How much weight can a 12 year old carry backpacking?

Lighten the load: Use the bathroom scale to check that a pack isn't over 10% to 20% of your child's body weight. For example, a child who weighs 80 pounds shouldn't carry a backpack that weighs more than 8 to 16 pounds.



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How Much Should Your Backpack Weigh? The answer is: not more than 20% of your body weight, and ideally, it'll be about 10% of your body weight. If you weigh 200 lbs, you'd be fine with carrying 40 lbs for a day hike. If you're 160 lbs, you'd be okay with a ~30 lbs pack.

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If you're just getting into backpacking, one rule of thumb is to keep the weight of your first backpacking tent under 2.5 to 3 pounds per person. It can be lower than that, but that's a good upper limit to shoot for and one that's still relatively easy to carry in a backpack.

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Pack Weight for Backpacking and Hiking A loaded backpacking pack should not weigh more than about 20 percent of your body weight. (If you weigh 150 pounds, your pack should not exceed 30 pounds for backpacking.) A loaded day hiking pack should not weigh more than about 10 percent of your body weight.

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For instance, you're generally considered an ultralight backpacker if your base weight is under 10 pounds and a lightweight backpacker if your base weight is under 20 pounds.

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10 Ways to Lighten Your Backpacking Pack Weight
  1. Repackage food and personal care items. ...
  2. Sleep System: Maximize a minimal amount of insulation. ...
  3. Opt for a tent that pitches with trekking or ski poles. ...
  4. Plan ahead and ration your water carrying. ...
  5. Swap out heavy water bottles for a collapsible bottle. ...
  6. Eat out of your pot.


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A loaded backpacking pack should not weigh more than about 20 percent of your body weight. (If you weigh 150 pounds, your pack should not exceed 30 pounds for backpacking.) A loaded day hiking pack should not weigh more than about 10 percent of your body weight.

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A Service Member's ruck sack weighs about 45 pounds without water!!!! If you're joining us in person or virtually, and want to get some tips on how to pack your ruck properly, and/or what typically goes into a ruck sack, here's a tutorial to help you out!

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Bottom – Midweight items. Middle back – Heaviest items. Front – Lightest items. Top – Lighter items that you may need access to quickly.

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The relationship between your body, the weight, and the rucksack will determine your level of comfort on the move. Our recommendation for most people is to start with 20 lbs of weight for rucking, progress in increments of ~10 lbs, and ultimately max out at ? of your bodyweight.

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Although it might not be quite so heavy, some kids actually do carry around a lot of weight in their backpacks. These heavy loads place stress on the spine and shoulders of children, causing muscle strain and fatigue. For some kids the aches and pains are bad enough to seek medical attention.

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