What is Backpacking Base Weight & Why Does It Matter?

Picture this – you’re all set for an epic outdoor adventure. As you prep your backpack, you can barely contain the world of excitement welling up! But here’s the deal – there’s this one term, backpacking base weight, that keeps cropping up in your research.

You have absolutely no idea what it is or why you should care about it.

The good news is that this guide will break down the core concept in an easy to digest way that even the most inexperienced hiker can make sense of!

Trust me… I’ve got some tried-and-tested tricks up my sleeve to help you shed that extra weight and enhance your next backpacking trip.

Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!

What is Base Weight in Backpacking?

Backpacking base weight refers to the total weight of all the gear carried in your backpack, minus the weight of consumables like food, water, and fuel.

These items (also known as “consumables”) are left out of the base weight calculation because their total weight will fluctuate throughout your hike.

The more water you drink, the less it will weigh. Same goes for the more food you eat, etc.

Understanding and managing your base weight is crucial because it contributes directly to your total pack weight and helps you make informed decisions about what to pack.

Over time, most beginners strive for lower base weights, to reduce the physical strain on their body and the risk of injuries, thereby making their backpacking adventure (however long) more enjoyable and sustainable.

Items Normally Included in Backpacking Base Weight:

Here are some of the most common items which are normally included in the ‘backpacking base weight’ calculation. Note that your list might differ slightly, depending on what your specific needs are.

• Backpack
• Tent/shelter
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Cooking system (stove, pot, utensils)
• Clothing (anything not worn while hiking like sleeping clothes, rain gear, warm jackets)
• Headlamp
• Water treatment system
• Toiletries
• First Aid Kit
• Navigation tools (map, compass, PLB, GPS)

Items Normally Not Included in Base Weight:

These are the three main items of backpacking gear which don’t factor into base weight calculations.

• Food
• Water
• Fuel for stove
• Clothing worn while hiking (shoes, clothing, hat, sunglasses, etc.)

The rationale behind not including these items is that they are generally being depleted as you hike, meaning that the weight of these items at the start of your trip will probably be higher than the weight of them at the end of your trip.

We don’t count worn clothing in your base weight, because it’s being worn on your person and not carried in your pack.

We also normally don’t count trekking poles in your base weight because they are held while hiking, but bear in mind that some hikers choose to attach these to their pack (and therefore carry them) through certain sections.

How Much Weight Should You Carry Backpacking?

There’s no hard and fast rule answering the question, “How heavy should a backpack be?”

But, there is a generally accepted subset of backpacking weight recommendations and advice among long-term hikers (every now and then backed up by scientific study) that suggests some maximum limits.

That advice makes two main assertions:

• For overnight or multi day hiking trips, your total pack weight should not exceed 20% of your body weight.
• For day hikes, your total pack weight should not exceed 10% of your body weight.

There are some important observations to make about these ‘general rules’, however.

There’s no one size fits all approach.

The 20% rule won’t necessarily apply to every person of every gender, every age, body type and experience level.

For example, 20% of my current body weight is about 2-3 kilos / 4-6 lbs heavier than I prefer to carry.

On longer trips, though, it’s also at least 2-3 kilos / 4-6 lbs lighter than I actually have to carry! Even though I’ve invested in a lot of (very expensive) super lightweight gear, the fact that my body weight is reasonably low to start with means that I have less room to play with.

At the end of the day, there is a ‘critical mass’ point when it comes to the minimum weight of all the essential backpacking gear you need to have with you on your adventure.

Conversely, some people who are bigger-framed, or stronger, or heavier, might find that they can comfortably carry way more than the 20% rule allows for.

This approach isn’t appropriate for every trip.

Ask any rock climber or mountaineer.

Sometimes, there’s absolutely no avoiding having to carry an exceptionally heavyweight on your back, to get your trip done.

Now okay, I know that (as someone reading this particular blog) you’re probably not a climber or mountaineer.

But my comment illustrates a really important point.

Which is that not every trip is equal.

Sometimes, the weather will be absolutely fantastic, you’ll never need a rain jacket or an insulated jacket, you might decide to cowboy camp or bivvy on the trail, or you might be hiking to a hut or campsite which has all the facilities you could possibly need (gas for cooking, cookware, water etc.).

Other times, you’ll have to carry absolutely everything you could possibly need for your entire adventure, including all the water because there’s no water sources along the way.

