Backpacking Pack Weight: Base Weight, Loaded Weight & 20% Guide

REI gives broad rules of thumb: a loaded backpacking pack should weigh no more than about 20% of the hiker's body weight, while a loaded day-hiking pack should be about 10% or less. These are general guidelines, not a personal medical or safety limit.

Trip duration, season, water availability, gear, and individual comfort change the load. REI notes that the percentages do not work in every situation; plan for the actual route and carry the essentials you need.

Base weight is the pack and gear weight after excluding consumables such as food, water and fuel. Loaded or trail weight includes those consumables and is the weight carried at the start of a hike. As food and water are used, the load changes while base weight stays more consistent.

REI describes under 10 lb base weight as ultralight, under 20 lb as lightweight, and under 30 lb as typical for many traditional backpackers. These are common labels rather than a single official classification standard. Weigh the pack and gear you actually plan to bring; a pack's empty weight is only one part of the total.

“Backpack weight” can mean the empty bag, the base weight of a gear kit, or the fully loaded pack. There is no one average that describes all three. Pack size and construction vary, and a multiday load includes food, water and fuel that a day pack may not.

For a useful comparison, write down the empty pack's listed weight, weigh the rest of the gear, then add the food, water and fuel for the specific trip. This separates the bag's weight from the full load and makes comparisons meaningful.

How heavy should a backpack be for a 150-pound person?

REI's general guideline works out to about 15 lb for a loaded day-hiking pack and 30 lb for a loaded backpacking pack. Actual needs and comfort vary.

What is backpack base weight?

Base weight is the pack and gear excluding food, water and fuel.

What is an average backpacking pack weight?

There is no universal average. State whether you mean the empty backpack, base weight or the full starting load, then compare the same category.