150lb Capable Backpack??

[crushingstep7]

I've looked at MOLLE packs, and I'm not sure they could bear 150lbs (hell, I'm not sure I could bear 150lbs!).

But my thinking is, if something really bad happened, and I couldn't use a car, what kind of pack would I have to use to carry all my stuff? Obviously I can't bring the house with me, but I might as well try!!

[MelissaWV]

I've looked at MOLLE packs, and I'm not sure they could bear 150lbs (hell, I'm not sure I could bear 150lbs!).

But my thinking is, if something really bad happened, and I couldn't use a car, what kind of pack would I have to use to carry all my stuff? Obviously I can't bring the house with me, but I might as well try!!

If you have 150 pounds of stuff with you, you're already dead. You're going to cause your body a great deal of stress hiking with that much weight for extended periods of time. You should not need to move that much weight without a cart or without making multiple trips. Lean your provisions down, and cache the rest safely.

[klamath]

Your best bet is to go with mountaineering expedition packs. Unless you are one husky guy 150 lbs will Kill you!
I grew up packing everything to my home over a trail that drops 1200 feet in a mile. I still consider a backpack a modified torture rack!

[Andrew-Austin]

I weigh 150. You can carry me on your back instead of a bunch of worthless junk, I'm like Rambo+Macgyver+Yoda all in one form, I will act as your coach and support you as you embark on this random journey. I've watched all the Man Vs Wild episodes so you should be set with me there.

[Southron]

I concur that 150lb would probably kill most people. including myself.

I have backpacked a good deal and I would recommend doing a trip to get a good idea of what kind of shape you are in.

Legs and lungs are going to hurt you the most if you aren't in shape.

And remember that any excess body weight is the same as carrying that in your pack.

But seriously, go for a weekend hike and pack a couple days worth of supplies and report back to us.

[tmosley]

I think you are wanting a saddle, not a backpack.

[Petar]

Your moniker somehow suits this topic.

[Cowlesy]

I'd poll this question on the survival board which is either survivalboards.com or survivalistboards.com --- i bet they have exactly the knowledge you seek.

[crushingstep7]

Well, I understand the concerns.. just curious if there are any packs out there that can carry that much weight. I totally understand that 150lbs would crush me. Just curious about packs here!

And I'll go for a hike when I have the time and let ya know what I'm capable of at the moment.

[Bruno]

I saw a documentary last night about a tribe in Africa that makes packs from large leaves, intertwining them in just a few minutes to form a pack. They can support up to 160 lbs. Wow!

Hope you find the pack you are looking for, OP.

[TheFlashlight.org]

Home Depot carries a 600 lb capacity wagon that's intended for gardening. It has four inflatable tires and a big steel handle. Poly cart, steel frame. It's called a Gorilla Cart.

[pcosmar]

Less stuff.

[Bman]

You should really only carry a 1/4 of your weight. I once went on a 25 mile two day hike carrying half my weight and didn't notice anything strange until the end when I took my pack off and tried to run.

[angelatc]

I think you are wanting a saddle, not a backpack.

Yes, I was thinking about posting a picture of a pack mule.

[Pericles]

MOLLE is rated at 120 or just over 50kg. With body armor, ammo, rifle, and such, I've carried 100 lbs. and I don't want to do much of that ...........

[Icymudpuppy]

Trim your load. There are 5 things you need. A good quality large knife (think Rambo's knife), a 55 gallon contractor's cleanup trash bag, a pocket survival kit (with fire starting equipment, space blanket, fish hook, candles, etc), a gun. .22 caliber carbine, single shot with 100 rds ammo, and most importantly your brain (don't leave this last part at home).

The knife has too many uses to mention here.

The trash bag can be used as rain proof shelter, poncho, water carrier, solar still, dew catcher, general carryall, etc.

The survival kit has the little odds and ends that you'll probably forget to pack, so get a good one. A good one typically runs about $50.

The gun is for hunting and self defense. .22 is adequate for both if you know how to use it, and the ammo is light weight, and easy to come by.

Your brain should be loaded with the skills necessary to survive in the environments you expect to come across in your journey. If you don't have those skills, start learning. There are several good books. If you want to buy a good one to pack in your survival kit, get the US military handbook on "SURVIVAL, EVASION, AND ESCAPE"

That should be all you need for an extended survival expedition.

All of these things together should weigh less than 15 lbs.

[Ninja Homer]

Filson bags will handle more weight than you can carry. Bridle leather, 22 oz oil finish rugged twill.
http://www.filson.com/family/index.j...ll&fpricesort=



But yeah, 150lb is too much to lug around. Maybe a mountain bike with panniers or a trailer?

[crushingstep7]

Flashlight - I work for Lowe's. Nuh uh.
Like I said, I don't plan to carry 150lbs on my back, but I know for a fact I can get myself to the point where I could do it. Anything is possible if you know how it works and have the willpower.

IcymudPuppy - loud and clear. I have a Ka-Bar (maybe I should have gotten a good Leatherman?)
And I have that phonebook from when I was a Cadet in the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps lol. Mouthful, I know!
I will say this - most of my weight is in rice and beans. Where will I get food if I drop 60lbs or so in Rice? That's quite a bit of servings gone. I mean, let's say - even worse than an earthquake (I'm severely pessimistic, sorry!) if there were a complete crash of the stock market, %70 unemployment, deer went extinct, etc. . .
.
What do I need for that?
And thank you, NinjaHomer. Also, Pericles, I appreciate the info. I couldn't find how much weight MOLLE's were built for. That helps me a lot in choosing my emergency pack!

