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Hiking light -- Sweat the Small
Stuff and Reduce the Weight of Everything in Your Backpack
All
your life people have said “Don’t sweat the small
stuff.” That’s usually good advice. But in
lightweight backpacking it’s a great idea to “sweat
the small stuff.”
You can trim the most weight from the larger items you carry such as
your tent, sleeping bag, and the backpack itself. Then you move on to
the sleeping pad, rainwear, and cooking gear. But don’t stop
there. All the remaining little items add up, too. If you ruthlessly
trim them, you can carry significantly less weight. You’ll
enjoy the freedom, and you can maintain comfort. In some ways
you’ll have more comfort, not just from weight savings, but
because of the smaller size and simplicity of the gear.
Remember that every lightweight technique is an option. Pick and choose
what works for you. Every backpacker is different. Do it your way.
Have you ever been ready to leave for a backpacking trip and grabbed
something at the last minute? Maybe you packed a flashlight or extra
shirt that weighed 6 ounces. That seems pretty light. It surely
wasn’t going to ruin your hike. Not by itself anyway. But in
lightweight backpacking the thing to remember is that every single item
adds up.
In my backpack I carry a sandwich size ziplock bag that weighs less
than 6 ounces – and it holds 27 items. That’s 27
pieces of gear that weigh the same as many hiker’s
flashlight. Read through the list and see how you can trim weight and
enjoy a lighter, simpler backpack.
| Item |
Weight |
Notes |
| Compass |
0.1 oz |
It’s the tiny insert portion of a
keychain compass |
| Whistle |
0.1 oz |
Tiny cylinder-shaped aluminum style |
| Mirror |
0.2 oz |
For signaling & grooming. acrylic,
trimmed small |
| Comb |
0.1 oz |
Cut in half of course! |
| Book Matches |
0.3 oz |
2 full regular books |
| Safety Matches |
0.3 oz |
Some wind & waterproof in a 2x3" ziplock
bag |
| Soap, Biodegradable |
0.3 oz |
For body & dishes, small amount in 1/4
oz. container |
| Sunscreen |
0.3 oz |
Liquid style, small amount in 1/4 oz. container |
| Pen |
0.1 oz. |
Thick style refill will work |
| Paper |
0.2 oz |
A few "sheets" in 3x5" ziplock--fire starter too! |
| 5 Rubber Bands |
0.2 oz |
Extras for repair, wraps air mattress, etc... |
| Toothbrush |
0.1 oz |
Trim handle, then drill holes for fun! |
| Tooth Powder |
0.1 oz |
Lighter than toothpaste... |
| Floss |
0.1 oz |
In a 3x5" ziplock, great for repairs too |
| SPF Lip Balm |
0.2 oz |
Look for a thinner, lighter brand than usual |
| Benadryl Cream |
0.4 oz |
Added to first aid kit, relieves bug bites a
little |
| 20 Ibuprofen |
0.2 oz |
Backpacker pain reliever of choice in 2x3" ziplock |
| 12 Aspirin |
0.1 oz |
Extras for altitude headaches in 2x3" ziplock |
| 8 Loperamide |
0.1 oz |
For diarrhea, trimmed and put in 2x3" ziplock |
| 6, 1" Brass Safety Pins |
0.1 oz |
For equipment repairs and treating blisters |
| 30 Potable Aqua Tabs |
0.3 oz |
In amber 1-dram bottle, 1.1 oz if in original
bottle |
| Light Nylon Cord |
0.2 oz |
For repair or general use, 25 ft. in 3x5" ziplock |
| Gerber Micro Knife |
0.4 oz |
Very light, high quality |
| 2 Princeton Pulsar IIs |
0.4 oz |
Enough light for camp use, includes a backup |
| Extra Set of Batteries |
0.2 oz |
Extra set for both. Insures many hours of light |
| Favorite scriptures |
0.1 oz |
40 years in wilderness, must pack light! |
There it is. That’s 27 items of gear that
weigh less than 6 ounces! You can do it and enjoy the freedom, too.
You can reduce the weight of other small pieces of gear, too. For
garbage the large re-sealable 10 ½” x
12” bags found in supermarkets work great and they weigh only
4/10s of an ounce. If you need sunglasses, start looking for the
lightest, frameless quality pair you can find and then make them the
ones you always leave in your backpack. For your map, take only what
you need, but don’t trim the legends or emergency
“escape routes.”
Some car keys can be hollowed out. I drilled almost half the weight out
of mine. I attached some bright mylar (from balloons) so the key can be
spotted easily if dropped. Take some cash, at least one credit card,
and your driver’s license, but leave your wallet and most of
its contents home. It’s dead weight.
Don’t skimp too much on toilet paper, but do place it in a
ziplock bag. And be sure to use white, non-scented. A super light
emergency blanket can give you protection for only 1.8 ounces. Your
first aid kit can be quite complete and very light. You can start with
a “mini kit” and throw away the plastic pouch it
comes in. Place the contents in a ziplock bag and with the weight
savings from tossing the original container you can actually add more
emergency items or things you use most. Those can include items such as
butterfly bandages, a roll of light surgical tape, extra packages of
triple antibiotic ointment, or extra moleskin. You can pack a lot of
first aid in two ounces.
Most people want some kind of pillow, but experiment with light ones.
Your clothing in a stuff bag might work. Part of your pack might work.
I use a small piece of foam that weighs 7/10s of an ounce and add
clothing underneath for more loft.
Some hikers won’t leave home without a camera. There are lots
of lightweight options for cameras. There are backpackers who consider
deodorant a must. Arrid makes a cream that can be placed in a small,
plastic container. If you need reading glasses, look at the very narrow
kind. They’re probably half the weight of your regular pair.
For your medications, use small ziplock bags if your meds
don’t need to be in super, airtight containers.
When you “sweat the small stuff,” you not only save
weight, you simplify your hiking techniques and save bulk in your
backpack. Cutting the weight of the little things is one more way to
help you float down the trail.
Click here to see some of the small stuff that
can lighten your load
About the author: Steve
Green of www.hikelight.com is an avid hiker who has
enjoyed trimming
his backpack weight for over 40 years.
Contact
Call: (800) 933-HIKE (4453)
Email: hikelight@yahoo.com
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