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Hiking light -- Sweat the Small Stuff and Reduce the Weight of Everything in Your BackpackAll
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.”
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. About the author: Steve Green of www.hikelight.com is an avid hiker who has enjoyed trimming his backpack weight for over 40 years. ContactCall: (800) 933-HIKE (4453)
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"Helping hikers lighten up with lightweight backpacking gear"  |
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