Any tips on getting weight down in your pack?

[bmartin1uk]

I went for an overnight this weekend. Few friends, into some local woods and this is the gear i took:

3/4 length underquilt (it got to 10 degrees and needed it)
lightweight Tesco down sleeping bag (quietly impressed with this)
hammock - whoopie slings and tree straps
tarp - 3mm ridgeline (the weather was good but it ended up getting used as a hammock for a last minute addition to the group)
headtorch
Mora and small bushcraft axe (this is my heaviest item, but used the most!)
Toiletries
Water and dinner (sausages for the fire)
The clothes on my back only

So here's my problem - when i walked in with my pack, i kept thinking this is a ridiculous amount of gear for 1 night. What happens when i go away for a week (without the car) and need a crap load more water/food/clothes and a stove and a possibility of rain. Its not that i couldnt carry it, but somehow i seemed to have the most gear.

 

[SussexRob]

As a scouter, there are times when I think the same with regards to the amount of kit, but you need to be careful not to fall into the "gotta loose some kit" trap.

Split out your kit into two piles. Make one pile the pile of what you will need every time you camp, and the other pile stuff that is trip unique for want of a better word. Things like your hammock, UQ, Sleeping Bag & Tarp will be in the "every time" pile. Clothing, toiletries, food etc will be in the other pile.

The "every time" pile you'll likely find that you will struggle to thin down without buying smaller, more compact, lighter versions.

Once you have split it all out, decide which bit of kit is essential and what is a "nice to have". You mention taking an axe, ask yourself questions like "when did I last use it? What did I use it for? Would a knive have done the job ok? Who else is going, will they be taking an axe?".

It takes time and experience to thin down what you take. After each camp/trip I do I try and think about what I did and didnt use. If I didn't use it, why didn't, and do I really need it next time?

I am by no means a lightweight camping guru, infact, I still probably take too much, but, the above is how I try and approach keeping my kit to a sensible minimum.

Rob

 

[bmartin1uk]

Thanks for the advice Rob - i like the idea of looking at it that way. I think the problem i have, is i hear the phrase "but what if i need", and all of a sudden the essential pile is way to big!

 

[Shewie]

I don't think that's a bad list and in reality if the trip was longer then it's only the food and water you need to worry about.

If you really want to shave the grams then you need to look at lightweight stuff. Hammocking kit tends to be a bit heavier than ground dwelling until you start to look at cuben fibre tarps etc.

What is your pack ? It's surprising how much you can take off your base weight just by changing your pack alone. You need to look at your big three, pack/shelter/sleeping bag, if you can shed some weight in those then the rest will follow.

 

[JAG009]

Get this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.h..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=06V2Z07YKCKSERMK6ZPR it will give you loads of ideas

Jason

 

[bmartin1uk]

im using a highlander 55l - i do need to change it as i just cant get on with it. when i backpack i have a bag that zips fully open like a clam shell (osprey farpoint) - im sure its not designed for hiking, but i cant see why not - i might give it a go next time.

 

[bmartin1uk]

Get this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.h..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=06V2Z07YKCKSERMK6ZPR it will give you loads of ideas

Jason

This looks awesome. Cheers fella

 

[Ahjno]

Get this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.h..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=06V2Z07YKCKSERMK6ZPR it will give you loads of ideas

Jason

Or this one (same author):
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/content.php?r=190-Bookreview-Lighten-Up!

 

[ged]

Your thread title asks about reducing the weight but then you don't actually tell us what weight you were carrying...

Shewie is right, your list doesn't look too bad on the face of it but 'tarp' could weigh anywhere between 500g and 5kg.

If you want to get the weight down you're going to have to start measuring it, and writing it down in a notebook or something.

Or is it the volume, and not really the weight, that concerns you? You said that you had no trouble carrying it all so in my book that means it's time to stop worrying.

Unless you ran out of beer.

 

[treadlightly]

Ditch the hammock and underquilt and sleep on the ground with a lightweight mat.

 

[Samon]

I'd say take the same ammount of stuff for a week but learn to find wild food better. That is the essance of 'bushcraft' afterall right?

try a different sleeping/shelter method maybe? bivi bag,sleeping bag and mozzie head net would be okay for mild weather and I think would be lighter than most setups.

+replace your axe with a folding saw.

 

[johnboy]

Mmmm

Ultimately you have 2 choices..

1. Carry less stuff
2. Carry lighter stuff.

Or the Holy Mantra.. Carry less and lighter stuff.

If you kept your existing kit but moved to 'ground dwelling' then you'd loose the weight of the: Underquilt, hammock and all of the suspention kit you carry for that. You'd need to add in the weight of a karrimat or thermarest.

But would you be as comfy... ??

Or you could replace all of your current kit with Ultra light weight altenatives. Which will cost you to do.

Or you could 'put up' with what you have.

I guess you have to factor in.

1. Comfort and enjoyment.
2. How often you get out.
3. Can you afford UL kit.
4. How often you'll be going on multiday adventures.
5. 'Bushcraft' Loads are generally heavier than a backpacking load of the same duration if you factor in 'Bushcraft' stuff like Axes, saws, fixed blade knives etc...

While there are a heap of folk pursuing the UL angle of backpacking ( with some cross over into 'Bushcraft') there are also a heap more still using normal traditional ,regular 'lightweight' backpacking kit for multiday trips into all sort of places and terrain. I see folk so equipped at huts and at campites in the bush here and they're having a good time with regular packs and regular kit.

