Any tips on getting weight down in your pack?

[sapper1]

You don't have to carry lighter kit,but you don't have to carry heavy kit either.I have seen forums where people go out for a fortnight with kit weighing less than 5Kg.These people are happy with their kit and aren't uncomfortable.I have also seen people carry kit weighing upto 50Kg(guilty of this myself)they are also comfortable.
I have lightened my kit all the way down to just under 8Kg including food,yet I still carry a sleeping mat weighing over a kilo.Why?Because it's comfortable.
I could easily get my kit down to sub 5Kg at a bit extra cost but I'm happy with the weight I have now.It hasn't cost a great deal more than normal weight kit either.
Exped synmat 7 dlx,very comfortable a lot heavier than most others but not much difference in price to a self inflating mat
Golite Jam2 rucksack 2.5 Kg lighter than a berghaus vulcan ,but £50 cheaper.It's not as big but my kit isn't as big either so it fits int o the 50 litre sack easily .
Meths burner or mini gas stove all less than 100g or an evernew titanium burner weighing less than 50g but costing 3 times the price.

What I'm getting at is the fact that you can get ultralight kit that costs a fortune but you can also get less expensive lightweight kit.As long as YOU are happy with your kit weight it 's fine,after all YOU have to carry it.

 

[SussexRob]

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.

Indeed I am going, I am an Assistant Unit Leader for Unit 83, West Sussex Canute.

As you say, packing light will be a biggie for the WSJ, limited to around 20Kg of for 3 weeks!

 

[cbkernow]

its very exciting, less than 50 days now!

And IST have got to get their own tents there as well! Fortunately I've got the option of sending some of my gear in a car that is heading over so a bit less pressure on me.

Had a brilliant time at the Gilwell weekend!

 

[SussexRob]

At the risk of a thread hijack, (apologies)

The Gillwell weekend was great fun. Still got so much stuff to do to be ready to go. I would love to have sympathy for you pal, but while your getting your tent there, we'll be trying to get 36 kids there

The tents, we get them delivered but have had to make sure that we have half our equipment crate free to ship them home again! They are cool tents, we have the big 4 man ones, but complete overkill in my opinion. There is no need for the living space in each tent, we'll only be sleeping there, the rest of the time will be spent away from the tent!

 

[Paul_B]

4 kilos of water !!! I mean 4 litres of water!. WHY? I guess if you are going to a dry area then you'll probably need even more than that but Britain? In summer? There is plenty of water around most of the country. Get a 71g inline eliminator filter from drinksafe system or their retailers and a 1 or 2 litre bladder. I use a 2 litre one but only put between 0.5 and 1 litre of water in it. Then I just re-fill when needed. Even better might be the travel tap version. A 650ml bottle with the filter in it so you just scoop and go without taking the pack off. A 2 litre source bottle to collect for camp use at the end of the day but spends the day empty and rolled up in your sack. Seriously why tell your explorer scouts to carry 4 litres?! Do you really dislike them that much? You trying to stunt their growth or something? Or is it some H&S BS from the Scouting movement handbook to carry that much?

 

[Paul_B]

Seriously if your kit is too heavy for your liking then switch to ground dwelling. Get a cuben tarp from Mountain Laurel Designs or their cricket tent (= trailstar solo + inner nest). That will probably be less than 500g if you use Ti pegs and your trekking poles (assume you use them of course, can get a light carbon fibre pole set from Titanium Goat or some other US UL gear company).

Rucksack - 1kg should be an easily attainable sack weight for a 50-60litre sack WITH back support. Try out some of the golite. IIRC there is actually a 72 litre sack with a frame that weighs 900g all in with a proper hip belt too.

Sleeping bag - money is really your friend here but you can get cheap and light bags. Take vango venom IIRC that is light sack for 3 season use. If you sleep warm then go for a lower rated sack. If not still go for it but only if you can fit in with extra clothes on such as a lightweight down top. A bivvy (even a SUL one like the one made by MLD with cuben base and highly breathable weather resistant upper) will add warmth. A lot more warmth than a fleece or silk liner which does not add warmth that is noticeable despite what their marketing blurb says. Deffo not 1 or 0.5 seasons rating anyway.

Get a good mat though. Even the neo air is good and light with enough warmth for 3 season use. Vaude Norsken is a new airbed with primaloft in like the Exped synmat. It is supposed to be very light and only about 500g for the short length (use your sack for the lower body.

Another thing, to offer a counterpoint to those saying if you are ok with the weight why worry, I say weight is a cumulative effect. Carry your 20 kg load if you want but how long do you want to be enjoying the hills with the original knees and other joints. Weight might be bearable but less weight is enjoyable. Once you get to less than 10kg base load you will feel a big step-like increase in comfort level. That has been my experience as one who could carry 28kg but is now happy with a 6.5kg base load (or less for overnighters).

