For a long walk you should aim to get your pack weight with six days of food on board down to 30lbs or so. Otherwise you will struggle. Trust me!
.-= alan.sloman´s last blog ..Flatlander =-.

My back needs decent lower-back support – even light day bags can leave me really suffering if they don’t have the support. The C7 was the best by far of all the backpacks I tried in giving that support. Granted it is spacious – I have carefully avoided “stuffing it”, so it is quite roomy.

The dog makes life harder for packing light – she’s a German Shepherd, and although fairly obedient, and friendly to humans, I have to have her on a lead anywhere where there are sheep (so most National Parks!). The other advantage of the C7 is that the bioflex system keeps the support even when she pulls.

The other issue with a dog is the extra stuff – food (it seems impossible to get freeze dried dog food in the UK) is at least 300-400g per day, she needs something to sleep on (half a roll mat), something to wash and dry her down, food / water bowls, water (depending on where you walk it can sometimes be hard to find running/cleanish water), and other bits of kit – upto about 3kg!

The dog also needs somewhere enclosed whilst I am asleep – the Tadpole 23 can just about fit me (I am 6’3), the dog and my bag.

The stove is definitely something I could cut down on. Just having a browse of your gear list section – you have a great website there. As I mentioned on the forum, I love the area around Beddgelert – absolutely love the photo of the Nantll Ridge!

Thanks again for your advice!

It worked for me; I carried a few packs of dried packet food for emergencies and as a top up if i still felt peckish, during the day we passed shops on a regular basis, enough to plan the next meal. As stated before, I avoided anything to big at lunchtime, preferring to snack my way through the day, mostly on cereal bars and fruit, but chocolate is good if you don’t carry the fat reserves that I do.

I must have managed quite well as I didn’t lose any noticeable girth…….. unfortunately, but I did tone up my fat!

The back problems relate to an inwards slipped disk – which has left me with back issues if I don’t sit properly etc. The weight isn’t so much the problem, it is how the weight fits on my back. The rucksack has fixed lower back supports, with a frame that allows the pack to flex as you walk, but keeping the support fixed.Using it I get no back problems – whereas other packs can leave me in agony!

Quite a few people have suggested the dog packs – but I so nervous about the effect they will have on the dog over a long trek, both on her back and her paws. Perhaps if she survived Offa’s Dyke with no problems, it can be something to consider in the future.

As you can probably tell, my outdoor experience is mainly fixed campsites with lengthy day walks (hence why my kit isn’t light). The most “advanced” cooking I want to be able to do is bacon and sausages! Can a meths system handle that?

I am sure the epiphany moment will come – initially I saw this challenge as a one off for multi day hiking, so I have been avoiding buying any kit that I might not use again. However if I enjoy it (and I have a sneaky suspicion I will) – then the time will come to start downsizing some of my kit!

I will definitely take you up on your offer of an overnighter to see how it should be done one day!

I think rather than trying to carry several days of food, I am going to rely on local shops, pubs and care packages dropped off by the support vehicle – this will save upto 2kg of food and dog food, and will help to net off some of the extra weight.

Hopefully that, plus a few tweaks on the small things will bring the weight down to something more comfortable – although the test will come on the Brecon Breacons next week!

I realise that the dog stuff adds considerably to the load as well – maybe for future walks you could have a look at some of the ‘dog rucksacks’ that exist? Not being a dog owner I can’t really advise on those, though I’ve seen them everywhere in places like the Lake District.

You mention your back problems – again, I have no first-hand experience of this – but surely it’d be best to minimise the weight you carry rather than carry a massively heavy rucksack? It’s a bit catch-22 – if you’re carrying a heavy load you need a rucksack capable of supporting the weight. If you lower the contents of the bag, the bag itself can be lighter. Would some form of separate specialist back support ‘belt’ be more useful?

For cooking, if all you’re doing is heating up water for noodles, and not simmering or creating campsite haute cuisine, I can lend you a meths system that’ll slash that 1kg+ weight.

But otherwise it’s clear you’re thinking along the right lines, I’m really looking forward to that epiphany moment when you realise how much better backpacking can be with a 5kg baseweight!! If you want, we can go for an overnighter and I’ll bring some examples of lighter kit for you to fondle. Might be a bit academic so close to your departure date however.
.-= PhilT´s last blog ..30-odd miles with a smoked sausage =-.

Although 20kg meets the “20% of body weight” rule, I am definitely keen to reduce the weight down as much as I can. A few things will be shared with Alex, who is walking with me, but probably no more than about 1kg.

For the backpack – I made the decision for going for comfort and support over weight – I had a lower back operation a few years ago and, although it stands up to hiking, I need as much lower back support as possible – the Bioflex system ensures this support is there even when the dog is pulling!

The stove / cooking system is currently luxury – my memories of light cooking systems (quite a few years back) were not good, although I guess things have changed a lot since. I am off to Brecon next week with someone with lighter gear, so it will be interesting to see their cooking gear in action.

I quite like the look of the Orikaso folding plates, which I can use for both me and the dog – http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product22.asp?PageID=110, and I can see the MytiMug ueful with an alternative cooking system.

I can probably still get the spare clothes, food and dog food down more.

Phil

Probably quicker to suggest having a look at such sites as BackpackingLight.co.uk or Alpkit for some ideas on quick (cheap) weight saving

Such as…

Stove – more like 80-100g rather than 700g+
Backpack – aim more for 1.0-1.5 kg rather than 2.5kg
Plate\Cup – just replace with Alpkit’s MytiMug at 110g rather than 220g

etc etc