Hiking light – Pack
Lighter by Reducing the Weight of Your Backpacking Clothing
Have
you ever packed what you thought was a light backpack, then added your
clothing only to discover you had a heavy, totally-stuffed, backpack?
By reducing the weight of your clothing you can lighten your load and
reduce the volume in your backpack.
Since you lift your shoes with every step, wearing running shoes can
save more energy than any other lightweight clothing choice. Lifting
boots with every step results in lifting literally tons of weight on a
long hike. You wear running shoes for every day use because
they’re more comfortable. Those same shoes are more
comfortable on a hike, too. They dry out quickly if they get wet. They
make you more agile. And most importantly, you feel less fatigue at the
end of the day.
Your rainwear is usually your heaviest clothing item, so it’s
often a place you can trim some weight. If your rain gear weighs over
20 ounces, it’s time to lighten up. There are many choices
for rainwear. In warm weather some hikers like to use a rain jacket and
hike in shorts letting their legs get wet. Another choice is a poncho
or cape. Some of these even serve as a shelter. Poncho/tarps and capes
can be in the 7 to 11 ounce range.
Your rain pants can weigh less than four ounces when you use chaps that
cover your legs but are open to release the moisture your body creates
at the midsection. Rainwear that’s not as strong as nylon and
doesn’t compact as well can weigh less than 10 ounces for a
jacket and pants. Breathable nylon-based rain jackets and pants can be
less than 20 ounces. Your summer rainwear doesn’t need
insulation like a coat. If you need some insulation under the rain gear
to keep warm, use light layers that can multitask in other conditions.
Your new, lighter raingear will pack smaller, too.
Part of reducing your clothing for lightweight backpacking is just
planning for what you really need and leaving the rest at home. Some
fanatics take only what’s on their back, and their spare
clothing is their rain gear. After all, getting grubby and sweaty is
part of the experience. If that’s too extreme for you, at
least it gives you a starting point from which you can plan backwards.
Do you really need a second pair of pants when you have rain pants and
a pair of shorts?
A short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirt gives you layering options and a
backup. Silk or synthetic are lighter than cotton and more functional
because they dry more quickly. Silk shirts can be as light as 2
½ ounces for a T-shirt or 3 ounces for a long-sleeve shirt.
They work well on cold or hot days, and dry quickly. Some synthetic
shirts are only slightly heavier than silk. A digital scale can be
helpful when purchasing backpacking clothing because it’s
difficult to estimate clothing weights.
Supplex nylon shirts and pants are strong, light, and dry quickly. A
pair of nylon pants can be around 8 ounces, about 1/3 of what your
cargo pants weigh. You might not think twice about what belt you take,
but a lightweight nylon belt weighs about 1/3 of what you’d
be carrying with a normal canvas or leather belt. If you toss your full
length shorts into your backpack, you’re adding about one
pound. You could cut that weight drastically by taking a 3 ounce pair
of nylon running shorts.
If your hikes extend into cool seasons, or you’re hiking at
high altitudes, you can layer down vests, jackets and pants under your
rain gear. Jackets and pants can be as light as about eight ounces
each. Vests weigh less than six ounces. Synthetic jackets can be as
light as about nine ounces and pants can be around ten ounces. You
don’t need to add heavy, bulky parkas.
You can save weight on socks, but know your limitations. If you tend to
blister, choose extra padding over super lightweight socks. After all,
lightweight backpacking is all about the extra comfort of a lighter
backpack. Blisters from thin socks could ruin your comfort level. There
are a number of comfortable choices that are about 2 ½
ounces per pair. Look for socks that cushion well and dry quickly.
You probably wouldn’t think twice about throwing your
baseball cap into your pack. But with a little planning you can find a
lighter one that repels rain better or is cooler when it’s
hot.
It’s nice to have gloves when it gets cool and you
don’t need to add much weight to be comfortable. A pair of
polypropylene gloves weighs only about an ounce.
When the mosquitoes are biting, a mosquito head net is a great piece of
“clothing” to have at only 6/10s of an ounce.
You can even save clothing weight by using silk or light synthetic
underwear.
Take a close look at every piece of clothing you pack, just like you
consider other pieces of gear. Your clothing is a great place to
lighten up.
Click here to see our clothing and other
ultralight gear
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