In New Zealand (which is where I spend most of my time hiking) it’s even worse, because we often experience four seasons in a single day, meaning we basically have to carry all of our contingency items with us all of the time… just in case.

So where does that leave you?

Probably still scratching your head, especially if you’re a beginner, right?!

So here’s my advice.

1. Start with the 20% (or 10% rule).
2. Check that you have all of the essential items of hiking gear you’ll need for your trip.
3. Weigh every single item, then plug that information into a spreadsheet or calculator.
4. Then, start hiking.

Make notes as you go and after the end of every trip. What do you use? What don’t you use? What did you find yourself wanting, but you didn’t have?

Over time, you’ll be able to assess what items of gear might be ‘unnecessary’ for you, what you might be willing to spend more money on to get a lighter version, and where you can make adjustments to maintain a manageable total pack weight.

Achieving a lower base weight, while ensuring you have all the necessary items, is a skill developed over time, but after only a few months of doing this, you’ll have a reasonably well dialled in gear list that you can keep tweaking as you progress.

I’ve been hiking for 5 years and although I still have the same items of basic gear, I understand my hiking style way more now than I did back then, and I can experiment very easily with new gear that either lightens my load or makes my trip easier and/or more enjoyable.

What Is A Good Base Weight For You? Backpacking Base Weight Chart.

As we’ve already covered above, both new and intermediate hikers can find it a daunting task to achieve the delicate balance between minimising their total pack weight and ensuring they have all the essential gear.

To help simplify this process, here’s a backpacking weight chart designed to help you find a starting point based on your body weight and the type of hike you’re doing. The goal is to keep your total pack weight, including consumables, at a manageable percentage of your body weight.

Remember, these backpack weights for hiking are a very rough guide only, and individual needs may vary.

Bear in mind: The backpack weight calculator below and this chart are starting points to guide you towards understanding the question “how much should my backpack weigh?”. The ideal is to strive for a lower base weight, but without compromising on essentials. Always prioritise necessities like clothing, shelter, food, water, and safety gear.

Backpacking Base Weight Calculator

Now that you’ve familiarised yourself with the chart, say goodbye to guesswork and hello to a stress-free packing experience with my Backpacking Base Weight Calculator!

Whether you’re a first-time hiker looking to begin your adventures, or a seasoned thru hiker aiming for your next big trek, this tool will help you discover your ideal backpack weight in a visually appealing and easily customisable manner.

It all starts with understanding your backpacking base weight.

Here’s a simple two-step process to get you there.

1. First, gather all your gear, excluding consumables like food and water, and weigh it. This gives you the bulk of your pack’s weight.
2. Second, take this total weight of your gear and input it into our Backpacking Weight Calculator.

It’s as easy as that!

How to Reduce/Lighten Your Backpacking Base Weight

For both inexperienced hikers and seasoned thru-hikers, managing your backpack’s base weight can significantly affect your hiking experience.

Here are some of my top tips for how to reduce or lighten your backpacking base weight, whilst still keeping yourself safe on your adventures.

1. Learn How to Pack Properly

Packing your backpack correctly is an art that can drastically change how heavy your pack feels on your back.

Distributing weight effectively means placing heavier items in the middle or bottom of your pack, close to your back, maintaining balance and preventing strain on any one part of your body.

Check out this post outlining how to efficiently pack a backpack for more information.

2. Eliminate Unnecessary Items

Before heading out, lay out on the floor all the items you plan to take with you.

Pick up every single item and analyse it.

Be honest with yourself about what you truly need versus what you can leave behind. Each item should serve a purpose or multiple purposes.

Removing redundant or “just in case” items can significantly lighten your pack.

3. Invest in Lighter Gear Where Necessary

Sometimes, the initial investment in lighter gear can save you a lot of pain and discomfort.

One place where you can instantly save a whole bunch of weight is in the essential Big 3 items of hiking gear: your pack, your sleeping bag and your shelter.

Although humans have been trekking with heavy gear for ages, the reality is that ‘standard’ styles of hiking packs, sleeping bags and tents are often very heavy.

Whilst switching to lightweight gear can set you back hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, you could potentially shave 50% of the total weight of these items from your pack.

