Insights in reducing pack weight:

Why to lighten your pack has been, and will be, a thing of much debate.  Ultimately there are many reasons and all are based on your needs - not someone else's.  It’s a personal thing.  The total weight is down to you and you alone.    Don't believe the hype that you're missing out because you're carrying seven kilos instead of five.  

• Shelter

• Pack

• Sleeping 

Maybe you need to do a national trail in less time due to limited holidays.  So lightening the pack helps to reduce the burden on long days and getting those miles done.

Maybe like many you are fed up with aching shoulders and being tired from heavy loads.  

For me the reason is simple.  I was on a day walk one day in the Lake District.  I met some backpackers who had been out wild camping.  In that moment  I saw that they were free.  Free to enjoy the mountains for the entire day.  Not needing to get back to a car or bed and breakfast for the night.  Their freedom allowed them to enjoy the sun setting, the sound of the stream babbling in the night, camped next to it.    


So I took up backpacking.  I had a no idea. The man in the shop told me what I needed.  I learnt fast as soon as I started walking in the mountains.  My shoulders ached and my feet hurt.  I still loved it.  Being out there, being free.  

I started ditching kit and replacing it with lighter kit, or just doing without, and have carried on ever since.  Being less tired at camp means I enjoy the sunset more as I don’t want to fall asleep from being so knackered from hauling heavy loads uphill all day. 

Going lighter is an evolution of my backpacking style.   I have walked with a big heavy pack and with a light small pack,  carrying all I need to wild camp out in the hills.  I always find it’s more enjoyable with a lighter pack - yet the views are unchanged.  I enjoy the outdoors, but like it more with less on my back.

So I thought I would share some insights I have learnt about backpacking and going lighter.  I will share more in the coming months.


Part I

It starts with the truth - you carry it all


I read a review recently about some outdoor clothing. The writer said that the weight of the clothing was not an issue, as you are wearing it.


I suggest that this thinking is wrong thinking in terms of backpacking.  Go put on a stone in weight and go for a walk.  Then lose it and do the same walk.  I bet you will put less strain on your body, finding it easier as well.  You carry everything step by step.  Add a pass or a mountain in and you lift you and everything on you,  step by step, uphill.


To start working out where to reduce your carried weight, calculate the total weight of items worn and carried.  Don't worry about food and water at this point as they are variable amounts.


Use an Excel spread sheet and add it all in there.  Get the scales out and see the truth: clothing worn, kit carried.  That is where you start from.  Not the base pack weight, which on paper reads light - as you have decided you're wearing a base layer, fleece, waterproof top, trousers, hat and gloves...  Don't kid yourself.   You're the one who will carry it all.  


Wisdom: "It is rather a problem deciding what you must take and what you can leave behind, but it is amazingly simplified when you know you have to carry it all yourself"  


Bill Tilman


Don't chase labels


It seems the height of bragging to read those who say they go ultra-light poking fun at what they see as the traditional backpacker with 70L packs and big boots.


I recall walking over the highest mountains in the UK with big loads.  I was not unable, I don't recall any UL backpacker gliding past me, ticking summit after summit off as they had so light a load that it was effortless?  The sunsets looked as good as they do now carrying less. I had fun; also I learnt what I did not need to take next time.


So let's ask the question: What do I need for my next backpacking trip?  Well, it all depends on the goal you have.  If it's a 2,700 mile through hike, or the Pennine way - I would suggest durability is a consideration.  So a Dyneema material pack would be durable and light.   


I rate my Paramo waterproof top.  It is not very lightweight - yet its performance, come the colder months, makes it my preferred top over any lighter options. Function wins here every time.


For me the rule is function over weight - plus durability. Getting the lightest, most functional, durable bit of kit for my needs is the aim every time for me now, and this is how I choose kit for any particular walk.  


Fortunately light kit is often durable kit.  Dyneema and Cuben fiber are both light and durable.  


Driducks waterproofs are very light, but not durable.  But if it is unlikely to rain much on your trip they might be perfect, and meet the function/ durability criteria for that trip - an example of  very light kit that can work.  My lightest waterproof top is 287g in weight - but the RAB demand is durable (eVent), functional, and been used on 1200 mile through hikes by others with no issues. 


