How hard is it for manufacturers to weigh things?

"840gm" said the box of my new Petzl Charlet Vasak crampons. On closer examination, it says in much smaller letters "890gm inc anti-balling plates", which they might have said upfront, given that the crampons come with the anti-balling plates screwed firmly in place by default.

So, I weighed them on my scales. 940gm, with the anti balling plates.

Why do manufacturers lie? Or do they use some bizarre system of measurements I'm not aware of? And yes, my scales are accurate.

Bah. Should I complain to Petzl Charlet?

Ive noticed that with all my gear, the manufacturer's quoted weights have been a little optimistic.

But I dont think 100g/50g is really worth complaining about if theyre good enough crampons though :)

What do they weigh when they're strapless, JP?

"What do they weigh when they're strapless, JP?"

I can just imagine that they only weigh one component.
Imagine if tent makers only put the weight of the pegs on and stated it as the overall weight.
'Eight man tent, total weight - 200g'

But tent manufacturers are part-way down that road when they quote a "minimum weight" as the headline number. Usually this refers to the inner, outer and poles only i.e not enough to pitch the tent! Then they add in pegs, guys and stuff sacs and tell you an overall weight if you're lucky.

I suppose their rationale could be that the inner, outer and poles are "core" components while the other things are substitutable if you wish (hm, there's been a thread recently about swapping tent poles for carbon fibre ones so that logic breaks down...).

Ultimately though, as information to me, the consumer, I'd like an accurate weight of what I will be carrying in practice to use their bit of kit - anything else is a disservice.

rab and PHD products have been extremeley good on correct weights in my experiance.

THERMOREST are appalling, i contacted them to tell them how bad they were a few months ago. their thermorest prolite 3 short weighed in at over 430g instead of the stated 370g. ok its only 60g but (as i told them) this product is aimed entirely at the weight conscious market, some of its competitors had similar products at about 400g which if correct would make them a better buy!

I bought a mat from Vaude a couple of years ago. The published weight was 460grms, the actual weight was 540grms. I contacted Vaude to ask what made the 20% difference and to explain the purchase was based purely on weight. I was told that it wasn't 20% it was 17%, that I was exaggerating etc etc - my weight didn't include the repair kit as did the claimed weight. The conversation degenerated from that point on and I was told I was being unreasonable to expect accurate weight and to return the goods for full refund (and never darken our door again etc - I haven't).

would it be prudent to start a new thread, where folks likes us can weigh gear and post the results with actual and claimed weights. or would it only be of us to a few gram counting freaks like us?

I'd find that quite useful. I suppose we could just do it under the gear review section, rather than starting a new thread.

A couple of times I've been to field and trek and they've had a little spring balance available for saddos like me to weigh things. It would be nice if more shops did, and it would be really nice if online retailers would weigh things independently and quote the weights. That would be a real service.

Unfortunately because someone's item weighs X that doesn't mean that someone else's won't weigh Y. Most outdoor gear is made in batches and many details can vary from one production run to another that can result in variations in weight. Variations in the production of materials can affect the weight of finished products too. The weight of coated fabrics varies according to the thickness of the coating, which affects the weight of many items from waterproof jackets to bivvy bags. If buying in a store the best approach is to take scales with you and weigh the item yourself, however odd this may seem. If buying mail order weigh the item as soon as you get it and get it replaced if it weighs too much. (I doubt anyone complains about items weighing too little!. Though if it's a sleeping bag or insulated jacket this could mean it's underfilled and not as warm as you expect).

Tents are peculiar because of the different weights given by makers. Most give a base weight of fly, inner and poles without pegs or stuffsacks plus the weight of everything - tent, poles, pegs, stuffsacks, repair kit, spare pole section/sleeve and instructions. The weight you'll actually carry is somewhere between the two. I think companies should give the weight of tent, poles, pegs and stuffsacks. If you choose to modify the tent with new pegs, poles or stuffsacks that's up to you but the quoted weight should include all the items necessary to transport and use the tent as sold.

I love my Terra Nova Laser Competition (what a mouthful!) tent, but the 860g (I think) quoted on the pole sleeve is wholly misleading. My tent weighs 950g with poles and pegs.

On the website Terra Nova gives the weight of the Laser Competition as 860 grams minimum and 940 grams packed. I guess "minimum" means without pegs and stuffsacks.

thumbs up to BIG AGNES, they give a whole variety of weights and keep their customers very welll informed. appear fairly accurate too.