# Prepping / Emergency Preparedness > Bags, Kits and Vehicles >  Total bag weight...

## ScopedIn

So, come to find out I'm very bad at guesstimating weight...

Had a friend two weeks ago who had asked me some questions about my INCHBOB. Like what do I carry, where I got it, what kind of things should he get to start his own. He also asked me how much my pack weighed, to which I lifted and replied "probably 50 or 60 pounds, somewhere around there..." Well, this got me wondering, so finally I pull out the spring loaded fishing scale which goes up to 50 pounds. And wouldn't you know it, it only weighs about 30 pounds +/-5. Now, this is with only about 90% of my gear. This isn't including about an extra 5-10 pounds of things in a secondary pack that stays in the car. It also doesn't include my 4 pound axe, or my rifle which will usually be in my hands of course. So over all, I'm looking at about a 50 pound pack once all is said and done, that's roughly a third of my body weight so it's not really that bad. I also have no sleep system or a "proper" shelter like a tent. I can craft a shelter well and fairly quickly, so while I don't need one, I've thought about getting one just for convenience of easy setup as a temporary shelter until I setup a proper brush shelter.

What's your pack weight once fully packed? Is there anything you would drop out of your pack if you need to lighten it on the go? Is it better to carry more stuff or less, assuming you have the knowledge to use primitive methods to perform the same tasks.

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## Rick

You guys can hoss that dead weight all you want. My days of doing that crap are over. How many days do spend on the trail?

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## ScopedIn

Recently I haven't spent much time as it's winter and the cold and I do not get along very well. But between spring and mid-fall I am out and about constantly as being in the woods is my meditation and destress time. I only carried a day pack though as only two weeks ago I was finally able to get my preferred pack. I'm not one for hikers packs myself, so I had to order a surplus MOLLE II Large Ruck, my preferred pack. I don't get to spend multiple days in a row  out in the woods because I have work and a young child to help take care of.

Hopefully I will be able to spend more time out this year as it warms up. The only thing I need is to get in better shape, I get winded fairly easily be to my smoking habit, something I'd like to quit this year hopefully.

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## Antonyraison

I dont know, depends on where I am going and what I am doing, and the limitations put to us for that "test"
But if its the things I would like to take to be comfortable etc etc.. and not have to walk around too much with pack
hmmm likely around 50-60lbs
but bear in mind I am like 215lbs myself and around 6.3ft tall.
But yeah.. I can whittle down my essential kit easy down to about 10-12lb and be just fine.

I should actually weigh my kit, as I am going out in the field this weekend with My high comfort kit.. and then I can tell you exactly what it weighs..
I get back to you on that..
my in between kit (in between comfort and total minimalist is this one I would generally pack)

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## Antonyraison

I am actually going to repack my kit tonight, So I can take some photos of that..
Be-aware, most of the things in there will not really be essential, its just that I be "camping" more or less and have a lot of time to do whatever I want there... So I have packed  things like crook knife (in case I want to carve bowls) extra bush pots (I want to cook really well) and various fire starters, as well it raining a lot here, and I really don't want to or need to mission for a fire..


but on the other hand I can get by in the bush with pretty much a knife a water bottle and a fire steel and have many times.

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## ScopedIn

> I dont know, depends on where I am going and what I am doing, and the limitations put to us for that "test"
> But if its the things I would like to take to be comfortable etc etc.. and not have to walk around too much with pack
> hmmm likely around 50-60lbs
> but bear in mind I am like 215lbs myself and around 6.3ft tall.
> But yeah.. I can whittle down my essential kit easy down to about 10-12lb and be just fine.
> 
> I should actually weigh my kit, as I am going out in the field this weekend with My high comfort kit.. and then I can tell you exactly what it weighs..
> I get back to you on that


50-60 pounds isn't too bad in my opinion. As long as you have a strong back and the drive to carry it, then I don't see a issue with having a heavier pack. Half of my pack is clothing, the rest is gear that I will be using. I don't really carry comfort items, while I have a fair bit of gear, it's mostly bare bones gears with plenty of redundancy especially in the fire kit department. I wouldn't leave home, in a situation requiring me to bug out, without every piece of gear in my pack. Once I get to my starting location, I have just over 1000 miles of travel ahead of me at that point, I will be able to assess the situation and my gear and decide if something is truly needed. At some point, I know that I will remove things from my pack and leave them behind, what it will be I don't know but it will happen eventually. I'm sure though that it will be very little I remove.

