A commonly accepted guideline is to limit the weight of your multiday hike backpack to 20% of your body weight, and to not exceed 30% of it.
"Nice! So if I gain 3 kilograms as I am enjoying French food before flying to Corsica to start my GR 20 trek, I will be able to carry a heavier backpack up the trail?" Of course not! What you can carry depends on your fitness level, training, body mass index, etc. and is very personal. Only experience can help you define the maximum weight of your backpack.
As soon as we started carrying less water thanks to our Katadyn filters and starting digging in our food supplies that we were carrying for these 16 days, I started feeling better. Carrying less than 28% of my body weight (15 kilograms) was just fine for me. It is really a personal threshold to respect: one day after a break and drinking some water, I went from feeling like an overloaded donkey to feeling like an agile mountain goat instantly! By the end of our GR 20, it was almost only our base weight left in our backpacks (the base weight is the total weight of the entire gear, excluding consumables (food, water, fuel)) and I was carrying about 19% of my body weight (slightly more than 10 kilograms) and this felt like being able to trail run it.
Bottom line: weight is key to enjoy your hike and it is worth going on a few outings prior to define the maximum you allow yourself to carry on a multiday hike. Beyond comfort, it is also a safety concern as with more weight tiredness and injuries are bound to happen.
My friend weighs 60kg and is comfortable carrying a 20-kg back pack at rest. The middle curve shows she should not hike with more than 19kg.
She is going on a long distance hike with her strong boyfriend who weighs 100kg and can carry 25kg comfortably. He should limit his pack to 21kg (top curve).
Weight does matter and selecting your gear properly is critical to successfully and enjoyably complete a multi-day hike. This is why we are recommending some specific products in this gear tip section that come with us during most of our adventures helping us save weight and respect the environment.
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Thanks for stopping by and your comment! A packpack down to 7 kg's sounds like a dream to hike with 😉 But it is true that not carrying a tent, all that goes with it and all the food makes a huge difference. We put the heavy stuff close to the back, to have a better balance. The light things often end up around and in a small bottom pocket and top pocket. And indeed, we also pack the things one might need quickly all the way at the top where it is accessible fast. It remains a challenge for our large and heavy canon camera though… What are your favourite hikes?
Smart way to go keep hiking light and cover quite a distance! Impressive achievement you sound like a good team. I have never hiked in the UK but am curious to find out a bit more about it. Especially the Lake District looks very tempting! Pretty awesome you did the coast to coast. Lovely guest post, stunning pictures. Never heard about that hike before but given the distance and elevation I would be keen on trying to hike it in 3 to 4 days, seems fantastic!
Sorry, I forgot to ask: After doing the GR20 (as you say, the toughest hike in Europe) what plans have you got for your next challenge?
Wow the whole Tour de Muverans in one shout sounds like a crazy challenge. A bit too crazy for me 😉 the Inn way sounds appealing. The thought of savouring a cold beer at the end of a trail is still one of those things that keep me going on the tough parts! Have a great time!!