Going lightweight is all about finding your limits of comfort. Each will have their own. IF you are happy going to extreme and able to get down to 3kg loads and still be willing to have those odd really uncomfortable but survived nights then that is good for you. I am not but I am willing to carry very little. It is up to you of course where your level is. Check out Colin Ibbotson's blog for lightweight. Worth seeing how probably one of the only SULers in this country goes about his business in the hills. If you are interested the Yanks have even categorised the weight categories. Depending on what your base load (also defined and argued about) you can be lightweight, ultralighweight and super ultra lightweight (LW, UL, SUL). AFAIK COlin Ibbottson is the only one considered as SUL. Those categories have weight ranges too. Look online and you will see.

 

[FerlasDave]

4 kilos of water !!! I mean 4 litres of water!. WHY? I guess if you are going to a dry area then you'll probably need even more than that but Britain? In summer? There is plenty of water around most of the country. Get a 71g inline eliminator filter from drinksafe system or their retailers and a 1 or 2 litre bladder. I use a 2 litre one but only put between 0.5 and 1 litre of water in it. Then I just re-fill when needed. Even better might be the travel tap version. A 650ml bottle with the filter in it so you just scoop and go without taking the pack off. A 2 litre source bottle to collect for camp use at the end of the day but spends the day empty and rolled up in your sack. Seriously why tell your explorer scouts to carry 4 litres?! Do you really dislike them that much? You trying to stunt their growth or something? Or is it some H&S BS from the Scouting movement handbook to carry that much?

Its always a good idea to have more water tbh. especially for scouts and other young groups. Ive gone out and got a 4ltr water bag working a principle I was told that you can fit 2 ltrs into a 4ltr bag but you cant fit 4ltrs into a 2ltr bag.

 

[SussexRob]

Or is it some H&S BS from the Scouting movement handbook to carry that much?

Not at all mate. Your talking about teenagers hiking carrying full kit, walking around 15 miles a day. Making sure that they take on enough fluid is a battle at the best of times. Your forgetting that they are not carrying 4 litres all of the time, they will be drinking that as they go too. I would rather they carry that much and not have to refil in a day, than they run out and get dehydrated. By splitting it into two containers, it's a mental marker that they have used half thier supply, so need to think about refilling soon.

It's the system I used when I did my Queens Scout Expedition in 2002, on Dartmoor in the height of summer. We went through no end of water and filled up 2-3 times a day.

Ok so maybe 4 litres on a wet, cold trip could be over kill, and could be adjusted to climate, weather etc. But, at the end of the day, I'd rather they carry a bit extra weight than have to deal with dehyration while out on the expedition.

 

[Paul_B]

4 litres filled up a few times? so 2 x 2 litre water bottle used and filled twice = 8 litres. Even in hot weather I'd worry about washing out. I hope you took salts with that or something. There was a case of a guy who collapsed on a train home from a 2 day mountain marathon or other competitive event who had been drinking loads of water thinking he was thirsty and needed to re-hydrte because he was too hot. When he collapsed and was taken to hospital he ended up dying. He had washed out the salts in his body (think its down to do with concentration of salts in his cells dropping low as the high water content effectively diluted the salt content below that needed for good cell function). Drank himself to death. Doesn't need too much to get into trouble I believe. I myself on two different occasions have drunk 8 or 9 litres of water in a day. I just kept feeling thirsty but I learnt the feeling I took as thirst was just the body's way of letting on I needed more salt I guess most things people drink contain some salts so making you feel thirsty would make you take in some salts.

 

[SussexRob]

Paul, I think your dissecting this a little too much perhaps.

But yes, we did you 8 litres most days but that also included for "cooking" (dehyrdated meals) etc. We didn't have any salt suppliements with us no. What we did have though were snacks that contained salts. Nuts, and various other bits and pieces. By days, I am talking a 24 hr period too.

I simply recommended a method for water that I use, tried and tested and means you have plenty with you, to use and for emergencies. Perhaps there is a more of a "saftey" factor in the amount carried, but that's simply down to me being the adult who is responsible for teenagers, and ultimately if things go south, its me that is responsible for them. I'm happy to apply the better safe than sorry approach. If your happy to carry less/do differently then fair play, your choice. I'm not forcing the method on anyone.

Any how, I would always suggest to anyone having two vessels filled. When you empty one you know that you still have another while looking to fill the first.

It's personal choice at the end of the day.

 

[teflon]

bmartin1uk.

The stuff you mentioned doesn't sound that heavy. A lighter bag is a good start though (maybe a waterproof Gourdon 30litre would be good for chucking around the woods - and I've seen an old GoLite Jam going for £30 recently) but I'm guessing it's the smaller stuff that's adding up. Which means weigh everything including what you wear. I was amazed when I did. Things I thought were indispensable, but in truth I was just attached to like my Jetboil, suddenly took on a new light. Good luck.

 

[Wayland]

The best way I ever found to reduce my pack weight was to get a smaller pack.

It made me really focus on what I had to get in there and stopped me taking "Just in case" stuff.