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## ScopedIn

I may get pics of my gear before I go to work tonight. But this site won't let me upload them to the thread and I won't do individual pictures to resize, takes too long and too much hassle. Hopefully I'll be able to get a decent camera and tripod soon to do a video. Then I can just Imbed the link and you can watch the video.

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## Rick

You were limited posting pics until you had 10 posts. It was anti-spam software that is built into the software. Now that you have exceed 10 posts you should be fine. 1000 miles? You can put that in carry on luggage.  :2:

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## kyratshooter

INCH bags that total 1/3 your body weight, 1000 mile hikes, scheduled EOTWAWKI events that can only happen good weather and after you quit smoking and get back in shape??

We have not done one of these in a long time!

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## randyt

trail of tears was the last 1000 mile hike, scheduled EOTWAWKI that I recall.

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## Rick

And we know how well that ended... I think the last time I had an INCH bag it was stocked with Cool-aid and Snickers and a copy of Superman. I was probably planning to run away from home. And, yes, they had Snickers way back then.

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## ScopedIn

> You were limited posting pics until you had 10 posts. It was anti-spam software that is built into the software. Now that you have exceed 10 posts you should be fine. 1000 miles? You can put that in carry on luggage.


Nah, I was talking about each pictures file size being too big and not wanting to take the time to resize it to the proper file size. It's easier just to get a camera and make a video of my gear and explaining everything I carry. And yes, I have a lot of variables making my travel difficult.

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## LowKey

I've always wondered where people think they are going to go with their INCHbags, rifles and knives. 
Certainly not MY house.
Comes TEOTW, everyone and their brother with their INCHbags headed to the wilderness to kill and eat each other?

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## Antonyraison

> 50-60 pounds isn't too bad in my opinion. As long as you have a strong back and the drive to carry it, then I don't see a issue with having a heavier pack. Half of my pack is clothing, the rest is gear that I will be using. I don't really carry comfort items, while I have a fair bit of gear, it's mostly bare bones gears with plenty of redundancy especially in the fire kit department. I wouldn't leave home, in a situation requiring me to bug out, without every piece of gear in my pack. Once I get to my starting location, I have just over 1000 miles of travel ahead of me at that point, I will be able to assess the situation and my gear and decide if something is truly needed. At some point, I know that I will remove things from my pack and leave them behind, what it will be I don't know but it will happen eventually. I'm sure though that it will be very little I remove.


yeah I don't know man, I am able to dead lift 440lbs
but if I am spending days and days in the bush hiking far... I really prefer to carry as little as I possibly can.
Have you ever hiked a very far distance with your kit and spent days out with it?

When I say comfort Items, I mean a small folding hammock (ticket to the moon hammock) a 10footx 10foot  DD tarp a small sleeping bag and a puncho rain jacket.
clothing... hahahha ummm longest I been out for was a full 7 days.. And I never had spare clothing.
(but that kit I took for that was really minimal)
I didnt manage to totally unpack my kit ( I am supervising some students solos this entire weekend) as I am effectively camping there, and the students are doing their 48 hour solo survival - they only allowed a knife a water bottle fire steel...  I will see about taking a video Of the kit i call high comfort.. hahah. I be able to get that out early next week.

my 7 day jungle survival kit I used:
Capture.JPG

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## Antonyraison

The last time I used my very high comfort kit is when I went out with some mates - was also more like bush-craft camping so was also high comfort.. the only difference is I didnt have the hammock and I had an extra Tarp as ground cover. even a 5km hike with that kit well do-able and fine, still feel that weight and an extended walk would have really sucked.
here is that video:

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## Antonyraison

I taken a photo of my high comfort kit fully packed, I might even be a lot lighter than I guessed.. I see if I can weigh it by my mates place when I pick him up for this weekend.
I put it next to a laptop bag so you can compare the size:

851d3c5b-8323-4318-8138-fee2e07c18e2.jpg

I think in side here I have;

Cutting tools
=========
condor bushlore knife
falkniven f1 knife
mora spooon carving (crook knife)
A  folding saw 
==========
Fire kit
=========
potassium permanagate and glisterine
cotton balls
ferro-rod x 2
a bic lighter
Fire starters
==============
Cook kit
A small kway camp pot with lid that can be used as a pan
2 small stainless steel cups
2 buffs


