Pack Weight

[Frank66]

Start date only 1 week away - looking forward to the adventure!
Newbie -type question:
The 'rule of thumb' backpack no more than 10% of your body weight guidance - does that include water?
I'm using a 2-litre hydration pack, which when full weighs in at 2kg, so makes quite a difference.
I've been doing my training walks with just under 10kg at distances up to 25 km without issues. What I've not yet experienced though is repeating that day after day.
Any input would be gratefully received ☺

 

[Bradypus]

The "rule of thumb" is just that - a rough guide, not Holy Writ, despite what some members here seem to think. Personally if I have to choose between reducing weight to some mystical absolute figure and thereby risk running short of water (or any other serious embuggerance like freezing overnight in a blanket-free albergue) I will always opt for the little extra weight. Dehydration can seriously ruin your day. Having said that I think that there will be very few stages these days where you would have to carry 2 litres of water. 1 litre would probably be enough unless you are a particularly thirsty walker. As for the whole business of bladders vs bottles..... Congratulations on opening up a thread which combines two of the most controversial topics on the forum: pack weight and "hydration systems". What were the old instructions?: "light the blue touch paper then retire to a safe distance..."

 

[Frank66]

The "rule of thumb" is just that - a rough guide, not Holy Writ, despite what some members here seem to think. Personally if I have to choose between reducing weight to some mystical absolute figure and thereby risk running short of water (or any other serious embuggerance like freezing overnight in a blanket-free albergue) I will always opt for the little extra weight. Dehydration can seriously ruin your day. Having said that I think that there will be very few stages these days where you would have to carry 2 litres of water. 1 litre would probably be enough unless you are a particularly thirsty walker. As for the whole business of bladders vs bottles..... Congratulations on opening up a thread which combines two of the most controversial topics on the forum: pack weight and "hydration systems". What were the old instructions?: "light the blue touch paper then retire to a safe distance..."

 

[Frank66]

Thanks for that - plus double points for including the word 'embuggerance'!
I am going to try and use this word at least once each day (I'm teaching Incident Command skills to firefighters this afternoon, so it shouldn't be too difficult )
Meanwhile back to packing the backpack . . .

 

[Bradypus]

Nicked the word "embuggerance" from the late great Terry Pratchett who used it often to describe his Alzheimer's disease. Spreading it around in his memory and because it does the job so well

 

[trevorcc]

Start date only 1 week away - looking forward to the adventure!
Newbie -type question:
The 'rule of thumb' backpack no more than 10% of your body weight guidance - does that include water?
I'm using a 2-litre hydration pack, which when full weighs in at 2kg, so makes quite a difference.
I've been doing my training walks with just under 10kg at distances up to 25 km without issues. What I've not yet experienced though is repeating that day after day.
Any input would be gratefully received ☺

Its all an estimate and is what you feel comfortable with, training also up to each person. I have seen people super fit breakdown, I have seen overweight people breeze through it (in my two walks) I have been overweight, carried 11.5 kg baclpack with cameras etc. The thing that I noticed is the day after day in all types of weather, some people just cannot handle that and sleeping in rooms with all sorts of snores and noises that go bump in the night etc. Just take it easy don't over think it just go with the flow of the Camino it will always look after you just go and trust. Buen Camino.

 

[evanlow]

Weight (or the lack of) can be subjective and should be look at more like as insurance. Less weight better insurance against injuries and such.

Since we can't make it go down to zero my balance is to keep the dry weight down to 7kg. So with water and food it should still be just below 10kg.

Beyond 10kg is where I would really feel the weight.

 

[BrienC]

I consider the 10% rule to be dry weight, the stuff you don't consume.

Two liters is way too much, there is no need. One is sufficient. In my experience, hydration packs are a pain in the rear.

Last July, hot hot hot July on the CF, I used a SmarTube system (find it on Amazon,etc.) which works with most any commercially available bottles (using the adapters that come with the system). I put the bottles in the side pouches of my pack, where I can get to them easily.

Buen Camino!

 

[trecile]

I'm brand new to backpacking, so initially I thought that I might want to use a water bladder. But after reading this forum, I decided that water bottles will work better for a couple of reasons: water fountains are abundant on the Camino, and it seems like it would be a pain in the a$$ to take off my pack and refill that bladder, not to mention the weight!
I'm thinking of either the Smart Tube system, or a collapsible water bottle that I can clip onto my shoulder strap.

