How much are women able to carry?

Fadcode

Full Member
Feb 13, 2016
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Cornwall
You have (or had) a “lower” class? Not the “poor?” That implies that your class structure was a social comstruct rather than an economic thing. Seems arrogant.

In my opinion the "lower class" are the poor and the opressed, we allow migrants into this country to do the menial jobs, similar to the US allowing the Mexicans in, purely for economic reasons,nothing to do with socialism, as the people who exploit these people are as far away from being social as you can get.
 

Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
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You don't and can't see how the Mexican families fit into the economy here.
I watch them as very well-to-do seasonal employees here who vacation at home for the off season.
Some families maybe 20 years here now. Same people for decades.

Agreed, some are badly treated but nomoreso than the organized gangs controlling Sikh labor in Italy.
 

Fadcode

Full Member
Feb 13, 2016
2,857
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Cornwall
You don't and can't see how the Mexican families fit into the economy here.
I watch them as very well-to-do seasonal employees here who vacation at home for the off season.
Some families maybe 20 years here now. Same people for decades.

Agreed, some are badly treated but nomoreso than the organized gangs controlling Sikh labor in Italy.
Exactly my point.
 
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Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
You really want to see what real women can carry? Huh?

Watch the Women's Flour-Packing contest at The Pas Trapper's Festival.
The Pas, Manitoba, each February. Winner take all they can carry.

Most winners are between 600 and 700 lbs flour.
 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
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We have many Polish people here, because local folk oddly do not wish to do the work. (In spite of the high unemployment rate)

They dress very roughly (probably because of the dirty work they do) but seem to have nice cars.

And...this means we have a Polish store in town! Nice goods, at affordable prices.

I do not know if they are oppressed but I agree that conditions for migrant workers in other EU countries is bad.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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In my opinion the "lower class" are the poor and the opressed, we allow migrants into this country to do the menial jobs, similar to the US allowing the Mexicans in, purely for economic reasons,nothing to do with socialism, as the people who exploit these people are as far away from being social as you can get.
There are many different groups of immigrants but your point has a lot of validity. Not 100% . The migrant agricultural workers do pretty well. They work seasonally and then return home where the wages they earned here are more than double what they would have earned there. Much the same way US and UK technically oriented people work in the Middle East for a few months then return home with big (compared to what we would have made at home) paychecks. I still have cousins working that way in the Middle East, China, and even Russia in the oil fields. Back in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s Daddy worked in heavy construction that way in Guatemala, Panama, and Venezuela.

The Mexicans that usually get the shaft are mainly the ones seeing permanent immigration. They are exploited more often by the gangs that smuggle them in (usually the very gangs they’re fleeing their own country to escape)
 

Nomad64

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Nov 21, 2015
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So just who hasn’t walked anywhere in decades?

Likewise, who’s trying to steer the conversation? Pointing out the reality that men are inherently bigger than women is a reality. Nothing more, nothing less. Pointing out that firearms equalizes most of those differences is a reality. Ignoring those points to promote a false (politically correct) opinion that men and women are the same IS “steering.”

Despite approx forty posts on this thread, (which have covered topics from; political correctness, your exploits as a teenage logger and the logging industry generally, GIs, bullying in the military, concealed weapons, flat earthers, vaccine deniers, your uncles horses and now the UK class system and migrant labourers etc etc), none have so far suggested that you have recently put on a pair of hiking boots and a rucksack and headed off (with or without a female companion) into the countryside for a lengthy walk for the sheer joy of it. I had therefore inferred (which on this side of the Atlantic is generally something different from “implying”), that hiking (which is the focus of this thread) wasn’t really your kind of thing.

Happy to be proved wrong and if you honestly think you could keep up with by 82 year old mother on a hike over pretty much any terrain (as I mentioned previously, she is slowing down a bit these days but since she was your age, despite the handicap of having two “X” chromosomes, she has stomped up and down peaks in the Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese Himalayas, the Canadian Rockies, Peruvian Andes, Moroccan Atlas, Spanish Pyrenees, walked the entire coastline of Wales and much of south west England etc. etc.), then you will be doing better than most 62 year old men or indeed, women.

I suppose a carefully aimed shot by a less capable walker inflicting a minor non-lethal injury on a more capable one could even things up a bit, but from a European perspective at least, this seems a bit drastic and I am really struggling to see how guns are relevant to this discussion! ;)

You keep telling me that I think men and women are “the same” - of course they are not any more than all men are “the same”. If the main requirements of a role are brute strength then the chances are more men than women (or possibly only men) will be able to perform the role but then you could probably train a gorilla which has ten times the strength of a man to do the job. IIRC Charlton Heston made a “documentary” about this - it didn’t end well! ;)

There are all kinds of factors that will affect the comparative performance of two individuals hiking with heavy rucksacks. Gender may be a factor but, genetics, health, training, experience, suitability of footwear, rucksacks etc. and any number if other factors may be relevant and after a point, excessive muscle bulk becomes a hindrance rather than an asset in situations requiring endurance. As Fadcode and others have said, rather than trying to come up with a definitive formula or denying the possibility of a woman carrying more than a man, trial and error is the best approach to achieve maximum team efficiency.