Water bottle bag 
======================

water bottle bag.JPG

 Sorry about bad pics here- just wanted to detail how this bag/set up works
1X 1lt stainless steel bottle
1X military cutlery set
1 X small billy can
(these are all in my water bottle bag, I set it up similar to the Pathfinders cook kit) 

Sleep system
===========
1X double ticket to the moon hammock
1X 3meter X 3meter dd Tarp (they fold small)
1X military rain puncho doubles up as tarp (also folds small)
1X double fleece line blanket 2 metersX1.5meters
1X small sleeping bag rated to 0 degrees Celsius ( I have used it as far down as -5 degrees Celsius , but you need thermal clothing or long johns..)
But rarely gets that cold here in southern Africa(also is late autumn/Fall, so still pretty warm)... but I have the fleece blanket also, which lines the bottom of hammock, as any one would know sleeping in hammock you get some damn cold drafts on the under side.

other
========
1 X 180 lumen head lamp
1x 5000 mah power bannk and small usb light
1X compass
1X write in the rain notepad and pen
1 X sheet of 100 grit sand paper 
1 X water purifying drops
1X small sling shot
1X ranger beads/pacing beads
1X pair of UV blocking sun glasses 
30ft paracord
!x whistle
1X small 1st aid kit

(we will be given a full 1st aid kit from head instructor upon arrival, and 2 way radios)


I am also Taking my cold steel spec ops shovel (in my pickup truck)
and Food and drinks ( the food and drinks are in a cooler box in my pick up truck, this food is just for us 2 rangers supervising the students... the students have to forage/hunt/trap if they want a meal)
and I think that pretty much whats in here as far as my memory serves.. I do A video of this "high comfort kit"

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## Graf

My INCH bag runs 60-70 pounds depending on time of year mainly used on road trips. My bug out bag is only 50 # due to the fact I have caches with back up supplys away from my home that can resupply and add to comfort

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## Steven1919

Totally agree that good bag cannot weight less than 30 lbs

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## natertot

I'm really surprised that many have the philosophy that a good bag can't weigh less than thirty pounds. I do several hikes a year, all ranging from 2-4 night stays and include up to 60 miles of distance. Many of these are in mountainous terrain. I eat very well on the trail and my pacj doesnt weigh more than 30lbs ever. 1-2 nighters my pack doesn't exceed 20lbs. Pack weight can be reduced by two ways. One is getting rid of a bunch of crap that isnt necessary. The other is to obtain lighter weight options of things that are necessary. And yes, lightweight gear can be durable and affordable, just gotta know where to look.

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## Antonyraison

The issue with me is I always repack my kit,
it will depend on where I am going how long I am going, how far I will hike, what luxuries I may want or be allowed (depends on the course we doing)
And well personal preference, sometimes I take next to nothing and just well tough it out, sometimes I feel like being lazy and just camping with it and then its stocked out with all kinds of useless things to occupy my mind.

What I can get by with very easily is a simple 5 c's kit or at a push a knife a fire steel and a water bottle and some para-cord.
At A real push I likely be just fine, but kinda really roughing it, just give me my knife and firesteel and that can hold me over for quiet some time.. 3-5 days easily (assuming I find water)

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## natertot

Anthony, you make a good point about water. I usually carry around a liter myself, but keep the ability to carry two. I often plan my trips around water sources to gulp a bunch down while there and top of supplies. Water is the trickiest part of outdoor adventures. 

The biggest offenders of excessive pack weight are excessive amounts of water and food, a fak that is way overboard, extensive cook kits, excessive liquids  (guy carrying a case of beer over a 32 mile trek cones to mind), luxuries like chairs, and excessive amounts of tools. 

Give me anyone's pack that weighs 50-75 lbs and I can easily remove 10-25 lbs just be taking out senseless items.

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## Antonyraison

> Anthony, you make a good point about water. I usually carry around a liter myself, but keep the ability to carry two. I often plan my trips around water sources to gulp a bunch down while there and top of supplies. Water is the trickiest part of outdoor adventures. 
> 
> The biggest offenders of excessive pack weight are excessive amounts of water and food, a fak that is way overboard, extensive cook kits, excessive liquids  (guy carrying a case of beer over a 32 mile trek cones to mind), luxuries like chairs, and excessive amounts of tools. 
> 
> Give me anyone's pack that weighs 50-75 lbs and I can easily remove 10-25 lbs just be taking out senseless items.


