Last night I had the pleasure of giving a 'lightweight gear talk' to the members of the Upper Clutha Tramping Club. I took along most of my gear for members to view. One of my first suggestions was to buy scales, weigh all current gear and start up a spread sheet.
This week's Backpacking Light blog post from Ryan Jordan reminded me of another suggestion. He said, "One of the most effective
ways to see how much unnecessary crap makes its way into your pack is to lay it
out in a small space so you can see it all at a glance. When everything is
visible, it's easier to evaluate whether or not you need it than by just
looking at a gear list or spreadsheet.
I usually do this on the bed in the spare room a few days before a trip, frequently wandering in to make adjustments. Try it. It may help to get more weight down.
Remember, you are an adventure in paradise, not a pack horse!
This blog is designed to exchange ideas about how to dramatically cut your gear weight to make tramping (hiking) trips less strenuous, but still remain safe and sensible. Subscribe, make comments, ask for advice, or share your lightweight gear experiences with our community. The header photo features me on McKellar Saddle. The pack is the 45Lt Zpacks Arc Blast, hiking poles Helinox FL120, Dirty Girl gaiters, Spalms sunsleeves and Altra Lone Peak shoes
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Hey, thanks for you contribution - I monitor my blog weekly. I will reply with comments, ideas and suggestions ASAP - In the meantime, remember, hiking is an outdoors experience to enjoy, not an army boot camp training exercise!!