Why is my pack so heavy? | Squat the Planet

Why is my pack so heavy?

M

Mady

Guest
So my pack is unnecisarily heavy, and i keep taking shit out, but its still rediculous. I dont have the luxury of a home to keep shit in right now, and with my gear thats just basics im fucking overloaded
The only heavy shit i got is my winter coat, water bottle, random survival gear, and a change of clothes, and my sleeping bag
What can I possibly do to make it so i dont DIE hitching in the heat with this bag?
 
C

Crazycoon

Guest
FrumpyWatkins wrote:
Get a large metal box and a padlock, now bury all your shit.

Wicked idea! even a 5 gallon bucket buried and covered with sticks. Winter coat??? fuck man how cold is it where you R? If its too good to lose, better time stashing it...
 
Y

Yolo

Guest
I have the same problem most of the time. was travelling with a 45lb pack, then i relaized....if i got a SMALL pack, i couldn't carry anything ofhter than what i need and some small extras.

(of course if you really want it theere are many ways to atth things ot packs)



Yolo-
 

Doobie_D

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people are always tellin me im crazy but i bury my shit everywhere. triple garbage bag and a "borrowed" shovel and it'll always be there. I got stashs of random shit in 4 different states. Its nice to roll into town and know you got a tent or a super warm jacket waiting for you.
 
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iago

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sometimes if you climb on top of stip malls there will be little rooms on the roof(some times not so little ive seen 20x20 foot) above the front enterances of stores inside the roof that goes above the roof(if that makes sense...if you look at a strip mall youll know what i mean) that are only accessable through 2x2ish foot doors. you can sleep in them in the winter(they got hot as fuck during the summer) or stash stuff in them year round. ive never had trouble getting into them or ever seen any mantanince or anyone using them or any reason for them to go into them. i guess burying would be safer but just a stash suggestion.
 
I

iago

Guest
sometimes if you climb on top of stip malls there will be little rooms on the roof(some times not so little ive seen 20x20 foot) above the front enterances of stores inside the roof that goes above the roof(if that makes sense...if you look at a strip mall youll know what i mean) that are only accessable through 2x2ish foot doors. you can sleep in them in the winter(they got hot as fuck during the summer) or stash stuff in them year round. ive never had trouble getting into them or ever seen any mantanince or anyone using them or any reason for them to go into them. i guess burying would be safer but just a stash suggestion.
 

Lint

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Lightweight packs! This happens to be a favorite subject of mine.
If you're trying to lighten up your pack, try looking at every item you carry. Seriously, spread all that shit out and look at it. After a critical look, you'll notice most of the stuff we lug around is pretty pointless. Fun maybe, but necessary? Hardly. What do we need to travel? The basics. Here are a few major offenders that can be fixed.

Sleeping bag: Unless you're crossing the Rocky Mountains or traveling in winter, a 20 degree bag is more than enough. That shitty cotton bag that weighs 6 pounds? Fuck that, make a 2 pound quilt that will keep you warm even if it gets wet.

Shelter: Carry a small, 16 ounce tarp made of silnylon for sleepin' out of doors. It keeps the rain off and weighs less than any tent. For a ground cloth go rip off some Tyvek house wrap from a construction site.

Extra clothes: Obviously bring enough to keep warm, but consider leaving alot of redundant items. How many shirts do you really need? Pants? Not more than one, unless you carry a clean pair to wear while shoplifting (excellent idea, by the way)

Blah blah blah. The basic point is ditch the useless shit and carry what you need. If you get to an area there you NEED something you don't have, go boost it. Wasn't there a "gear list" thread on here? I'd be interested to see what you're carrying to determine where the weight is coming from.

Maybe my thoughts on this matter are skewed a bit, since I don't travel full time. I go out for 4 to 6 months and then return to a city to recoup. Sure, some folks out there are on the road 365, but even then I see folks carrying around the weirdest stuff and it weighs them down. Like the homeguards pushing around a shopping cart full of junk; just what the fuck do you need all that shit for? Lighten your load, and moving/running/hiding become that much easier.

I like Doobie_D's answer. Burying your shit in someting waterproof! Brilliant. And what Yolo says is so true; if you carry a big pack, you WILL fill it up. Carry a smaller pack and you learn to pack smarter. When I go out in the wilderness for months at a time, by pack weighs about 10lbs (without food and water) which is enough for anything I'll encounter from desert heat to snow and cold above treeline. My baseweight is a little extreme and I don't suggest you get THAT light without experience first, but I mention it to show it can be done. Remember too, I don't travel the whole year, so I store my shit in a tiny storage unit when I'm out and about.

I hope you are able to lighten your baseweight, your feet and back will thank you!
 
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skunkpit

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set fire to your stuff then get a tiny backpark and just pack vital tools and stuff for warmth
petrolum fibers dry in the sun then crack so go with wool, hemp, or cotton waxed stuff

i dunno i travel with some herbs, a sleeping bag in a small backpack that acts like a compression sack pliers and a metal file
 
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F

frankie b sick

Guest
Good thinking.
Ditch it.
Don't look back.
When you need something, it will be provided.
(Remember there is a difference between need and want.)
 
F

FrumpyWatkins

Guest
frankie b sick wrote:
Good thinking.
Ditch it.
Don't look back.
When you need something, it will be provided.
(Remember there is a difference between need and want.)

Don't forget everything is free somewhere.
 

Bendixontherails

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amen, Frump!

I keep my pack weight down some by distribution. I wear overalls with shitloads of pockets. that way my pack is mostly just foodgear, raingear, sleepgear, and crotchgear (skivvies and socks).
 
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