Lighten Your Pack for Free
Now that backpacking season is in full swing you might be wondering how to lighten your pack. While going as ultralight as you can while still having everything you need to be safe makes the whole backpacking thing a lot better, ultralight gear can cost you an organ or two. Lately, I’ve been in Facebook groups offering advice on how to lighten your pack on a tight budget.
Lightening your pack doesn’t always have to cost anything. Many of these suggestions assume you are carrying some luxury items (such as a chair or stool) and safety items (like a bear canister) so bear with me.
Use a bear canister as a chair
Many people like to bring a lightweight chair like the Helinox as a luxury item on casual backpacking trips. And while I love my chair, I typically leave it at home because I can’t justify the weight. If you are in an area that recommends or requires a bear canister, use the canister as your chair while you’re hanging out. This can help reduce your pack weight 1-3 pounds, depending on your chair.
Reduce your redundancies
In some cases, I encourage redundancies. For navigation, I always have a map on my phone and a printed one in case my phone dies. In the realm of clothing, toiletries, and things of that nature you could probably scale back and lighten your pack. If you are carrying a buff and multiple bandannas (often used as a pee rag) reduce it to one bandanna and just one buff. Did you bring a fresh sports bra for every day on the trail? Ditch the extras and keep it to two, maximum. Similarly, did you bring multiple jackets? Keep the one that is the most realistic and functional and leave the extras at home, provided you have enough to keep you warm in the conditions you’re expecting. Did you bring a whole new outfit for day two of your overnight trip? Leave fresh clothes in your car if you’re concerned about smelling yourself on your way home. Clothes weigh a surprising amount and once I started to have just enough (plus a jacket) I was able to reduce my pack weight by a few pounds.
Downsize your toiletry containers
Toiletries are also a place of awesome free weight savings. If you’re a true gram chaser then, by all means, cut the handle of your toothbrush off. If you’re not that intense (I’m not), look at the size of the toiletries you’re bringing and reduce them. Are you bringing a full bottle of sunscreen? If so, put what you’ll need in a Ziploc bag and forego bringing the entire full bottle. Opt for travel toothpaste if you’re bringing a tube (pro tip: toothpaste tabs are a great alternative). For you experienced hikers you know not to bring soap but for the beginners, don’t bring soap. You shouldn’t use it in the backcountry and it’s super heavy. If you’re bringing wipes, bring just what you’ll need in a plastic bag instead of the full package. These will add up to be more or less a pound if you’re switching from full-size toiletry items.
Leave what you don’t need
It seems obvious and the weight savings potential is unlimited here. If you don’t need it, don’t bring it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve brought stuff backpacking that I never even used (or didn’t need). Whether it was stuff sacks for the sake of feeling organized, an iPad so I could read (I had my phone too), food for 5 days when I was just going for one night, an extra water filter “just in case”, or a third base layer, I saved so much weight and energy by not bringing everything but the kitchen sink.
Those three areas can help save you anywhere from 1-4ish pounds total.
