14 solutions to reduce the weight of your backpack
The philosophy of ultralight touring has been growing in recent years. Going on a three-day trek with 20kg or 12kg makes a big difference! We can all reduce the weight of our backpacks without compromising safety or comfort. Some solutions require an investment but others are ingenious solutions, we give you some of them.
Solution 1: Use an ultra-light tent (outarp) instead of a conventional tent
Why bring heavy tent poles when your hiking poles can replace them? When we talk about ultralight tents, their weight does not exceed 400 grams for one person or 550 grams for two people.
You don't lose comfort, but you gain in ingenuity.
Solution 2: An ultra-light or frameless backpack
If you adopt the ultralight philosophy, you no longer need a backpack weighing more than 800 grams with a very heavy internal structure. In addition, many backpacks offer many "gadgets" that increase the weight of your backpack.
There are two main categories in lightweight backpacks. The first is backpacks with an ultralight structure and made with an ultralight fabric (such as Dyneema® Composite Fabrics (cuben fiber))The second is backpacks without an internal structure. You will need to use your floor mattress to make an ultralight internal structure.
An ultralight backpack weighs between 400-700 grams for 40L-60L
Solution 3: A lighter sleeping bag
There are two main categories of sleeping bags: down or synthetic. If you want to reduce the weight of your sleeping bag, choose a down sleeping bag with a Fill power 900 or 950.
For more information: read the article: XXX
Solution 4: Use a P3RS ultralight stove with liquid alcohol or no stove at all.
No more need to bring your big stove with a gas tank. Ingenious and clever solutions exist. We use the P3RS stove, which weighs only 11 grams and is made from a 330 ml can of liquor or beer.
The advantage of this stove is that it is very light and uses liquid alcohol that you can find in any grocery store in any country in the world. It is necessary to know how to measure the quantity of liquid and it's the trick is played!
Please note that this small stove is useful to heat up a popot for a maximum of two people only. We've tested this stove in Canada's Far North, Georgia, China, California - and it's incredible!
Solution 5: Make 2 in 1
A pillow? No. Fill an airtight or storage bag with laundry or food such as couscous, rice 2 minutes, etc.
Two pops for
Solution 6: Cutting your floor mattress
You can cut your floor mat or take the mattress. The important thing is to be insulated from your shoulder to above your knee. You can use clothes, your food bag, your backpack to insulate your feet and knees.
Solution 7: Your food: Calories to 100 grams ratio!
The goal is simple: to give you the most energy for your physical effort. The ratio calories / 100 grams should be the highest. If you calculate your food by maximizing this ratio, you will be able to reduce the weight of your backpack.
In the article: XXX, you will find examples of meals, foods and "techniques" to maximize this ratio.
Solution 8: Plan your water
When planning your hike, you should look at your water points and springs. Good preparation will ensure that you never carry a lot of water. As you hike, you will take breaks to purify your water.
In article XXX we discuss the water purification strategy.
Solution 9: Minimize your repair kit
The 3 indisputable items you must have in your repair kit is instant glue, needle & thread and duck tape. With these 3 elements you can absolutely repair all the elements on you or in your backpack.
Solution 10: Use your floor mat as an internal structure
Some bags offer the possibility to replace the internal structure with the floor mattress. Either the bag has no internal structure, or you can remove the metal bars in the backpack.
Solution 11: Forget accessories
Here is a list of items you can do without:
- Ultra-light towel (dry with convertible pants or a sweater)
- A spoon? A piece of wood or a compass can be used as a spoon.
- Rain pants or rain skirt (in any case I would get wet!)
- Knife? A razor blade is enough!
- Spare batteries? I check my batteries before I leave!
- Ten tent stakes ? With 6 stakes and pikes it works!
These short hikes are the perfect places to get away from it all.introduce your family to hiking. Get out of town and enjoy the scenery, the mountains and the great outdoors. near Montreal.
Mathieu Jourjon
Adventurer