 

[alipilgrim]

I live in the desert where the newspaper has almost daily accounts of hikers who've suffered from dehydration and had to be rescued. I'd never tell someone to take less water. Every body prefers to consume different amounts of liquids, some people are are camels, others are guzzlers. And every environment is different. I think it's a learning curve that people have to work out for themselves as they go along (preferable in their training, but on the Camino as well). Better to take more than you need. And read the guidebook ahead of time to see what your refill options are.

 

[Americanperegrino]

Get rid of the 10% "rule". Seriously, DO NOT WEIGH your pack, its meaningless and too many folks focus on it. Take what you need based on recommendations, research and practicality. Look at the experienced pack lists and make a judgement on what to carry. The pack will weigh what the pack will weigh. I carry a 3 liter hydration bladder and a .5 liter water bottle. I usually carry 1 liter of water in the bladder and a flavored electrolyte drink in the bottle.
Also, you will be fired up and ready to do many miles when you first start. Force yourself to slow down, take your time walking-let your body acclimate to the 'push' you are subjecting it to. This will do more to prevent injuries and allow you to continue the CDS more than anything else, including the pack weight.

 

[Taisce]

Start date only 1 week away - looking forward to the adventure!
Newbie -type question:
The 'rule of thumb' backpack no more than 10% of your body weight guidance - does that include water?
I'm using a 2-litre hydration pack, which when full weighs in at 2kg, so makes quite a difference.
I've been doing my training walks with just under 10kg at distances up to 25 km without issues. What I've not yet experienced though is repeating that day after day.
Any input would be gratefully received ☺

I would say don't carry any more than 7 kg (preferably 6kg), with water extra. Most people take far too much with them.

 

[C clearly]

I would say that a reasonable weight for most of us to carry is between 5 and 10 kg. If you are big and strong, you can carry on the high side. If you are small and weak, carry less. (Coincidentally that is about 10% of the ideal body weight of most people, so the guide is OK but precise calculations are not very helpful.) For the typical person, the necessities for any season of the year would weigh only 6-7 kg without water. Unless you are confident of your fitness, don't carry much more.

I am always surprised by the number of people who start the camino with pack weights that they have never carried on their backs, except from the house to the driveway on the way to the airport! Please do at least one test of 20 km with the weight you plan to carry!

 

[Bradypus]

Get rid of the 10% "rule". Seriously, DO NOT WEIGH your pack, its meaningless and too many folks focus on it.

I agree 100%. I carry only what my prior experience tells me is necessary for my safety and comfort on the walk I have planned. Everything is in there for a reason. I do not base that decision on some abstract notion of a "correct" weight. Weighing the pack will not make me change its contents so why bother?

 

[Mark Lee]

I found carrying two 1/2 liter water bottles with me to be plenty sufficient on the CF. Other than the first day out of SJPdP and the day out of Carrion de los Condes, there many places to hydrate and refill. Fountains. Bars. Cafes. Just make it a routine and point to drink and refill at least 1/2 liter at each one.
Dump that big old bladder.
and don't forget to drink 1/2 liter when you first wake up....

 

[ChuckE]

I carry only what my prior experience tells me is necessary for my safety and comfort on the walk I have planned. Everything is in there for a reason.

I love these threads that turn into "bragging rights" about what you should and shouldn't be carrying. And really....what you choose to carry is your own decision.

But logic would dictate that if you can't carry that so called magic number of 10%, that dropping it to 9% probably isn't going to help. And that if you can carry the number, that carrying 11% percent probably isn't going to kill you.

So, I hope in the end you follow that interior voice of reason. I'm sure you've been following weather reports along the camino and have trained and prepared and packed yourself accordingly. If you're comfortable with what you've got then go with it.

Good luck on your camino. I see there is the possibility of rain early next week. But at least you'll miss the snow forcast in the Pyrenees for Saturday night. (That is if you're doing the Frances)

 

[Joodle]

I'm brand new to backpacking, so initially I thought that I might want to use a water bladder. But after reading this forum, I decided that water bottles will work better for a couple of reasons: water fountains are abundant on the Camino, and it seems like it would be a pain in the a$$ to take off my pack and refill that bladder, not to mention the weight!
I'm thinking of either the Smart Tube system, or a collapsible water bottle that I can clip onto my shoulder strap.

Having a water bag hanging from my shoulder strap and swinging back and forth and back and forth, would drive me crazy. I have the Smartube system too. I love it. My two 1 liter water bottles, used only about half full, sit in my mesh side pockets. I have the bigger water bottles in case it gets really hot and then I can fill them.

 

[princesslorna]

I started month ago with a hydration pack in my pack and too much weight...finished today with a plastic waterbottle and having jettisoned stuff 3 times including having to buy a lighter pack. You truly need much less than you think...make sure you rehydrate teally well before and after walking anf refill as you can especially when its a little cooler.

