Help with weight distribution

[Rich.H]

I'm in the process of trying to cut back on the overall amount of things I take with me. Part of this is finally realising taking a big bergen for a couple of days just results in filling up the empty space.

This has also come with a switch to tarps instead of tents. With all this in mind I am ideally aiming to get down to 25-30l pack & belt kit for spring/summer and no more than 45-50l pack & belt kit for autumn/winter.

I have already made a start by switching the type of gear I use, I had used mod gear in the past and it's good fine kit but I have grown weary of dpm and so made a change for plain kit.

As things stand now I have a plain olive 25l pack which is meant for holding sleeping gear, spare clothes, cooking gear and little else.

I've changed to a molle style belt system with two maxpedition fatty packs (one is my personal medical kit, the other a bushcraft/survival/utility kit). I am intending on adding a maxpedition map case, and considering their Proteus bag for carrying things like food, water proofs, binos/phone etc.

My main concern is how this weight will all hang, obviously with a good framed bergen there is never any problem, load it up & fit the straps correctly and hike till dark. I have little experience though of how the human body copes with weight on the waist, at what sort of weight would most folk say a belt kit will need shoulder strap support? Also what sort of effects on the lower back will be felt when having a belt kit like this?

In an ideal world I want this to work as it will mean other than a camel back I can happily just grab my belt kit and poles and set off for a full day in the mountains without the hassle of a backpack. But obviously that is no good if there are going to be anatomical issues at hand.

Thanks in advance for any help offered.

 

[rg598]

If you want to save weight and at the same time be more comfortable and have good weight distribution, ditch the belt kit. I used to do the same thing and it was miserable over long distances. A single backpack of the appropriate size that can fit all of your gear will be much more comfortable, and will have much better balance. The belt kit also interferes with the backpack horribly. You end up putting the backpack hip belt further up on your body than it should go because of the belt kit, which creates a lot of problems. If you are worried about what you would do if you lost your pack, just carry a few items in your pocket. Also, ditch the maxpedition gear. It is way too heavy. I guarantee you that all of those little pouches weigh more than a full backpack. I have a 62L pack that I use all year round, and it weighs 3lb for comparison purposes.

 

[andybysea]

i make it a personnel mission to never believe anyone who say's you can get all the gear you need to do overnighters be it summer or winter in a 25litre pack.

 

[mrcharly]

I've done summer with a 30l backpack - 5 days. Hammock camp, tiny home-made hammock. Summer-weight buffalo bag. Food and everything in bag.

 

[Macaroon]

As I've got a lit6tle older I've had to re-jig my carry set up to something much more balanced, and the belt kit option has been without doubt the worst and most uncomfortable/unwieldy of the lot - it seems to go against all ergonomic sense. The best I've found is a good 45 - 65 litre backpack with a front pack that's instantly accessible and instantly detatchable which carries phone, FAK, baccy, binos and all that I may need immediate access to: This I've made very simply from a Finnish respirator bag, and it has a shoulder strap that clips on instantly so it acts as a shoulder bag which is ready packed with what I need for a day out without the full rig.

The other huge advantage of this system is that the front pack acts as a counter-weight to the main pack, and makes the carry much more comfortable and balanced, especially on a long hike. I reckon my main pack feels 30 to 40% lighter like this.

As andybysea says, I find it difficult to imagine how you could be well prepared and safe on an overnighter using only a 25 litre pack and have any degree of comfort.....................atb mac

 

[Rich.H]

Overnight in the UK in anytime between normally april to september means no real cold, granted we do get odd years and there are a few high spots. But for the most part you are not going to die even sleeping in a coat and jeans, this simply means anything more you have increases your comfort level. I've found that barring a windy wet night up in the hills then a 1-2 season bag with perhaps a thin fleece liner topped with a bivvy bag is really all you need (sleep mat is down to preference though I do use one). All of that and a good light weight tarp happily fits into a 25-30l bag and leaves you enough space for spare socks, thermals, & extra mid layer. The only major things left then are your cooking toolds, which I now use a nice compact trangia style, this again fits in the pack.

Subtract the medical kit, and the main bushy type pouch and all you have left really is food, waterproofs, phone, & other small bits you like to have. That lot and more fits into the proteus pack. I really can't see what else you would need in the UK for a night out in the woods etc? Though I am curious to what else folk take with them.

