Weight - How to lighten the load

​Stop pulling at your shoulder straps and hitching up your waist belt as you lug a heavy pack up that mountain. Why not enjoy your time. Carrying less weight will allow you to be agile and cover greater distances more easily. Some people hike with 5kg pack! I like a few more creature comforts and safety items but still work very hard to lighten my load. I try to save weight on every single item in my pack, with small savings adding up.
 
Ask yourself of each item:
  1. Is it necessary?
  2. What propose does it serve?
  3. Can something else do the job?
  4. Is there a lighter weight option that would preform in a similar way?
 
Tips to reduce weight:
  1. Weigh everything and record it in a spreadsheet (I use the spreadsheet as a packing list too) – Buy some digital scales on eBay and weigh everything even your undies (there can be quite a difference). Understanding weight can also help you assess if it’s worth spending an additional $200 to drop 100g on your tent.
  2. Take only what you will use:
    1. Decant items like toothpaste, sunscreen, fuel into smaller tubs or take travel size items like toothpaste and deodorant
    2. Take only a small roll of toilet paper
    3. Think carefully about how much you will need of each item
    4. Embrace the smelly clothes (I rarely take more than one change of clothes)
  3. Pack to location and conditions 
    1. You may not need thermals, puff jacket, insulated mattress and a winter sleeping bag
    2. I only ever use a 3 season tent and never had trouble below the snow line– 4 season tents tend to be expensive and heavy
    3. I have two sleeping bags and air mattresses to suit normal conditions and really cold conditions. I recommend starting with lightweight gear to suit normal conditions and if you eventually expand your hiking into colder conditions purchase suitable equipment then. Otherwise you will be spending and carrying way too much.
  4. I take the same amount of gear on a 2 day hike as a 4 week hike, with the exception of food and consumables like toothpaste and gas
  5. The most lightweight gear is stuff you don’t have to carry – let nature help you
    1. Trees or sticks can be used as tent/tarp poles
    2. Rocks can be used as tent pegs  
    3. Sand is great for cleaning pots
    4. A small campfire is great for cooking  
  6. Select gear with the same types of batteries so you only have to carry one type of spare battery. I use stuff with AAA batteries, as they are smaller and lighter weight. Also I have a head torch that only takes 2 batteries, not 3, saving more weight.
  7. Repackage items. Plastic zip lock bags are brilliant as they are lightweight and you can see what’s inside them. I use ziplocks for my toiletries, first aid kit and most food items. I also take items like my sleeping bag and air mattress out of their bags and package them in one protective, waterproof, compression bag. This saves weight and makes packing up quicker.
  8. Multiuse items are pure gold and can save you significant weight:
    1. Scarf = towel, mattress protector, sun shade, sling, splint, cool wet blanket on hot nights
    2. Knife = knife, trowel
    3. Water bladder = hot water bottle, irrigation for cleaning a wound
    4. Hop in your sleeping bag at the end of the day to stay warm you may not need that extra jacket
    5. Iphone = torch, GPS, emergency signal call, diary, entertainment (podcast, audiobook, music)
  9. Never take the guidebook it weighs a bomb. Photocopy the relevant pages (include possible alternate routes and emergency exit routes), I even enjoy using the pages as tinder as I clear each section.
  10. Carefully plan your food and repackage it so there is less rubbish. Do most of the food preparation in your kitchen at home so it will be easier in the field.
  11. Water loading – Drink water when it’s available (e.g. in the car on your way to the hike and at each water point along the hike). This way you can carry less but always err on the side of caution - only do this when you know where the next water point will be. 
  12. You don’t need to buy the latest and the greatest, for example my Sportsman’s Warehouse 2 man tent cost $100 and weighs only 2.2 kg there are many tents on the market for well over $500 at this weight.
  13. Shoes are a great place to make weight savings and hiking boots can weigh a lot. I prefer to wear trail runners and I firmly believe the statement ‘a pound on the foot is worth 5 on your back’
  14. Beware of hidden weight even in the pack itself. Some packs these days can easily weigh over 3kg.