Guides › Base Weight, Total Weight, Consumables — What Counts Where?
Base Weight, Total Weight, Consumables — What Counts Where?
In short: Base weight is your packed rucksack without consumables. Total weight is everything you carry. Consumables (food, water, fuel) are the part that shrinks along the way. If you want to compare trips honestly, use base weight — it stays stable no matter how many days you pack for.
The three numbers at a glance
| Term | What counts | What doesn't |
|---|---|---|
| Base weight | Rucksack + everything permanently packed | Food, water, fuel, worn items |
| Consumables | Food, water, fuel | — |
| Worn items ("worn") | — | Boots, jacket on your body, poles in your hand |
| Total weight | Base weight + consumables | Worn items are usually left out |
Base weight
Base weight is the stable figure for comparing one trip with another. It includes everything you bring and *keep*: rucksack, sleep system, tent, clothing in the pack, stove, electronics. It leaves out everything that gets used up along the way. Because food and water vary so much from trip to trip and stage to stage, total weight would be worthless as a comparison — base weight is the number that shows how light your system *really* is.
Consumables
Food, water and fuel. On long trips they often make up the biggest chunk, and they are also the part where you can most easily save — not by going without, but through energy density. More on this: How much do consumables weigh.
Worn items ("worn weight")
By the usual ultralight convention, what you carry on your body doesn't count towards pack weight: boots on your feet, jacket on your body, poles in your hand. That isn't cheating, it's an agreement — it makes base weights comparable between people. The only thing that matters is applying it consistently.
What is a "good" base weight?
Rough orientation, not a rule: under 9 kg counts as light, under 4.5 kg as ultralight. But the number is a means to an end, not the end itself — a comfortable night's sleep and dry feet are worth more than a record on paper.
Planning with a clean separation
That's why outdoor.gift lists base weight and consumables separately: consumables don't feed into the base weight, and worn items can be flagged and are deducted. That keeps the comparison figure honest. Plan in the app
Frequently asked questions
What is base weight? The weight of your packed rucksack without consumables (food, water, fuel) and without worn items. It's the stable figure for comparing trips and setups.
Does water count towards base weight? No. Water is a consumable and varies a great deal — it counts towards total weight, not base weight.
What does "on the body" or "worn weight" mean? Gear you wear instead of packing (boots, jacket, poles). By convention it is deducted from pack weight, but it stays on the checklist.
What is a good base weight? As a rough guide: under 9 kg is light, under 4.5 kg is ultralight. More important than the number is that your sleep and your safety are sound.
Plan recipes & pack weight in the app →