If you are going to backpack in a dry, arid area you might need a light tarp and to carry a 3L hydration bladder - as water re-filling spots are fewer, and the light tarp is all that is needed to keep the elements at bay while sleeping.


In a wetter area like the Lake District a pyramid shelter with a door would offer more protection from rain in camp; a 500ml water bottle is fine as you can top up on water easily - as there is plenty of it around.  


One size does not fit all.  Sometimes the heavier kit item offers more in terms warmth and protection for a trip than the lightest item.  


Maybe that axe for bush craft with a remote forest as part of a trip is needed.  Why do we need to restricted by pre determined weight limits set by others?


Think about your needs from kit for the trip,  and what you want it to do.  If I were going to a remote wilderness area, I would most likely take a multi fuel stove like a Trail Design Sidewinder  Ti-Tri.  Meths, esbit and wood burning would allow me to cook, and the risk of failing is minimal vs a gas stove in a remote area.  Weight is not the prime consideration in this area for me.  Yet the Sidewinder is still very light.  Again, the point is function first. 


My main function/performance requirement in a shelter in the UK is wind resistance.  Weight is next. My main choice is a MLD Trailstar.  It's superb in the wind.  It's still light.  I could go lighter with other shelters, but it's hard to beat the weight, space and wind resistance combination of the Trailstar.


But I also sometimes need a door and small footprint, and for this use another shelter.  I am not fixed with 'the lightest is always right'.


Ask, always: what function do I need kit to perform - before looking at its weight, as a rule of thumb - then get the lightest and most durable item of kit that will meet that requirement for you.  So, if your final kit selection for a trip puts you 700g above a UL base weight, don't worry.  Kit needs and requirements before labels and weight limits set by someone else, every time. 


Also, make sure your light rucksack is comfortable.  Function of a pack is to carry the load and be comfortable.  Just because it's light does not mean it's any good.    


So don't assume you are meant to achieve a 4.5kg base pack weight.  Remember point number one:  you carry it all.  


Info: Dyneema Gridstop used in ultra light packs is a 9% Dyneema of a nylon rip stop blend. A  210d Cordura would be as abrasion resistent. 


Learn what not to bring next time


I carried a rubber mallet on my first backpacking trip.  I chucked it in a bin, passing through a Lake District village.  I learnt quickly that I did not need it.  


It took a while longer to learn that kit did not make me safe.  I have written in the past that skill is the lightest item we carry, along with knowledge.  If I were to go to a remote wilderness area, fire-lighting would be a skill I would master before going.  Food, warmth, shelter are requirements for surviving.   Being able to fashion them in a survival situation in a remote area would be a must-have skill.  


Kit helps in being safe, but in itself does not make us safe.   Mountain rescue teams have recovered bodies of walkers with the ice axe that could have stopped their fall still strapped to their rucksack.  When it should have been in their hands crossing the snow field, ready to arrest a fall.


Skill is the big part of what we need to bring to the hills and wilderness.


Ask, what you do not need to bring in terms of kit?  What can you leave behind?


I learnt that trail shoes dry fast and so I don't need spare river crossing shoes.  


I learnt that I only need one pair of trousers for my walking trips in Scotland.  I left the spare pair at home years ago.


I learnt that all my light kit for 3 season hiking, and five days' food, fits in a 46L pack  - I left my 70L pack at home again a long time ago for trips outside of winter. 


I learnt that light eVent waterproofs work as well as heavyweight ones outside of a winter storm and the colder months. So I leave my Paramo top behind in the summer.  


Laying kit out on the floor when you get home and deciding what was not needed can work.  But what if the trip was a dry warm one and the next time it's cold and damp?  Maybe you learnt nothing, and left behind something you needed on the next trip?.  


Learn over varied terrain and weather.  Learn from overnight trips and multi-day trips, and once you have learnt, apply it to that big walk across Scotland you have been working towards.  That way you will know what combination of clothing will keep you warm and what won't.  Learn on the trail and use books as an addition to the learning.  Right now I am reading some good 'lighten-up' books.  