My priorities Always revolve around shelter, water , and fire.
You can solve those three well you should make it at least 2-3 weeks.
No water you be lucky to make a day or 2 ( they say 3, but you will feel it with in 24 hours to almost a point of not been able to function)
I Have never gone anywhere with out at least 1 lt of water myself, and the ability to carry more (clear bags etc)

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## Billofthenorth

Light is better but you can train yourself to carry a heavier pack. In fact, for conditioning you might want to carry a pack that is heavier than your actual BOB.
 My problem is I carry too much clothing and whatnot to keep me warm. I hate being cold, but I seldom need any of the extra kit, even in winter.
If you think you'll be alone you'll carry all kinds of extra doodads that you might otherwise split up between several companions.

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## Plainsman

I just reorganized my GHB/BOB for the summer.  Its primary purpose is a GHB vs a BOB and that's why it's kept in my truck.  The weight varies with the season.  Winter is the heaviest as I may have to hike 33 miles from work to home and in the middle of winter that would take DAYS! Hence, I've added a sled to the kit so I can pull it with all my gear while on snowshoes.  
Also, my GHB is modular so if somebody is with me, they can haul part of it as well!  I have three different bags that can be split up and gear separated.

One of the bags is a shoulder pouch that I can grab and go and have all the gear necessary to setup a shelter, start a fire, disinfect water and have a meal.
It weighs less than 10lbs and if the weather cooperates, all I'd really need. Weather conditions are the wild variable and create the biggest need for weight.

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## TerryDeirdre

Ohh, mine also weighs about 50-60 pounds... That's including my riffle, water and food supplies, and gear, so I can't say it's too heavy if it can carry all that stuff. I learned to get used to it, but my wife has been telling me repeatedly to try and lighten it up. Do you guys have any ideas of how I can do that? I tried to make some limitations until I reached about 30 pounds, but the weight just returned. I guess the organizing also matters? What type of bags do you recommend? I'm now using a bag from Sir Spamalot Inc., but I think it's not spacious enough.

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## Rick

Riiiight. Where you from...Terry

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## crashdive123

I suspect ole Terry is from Spamackastan.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

5# bag?  They gotta move fast in Spamackastan.

Alan

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## Rick

It's full of Spam.

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## crashdive123

> Ohh, mine also weighs about 50-60 pounds... That's including my riffle, water and food supplies, and gear, so I can't say it's too heavy if it can carry all that stuff. I learned to get used to it, but my wife has been telling me repeatedly to try and lighten it up. Do you guys have any ideas of how I can do that? I tried to make some limitations until I reached about 30 pounds, but the weight just returned. I guess the organizing also matters? What type of bags do you recommend? I'm now using a bag from Sir Spamalot Inc., but I think it's not spacious enough.


I'm shocked........shocked I tell ya.  Ole Terry came back and changed his original message from 


> My bag usually weight not more than 5lb.


 to the new one.  Just shocked!

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## Rick

That's what happens in Spamackastan. Rated the least friendly but best tasting country.

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## DSJohnson

I kinda gave up on the whole packing a "Get Home Bag" I still carry some gear in two different bags in my truck but, I hope, my plan is to take what gear I need, based on season and the reason when I am leaving my truck (NEVER LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE). So I plan on tailoring my load at the time that I am becoming a refugee, rather than keep a bag packed with stuff I may not need.  I will just leave the stuff I do not need at the time in a cache or locked in the truck till I get back to it.  I try to keepa lot of stuff in my truck anyway so I will have a range of items to choose from as I am packing my bag.

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## Michael aka Mac

Well you asked a question that people could argue back and forth the answer to this for centuries.  I can surely tell you that the older one gets, the more things on your body start breaking down. For some it's their ankles, others knees, many it's their hips, and the rest, like myself, it's their back. 

Honestly I use to bring an axe, hatchet, and at times even a wedge, but I had major back surgery so that I could walk again, & now have a max weight carry restriction due to fusing of my back. Sometimes one has to take a few steps back in order to take one step forward, and thus I now rely on more Bushcraft skills, so to lower my packs weight.

If you were asking this question in a campers, hikers, or mountaineering website they would tell you about *Base Weight*:  The Base Weight of your backpack is the weight of your pack fully loaded without food, water and fuel. It is suggested that one carry no more then 10% of a their body weight.  One of the people I know is a long distance hiker, and has hiked over 5000 miles over a course of a couple of years. For them the trick for covering so much ground is a light pack.

