Top 10 Ways to Go Light Backpacking
- on 02.26.09
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The days of packing 60+ pounds in your 6000 cubic inch pack for a 5 day getaway are gone (or at least they should be). The days of lightening up your pack are here. So what is “going light”? There are varying opinions of lightweight backpacking. To some, a 35 lb pack is going light because they previously had a pack that weighed 70 lbs! To others, 35 lbs would be like hauling gold bars in your pack. For some, going light means sacrificing comfort and spending a month’s paycheck on ultra light gear. We don’t want to define what is or is not ultra light backpacking. Our 10 tips are basic ideas to help anyone lose extra weight in their pack regardless if you have a 60 lb pack or a 20 lb pack. These helpful tips and hints can be used for long 14 day trips or short day trips.
Here are 10 tips to help you start your journey to the light pack.
1.Start with the 3 heaviest items you’ll carry. Tent, sleeping bag and pack. If your tent, sleeping bag or pack are more than 5 years old, there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to shave 2-5 pounds off each one without sacrificing comfort or function. If you need to upgrade all 3, plan on saving up to 15 lbs.
Healthy target weights for your 3 heaviest items while backpacking from May to September.
a.1 person tent: sub 3 lbs.
b.2 person tent: sub 5 lbs.
c.30 degree down sleeping bag: 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.
d.3000 to 4000 cubic inch pack: 2 to 4 lbs.
2. When you come back from your trip, look at what you did and didn’t use. If you didn’t use the item, consider taking it out. After a few trips, you’ll realize what you keep taking and don’t use. The next time you go out, leave the item out of your pack. It may take awhile before you’re comfortable leaving certain items at home.
3. I learned some very bad packing tips from my Scout Master. Scout Masters are the worst packers. Iron Griddles, 32 oz. can of syrup, firewood, you name it and the Scoutmaster will pack it. They misunderstand the scout motto “Be Prepared”. If I wanted to always be prepared, I would be packing a defibrillator. Being prepared for every possible situation while backpacking is impossible. We’ll leave this up to you to decide what your “prepared” comfort level is. If you need to take a defibrillator because it makes you feel prepared, then I suggest just car camping and you can take whatever you want.
4. Planning your trip ahead of time helps you determine which items you need to bring or leave at home. Is there food, water, shelter or fuel where you’re headed? If so, consider leaving items you know you can buy or get along the way. Case in point. We went on an overnighter back in May up Logan Canyon in Utah’s Cache Wilderness. We left at 6:00 pm on Thursday and we were back at work by 9:00am the next day. My pack base weight, that is the weight of my pack without food and water, was about 13 lbs. My overall weight after food and water was 20 lbs. Six pounds of this weight was about 3 liters of water. Water is 2.2lbs per liter. The hike wasn’t too bad, only about 2 hrs. When we reached our camp, there was a stream about 100 yards away. I looked at my Nalgene bladder and it had about 2.5liters of water left out of 3. Why did I just haul 5 extra pounds of water up the trail when there was a water source 1 minute away and we followed a stream the whole way? If I would have looked at the map, or asked the area expert hiking with us if there was water on the way or at the camp, my pack would have been almost 30% lighter. Bringing along an Aquamira (1oz), MSR SweetWater Filter (11 oz) or some other type of filter/purifier would have made my hike that much more enjoyable.
5. Dry camp vs. wet camp. A dry camp is when no water is available. A wet camp is when a water source is available. If your camp is dry, you might actually save weight by not using dehydrated food. If you’re just going to add water you carried from the bottom to your dehydrated food, you might as well bring whole foods. Plus, the food will taste better and it won’t give you gas.
6. Backpack with your brain. Before I started backpacking with my brain, a friend of mine invited me on a 4 day trip into Havasupai Falls in the Grand Canyon. I have no idea how much my pack weighed, but I do remember it being pretty heavy. I also remember eating a can of peaches and warming up a can of prepared chicken noodle soup. Food and water can turn a 20lb pack into a 40lb pack. Water weighs 2.2 lbs per liter and food can weight just as much. Dehydrated food is a great way to save weight if you have a water source to boil water. Some meals don’t even require boiled water which means you can leave the stove and fuel at home. The meals taste great too. Mountainhouse, Backpacker’s Pantry, Richmoor, Natural High, and Alpine Aire have done a great job perfecting the science that goes behind dehydrated food. The only time I get to eat Thai Satay with beef is when I’m at 8000 feet.
7. Multi-use gear. Have you ever considered using your bandana as a pot lifter or first aid sling? How about that down jacket as a pillow? Your trekking poles as tent poles? Underwear as a prefilter? You get the idea. Many items in your gear arsenal can be multipurpose in function.
8. Share the load. How many tents does it take to sleep 3 people? Three if you’re camping with 2 other men. One if your camping with 2 other women (make that one sleeping bag also). If you’re backpacking in groups, which is much more fun, you can share almost everything! Items to share: water filters, stoves, tents, matches, toothpaste, camp soap, fuel, sunscreen, first aid kits. If one person is taking an item that everyone can use, leave yours at home.
9. Entertainment. Leave your ipod, ibook, and iEspresso at home. You are hiking at 10,000 ft to get away from all that. Buy the compact binoculars if you must bring them. Bring a small digital camera and leave the Cannon Digital Rebel at home.