[MelissaWV]

Trim your load. There are 5 things you need. A good quality large knife (think Rambo's knife), a 55 gallon contractor's cleanup trash bag, a pocket survival kit (with fire starting equipment, space blanket, fish hook, candles, etc), a gun. .22 caliber carbine, single shot with 100 rds ammo, and most importantly your brain (don't leave this last part at home).

The knife has too many uses to mention here.

The trash bag can be used as rain proof shelter, poncho, water carrier, solar still, dew catcher, general carryall, etc.

The survival kit has the little odds and ends that you'll probably forget to pack, so get a good one. A good one typically runs about $50.

The gun is for hunting and self defense. .22 is adequate for both if you know how to use it, and the ammo is light weight, and easy to come by.

Your brain should be loaded with the skills necessary to survive in the environments you expect to come across in your journey. If you don't have those skills, start learning. There are several good books. If you want to buy a good one to pack in your survival kit, get the US military handbook on "SURVIVAL, EVASION, AND ESCAPE"

That should be all you need for an extended survival expedition.

All of these things together should weigh less than 15 lbs.

I would personally add a good mess kit to that, but I'm a wuss I'd also have a change of clothes or two. Even still, that shouldn't add much weight to anything, and a lot of that will be stowed at a base camp in the longterm. I also wouldn't use the gun for hunting if SHTF. Gunshots are awfully loud in a world without background noise. I don't want visitors, and I don't want to waste bullets. A bit of twine and a bit of fishing line are great to have, and skills twisting fibers into rope Rabbits are delicious and easy to snare. A lot of other herbivores are equally silly and make good food and have nice hides. I recommend porcupines, as the quills are also helpful in the longrun.

I didn't mean to imply earlier that one couldn't carry 150 pounds. I can do that. The question is can you do it every time you need to move, even if you're injured (you are going to get the occasional sprain or strain out there in the woods), and with any degree of speed/efficiency? It's unlikely. You may also need to ford rivers/streams, which means an over-heavy bag is going to be a huge liability.

On the flipside, you really CAN carry Yoda in there, and Yoda is badass

[phill4paul]

Perhaps look into hauling packs for big game kills. Some are scalable.

For example check these....

http://www.eberlestock.com/JP9%20Blue%20Widow.htm

http://www.eberlestock.com/J34%20Just%20One.htm

I'm sure there are many variants.

Also you could just go with a water proof duffle and a lightweight game carrier like this....



http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...080&hasJS=true

[Icymudpuppy]

I will say this - most of my weight is in rice and beans. Where will I get food if I drop 60lbs or so in Rice? That's quite a bit of servings gone. I mean, let's say - even worse than an earthquake (I'm severely pessimistic, sorry!) if there were a complete crash of the stock market, %70 unemployment, deer went extinct, etc. . .

There are plenty of edible plants that most people don't even know are edible. Dandelions come to mind. I survived for a week on Dandelion heads once just to see. They are quite nutritious if a little bitter. The flower is kind of sweet. Small rodents will always be plentiful. Catching mice is easy in any environment.

Rather than packing a bunch of dead weight in food, learn how to live off nature's bounty. There is a lot of food available.

Water is the bigger issue than food. Melissa is right, you should have a way to boil water. A mess kit is good for that.

[torchbearer]

There are plenty of edible plants that most people don't even know are edible. Dandelions come to mind. I survived for a week on Dandelion heads once just to see. They are quite nutritious if a little bitter. The flower is kind of sweet. Small rodents will always be plentiful. Catching mice is easy in any environment.

Rather than packing a bunch of dead weight in food, learn how to live off nature's bounty. There is a lot of food available.

Water is the bigger issue than food. Melissa is right, you should have a way to boil water. A mess kit is good for that.

what is a mess kit?

[Icymudpuppy]

what is a mess kit?

A mess kit is a small pan/plate, spork, and drinking cup.


Here is a classic Boy Scout mess kit.

[pcosmar]

what is a mess kit?

He he,, oh ,
Are you serious?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mess_kit

[torchbearer]

He he,, oh ,
Are you serious?

never had use for a "kit" on the farm.
i guess this is for people who are traveling.

[pcosmar]

never had use for a "kit" on the farm.
i guess this is for people who are traveling.

Ah, I only got the Farm in my old age.
Boy scout
Army grunt
And a few years as a "hobo".

I recommend keeping a pack as light as possible. Carry only what you need.
Likely you "NEED' less than you think.

[MelissaWV]

Mess kits can be even lighter than that, but yeah... in general it's going to be made of something to cook with, something to eat off of, and something to eat with. Having one good pan will do wonders for your diet. You can weave pretty good containers to heat soup/water out of certain kinds of grasses, but this will take some trial and error until you're good at it You want a little bit of seepage, but obviously not enough to douse your fire.

Rice and beans are not a grand idea. While beans are nutritious, they're not worth pack weight. Gather things like that and cache them along your usual routes, or at base camps. Concentrate on natural fruit, veggies, herbs, and general greens... and on learning to use your environment. Again, rabbits, squirrels, porcupines, and even beavers are fine eating, and they offer a great deal in terms of skins and body parts that can be used for other purposes. I might have added, earlier, a nice frame made of straight sticks that can be used to hang food to dry or stretch skins... but again that's more of a base camp thing.

[moostraks]

I think you are wanting a saddle, not a backpack.

lol...