For survival situations though, your pack will definitely weigh more then a hikers backpack.  The question I always ask people,  "What in your backpack can be taken out due to another gear being able to do the same task.  Having gear that have multiple uses/applications can save a ton of weight. My Swiss Army knife for example  allows me to drop from my gear my folding saw, magnifying glass, nail clipper, scissors, nail file, P38, Leatherman, one of my backup knives, knife sharpener, screw driver bit set, eyeglass repair kit, etc. etc.  Combining Bushcraft and survival, I dropped my axe, hatchet, wedge and now use a commando wire saw or pocket chainsaw, and my Ka-Bar BK2 companion.  But then again that is due to my back surgery.

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## Rick

I don't know about you but I wouldn't trade my folding saw for a commando saw or a pocket chainsaw. Both are crap compared to a folding saw IMHO. I don't know anyone that carried half that crap. No one that carried an axe, hatchet and wedge backpacking.

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## DSJohnson

I have always packed my bag based on mission/use/expected use.  I have never understood the concept of the "INCH" "I am Never Coming Home" Neat acronym, but to my thinking, it is very hard for me to build a credible scenario where I am going have to, with very little, or no warning, leave my A.O./home and expect to take whatever I can carry to some other, "more secure or safe" location.  When I walk out of camp on an elk hunt my bag is packed completely different than when I am leaving a trailhead for a 5-day backpacking trip.  When I walk away from my vehicle to trout fish along the Pecos River in July, my bag/kit is much different than when I do exactly the same activity in April.  I think it is good and productive to challenge our thinking and logic as to why we pack our bags the way we do, and I always learn or gain perspective from these discussions.  at 66 years old, as hard as it is for me to say it, and it is DAMN hard, my days of expecting to be able to carry a 50 pound plus bag for more than a 10-mile walk in tough terrain are over.  That is actually one of the reasons I started riding my mule 30 years ago, so that I could see lots of country and cover rough country.  A good saddle mule and good pack mule still allows me to get in the "back country" and out in the wilderness.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

> I don't know about you but I wouldn't trade my folding saw for a commando saw or a pocket chainsaw. Both are crap compared to a folding saw IMHO. I don't know anyone that carried half that crap. No one that carried an axe, hatchet and wedge backpacking.


I don't even carry a wedge from the shop to the woodpile... come to think of it I don't know where my wedge(s) is/are.  

Alan

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## Michael aka Mac

Well I surely don't carry that extra weight anymore, lol not with my back.

I brought the wedge when I was working on repairing a log cabin that was in my family for decades. Our family had built the log cabin in the middle of nowhere on stilts off the side of a mountain.  One hell of a trek to get to the cabin but the view was amazing. Every tool and everything in the cabin had to be backpacked in.

Rick I actually have a few folding saws, one of them actually states that it can cut anything. I can understand why you wouldn't want to get rid of your folding saw. When the need arises  I still use my Swiss Champ's saw.

Building a cabin in the middle of nowhere the one thing you get good at quickly is cutting down trees. Lot of the tools that my grandfather had were antiques  but usable. One of those antiques is what gave me the idea below.

One of the HUGE advantages of a high quality commando wire saw or hand chainsaw is that you can use your paracord and add a weight to one end and toss it high above you to cut down dead branches, aka the widow makers. The paracord becomes extensions of the handles of these saws. I pretty much use this setup anytime i have to cut branches that are as high or higher then chest level.

Another thing I use this setup for, I get a long felled branch and put a log under it to raise a portion of the log and use the paracord to extend the hand grips of the wire saw or hand chain saw to cut the branch. In the end it takes less effort then with a hand saw, and it is easier on my back,  which is the main reason why I use them.

For the record, before I got the hang of this, it was a pain to do it this way, but the continued practice and adjusting of my cutting angles and what not, cutting branches this way became effortless in comparison. Btw i am no stranger when it comes to saws, use to do carpentry and make/repair furniture. Pretty much used every type of wood saw out there both new and antique, I can thank my grandfather for having to use the antique saws and tools. SO again I can appreciate you not wanting to give up your folding saw

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## Old GI

In my misspent youth I started with very large/heavy load on my back, but as my Army career went along, it got lighter, a lot lighter.

So now at an advanced age, I don't do it either.  I live by the credo that "I know how to be miserable so I don't need to practice it".

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