People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

A place to chat about gear and the philosphy of ultralight. Ultralight bushwalking or backpacking focuses on carrying the lightest and simplest kit. There is still a good focus on safety and skill.
Forum rules
Ultralight Bushwalking/backpacking is about more than just gear lists. Ultralight walkers carefully consider gear based on the environment they are entering, the weather forecast, their own skill, other people in the group. Gear and systems are tested and tweaked.
If you are new to this area then welcome - Please remember that although the same ultralight philosophy can be used in all environments that the specific gear and skill required will vary greatly. It is very dangerous to assume that you can just copy someone else's gear list, but you are encouraged to ask questions, learn and start reducing the pack weight and enjoying the freedom that comes.

Common words
Base pack backpacking the mass of the backpack and the gear inside - not including consumables such as food, water and fuel
light backpacking base weight less than 9.1kg
ultralight backpacking base weight less than 4.5kg
super-ultralight backpacking base weight less than 2.3kg
extreme-ultralight backpacking base weight less than 1.4kg

People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby Kickinghorse » Sun 21 Apr, 2019 1:14 pm

What are you’re experiences?
Lovely young English couple on the Kepler Track this week carrying a large jar of jam, assorted cans, Bag of carrots and apples and a hot water bootle each.
They struggled over the tops with Many excess kilos but hard to intervene with diplomacy.

Phil
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby lseries92 » Sun 21 Apr, 2019 2:56 pm

I met a couple on the Larapinta Trail with a Gasmate Butane stove - no not the hiking kind, I am talking about the one you take car camping:

https://www.gasmate.com.au/camping-leis ... tane-stove

In fact much of their gear was definitely not hiking friendly and they were struggling a bit (well - a lot, they skipped a fair bit of the trail in the end). It is great that they got out there although it is a really tough way to do it.
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby wildwanderer » Sun 21 Apr, 2019 3:58 pm

Ferry captain looking a bit nervous in below pic... seems unsure if the vessel is licensed for the weight of this persons backpack.

download/file.php?id=42946&mode=view
Originally posted (and I assume taken) by aztec.
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby alanoutgear » Sun 21 Apr, 2019 6:53 pm

A few years ago we met one of the "mules" walking in to resupply the private huts on the OLT. He was carrying in excess of 40kg as he trudged past Bert Nicholls and you could hear the clinking of glass in his pack - we thought it might be the bottles of Moet?

On another trip to the WoJ we were camped at Dixon's Kingdom and about to walk out the next morning when a couple struggled in late in the afternoon. No lightweight camping gear here - japara tent, a butane stove with a pack of four canisters, cast iron BBQ plate, a couple of old Coleman sleeping bags, and heavy food. We got talking to them and with all their other gear they were only able to carry enough food for one night. We had a whip around and each of us found some spare food - tea/coffee, oats, noodles, together with some home freeze dried meals and we gave them to the couple. It allowed them to stay for a couple more days. We also had a chat to them about lighter weight gear.
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby weeds » Sun 21 Apr, 2019 7:15 pm

look my way

We purchased what we could afford and probably lacked some knowledge.

Would love to turn back time and purchase again.

For the OLT eight days I cracked the 20kg mark, wife was high teens.


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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby wayno » Mon 22 Apr, 2019 5:11 am

guy opens a one kilo glass jam jar near the end of a trip, and a loaf of bread, the jar is still almost full.
having fresh veges inc spuds and cauliflour,the bulky ones, carrying it for days.
down parkas in summer being used as raincoats, and not the hiking parkas the big long bulky ones for streetwear. full size kettles. and pot and pan sets...
gear and food hanging all over the outside of packs that are already full.
people carrying supermarket bags...
from the land of the long white clouds...
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby Stew63 » Mon 22 Apr, 2019 1:09 pm

Only a couple of years ago - an 18yr old boy (doing VCE/Yr12) staying with his family (in winter/snow) near Mt. Howitt (Vallejo Ganther Hut)
Included in his HUGE already overloaded pack were all his heavy school text books, notebooks, pencil case, calculator - so he could study while away!
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby Tobias » Thu 25 Apr, 2019 1:01 pm

My first solo overnighter was a learning experience, to say the least. All of my food was canned (think copious amounts of soup, tuna etc). I took a massive military surplus backpack with tough leather arm straps, a full kettle, a pot, a mug, a big first aid box that took up about a quarter of the backpack, plenty of unnecessary clothing, a large torch (the spotlighting kind - about the size of a 3L milk carton), stainless steel knife, spoon and fork, an axe, a folding saw, along with a 2kg sleeping bag and a 3kg tent.

All of this - and no sleeping mat. For one night. Over 20 useless kilos. For one night.
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby Huntsman247 » Thu 25 Apr, 2019 2:29 pm

Tobias wrote:My first solo overnighter was a learning experience, to say the least. All of my food was canned (think copious amounts of soup, tuna etc). I took a massive military surplus backpack with tough leather arm straps, a full kettle, a pot, a mug, a big first aid box that took up about a quarter of the backpack, plenty of unnecessary clothing, a large torch (the spotlighting kind - about the size of a 3L milk carton), stainless steel knife, spoon and fork, an axe, a folding saw, along with a 2kg sleeping bag and a 3kg tent.

All of this - and no sleeping mat. For one night. Over 20 useless kilos. For one night.
I take it you don't do that anymore [FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY]
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby wayno » Thu 25 Apr, 2019 2:51 pm

Tobias wrote:My first solo overnighter was a learning experience, to say the least. All of my food was canned (think copious amounts of soup, tuna etc). I took a massive military surplus backpack with tough leather arm straps, a full kettle, a pot, a mug, a big first aid box that took up about a quarter of the backpack, plenty of unnecessary clothing, a large torch (the spotlighting kind - about the size of a 3L milk carton), stainless steel knife, spoon and fork, an axe, a folding saw, along with a 2kg sleeping bag and a 3kg tent.

All of this - and no sleeping mat. For one night. Over 20 useless kilos. For one night.


you must have learned by word of mouth from my reputation...
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Re: People Seen Carrying the Most Gear

Postby Tobias » Thu 25 Apr, 2019 6:14 pm

Huntsman247 wrote:I take it you don't do that anymore [FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY]


Whittled it down to about 6kg basweight at this point - much to the benefit of each and every vertebrae in my lower back.
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