Cheers

John

 

[FerlasDave]

Why does everyone always worry about getting weight down? Yes its nice to have all you need in a daysack but its just not practical!

You just need to get used to carrying more weight. And this is easy as you can do it anywhere, just wear your pack around the house. It may look stupid but it will pay off when you need it most.

Also Id probably bin the axe for an over nighter tbh but thats just me. hope this helps!

 

[zeBarOOn]

Why does everyone always worry about getting weight down? Yes its nice to have all you need in a daysack but its just not practical!

You just need to get used to carrying more weight. And this is easy as you can do it anywhere, just wear your pack around the house. It may look stupid but it will pay off when you need it most.

Also Id probably bin the axe for an over nighter tbh but thats just me. hope this helps!

I'm with Davey on this one. You seem to only be carrying the essentials anyway. Keep the axe if it's the most used item, you'll kick your self if you left it at home but needed it.

There's isn't much more to getting weight down from your list, my advice would be to get used to having weight on your back! Unless you want to be making shelters and finding the food to eat for the day....

All the best in your quest!

 

[Samon]

Why does everyone always worry about getting weight down? Yes its nice to have all you need in a daysack but its just not practical!

You just need to get used to carrying more weight. And this is easy as you can do it anywhere, just wear your pack around the house. It may look stupid but it will pay off when you need it most.

Also Id probably bin the axe for an over nighter tbh but thats just me. hope this helps!

or.. lose body weight and get stronger

I agree though, carry what you want. In Britain you're not gona be more than a few miles from a phone or house so just enjoy the easy relaxed style and carry all your luxuries.

plan out a different camping trip if you want to go ultra lightweight hobo style1 one trip for easy fun the other for a test of skills and hoboness.

 

[santaman2000]

As has already been said yor basic list looks quite reasonable. The axe was already mentioned as a possible item to lose. Also what size and weight on the tarp, hammock, etc.

Lets talk about the food and water next. How did you carry them? That is to say how much packaging on the food? If you strip the packaging down to the minimum required you often lose weight and bulk. A similar post on BCUSA just mentioned the practice of removing MREs (or ration packs) from the over-all outer container and some of the inner packaging to reduce the load. It also lets you discard or leave at home some of the extraneous items you won't use on the trip. The same principle applies to commercial items and packaging.

What about your water? is your container a full military style canteen with the associated carrier? Is there a lighter option available? Can you get water at the destination? Personally, I wouldn't want to carry a week's water supply even if that were the sum total of my load. At 1 gallon per day weighing 8 pounds per gallon that alone come to 56 pounds (My math based on US gallons which are 32 fluid ounces LESS than imperial gallons so for imperial gallons you would need to add another 20% to the final weight) and would occupy about 28 liters of space (a bit less iin the US estimate; a bit more in the Imperial estimate) not counting the container weight and space.

 

[johnboy]

Why does everyone always worry about getting weight down? Yes its nice to have all you need in a daysack but its just not practical!

Not everyone does worry TBH.

 

[santaman2000]

Why does everyone always worry about getting weight down? Yes its nice to have all you need in a daysack but its just not practical!

You just need to get used to carrying more weight. And this is easy as you can do it anywhere, just wear your pack around the house. It may look stupid but it will pay off when you need it most.

Also Id probably bin the axe for an over nighter tbh but thats just me. hope this helps!

Another way to train for longer trips is to simply carry a week's worth even when you're only going out for a weekend or a single night; even a dayhike. No you won't use the gear/food, etc, but you will be training your body for the load.

 

[SussexRob]

Your kit very much depend on the type of trip your planning on too. If your planning a weeks trip, but will be based in the same place for that week, you're only carrying the kit to and from that site, so could afford to carry the extra weight as your not lugging it around daily. Once your camp is set up, that's it. your then down to your smaller pack for when you leave the camp.

If your doing a weeks expedition, hiking from campsite to campsite each day, then yes, I'd agree that your pack size and weight needs to be planned a bit more, and kept as light as possible. Backto my previous point though, there will be a core amount of kit that you'll need for any trip, be it 1, or 100 days.

Santaman2000 is spot on about the amount of water you carry. 1 litre of water has a mass of 1 Kg, so only carry what you'll need. When I prep my Explorer Scouts for thier expedition hikes, I suggest that they carry around 4 litres. Ideally, in 2 Litre water bladders. They can then work on rotation, in that when they start the second, they know that they need to fill up the first asap. I also ensure that within the route planning, they have places on route that they should be able to fill up from. If you adopted asimilar method, that should ensure you carry enough but not too much water, but know you have points to refill from. I am also assuming that for a longer cam you'll have chosen a site with access to water somehow.

One thing i have noticed isn't on your first list, but in my opinion is well worth the extra weight is a first aid kit. I'd rather lug it around and not use it, than not take it and find I needed it.

 

[cbkernow]

I'm terrible at packing light, all to often I rely on having the car nearby and have the boot full of stuff! Even hiking with the Scouts I tend to over pack my day bag, big first aid kit, spare water, spare snacks, waterproofs even on hottest day of the year!

I'm off to the World Scout Jamboree this year so am limited to what I can take weight wise so I'm forcing myself to plan my packing a bit more thoroughly when camping at weekends.

Rob - you've got a jambo badge as an "avatar" are you going to the Jamboree or supporting a local unit? I'm going with IST.