Anyway, to help soothe male egos, here is a video of a young woman with a rucksack falling over! :)

 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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Despite approx forty posts on this thread, (which have covered topics from; political correctness, your exploits as a teenage logger and the logging industry generally, GIs, bullying in the military, concealed weapons, flat earthers, vaccine deniers, your uncles horses and now the UK class system and migrant labourers etc etc), none have so far suggested that you have recently put on a pair of hiking boots and a rucksack and headed off (with or without a female companion) into the countryside for a lengthy walk for the sheer joy of it. I had therefore inferred (which on this side of the Atlantic is generally something different from “implying”), that hiking (which is the focus of this thread) wasn’t really your kind of thing.

Happy to be proved wrong and if you honestly think you could keep up with by 82 year old mother on a hike over pretty much any terrain (as I mentioned previously, she is slowing down a bit these days but since she was your age, despite the handicap of having two “X” chromosomes, she has stomped up and down peaks in the Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese Himalayas, the Canadian Rockies, Peruvian Andes, Moroccan Atlas, Spanish Pyrenees, walked the entire coastline of Wales and much of south west England etc. etc.), then you will be doing better than most 62 year old men or indeed, women.

I suppose a carefully aimed shot by a less capable walker inflicting a minor non-lethal injury on a more capable one could even things up a bit, but from a European perspective at least, this seems a bit drastic and I am really struggling to see how guns are relevant to this discussion! ;)

You keep telling me that I think men and women are “the same” - of course they are not any more than all men are “the same”. If the main requirements of a role are brute strength then the chances are more men than women (or possibly only men) will be able to perform the role but then you could probably train a gorilla which has ten times the strength of a man to do the job. IIRC Charlton Heston made a “documentary” about this - it didn’t end well! ;)

There are all kinds of factors that will affect the comparative performance of two individuals hiking with heavy rucksacks. Gender may be a factor but, genetics, health, training, experience, suitability of footwear, rucksacks etc. and any number if other factors may be relevant and after a point, excessive muscle bulk becomes a hindrance rather than an asset in situations requiring endurance. As Fadcode and others have said, rather than trying to come up with a definitive formula or denying the possibility of a woman carrying more than a man, trial and error is the best approach to achieve maximum team efficiency.

Anyway, to help soothe male egos, here is a video of a young woman with a rucksack falling over! :)

You’re right about a couple,of things:
1) I rarely wear hiking boots (I still wear either combat boots or cowboy boots when out in the woods) and have absolutely no problem with them.
2) I never in my life went hiking just for the sake of hiking. I was always hunting (still am) back when there were still enough wild birds (quailmare the only proper birds) with a dog.

As to the ideas about cooperation, equipment, training, etc. they’re irrelevant to what the OP asked. The whole point of his question was exactly about physical ability. Nothing more. Nothing less. It’s assumed from the way he posited the original question the lady in reference has either equal experience or more likely less (if she already had equal experience he’d already know without asking what she can handle)

Likewise it’s assumed that the OP and his companion are indeed hiking just for the pleasure of hiking. With that in mind neither should carry a “heavy rucksack.”

Where did I mention “bullies” in the military?

My “exploits?” LOL. you still don’t get it. My experiences were less than average. As I said (repeatedly) I had a relatively sheltered childhood and the experiences I described should show that.
 
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Woody girl

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Mar 31, 2018
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Mud jump fail.. actually she just had a free face pack to make her skin all soft and velvety.. very happy young lady who can now afford a new nail varnish.
If only you guys knew what lengths us girls go to to stay young and pretty for you fellas :) ;)
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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Florida
Mud jump fail.. actually she just had a free face pack to make her skin all soft and velvety.. very happy young lady who can now afford a new nail varnish.
If only you guys knew what lengths us girls go to to stay young and pretty for you fellas :) ;)
If only y’all realized how pretty you are to us even when you don’t try.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
We have many Polish people here, because local folk oddly do not wish to do the work. (In spite of the high unemployment rate)

They dress very roughly (probably because of the dirty work they do) but seem to have nice cars.

And...this means we have a Polish store in town! Nice goods, at affordable prices.

I do not know if they are oppressed but I agree that conditions for migrant workers in other EU countries is bad.

Conditions in other EU countries follow the EU labour laws. Anyyhing rlse, is a criminal act. Sadly it happens in every country, insluding Sweden and UK.

Soooo.....

The Poles have superior bread and cooked sausages. Nice cakes too.
Excellent food culture in Central Europe!
The Frenchies are Jealous. Have been for centuries!

One thing we hsve not touched upon ( I yhink?)
That is - what do you classify as a woman?
Do we go after the oldfashined, outdated classification, the one the Swede Linné introduced?
Homo Sapiens Sapiens Feminismus?

Or new new classification, Homo Sapiens Sapiens Whateveryoufeellikeus?
 
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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I have a feeling that women of today in general are physically stronger in a way today than - say- 30 years sgo.
Gym.

But I think they have legs that are not ‘walk tuned’
Applies to guys too.

Look on peoples calf muscled. Tiny. Strong, gym honed torsos, weak, spidery legs.
 