All in this setup will total around 45-50l so I will agree that unless your doing the extreme primitive ways or in an outdoor race that a single 25l pack will push the comfort level. But I can appreciate the comments regarding the belt kit getting in the way of a pack hip belt so I'll have to keep that in mind and look at molle packs where I can simply stick my belt kit on the pack.

 

[Macaroon]

You are right, of course, to say that if you want to go "minimalist" in the British Isles you'll be quite safe, just at the cost of the comfort. It probably says more about my own personal choice these days; I like to have a decent level of comfort when I'm out these days and I carry stuff for the dog as well myself...........I also like to have the capacity if required to carry home finds of stuff I may come across when out and about, I've often in the past had to leave things behind as I really hate to walk and mooch with anything in my hands.............

The great thing I find with the chest pack arrangement is the balance of the load; it keeps the load evenly distributed and close to the body, and just seems to me to be the most comfortable and efficient method of carry, and as stated in the previous post it's a ready-packed day bag for a dog walk or long bimble.

Whichever way you end up choosing, I hope you get a system you're happy and comfortable with...............happy trails,.......................atb mac

 

[Rich.H]

I'm liking the idea of the chest pack so will have to look into something I can mount the proteus onto the straps at my chest with.

 

[PDA1]

Have to agree with RG592 I also have a 60 litre, 1.3 kilo backpack (REI flash) mine is the earlier model which has no zips to fail. Organization comes from using diferent coloured stuff sacks inside the pack, one of which is actually an REI Flash 18 backpack which can then serve as a summit/day pack. 60 litres is more than I need for summer, but about right for shoulder/winter use when insulation materials are so much bulkier. Good hip belt design transfers weight efficiently and gives a comfotrable carry.
Did I mention, this is a lightweight solution that won't break the bank. I got the $180 pack at an REI garage sale of returned kit for $25. Part of the frame support was ripped so a bit of sewing was needed to reinforce what was a problem area in the original design. Even at full retail it would have been a good buy, so I think I got a bargain. Much better IMO than all these stick on bits and pieces, which probably weigh more, carry less, and probably less comfortable. Obviously, this route is not as bomb proof as typical military gear. You just have to use a bit of common sense and not throw it down cliffs.

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Some good pointers in here:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110214

 

[sandbender]

If you want to save weight and at the same time be more comfortable and have good weight distribution, ditch the belt kit. I used to do the same thing and it was miserable over long distances. A single backpack of the appropriate size that can fit all of your gear will be much more comfortable, and will have much better balance. The belt kit also interferes with the backpack horribly. You end up putting the backpack hip belt further up on your body than it should go because of the belt kit, which creates a lot of problems. If you are worried about what you would do if you lost your pack, just carry a few items in your pocket. Also, ditch the maxpedition gear. It is way too heavy. I guarantee you that all of those little pouches weigh more than a full backpack. I have a 62L pack that I use all year round, and it weighs 3lb for comparison purposes.

Pretty much, yes.

If you plan to walk any kind of distance with some weight on your back then carry it all in the backpack, you can pull a belt pouch out and wear it when you want to wander around your camp area. I have used a front pouch with some success and on longer walks it is nice to have easy access to maps, notebooks and cameras.

I generally use a 47 litre pack year round, ten litres of that is kept free for an MSR water bag with perhaps another five to eight litres given over to food of one kind an another.

"...Some good pointers in here..."

Paul Kirtley's loadout as described in the above link is certainly very well organised but as rg598 mentions "all of those little pouches weigh more than a full backpack", well maybe not quite but it does add all add up. It is nice to be organised for shorter walks but not if it weighs you down over longer ones.

I store small items inside the pockets of clothes I'm taking anyway or roll up items of clothing with items inside them, securing the bundle with cord. I make good use of heavy duty rubble bags which allow my gear to more readily fill out the internal space of a pack, something which discrete pouches and bags do not do.

Post some pics and let us know how you get on.

 

[Hetzen]

30 litres is all I need for an over nighter in summer. Depends on your spend choices I guess. I've stripped out everything I don't need and refined what I do.

The only 'bushcraft' thing I carry these days is a Mora knife, but it's more often an Opinel 6.

 

[EdS]

i make it a personnel mission to never believe anyone who say's you can get all the gear you need to do overnighters be it summer or winter in a 25litre pack.

Easily done in summer. Winter its possible to do two night on Ben Nevis with winter climbing gear in a 50l