v 21st Century

[Robo]

Stupid question I know. But a serious one!


For our US Pilgrims who use 'Imperial' Weights and Measures

You measure your pack weight in Pounds.
And I suppose you measure individual items in Ounces.

When you are adding up the total weight, do you do that in pounds and ounces (being 1/16 of a pound)
Or do you kind of 'half decimalize' and use decimal points?

So 1 pound 8 ounces becomes 1.5 pounds.
1 pound 4 ounces becomes 1.25 pounds etc
Or do you add up all the decimal ounces, and divide by 16 to get pounds (in decimal)

I haven't used pounds and ounces since primary school well over 50 years ago and am trying to convert a packing list planner for US friend.........

Doing a spreadsheet in pounds, ounces and drams would 'do my head' in I think.

And I presume your pounds and ounces are the Avoirdupois version?

 

[GlendaMac]

Hi Rob
Dinosaur here - I still do my weight in stone & pounds rather than kilos, so think you’d be wise to forget the drams (don’t think even the US still uses this).
If you’re after a total weight of a lot of items, for a pack for example, I’d go with adding up all the ounces and then dividing by 16.

 

[David]

Hahaha - in the uk we are still mixed Imperial and decimal so most of us can convert in our heads (well, I can).

Easiest is two columns, pounds and ounces - then add up the columns - when you get the ounces tally just divide by 16 to get the pounds, and residue, then multiply the total by 2.2 to get kilos.
Or, sure, use decimal but this will mean converting each and every thing you weigh to decimal!

We don't use drams anymore

 

[Saint Mike II]

G'day Robo, now you know the rules: There are no stupid questions!

 

[Phil71]

From UK... pounds and ounces are simple enough. It's when you get to gallons and pints it gets me lost. We now use litres, but historically we understand gallons. But a US gallon is smaller than a UK gallon. So when trying to convert petrol (gasoline) prices I go to pieces......

 

[Mark Day]

Pounds and Ounces for cooking, Pints for beer, Stones & Pounds for body weight, Kilos for packs, suitcases etc., Litres for volumes of things (like rucksacks), Miles for distances, Feet and Inches for heights of people & a mixture of Feet & Inches or Metres & Centimetres for smaller length measures........ Ummm a right mixture.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

UK people talk about their own weight in stone ... But stone will be meaningless to US readers.

In packing lists by US hikers, you often find ounces and decimal fractions of ounces, or pounds and decimal fractions of pounds ... or both, like this guy:

Total Shelter: 24.2 oz. (1.51 lbs.)

With regard to weights, the US Customary Units are the same as "Imperial" / "Avoirdupois" that were once commonly used in Australia. If you start talking about liquid volumes, you need to know that US Customary Units differ from Imperial.

United States customary units - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Robo, the solution is easy. Send your friend your list as is and make him learn the modern system.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Robo, the solution is easy. Send your friend your list as is and make him learn the modern system.

I agree. Converting back and forth invites errors, inaccuracies, and confusion. There's an epic, miserablist, nagging, thread about this on the forum...

 

[sugargypsy]

Robo, the solution is easy. Send your friend your personal list as is

And then:
Let your friend pack whatever he thinks he thinks he needs, you've put on your list.

Let him take a walk - whatever length and whereever - and lend him beforehand, everything he thinks he needs and does not already have - if you have those items. Otherwise your friend will have to buy whatever he thinks he might need.

After his walk: Let your friend decide, what he'll need for his Camino ....

Advice is great,. own experience is invaluable .

 

[Morning Waters]

A dram of Jamison is just the ticket after a hard day of anything.