Outdoor Federation

6 Ways to Make Your Backpack Lighter

A backpack that is very heavy sucks all the enjoyment and fun out of any trip. While ultralight backpackers would tell you the first thing you must do is to purchase a scale, there are other ways to shave a bit of your weight without losing comfort.



Maximize Minimal Amount of Insulation

Down sleeping bags are the most efficient warmth for its compressibility and weight. However, you do not always have to carry the warmest bag. If you are heading out during warmer months and you plan to take a puffy jacket, you might skimp a little and go with the lighter sleeping bag, wearing the insulated jacket to sleep in for better warmth instead.

Repackage Personal and Food Care Items

Just squirting a bit of toothpaste or sunscreen into smaller containers will save space and weight, so you could get away with lighter, smaller pack. The same basically goes for food. Even the tiny things like pouring trail mix into the resealable bag so you could burp its air out, saving more space.

Fun Outdoor Quiz

Reduce Your Wardrobe

Majority of the backpacking professionals know it isn’t worth worrying too much about the body odor. The odor happens simple and plain. Thus, unless you are going on a trip so long you see washing a set of clothes and you cannot wear the rain gear or outer layer while you do it or you will need some clothes to swap in for you to stay warm, you may skip carrying extra change of clothes.

Opt for Tents That Pitches with Ski Poles or Trekking

Photo Credit: MSRGear

If you are hiking with the trekking poles and ski touring, it’s a no-brainer. The tent pole sets could weigh upwards of a pound. Therefore, if you make use of poles you have in your hands, you may get rid of the tent poles together. If you are very minimalist, go for the simple setup of tarp. But today, all-season shelters can be compatible with ski poles or trekking.

Eat Out of the Pots You Bring

Cups and dishes are very nice in camp, yet once they serve only as something to move the food into before this foes to your mouth, consider eating out of pot when you are backpacking leave your dishware for car camping. In addition to that, you will have a single dish to clean.

Don’t Pack Books

Not just guidebooks. But rather, snap photos of relevant pages with your smartphone and refer them when necessary, you may just zoom in on the screen. If you like reading in your sleeping bag during night time, use a Kindle app rather than toting paperback. You may carry an entire library on your small device that you would be carrying with you. If you are worried about the battery life, see to it that you turn on your phone on Airplane Mode or keep the phone off unless you need it and try packing a small battery pack and recharger. It’ll still take up less space and weight than a novel or guidebook.

6 Ways to make your #backpack lighter. #hiking #backpacking

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