10. Buy a pack with less volume, then you’re forced to leave items out.
Durk Price
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/top-10-ways-to-go-light-backpacking-67720.html
Could I use a cheap inflatable pool lounge for a light-weight backpacking mattress?
I'm going to Philmont next summer. (scout ranch in New Mexico) Everyone that went last summer had these thermerest sleeping pads. They were awfully expensive, took forever to blow up, and didn't have much back support. I've got a pool lounge that I bought at wal-mart for $1.85, I love the way it feels and i've had great nights of sleep on it. Also, i've had it for almost a year and it's held up nicely and hasn't popped yet. Could I use this as a substitute for the $50 mats that there selling at REI?
I was talking to my brother in law about this about a month ago. he actually used to use them and the only problem was after a while being stuffed in a pack out in the heat they would stop holding air. Maybe bring a spare.
It won't provide much insulation in colder weather, should be fine in the summer though. Just bring a sheet or something to put on top so you don't stick to it, that would make me crazy.
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Sure, but it might not hold up well and might not be all that comfortable. If you can, get one without the built-in pillow [I've heard those get really uncomfortable on your neck after a few hours].
Have fun!
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I don't see why not, of course, they are made to use on water and thus aren't made to support as much weight as you'll put on it using it on land. Even the air mattresses made for sleeping on land leak eventually..
I actually prefer the eggcrate style foam pads. You can buy a small one for about $9 at Walmart in the camping section. They're pretty lightweight and of course, there's no inflation required.. I wouldn't say they are that comfortable either, but, hey, your camping.
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I'd say NO. The weight difference between the REI sleeping pads and the wal-mart pool toy is going to hurt you.
The true sleeping pads are designed to keep you warm and protected from the ground. Philmont is a very rocky terrain and your inflatable mattress may not hold up. If you are on any incline the inflatable pool toy may slide you right out of your tent.
There are alternatives to the 'blow up' mattresses. The link below is as little as $13 and the least I would take on a week long hiking trip.
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http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/767133
Best bet is to get a closed cell foam mat (available at almost any camping store) for around 5-10 bucks. It is lighter will work better and longer then a cheap pool toy . The real purpose of the sleeping mat is primarily insulation from the ground which will drain heat from you at an alarming rate. Comfort is a secondary development of the mat. Both will be better served with even a closed cell foam mat. If you are gonna do it more then a few times (especially in colder weather) I would highly suggest getting an REI or therm-a-rest inflatable sleeping pad, they give the comfort of an airtypebed with the insulating properties of the foam.
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Hello,
You could. I pack a light blanket (poncho liner) and put it under my sleeping bag. Whatever works for you. I agree that those sleeping pads are a little much. I'd just pick a softer spot to set up your tent. After a lot of those hikes, you'll be so tired that you could sleep on rocks! Have a good time. Best of luck!
- Mike
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http://www.camping-field-guide.com/
Go with a closed cell foam pad. You can pick one up at Wal-Mart for about $10. I agree that Therma-Rest pads are rather expensive, but I have $5 that says they still inflate faster than a pool float.
The foam pad will be lighter than your pool float and when you stop for a break, you can whip out the foam pad for a comfy seat. The foam pad is also lighter than the vinyl pool floatie too. That may be OK now, but you'll wish you had the lightest gear available on the day your crew picks up five days worth of trail food.
Having been to almost every Philmont campsite and having slept in most of them, I can safely say that your pool floatie most liklely won't be punctured by a sharp rock in the middle of the night. The staffed camps' campsites are generally flat and due to the high amount of crews that go through them on a daily basis, they are relatively free of most debris. However, the unstaffed trail camps (especially those in the central part of the Ranch) can be very rocky, uneven, and debris cluttered (Dean Cow, Tooth Ridge, Upper Clark's Fork, Aspen Springs, and notable others.) Campsites in the Valle Vidal and Ponil Canyon tend to be pretty good as are those along the Cimarron and Rayado rivers.
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I used a $10 foam pad for two years when I worked as a Ranger at Philmont…no problems. I also sold gear for a number of years.
Yes you can. And if it leaks, patch it. And if it totally fails then sleep on some spare clothes on a ground cloth. You bring up a good point. The outdoor industry is ALWAYS trying to come up with stuff that they tell you, you MUST have. Outdoor reviewers do the same thing. You've GOT to have thermarest pads. You've GOT to have Northface sleeping bags. Maybe in winter mountaineering that could be true, but for most of us and for most camping you just don't. Sleeping in an established campground, yes you will be more comfortable with a sleeping pad of some type, but you DO NOT HAVE to have one. You don't have to have a tent for most types of camping either. Yes they are nice to keep out bugs, but you can do almost as well with a tarp. A good wool blanket (an Italian Military blanket is awesome) will work just as well as a sleeping bag except in really frigid conditions, plus you can use it for a cloak to keep warm. You can camp with very minimal equipment and still enjoy your self. You do not need thousands of dollars worth of equipment. You can even make your own packframe and wrap your stuff up in a tarp, and lash it to the frame and do fine. I can't remember her name, but an older woman, in he sixties, once walked the entire Appalachian Trail with all her stuff in a bag she carried over her shoulder. Thanks for this question, because it gave me an opportunity to vent.
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