Tourist equipment - 80 years ago
Disputes continue as to what is the only correct way to assemble equipment. Is it necessary, according to the “newest fashion,” to fight with every extra gram in a backpack, or should one walk “classically,” i.e. with 20 kilograms of various and certainly useful things in a large 90 liter backpack...
I think it will be interesting for supporters of both approaches to read the following excerpt from V. Semenovsky’s book “Tourist Equipment”, published 80 years ago, i.e. in 1929...
“A large list of items of equipment and their weight will involuntarily force the tourist to take more seriously the preparation of the route and the selection of things needed on the journey. After all, everything that you take with you must be carried, and a person has only moderate strength; therefore, before taking even a lightweight item, you need to think.
One of our random companions amazed us with an abundance of all kinds of cute and very comfortable things during our train trip to the place where the walking route began. There was a bottle of cologne in a special package - it refreshes the face so pleasantly after shaving, some kind of especially improved pillow, a dinner set consisting of a plate, fork, knife and napkin - all this in a canvas case; there were many other very useful things.
Then our roads diverged a little, we went to the top of one mountain, our companion - through an easy, but very long pass. Then we met again, and our random companion, at the very first breakfast together, already got along just fine with just a knife, without a fork, and at night he put his (after all, smeared with Vegetal) head not on an improved pillow, but on a backpack, having previously placed a handkerchief, as all mortal tourists usually do. Where and how he put his cute and comfortable things - we didn’t ask..."
In the meantime, I would like to draw your attention to a few points. Look at the backpack of an "old" tourist. What do you think its volume is? Take a closer look at the size of the canvas tent (attached to the side of the backpack, marked with the letter “a”). Most likely this is a homemade tent, since the author wrote the following about those available for sale:
“The only inconvenience of a tent is that it is relatively heavy. Made from so-called “tent” material, it will weigh 6 - 7 kg for 5 people.”
Unfortunately, he does not indicate how much his own tent weighs, but from the above we can assume that it is less than 6 kilograms (for 5 people). Those. maximum 1.2kg per person! I think this is an excellent result. Today, most tourists carry tents that weigh 1.5 kg per person, or even more. And they do it voluntarily, and not because there is no other choice.
The calculation that must be followed when determining the load should be based on the weight of the tourist. Experience has established that the best ratio is 1:5, i.e. if a tourist weighs 60 kg, then the load that he can freely take on his shoulders will be 12 kg. For women, the ratio is somewhat different - here you need to take 1:6. With such a load you can easily walk tens of kilometers."
Let's try to apply this formula to our hikes. Suppose a married couple goes on a 6-day hike in Crimea: a man (75 kg) and a woman (60 kg). Then the optimal weight of backpacks will be 15 kg and 10 kg. The total carrying capacity of a pair is 25 kg.
The weight of food for 6 days is 4.8 kg per person (800 grams per day). In addition, everyone carries 1.5 liters of water to drink throughout the day. This is already 6.3 kg per person or 12.6 per couple. Then only 12.4 kg remains for clothing and equipment. Do you think we will invest in the standard?
Let's try to do this with a generally accepted, “classic” set of equipment:
- 2 mats - 0.9 kg
- 2 sleeping bags - 2.2 kg
- 2 backpacks - 4 kg
- 2-person tent - 3kg
Oops... Already 10 kilograms. And we have not yet taken any clothes, dishes, phones, cameras, first aid kits or cosmetic bags. How so? Apparently, we need to think about everything again. After all...
The tourist must carefully prepare his equipment so that later he does not suffer either because of unnecessary things that weigh heavily on his shoulders, or, conversely, because of the lack of an item that is absolutely necessary.
For those who want to get acquainted in more detail with the CLASSIC approach to choosing equipment, I provide a link to the full text of the book V. Semenovsky “Tourist Equipment”.
Kirill Yasko
May 16, 2009, Crimea
P.S. “To take or not to take” is an eternal and very individual question. In my opinion, everyone determines the “only true way” of choosing equipment for themselves. And therefore, what is needed is not arguments to the point of being hoarse and not the sacred fires of the Inquisition, but a simple and constructive exchange of experience. For example such .