The hardest walk I’ve ever done was the Pennine Way in 1978. Apart from the fact that it was nearly three weeks of walking, some of it in foul conditions, the other thing that made it difficult was the gear. I don’t know what my base weight was but it would have been at least 14kg. Even though I had a lightweight tent (Saunders Backpacker S, 2kg), a down/feather sleeping bag and a simple Karrimat, the rest of the gear would not be described as lightweight these days. My friend had an even heavier pack and tent, so he must have been carrying a base weight of near 20kg.
I had a petrol stove, aluminium mess kit and saucepan, frame rucksack, woolen breeches, wool cardigan, the first ever Moutain Equipment Goertex jacket. Lots of bits and pieces were garnered from everyday life and weren’t specifically for backpacking. Although we used Vesta meals, most of the other food was heavy: cans of stew, cheese etc.
The other thing that made it hard was boots. Heavy Zamberlan leather ones with a full leather lining and no shaped foot bed. Blimey they were uncomfortable after ten miles. A couple of days we did 17/18 miles and I was on my knees by the end. The leather linings when wet gripped my socks making blisters a certainty. After one day the whole of the skin on the back of my heel parted company.
While we did it, at times it was sheer hell. However, this pales in comparison to the Challenge account of Mike Daniels in 1987 on Doodlecat. Have a read, these guys were tough! It’s a great read and shows what backpacking used to be like. Nowadays we have it easy with slippers for boots/shoes, ultra lightweight tents/sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses, breathable waterproofs, lightweight gas or meths stoves, titanium cookware. It makes sense to use the best/lightest.
I enjoy backpacking much more than I did then and I no longer have to grit my teeth as much. Perhaps the feeling of achievement against the odds is not quite as great. I have no desire to go back to the old gear. However, I salute Mike and Iain for their epic journey and true Challenge.