Nomad64

Full Member
Nov 21, 2015
1,072
597
UK
You’re right about a couple,of things:
1) I rarely wear hiking boots (I still wear either combat boots or cowboy boots when out in the woods) and have absolutely no problem with them.
2) I never in my life went hiking just for the sake of hiking. I was always hunting (still am) back when there were still enough wild birds (quailmare the only proper birds) with a dog.

As to the ideas about cooperation, equipment, training, etc. they’re irrelevant to what the OP asked. The whole point of his question was exactly about physical ability. Nothing more. Nothing less. It’s assumed from the way he posited the original question the lady in reference has either equal experience or more likely less (if she already had equal experience he’d already know without asking what she can handle)

Likewise it’s assumed that the OP and his companion are indeed hiking just for the pleasure of hiking. With that in mind neither should carry a “heavy rucksack.”

Where did I mention “bullies” in the military?

My “exploits?” LOL. you still don’t get it. My experiences were less than average. As I said (repeatedly) I had a relatively sheltered childhood and the experiences I described should show that.

I have no idea where the “exploits” you described in post #13 fit into the range expected of a teenager in your part of the world, I mention them only because you told a female forum member that unless she could match various log related activities that you could perform as a teenager, you had no respect for her or opinions on hiking.

“Bullies” in the military - that would be post #110, just after the bit about male sportsmen touching each other! :) Again, I’m not sure what that has to do with women hikers.

Admittedly you used the expression “hazing” (which is not really UK English) rather than “bullying” but you did make it clear that you were not interested in hearing anyone’ thoughts on the subject unless they had served in the (US?) military. This is a bit ironic since you are clearly not a woman and have made it clear that recreational hiking is not your thing but nevertheless you clearly believe strongly that we should all get the benefit of your wisdom on the subject of women hikers.

Doubly ironic is the fact that the percentage of posts on this thread that you have contributed on a subject you appear to have no interest, almost exactly matches the 20% “ballpark” figure for load to bodyweight that many have suggested! ;)

I’ve lost track a bit of what the OP really has asked - after about 150 or so posts he finally revealed that his query was not hypothetical and related to a particular hiking trip where the female hiker’s performance tailed off over the last few kms each day.

I do hope we get to hear what the reaction of the lucky lady in question is when the OP’s brother informs her that a random bunch of people (mostly men) from the interweb who have never met her and know little about her (some of whom have little or know interest in or experience of recreational hiking) have decided that she should carry precisely 19.75% of her bodyweight on her next trip! ;)

Meanwhile in a hut at over 5000 metres in Nepal a female porter is relaxing after a day carrying 70% of her bodyweight. ;)

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7530-nepalese-porters-hit-the-peak-of-efficiency/
 

mousey

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 15, 2010
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NE Scotland
Well here is my contribution to the thread - not a woman but impressive carrying skills none the less...


 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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I have no idea where the “exploits” you described in post #13 fit into the range expected of a teenager in your part of the world, I mention them only because you told a female forum member that unless she could match various log related activities that you could perform as a teenager, you had no respect for her or opinions on hiking.

“Bullies” in the military - that would be post #110, just after the bit about male sportsmen touching each other! :) Again, I’m not sure what that has to do with women hikers.

Admittedly you used the expression “hazing” (which is not really UK English) rather than “bullying” but you did make it clear that you were not interested in hearing anyone’ thoughts on the subject unless they had served in the (US?) military. This is a bit ironic since you are clearly not a woman and have made it clear that recreational hiking is not your thing but nevertheless you clearly believe strongly that we should all get the benefit of your wisdom on the subject of women hikers.

Doubly ironic is the fact that the percentage of posts on this thread that you have contributed on a subject you appear to have no interest, almost exactly matches the 20% “ballpark” figure for load to bodyweight that many have suggested! ;)

I’ve lost track a bit of what the OP really has asked - after about 150 or so posts he finally revealed that his query was not hypothetical and related to a particular hiking trip where the female hiker’s performance tailed off over the last few kms each day.

I do hope we get to hear what the reaction of the lucky lady in question is when the OP’s brother informs her that a random bunch of people (mostly men) from the interweb who have never met her and know little about her (some of whom have little or know interest in or experience of recreational hiking) have decided that she should carry precisely 19.75% of her bodyweight on her next trip! ;)

Meanwhile in a hut at over 5000 metres in Nepal a female porter is relaxing after a day carrying 70% of her bodyweight. ;)

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7530-nepalese-porters-hit-the-peak-of-efficiency/
Ahhh. So you think ordinary hazing (an ordinary team bonding activity in most male teams, military or civilian) is bullying. That explains your feminism.

You don’t understand how the activities I described from my teenage years fit in? Again, that explains a lot. They were a reply to a poster pushing her experience doing recreational hiking as evidence that men and women are physically equal. They ain’t.

I said the lady in question in the OP should carry less than 20% on her next trip? Read it again; I said that was the general rule of thumb for people, horses, and mules as stated and taught by such organizations as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cavalry.

What some porter in Nepal does as hs job is a long, long way from what the average domesticated westerner does for recreation.
 
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