Maybe that author only hikes in summer.  Maybe they only hike in warm dry areas.  Who knows - but you are the one who will be cold and miserable if you get it wrong.  


Truth: anyone can be comfortable and warm for a night on an overnight trip.  Do it on a multi-night trip with varied terrain and weather and it's another matter.  

Don't be a fool


Learn from others and save time and money.  I am currently reading some new books on ultra-light backpacking.   


I don't subscribe to all I am reading.  Yet within the pages I find something I can use that fits the walking and areas I go to.  


Read books, blogs and forums and learn from others.  Forums have a high concentration of knowledgeable people.  Subscribe to Backpacking Light (it still does light, yet you might think it was only SUL) and ask on the forums there the questions you might have.  


On knowledge: if the author only ever goes into the woods for a night but writes like an expert on lightweight and UL travel, it might be wise to cross-reference their views with someone who does longer, multi-day walks.  A night in the woods will not teach or put pressure on a person like a multi-day trip with varied terrain does.


Tip: Best lightweight travel tips are found in books about trips.  Long Trek Home for example has a lot of insights into lightweight travel.  Yet it's not about gear.  


Define your comfort


So what is comfort?  To some, a bit of bubble wrap in a tent to sleep on during a mountain marathon event.  To others, a down-filled full length sleeping mattress.  


Comfort and backpacking always seems to come down to sleeping.  What about warmth and an espresso?


Hamish Brown did not use a sleeping mat on his Munros trip.  He thought they were bulky and not needed.  He defined his comfort level.  Ultimately, your comfort needs will affect your pack-weight.  Consider the difference between a three-quarter length air mat and using other kit to insulate your legs from the cold ground, instead of taking that full-length mat.


Glen Van Peski uses a thin foam mat and tailbone cutout addition and this helps keep his pack-weight low.  You need to decide if this is for you.  Comfort is a personal thing.


Do I need a bowl to eat from, and a spare fork?  I only recently took a pillow as I found one that weighs 49g.  I stuff spare clothing into it and it does the job.   I can live with that.  It is that  mind set that we should have.  In this case I am happy as I only have a pack liner and stuff sack for my food and a ditty bag now. Those who only do one or two night out trips will say it's fine to take this, or that.  Well, my view is: go do a 15 day walk and see if you still think it's alright to take this, or that, as they won't add a lot to your pack weight.  


Yet we need comfort.  It's this balance that only you can decide is right for you.


Multi-day trips will put more stress on your body. Ultimately, day after day can be tiring, and come day four you want to ensure that your kit has some comfort to help you be able to sleep well and recover - but not so much extra 'just in case' kit that you're carrying more than you need, so adding more exertion than you need, each day, while you're working hard on the walk.


My final point on comfort is, find the sweet spot where you have a comfy night's sleep, are warm, and have some luxury like an iPod.  But draw a line somewhere over what you will compromise on - or your pack-weight will still be high.  


Example: in May on a TGO Challenge you decide that your 580g sleeping bag won't keep you warm when it's down to zero, or just below.   So your need for comfort when sleeping means you take a really warm winter weight down jacket (agreed, they are handy) - when a light down jacket would do, and use 450g insulated trousers.  Are insulated trousers for camp needed when its only likely to get to zero on the odd night?  In fact, a 840g RAB Neutrino 400 sleeping bag would keep you warm to zero and without the insulated trousers - your comfort need is met and the kit total weight is lighter.  


Adding some comfort is what some call the sensible side of light.  Others just have a different view; each to his, or her own.  Ultimately, you're meant to enjoy it.  If you're not, do something about it!


My comfort: I like an air/foam sleeping mat, warm light insulating jacket, and iPod (shuffle in summer, iPod touch in winter for those long dark nights with a movie) and lots of coffee on a trip.  


Attack the biggest weight items


Losing weight from our kit is not hard.  Biggest areas are:
I am not going to list lots of kit you should consider here  Why?  Well, remember function over weight - it's something I think is often overlooked by lightweight backpackers.  