	Standard Weight	Lightweight Alt.	Weight Saved
Tent	1.5 kg / 3.3 lb	510 g / 1.1 lb	1 kg / 2.2 lb
Backpack	1.3 kg / 2.9 lb	592 g / 1.3 lb	708 g / 1.6 lb
Sleeping Bag	1.5 kg / 3.3 lb	630 g / 1.4 lb	870 g / 1.9 lb
		TOTAL SAVED:	2.6 kg / 5.7 lb

4. Repackage and Reduce

Look at how your items are packaged and see if there’s room to reduce weight.

The most obvious place is in your food bag, where repackaging your food into ziplock bags can shave off ounces and grams that really add up.

Another place where many beginner hikers often go wrong is using lots of stuff sacks to organise their gear. A single stuff sack can weigh as much as 100 grams or more, so switching to ziplock bags can make a real difference.

Also, consider if you can bring more items with you that can serve a dual purpose. This will reduce the volume (and hopefully the weight) of what you need to pack.

Bonus Tips

Here are a couple of extra tips that I’ve picked up along the way which can really help avoid carrying too much unnecessary weight.

• Hydration Strategy: Plan your water carry wisely. Carrying too much water can significantly increase your weight, but it’s also vital to stay hydrated. Know and understand your route and where you can safely refill. I’ve often carried 2L of water on trails where I could have filled up every hour or so, begging the question… why??
• Review and Reflect: One of the biggest things that’s really helped me lighten my load is reflecting on my gear after every trip. I always take a moment to review what I used and what I didn’t. By doing the same, you can refine your packing list and dial in your gear to the lightest and most efficient pack to suit you and your needs.

What is ‘standard’, ‘lightweight’ and ‘ultralight’ in Backpacking?

In the realm of backpacking, the terms ‘standard’, ‘lightweight’, and ‘ultralight’ serve as benchmarks to classify the overall weight of a hiker’s pack.

Used regularly by hikers all over the world, what do these terms actually mean?

Standard Backpacking

Standard backpacking typically involves hiking with an average weight of a backpack ranging from 20 to 30 pounds (base weight).

Hikers who walk with a standard weight backpack usually fall into three categories:

1. Those who don’t give a monkeys about how much their pack weighs;
2. Those who can’t afford, don’t trust or don’t want to invest in lightweight gear; and/or
3. Those who prioritise comfort over weight, carrying extra items that ensure a more luxurious experience, such as pillows, multiple changes of clothes, books and activities etc.

Standard weight backpackers make up the majority and is where people usually start out.

This is because backpacking is an expensive exercise. Most people usually get started by either borrowing or hiring gear from friends and outdoor retailers, or buying (heavier) inexpensive gear so they can get out there.

Although this gear might be very good quality, it’s likely it will be heavier especially if it’s older gear manufactured before the advent of lightweight, high performance fabrics and materials.

Lightweight Backpacking

Lightweight backpacking generally describes between 10 and 20 lb base weight backpacking.

Lightweight hikers are often those who have invested in a few items of lightweight gear (perhaps their Big 3 items as a minimum) but still enjoy carrying a few luxury items for comfort.

They have honed the art of carrying all the essential items of hiking gear (including the essential safety items) but are exploring how to lighten their load.

This style of hiking is suited for those looking to extend their trips or tackle more challenging terrain without the burden of a heavy pack.

Ultralight Backpacking

The term ultralight backpacking is coined for those who reduce their average backpacking weight to below 10 pounds.

It began in the USA in the 1990s with Ray Jardine, a rock climber who wanted to find a faster way to thru hike the American Pacific Crest Trail.

Today, ultralight hikers meticulously analyse every single item of gear, opting for multi-purpose gear as often as they can and foregoing almost all luxuries to get to the ultimate ultralight backpacking base weight.

Embraced particularly by those who prioritise efficiency, distance and speed, ultralight backpackers are willing to endure minimalistic camp conditions and short term discomfort, for the sake of high mileage and less physical strain.

They’re often criticised in the hiking community for a perceived failure to be inadequately prepared for changing weather and conditions, and apparent lack of attention to safety details (like always carrying two forms of emergency communication and/or emergency food rations).

FAQs: backpacking base weight.

Final Thoughts: Backpacking Base Weight

In wrapping up our deep dive into the concept of backpacking base weight, we’ve uncovered the essence of traveling light and its significance on the trail.

From defining what constitutes base weight, to understanding its impact on your hiking experience, this guide to backpacking base weight aims to equip you with knowledge that enriches your adventures.

Get ideas for your ideal backpacking base weight list on the hiking gear section of this site.