 

[Introibo]

If you use the bottle and tube system then you can blow bubbles of air into the water.
This makes it lighter to carry.

Hope this helps

Buen Camino

 

[Joodle]

If you use the bottle and tube system then you can blow bubbles of air into the water.
This makes it lighter to carry.

Hope this helps

Buen Camino

Isn't that kind of like having every one jump up at the same time to keep a runaway elevator from crashing too hard??? You have forgot, we have went to college!!

 

[Bradypus]

You have forgot, we have went to college!!

"Ee, mi father went crackers. He reached out and gently pulled mi mam towards 'im by t'throat. "You big fat, idle ugly wart", he said. "You gret useless spawny-eyed parrot-faced wazzock." ('E had a way wi words, mi father. He'd bin to college, y'know)." Tony Capstick, "Capstick Comes Home"

 

[JeroenKr]

Other than the first day out of SJPdP and the day out of Carrion de los Condes, there many places to hydrate and refill.

Do you mean that the first day up to Roncesvalles, there is no opportunity to get water?

 

[LindaH]

Belly laughing at the replies on this thread - what an amazing bunch you are !

My two cents worth on the weight issue - I'm off to SJPDP on Sunday and have packed and repacked and changed my mind about what to take so many times I have never yet got down to 10% of my 55 kg weight ( NOT skinny, just very short - you should see me in my poncho - think yellow fat duck and you'll get the idea). I now have 7 kg without water. It is comfortable and I've trained with it - if it proves to be too heavy, I'll get it transported on harder days and ignore any disapproving looks!

 

[Bradypus]

I have never yet got down to 10% of my 55 kg weight

Shouldn't be a problem. Just thinking laterally here. There is another way of hitting the 10% target. Instead of reducing your pack weight any further you could try increasing your body weight instead. I am also quite short but being near-spherical I am allowed nearly 10kg in my rucksack. If you are arriving in St Jean on Sunday you have four days to get your weight up to 70kg. A very high fat diet perhaps? Possibly an intravenous chocolate drip? I'm thinking less of a "yellow fat duck" and more on the lines of geese and pate de foie gras.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

You should carry what you are comfortable with carrying. A new long walker should be cautious about additional weight. An experienced long walker knows their limits. If you are a first time walker the weight of your pack should be one of your least of worries. So enjoy, not worry.

 

[Tincatinker]

Do you mean that the first day up to Roncesvalles, there is no opportunity to get water?

There are Fuente just above Hunto, and at the frontier marker on the R Napoleon but no guaranteed water after Orisson. There is a Fuente at Valcarlos as well as a Tienda and a bar.

 

[mspath]

There are Fuente just above Hunto, and at the frontier marker on the R Napoleon but no guaranteed water after Orisson. There is a Fuente at Valcarlos as well as a Tienda and a bar.

On the Valcarlos alternate route there are no services after Valcarlos until you arrive at the Roncesvalles monastery. Just east of the Ibaneta pass is a water spigot marked non-potable. Go prepared with trail snacks and water.

 

[Mark Lee]

On the Valcarlos alternate route there are no services after Valcarlos until you arrive at the Roncesvalles monastery. Just east of the Ibaneta pass is a water spigot marked non-potable. Go prepared with trail snacks and water.

Yes, I know that non-potable water spigot well. On my first Camino walking the ValCarlos in July, I only brought two 1/2 liter bottles of water with me. They went quick and by the time I reached that spigot I was quite dehydrated and threw caution to the wind and drank about one liter from it. Didn't get sick, but not recommended.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have aimed for the 10% weight guide (or 15% from the skin out). It helps to concentrate the mind on essentials and does include water. Personally we prefer to carry bottles and carry one in each side pocket of our packs. Bigger bottles are better as you can part fill a big bottle but small ones limit you - a potential hazard on a hot day. The bladder pocket is useful for keeping papers, credencial etc safe and my whistle is hung out through the tube hole.

 

[Joodle]

"Ee, mi father went crackers. He reached out and gently pulled mi mam towards 'im by t'throat. "You big fat, idle ugly wart", he said. "You gret useless spawny-eyed parrot-faced wazzock." ('E had a way wi words, mi father. He'd bin to college, y'know)." Tony Capstick, "Capstick Comes Home"

Ha Ha

 

[Introibo]

You'll not be wanting to hear my recommendation for dehydrating water then ?

I dunno, there's no helping some folk

 

[BrienC]

Get rid of the 10% "rule". Seriously, DO NOT WEIGH your pack, its meaningless and too many folks focus on it.