You decide your function needs.  Then work out what kit meets that.


Outside of winter and colder months I use a light waterproof.  Waterproofs are another big area where you can save weight for those long summer walks.  A light waterproof meets my need then.  


Packs, I always believe, should be no more than 10% of the total maximum load carried.   A 1.5kg pack will be a massive weight-saving step down from a 70L pack that is 3KG.  A 600g one, even better, if it meets your needs. 


But let's get the the heart of this area.  There are a lot of rules about the big three: shelter, pack and sleeping.  


There is the one that says 3x3 - three items for nine pounds total, or 4,082 kg in metric.


Then there is the 2x3 rule for UL hikers which is six pounds total, or 2,721 kg in metric weights.


Who made this rule up?  What if your walk is going to mean hauling ten days' food, some rope and crampons for a glacier crossing?  You might need a heavier rucksack with a frame to help support the load then.


One the best books on lightweight backpacking I have read is Smarter Backpacking by Jorgen Johansson.


Jorgen does not run on about this pack - or that stove.  He sticks to a well put line of argument about why going light is good, and how you will benefit from it.


He has a rule. The 343 rule (note there are a lot of rules it seems for UL and light weight backpacking.)


Jorgens rule is on track, logic-wise, for me.  He states that the pack, shelter and sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping pad/air mat (I do like the fact he adds sleeping pad in as well) should not exceed 3kg or, in old money or the USA, 6.6 pounds (6.5 in the book)


So now we have (I use metric) 3, 4 and 2.7 kilo.   Phew, where do we aim?.


Jorgen is right in principle - I like his rule as an approximate goal.  I would say 3kg is a good goal - but under 4kg is very doable and a better starting point for those looking to go lighter.


One flaw with Jorgen's rule is that he often uses trekking poles to hold his shelter up - yet does not add these to the weight.   You don't need trekking poles, but I rate them - my current ones are not light but I like them a lot ( aluminium Pacer Poles) and their function is superb. 


So my last trip 343 rule weight without trekking poles was:


MLD Prophet pack              462g
MLD quilt                              613g
MLD SoloMid                       419g
Oookworks net inner           309g
POE Ether elite Air pad      395g
8mm foam mat                     104g
                                             2302g


Well within the rule of 343,  but I needed trekking poles to pitch the shelter.  They were 650g.


A total - still in the rule - of 2952g  (no tent stakes in that list and if added = 3033g)


But:




add my shelter components (SoloMid) together on their own - remember they are seen as lightweight - and you get = 852g with stakes; but unlike a light tent, I need those trekking poles to pitch it - so a total weight of 1502g.  


Someone using a Akto tent and no trekking poles carries the same as me.  Sometimes that light shelter might not be the weight saving you thought.


Brings us back to function.  I get a lot of function from a Trailstar.  Hence why I use it. 


Don't rush out and think you save weight with some shelter combinations.  Decide what you want from it first, then decide.


I could use a light bivy and leave the ground bug inner at home or take a light groundsheet, but I will still be around 1.2kg, adding the trekking poles in.   


But as I use trekking poles and I am saving weight by choosing the single skin shelter route over a tent for my needs.   Make sure it works for you and you lose pack weight before making the switch.  


Winter kit weights are another issue.  Function is everything then as the risk is higher.  

I reckon there are a lot of rules already.  Jorgen's is the best one for me.  Aim to reduce the big three: pack, shelter and sleeping bag/quilt and sleeping pad/air mat.  

Get the big weight items down first and then fine tune from there.   Going light will allow you to feel fresher at the end of the day to enjoy the sunset.  It will allow you to be more agile on steep descents,  and to move faster when a storm hits.  It's not hard to get your pack weight down. 


All it takes is a bit planning and thought.


Tip: your sleeping bag is the biggest warmth-to-weight ratio item you have with you.  If you're cold in camp get in it, or wrap it around you while chatting to a mate.   I define camp, by the way.   You camp.  You sleep at camp.  So enjoy it. 


Ultimately get trip focused and not gear focused.  Gear is a means to an end.