What can you put in a backpack?

[Deleted]

How much stuff can you put in a backpack?  Especially food.  I've read somewhere that you need 2 pounds of food a day.  I could use a little guidance about this subject.



Thanks

[Deleted]

Gamewise? I used to cram about 40 pounds of rulebooks, player books, metal miniatures, etc into a standard school backpack to carry to my games.

Oh, you mean for characters? In that case, standard (cooked meat, fish, fresh fruit) or iron rations(salted/smoked meat, fish, dried fruit)? Standard is about twice the weight of iron rations for a full week for one man. A typical backpack in AS&SH can handle five weeks of standard rations or 10 weeks in iron rations. Maximum. Now with appropriate gear, the mileage may vary.

[blackadder23]

The AS&SH rules say 50 lbs. can fit in a backpack. I would veto any item, regardless of weight, that was physically too large to fit inside a normal-sized backpack (for example, I wouldn't allow someone to pack skis inside a backpack). But for most small items, it's just a matter of the total weight you can cram in there.

EDIT: Iron rations are 5 pounds per week and standard rations are 10 pounds per week. (Personally I have standard rations spoil after a week, so there'd be no point in packing more than one week's worth in my campaign. Iron rations are lighter and last indefinitely, but cost much more.)

[Deleted]

Thanks.

[rabindranath72]

Jul 6, 2013 23:24:14 GMT -6 blackadder23 said:

The AS&SH rules say 50 lbs. can fit in a backpack. I would veto any item, regardless of weight, that was physically too large to fit inside a normal-sized backpack (for example, I wouldn't allow someone to pack skis inside a backpack). But for most small items, it's just a matter of the total weight you can cram in there.

EDIT: Iron rations are 5 pounds per week and standard rations are 10 pounds per week. (Personally I have standard rations spoil after a week, so there'd be no point in packing more than one week's worth in my campaign. Iron rations are lighter and last indefinitely, but cost much more.)

I make the distinction that standard rations spoil inside dungeons (due to humidity, mold etc.) so regardless of time, when you go dungeoneering, you need iron rations.

[blackadder23]

That's a cool idea! Imagine if the standard rations in your pack started growing yellow mold...

[Cthulhu Colin]

I've always ruled that normal rations spoil within a few days. They're fresh, unpreserved foods; after a few days in that backpack with no cooling, and some exposure to the great outdoors and weather in general, they're no longer fit for consumption. Iron rations, comprised of stuff like dried beans, dry pasta, dried nuts and berries, jerky, and hardtack can last a few months.

[blackadder23]

Not to mention that coins are 100 to a pound in AS&SH, so the five pound difference between iron and standard rations means you can carry 500 more coins out of the dungeon. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[geoffrey]

Jul 8, 2013 6:47:25 GMT -6 blackadder23 said:

Imagine if the standard rations in your pack started growing yellow mold...

That's awesome.