I couldn't agree LESS! Sure, it's a rather ambiguous "rule," and yes, everyone should do what they think is right for them (who said they shouldn't). But, it's a good starting point, a good gauge or bar to start with if you've never done this sort of thing.

As a specific, and probably exaggerating a bit to make a point, sleeping bag weights alone can be from 1/2 kilo to 3 kilos for the same temperature rating. So, it is a great idea to weigh and know weights, make decisions, and get going.

There are two deciding factors for me when it comes to weight: Enjoyment and longevity. I can remember those days when I didn't know sh** and I couldn't afford the better, lighter gear. Almost gave up the whole notion. Thank goodness I didn't. And longevity. If you have a passion to trek, carrying all you need, trip after trip, think about the possible wear and tear on your body--over the long haul.

And ditch the hydration bladder, hot as the meseta is in July, it isn't the Sahara. Peregrinos/as could do as others have said: carry enough for you, for your body's needs, consult your guidebook for distances to next water source, and drink up when it's available. Do what is right for you. What you read here is advice and opinion, not cast in stone.

Buen Camino!

 

[MooBro]

If you use the bottle and tube system then you can blow bubbles of air into the water.
This makes it lighter to carry.

Hope this helps

Buen Camino

And with enough bubbles the entire pack will float in the air above you

 

[JenCamino]

Shouldn't be a problem. Just thinking laterally here. There is another way of hitting the 10% target. Instead of reducing your pack weight any further you could try increasing your body weight instead. I am also quite short but being near-spherical I am allowed nearly 10kg in my rucksack. If you are arriving in St Jean on Sunday you have four days to get your weight up to 70kg. A very high fat diet perhaps? Possibly an intravenous chocolate drip? I'm thinking less of a "yellow fat duck" and more on the lines of geese and pate de foie gras.

This made me laugh out loud. You are awesome!!!

 

[JenCamino]

I would say that a reasonable weight for most of us to carry is between 5 and 10 kg. If you are big and strong, you can carry on the high side. If you are small and weak, carry less. (Coincidentally that is about 10% of the ideal body weight of most people, so the guide is OK but precise calculations are not very helpful.) For the typical person, the necessities for any season of the year would weigh only 6-7 kg without water. Unless you are confident of your fitness, don't carry much more.

I am always surprised by the number of people who start the camino with pack weights that they have never carried on their backs, except from the house to the driveway on the way to the airport! Please do at least one test of 20 km with the weight you plan to carry!

I completely agree with this. By practicing long walks with your pack at different weights, you can find the tipping point between "totally fine--I can walk forever with this" and "ow--who thought this was a good idea?!" For me, as a slender and not-so-strong person who is otherwise pretty fit as far as walking, I've found that at 4kg I can walk forever, and anything above 5kg tops me out and makes me sore and grumpy, although the "10% rule" says I should be able to carry 6kg. So because I don't want to use the luggage shipping service (just my personal choice), I'm going ultra-lightweight on everything, and only taking the essentials. Luckily, I'm a minimalist, plus going in July. I know that minimalism is not for everyone. However, I bet you will find it worth your while to do a few trial runs before you go with the weight of pack you want to carry on your Camino. If, in the end, you find you can't carry everything you need/want, there is always the carrying service. Better to use that than damage yourself and not enjoy--or complete--your Camino. :*

 

[tony young]

.... a lot of people talk about weight as the primary criteria ... but had a conversation with a fellow hiker who maintains that rigidity of the pack is also an important consideration .... i.e. a light floppy pack will be more tiring and uncomfortable than a pack with rigidity and firm attachment bearing its weight correctly on the hips. So sacrificing weight in the pack itself may not be the whole solution .... and may be worth up to half a kilo (1lb)

 

[Bradypus]

I agree that the design and fit of the rucksack has a huge effect on the ability to carry weight comfortably. A couple of years ago I reluctantly retired my much loved Berghaus Cyclops after 30 years and who-knows how many miles of service. A real wrench but we have both worn badly and lost our figures over the years. My new travelling companion is far more rigid, has many more adjustment points and is far more comfortable when heavily loaded. I would say by an extra 1 to 2kg. Even very small adjustments to strap tensions and frame length can make enormous differences to comfort. That's why I would never consider setting out for a long-distance walk without trying out a new pack for several days with the load I expect to carry.

 

[Wandershot]

I took a 35l pack which weighed 14 lbs before water and snacks. I weigh ~150 lbs and the pack was perfect for me. I wrote up a packing list if you care to see it. It's written for women but most the the advice is gender-neutral.
http://wayfaringviews.com/camino-de-santiago-packing-list-women/