"Alchemy Crafting Kit" weight inconsistency?

[Toloriel]

Ultimate Equipment lists the "Alchemy Crafting Kit" on page 76 as weighing 50 pounds. In the APG, the same item (then labeled "Alchemist's Kit") on page 182 had a weight of 5 pounds. This doesn't make sense.

Additionally, the "Alchemist's Kit" gear kit in UE has a weight of 24 pounds, but includes said 50 pounf "Alchemy Crafting Kit." Which is the correct weight of that item, 5 pounds or 50 pounds?

[MrCharisma]

Interesting, I'm about to start a game as a Strength 10 gnome alchemist, so 45 pounds really makes a difference to me.

My guess is that the 50 pounds version was meant to be for the alchemy lab, not the kit. 50 pounds carry weight for a glorified spell-component pouch is a bit much.

[Diego Rossi]

Archives of Nethys* wrote:

Alchemy crafting kit

Source Ultimate Equipment pg. 77
Price 25 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Category Tools
Description
An alchemist with an alchemy crafting kit is assumed to have all the material components needed for his extracts, mutagens, and bombs, except for those components that have a specific cost. An alchemy crafting kit provides no bonuses on Craft (alchemy) checks. (This item was called an “alchemist’s kit” in the Advanced Player’s Guide, and was renamed to avoid confusion with this book’s pre-selected set of adventuring gear called an “alchemist’s kit.”)

Ultimate equipment supersedes the Advanced Player's Guide, as it is a later book. The weight was corrected in the second printing of UE, it weights 5 lbs.

*Archives of Nethys is now the official source for online pieces of information about Pathfinder.

[Cavall]

One is a lab the other a small kit.

One gives a bonus the other does not.

One weighs more and costs more.

[Zwordsman]

That has been around for a while. Rather certain the 50lb one is the "full portable alchemy lab" one while the 5lb ones are the "just the kit" versions.

I can't remember citations right now.. but like 2 years ago I did a big old data dive for all that information

[Darrell Impey UK]

Alchemy kit (5lb) is what an alchemist needs to prep spells/bombs, like a spell component bag for wizards.

Alchemy Crafting kit (50lb) is what is needed to use the craft alchemy skill, like a hammer and anvil for blacksmiths.

[Falkyron]

Darrell has it right. One is a kit used as the alchemy equivalent of artisan's tools, and the other is basically a spell component pouch for alchemists. The names were adjusted later to clarify this.

[Diego Rossi]

An Alchemist’s Kit as a tool for the alchemist exist only if you play with the Advanced Player Guide and without the Ultimate Equipment book.
The Ultimate Equipment replaced it with the Alchemist crafting kit.

Ultimate Equipment, second printing wrote:

ALCHEMY CRAFTING KIT
PRICE 25 GP
WEIGHT 5 lbs.

An alchemist with an alchemy crafting kit is assumed to have all the material components needed for his extracts, mutagens, and bombs, except for those components that have a specific cost. An alchemy crafting kit provides no bonuses on Craft (alchemy) checks. (This item was called an “alchemist’s kit” in the Advanced Player’s Guide, and was renamed to avoid
confusion with this book’s pre-selected set of adventuring gear called an “alchemist’s kit.”)

In the first printing, its weight was wrongly listed as 50 lbs and was corrected in the second printing.

Currently, the Alchemist's kit is a kit of pre-selected equipment for alchemists:

Ultimate Equipment, second printing wrote:

ALCHEMIST’S KIT
PRICE 40 GP
WEIGHT 24
This kit includes an alchemy crafting kit, a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, ink, an inkpen, an iron pot, a mess kit, soap, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin. The kit does not contain a formula book because an alchemist begins play with a formula book and does not need to purchase one.

Just for completeness:

Ultimate Equipment, second printing wrote:

ALCHEMIST’S LAB
PRICE 200 GP
WEIGHT 40 lbs.
This lab is used for making alchemical items, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks. It has no bearing on the costs related to the Craft (alchemy) skill. Without this lab, a character with the Craft (alchemy) skill is assumed to have enough tools to use the skill but not enough to get the +2 bonus that the lab provides.

[Whisperer in Darkness]

I'll note also that weight and price on kits for characters is usually rounded down slightly when compared to the weight if purchased piecemeal. This has been known for some time and is considered a benefit of buying the kit.