I've been getting behind on my PM's and emails, so I'm going to try and answer as many as I can tonight on the forums. This will give other a chance to chime in with their preferred methods.
So I've gotten several PM's asking what I use for weight when training, so here goes.
Unless you're doing heavy training (80lbs +), I would strongly suggest training with all of your gear (full kit in military terms).
The only thing you need to change from your EXACT packing list would be your sleeping bag. You don't want to compress your bag all the time, so the SB will need to be simulated. I use a couple sweaters and T shirts for this and make sure the weight is pretty close to my bag.
I train with my full kit for several reasons, one being the weight will be what you'll actually be packing up the mountain! The other is to get your pack and gear figured out well ahead of time.
You'll quickly figure out what you want in each pocket, what should go in the main bag and how the gear inside the main bag should be placed for best comfort.
It's amazing how much a pack that has been incorrectly loaded can bug the hell out of you in a few short minutes. Training with your full kit will make loading your pack second nature.
Keep in mind that I'm loading up 10-14days of gear and food for this, so my training pack is pretty heavy. If you only go for 2 nights, add another 10 days of food and another 3 or 4 liters of water. That will get you in the 45-60 lb range pretty quick.
So I've gotten several PM's asking what I use for weight when training, so here goes.
Unless you're doing heavy training (80lbs +), I would strongly suggest training with all of your gear (full kit in military terms).
The only thing you need to change from your EXACT packing list would be your sleeping bag. You don't want to compress your bag all the time, so the SB will need to be simulated. I use a couple sweaters and T shirts for this and make sure the weight is pretty close to my bag.
I train with my full kit for several reasons, one being the weight will be what you'll actually be packing up the mountain! The other is to get your pack and gear figured out well ahead of time.
You'll quickly figure out what you want in each pocket, what should go in the main bag and how the gear inside the main bag should be placed for best comfort.
It's amazing how much a pack that has been incorrectly loaded can bug the hell out of you in a few short minutes. Training with your full kit will make loading your pack second nature.
Keep in mind that I'm loading up 10-14days of gear and food for this, so my training pack is pretty heavy. If you only go for 2 nights, add another 10 days of food and another 3 or 4 liters of water. That will get you in the 45-60 lb range pretty quick.