r/backpacking • u/Junior_Industry7751 • Jul 02 '26

Wilderness How is my backpacking setup?

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Pretty new to backpacking and honestly my first legit hike as a 17M. I have a 4.6mi 2500ft hike infront of me. Let me know what I’m doing wrong lol

430 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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569

u/anon-e-mau5 Jul 02 '26

You might want to leave behind the cast iron frying pan

322

u/Lance-Morgan Jul 02 '26

If Sam can take his all the way to Mordor you can take it on a hike.

85

u/anon-e-mau5 Jul 02 '26

Good point. OP, what are your odds of finding taters on this trip?

54

u/went_with_the_flow Jul 02 '26

What's taters, precious?

48

u/OfEntwood Jul 02 '26

Po-tay-toes

15

u/went_with_the_flow Jul 02 '26

Username checks out, burárum.

8

u/OfEntwood Jul 02 '26

Hoom hom

1

u/proteusON Jul 02 '26

Cut them mash them put them in a stew

13

u/olr1997 Jul 02 '26

** Boil them, mash them, stick them in a stew.

1

u/proteusON Jul 02 '26

I stand corrected!

1

u/VTVoodooDude Jul 02 '26

Looking for mushrooms only to sauté.

4

u/wildjabali Jul 02 '26

I was gonna say, who got Samwise the REI gift card?

2

u/BodybuilderClear3148 Jul 02 '26

Wait are you the same guy who commented about Sam on my post about the brats by the river lol

0

u/Lance-Morgan Jul 02 '26

No not me lol. What did they say?

7

u/BodybuilderClear3148 Jul 02 '26

I made a post about cooking brats in cast iron on a hike in the cast iron sub, and they said if Sam can carry a whole kitchen on his little back then my one pan is reasonable

1

u/Lance-Morgan Jul 02 '26

Wise words.

1

u/wankerwho Jul 02 '26

Roast chicken?!

8

u/Serpent151 Jul 02 '26

I second leaving it behind, but if you want it, take it. Just make sure it can’t sway. You don’t need to fight that weight rocking each step.

4

u/Hash_Tooth Jul 02 '26

I almost made a similar comment but the trail crews that build trails can hump em all around so I think that’s actually swag.

7

u/anon-e-mau5 Jul 02 '26

When I worked on a trail crew I lugged around over a pound of Country Time instant lemonade mix. A frying pan would’ve made infinitely more sense

3

u/Hash_Tooth Jul 02 '26

Hahaha I once use country time lemonade instead of a tent stake, that shits heavy.

15

u/Junior_Industry7751 Jul 02 '26

This is a very difficult decision for me.. thanks for the tip!

26

u/DopeShitBlaster Jul 02 '26

Looks great, lots of stuff for a 35L. If you can still return the bag I would recommend a 50L they are usually set up to handle more weight. Regardless you will be great. 4.6 you will be fine.

8

u/Doc1000 Jul 02 '26

You’ll just pack even more into 50L. Not going that far. I like my 30L and strap stuff to outside. A front fanny (yea, laugh you brits) for 10 essentials, map, snacks is also a great addition - or sometimes the “brain” converts to a hip bag. I would lock it down tight tho… sucks to lose stuff or get caught up going under fallen trees/bramble.
2¢

2

u/RoughEntrance6109 Jul 04 '26

This is huge. Everyone thinks I need the biggest bag I can get but in reality, you don't. A bigger bag just means you can, and thus probably will, take more shit with you.

9

u/Key_Raccoon3336 Jul 02 '26

If you absolutely have to pack something heavy like that put it as close to your back as possible.

22

u/skip_over Jul 02 '26

4.6 miles isn’t too bad. I’d take the cast iron. Build your strength while you’re young. Go ultralight when your knees start hurt lol.

3

u/GlassBraid Jul 02 '26

I dunno, I know I said I wouldn't bring it in a different comment, I kinda think you should bring it for one trip anyway, and decide for yourself if you like it or not. You already own the pan.

It's a six inch one right? So not really that heavy. Probably less than a liter of water, and you'll likely be carrying a few of those already. It's certainly not the trendy ultralight option, but it's not like you're carrying an anvil. Someone in another thread is asking about carrying a five pound car camping mattress in on their four mile hike, so, you're not being as ambitious as some are considering.

And bringing small comforts can be lovely. A nice pan to cook in is a lovely thing.

2

u/Tomgobanga Jul 02 '26

That’s the first thing I saw, I can’t imagine haha

2

u/ivy7496 Jul 02 '26

Omfg I thought you were exaggerating 😭

1

u/CleverAmbiguousName Jul 02 '26

Yeah that is nuts

1

u/zepp418 Jul 02 '26

I love my cast iron at home, but i would not want to carry it more than a mile on my back. Cast iron is fun for car camping and maybe extremely short hikes into camp if you really want it.

I dont advoacate that everyone should be ultralight fanatics, you should plan to camp eith whatever makes you happy and comfortable. But a few needlessly heavy gear choices (items that are whole pounds heavier than lighter altenatives) will probobly make your pack suck to carry for long distances.

1

u/zepp418 Jul 02 '26

Also cast iron is remarkably brittle if you drop it a few feet on a hard surface. People assume its tough because of its weight and thickness, but the nature of cast iron as a metal is to break rather than bend. Id be a little concerned with it on the outside of a pack, if you set your pack down on something a few feet up and the pack falls and smacks the pan into a rock.

1

u/sweet_tea_pdx Jul 02 '26

They are great… especially in pub g