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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Mar 27, 2015 - 03:04pm PT
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I bet he has neck problems when he gets older!!
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Mar 27, 2015 - 03:14pm PT
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He's not a Sherpa.
That many noodles doesn't weigh
Three hundred pounds.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Mar 27, 2015 - 03:52pm PT
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I do have to say that one of my main reactions to reading Annapurna,
the first real mountaineering adventure book I ever read,
was that these guys were into self-aggrandizing
and not appreciating the badassery
of the dudes carrying their gear
(and them in the end)
no insulating footwear,
etc.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 27, 2015 - 03:59pm PT
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Yeah, that's bullsh!t. It's not 300 pounds.
The fool that wrote that has never carried even 100 pounds on his back I bet.
He just made it up.
A lot of us have carried 100 pounds so we know what that's like.
The most I ever carried was 175 pounds and I could barely do it.
Someone should actually go carry 300 pounds and come back here and then run their mouth .....
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Mar 27, 2015 - 05:11pm PT
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Last time I was on the annapurna trail there were guys carrying steel telephone poles. I don't know how much they weighed but I was impressed. Of course they had shoes on so light sauce. :)
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Mar 27, 2015 - 05:50pm PT
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Hey, who you calling a sissy?
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
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Mar 27, 2015 - 08:06pm PT
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I agree with Stewart. Those are not Sherpa. They're lowland porters. The one in front belongs to a Tibeto Burman tribal group known as Tamang or possibly Rai. The guy in back is a Hindu lowlander whose ancestors migrated into Nepal several centuries ago from India.
While there are a few Nepalese who can carry up to 150 pounds, that's the limit and few can go above 100.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Mar 27, 2015 - 10:33pm PT
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I did an experiment for a couple of months 20 years ago, after reading an article about using a Tump line. I found that I could comfortably carry a larger load than I could carry on my back comfortably. I don't think I cver carried over about 40 lbs for more than about 10 miles.
However, I ended up with a neck injury that was exceedingly painful, what I thought was a ruptured cervical disc with nerve compression.
It eventually went away with rest, drugs, physical therapy. Took about 2 years to be pain free.
I'd be awfully cautious about this technique.
Related, I think our military has adopted policies that are insane, in terms of what the average soldier/marine has to carry. Averages about 100 lbs. Special forces more. And they are seeing very high rates of injury, of course.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Mar 27, 2015 - 10:43pm PT
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Thanks for confirming my theory Ken M!
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Mar 27, 2015 - 11:35pm PT
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What a bunch of pussies, BITD we had to carry sacks full of pitons and beer
One of my bros was a heavy gunner in Afganistan, he routinely carried 150+ pounds of steel and ammo in the mountains. He weighed 220-250 and tipped the scales a 425 lbs with a full combat load. Now at age 35 he walks with two canes, needs hip replacement and back surgery. On the bright side, gas is $2.69 per gallon.
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Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Mar 28, 2015 - 01:36am PT
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I just (= yesterday) came back home after a ten day trek in Khumbu, Nepal. I met hundreds of porters heading for Namche market, Everest BC and other destinations and I regulary asked them the weight of their loads ("kati k.g.?").
So kindly allow me to question the load rate on the picure on top. It looks like goods to Namche market, and I would guess max 160-180 lb...! Which of cause is a lot still!
The max load I saw during those days was this guy carrying building material, 80 kg ~ 175 lb:
Last time I was in Khumbu was in 1990 - and I asked the same question then. Max load was carried by some guys transporting iron pipes for the Thame hydro power plant. 117 kg [~ 260 lb). Usually it was done by four porters per tube, but these two took one each...! All though they did a shift every ten minuts with their partners walking beside.
Everyone on the trail were shaking their heads about this - even the locals!
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Gimp
Trad climber
Missoula, MT & "Pourland", OR
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Mar 28, 2015 - 06:47am PT
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Picture of porters carrying pipes reminded me of 1988 when my now wife was very nearly run over by one of those pipes that the porter dropped on a steep slope below Namche. She barely got out of the way as it came tumbling down the slope. As I remember there were two people assigned per pipe and they did not carry it far before swapping out.
Many of the porters carrying large loads in Nepal are not Sherpa but lowland porters from many different sects.
Link has data on weights these guys & gals carry.
https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/64/11/lowland-porters-in-the-solu-khumbu/
Steve
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cliffhanger
Trad climber
California
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 28, 2015 - 07:46am PT
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Thanks Gimp, great link.
From the link:
"Perhaps the most shocking load we saw was that carried by a 22 year old man. He weighed just under 50 kg and was carrying nearly 150 kg. The weight was so heavy that he had an obvious impression in his head where the namlo, or strap, cut across it. He said that he had been to school between the ages of 6 and 11 and had then had to quit school in order to porter. The load was so heavy that he could barely walk 10 m before he had to stop and rest."
150 kg is 330 lbs so "nearly 150 kg" is right at 300 lbs!
clickable link (http not https):
http://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/64/11/lowland-porters-in-the-solu-khumbu/
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Mar 28, 2015 - 07:55am PT
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These guys are all going to have backs like mine, if they keep doing that type of work. Here is my MRI.
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Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Mar 28, 2015 - 08:06am PT
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Yes, very good article.
300 lb, correct. But still, noodles and sugar should not get this heavy. And such a high load is usually not carried in a doko. The basket would crumble and the boxes tip over. Still, probably not a light load...!
@Ken M:
I've learnt to use a namlo (tump line) with great succes! I would never carry anything over 20 kg without one. When I take the load on my head, I release both shoulderstraps and hip belt and take the full load on the namlo. After some time (for me c. 1 hour), it starts to hurt somewhat on top of my head, and I release the namlo, lovering the pack to my shoulders - and suddenly realize how heavy the load is...! That backpack producers have not incorparated tump lines in their big packs is a great mistake. But then, it's easy to make one yourself out of 50 mm webbing, 25 mm webbing and some buckles. Using a namlo in Nepal really attracts interest from the locals, creates great laughter and instant contact.
On my way up Mount Kenya (1992):
(sorry for the slighty large photos on the first page...)
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crankster
Trad climber
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Mar 28, 2015 - 08:09am PT
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Relax, S(pud) and all you righties, just enjoy the pictures and what humans can do.
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jaaan
Trad climber
Chamonix, France
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Mar 28, 2015 - 09:52am PT
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The trouble with exaggeration is that it's self perpetuating. You just have to go one better all the time to make something sound out of the ordinary. Just like news reports about 2m falls of snow which are more like 30cm... skiing 75° slopes that are in reality no more than 35°...
OK, I might have exaggerated a bit there...
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