Weight Loss…just as much of a problem for things as for people…

Between the two of us our gear weighed in at 97 pounds WITHOUT water. We had to hack and slash in order to lose weight. This is almost as hard as trying to lose body weight. I mean, just look at all this stuff!

Many reports of people doing the trail online, as any google search will show. We are traveling very light compared to many people, with our maximum loads at 39 and 49 pounds including a liter of water each, whereas some people reported their pack weights at 75 pounds and more!

We got rid of “tupperware” type containers for our cooking stove, we used a plastic baggy instead, and did it again for the first aid kit. We got rid of stuff sacks, downgraded to lighter gaiters, lost a days food and some snacks, traded Nalgene water containers for lighter Rubbermaid ones, lost some clothing, dropped one sleeping bag in favor of a light blanket, removed extra fuel container, Traded our rain pants for lighter windproof nylon pants but kept our rain jackets, removed a pot lid and stuff sacks for our thermarests.

We got the weight down to 84 pounds between the two of us and that INCLUDES a liter of water for each of us.

The first day or two will be heavy, but as the food weight goes down so does the difficulty of the trail. Starting from the other end of the trail, at Pachena Bay near Bamfield, the packs would be heaviest during the easiest portion of the trail and lighter as you get into the much more difficult second half after Nitinat. We decided to start at the hard end first, at the Gordon River Trailhead.

Depending on the exact route one takes (beach versus forest), there are 4 suspension bridges, innumerable boardwalks, 6 cable car crossings (hand powered cars with rope and pulleys), and about 150 bridges of all types ranging from a log across a creek to various crafted bridges.