Yea , decents are rough on the knees ..
I haven't hiked the AT. Been on sections of it and the LT... I live on the NH / MA border , mid state. We have lots of small trails. We use for training.. I used to put plate steel in my older pack. Now I keep my tent sleep pad quilt acook kit etc in it even on 2 Mile hikes. It an average of 16-20 lbs depending if I carry water or filter, depending on water sources and availability
Yea , decents are rough on the knees .. I haven't hiked the AT. Been on sections of it and the LT... I live on the NH / MA border , mid state. We have lots of small trails. We use for training.. I used to put plate steel in my older pack. Now I keep my tent sleep pad quilt acook kit etc in it even on 2 Mile hikes. It an average of 16-20 lbs depending if I carry water or filter, depending on water sources and availability