Weight Limit

[Nutmeg]

I read that some peoples packs weight 20kg plus.
Me being a weakling, 12kg is heavy going.
In my city it is too easy to be pushed over and on an escalator a fall could be nasty so I'm wondering why some of you carry so much weight?
Or are the heavier packs for countryside use only?

[Highlander]

Its a good question Meg,... a heavy pack is clearly going to have more in it, ....thats not to say you need as much as that large pack carries.

You are right, you indicate that you know you should be carrying the right weight for your frame,..there would be little use carrying something that would hinder you, or get you into trouble

So..... think hard about two things,... what do you REALLY need to carry,.. and how far do you need to carry it, work it out carefully and be strict, try and include one item that does more than one job, many people, especial ex military get away with just carrying what is known as belt issue,..everything they need is in pouches on the belt

If you can, think about storing some equipment at a halfway point, so that you dont need to carry it,... or maybe carry more via bike saddle bags,.... its a very important question that only you can answer

[Nutmeg]

I think in a city a rucksack is a bit silly.
You stand out too much except in the summer with all the tourists.
Then tourists get mugged.
I prefer my old messy not quite a Nike shoulder gym bag.
I think it holds 25 liters. How do I check that?

I need very little though.
My sleeping bag in a wheely bin liner, old poncho, a change of clothing.
Water bottle, wash kit, and my mini first aid kit.
My plastic rice bowl, fork and spoon, travel mug, and can opener.
I am lucky, I like cold food from tins.
Everything else goes in my coat pockets.
It is too easy to find what you need in a city.
You only need to know where to look.

[Metroyeti]

I wouldnt want to carry anything heavy now let alone post shtf. Carrying those extra kgs is harder than you think, ever tried it? Once spent all my money on a exercise bike in a charity shop for oh, couldnt afford a taxi so had to carry it, not fun.

Theres a man who frequents the local market with a heavy looking backpack, turns out hes carrying a broken fireplace, not entirly sure why he does it,but he certainly struggles.

[I-K-E]

it all about training or what you are used to, when I was a lot younger I used to cary around a lot of books on daily basis for my studies and a lot of people couldn't believe that I did but that's what i was used to.

if you want to have a good amount of kit/food etc if the SHTF then start working on carrying the same now.

You don't have to start at the max limit but start training now and build up the weight

to be honest I need to start think about training too, need to get back in to shape more fitness as I'm one of those lucky sod that don't put on weight (joys of metabolism).

[Luci_ferson]

if you get good rucksack that fastens well and fits snug. you can carry a lot more than a cheap crappy loose fitting one.
the better the weight is balanced and distributed the easier it is to carry.
but even with the best kit its better to carry a lighter load. it only gets heavier the longer and further you carry it.
If your carrying at full capacity when you set off your not going to get very far at all.

---

walked from teeside into Bridlington with poor fitting rucksack and a tent.
I ended up with no skin on knees and a frozen shoulder.
never again without good equipment.

[Scythe13]

This is something I was on about a year or so ago. I converted nearly all my gear to ultra-lite stuff. Made movement much easier and faster!

I'm a big guy, so am able to carry a much larger load than most. My wife is tiny, and as so can only carry a smaller load....even though she's freakishly strong for her size.

With my pack, I do try to multipurpose my tools. But I have a huge 'replacement' system as well. I don't bother with plates, bowls, forks, spoons, etc. I find a tree and magic up a pair of chopsticks. They're good for stirring and for eating utensils. Plates and bowls....I just eat out of whatever I cook it in. Usually my mini cook set. Hoping to upgrade to a titanium mini cookset, but can't find one that ticks as many boxes as my aluminium one.

I can't remember the exact weight of my pack, but I know it's manageable for a 25 mile trek.

[Tarrel]

I think lightweight is the way to go. You don't have to compromise on safety or comfort, just think carefully about what you need. I did Scotland coast to coast (around 180 miles) with a 13kg pack, wild-camping all the way in a wide range of weather conditions from sleet and strong winds to heavy rain. That included a tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, 5 days of food, Trangia, fuel, maps and various toys such as camera, etc. I could have managed with less, or substituted unnecessary items for more food.

Carrying a light pack allows someone with an average level of fitness to walk further, stay more alert, be more agile, maintain a better frame of mind and avoid tripping or stumbling.

[SecretPrepper]

Weight of the bag empty adds up. The tactical type bags that are made of 1000D nylon which are super strong weigh a lot empty. Water also weighs a lot.

The size all depends on what you go for. EDCs are light weight BoB are heavier and INCH bags are heavier still.

Season adds weight too. need extra warm gear in the winter than compared to summer

[Tigs]

the general rule is 1/5th your body weight unless you are in the army in which case its at least half your body weight lol