--- title: "How to lighten your backpack? 7 tips for cutting gear weight effectively" description: "Planning a long mountain crossing and terrified by the idea of 20 kg on your back? Then we wrote and filmed a set of tips exactly for you – how to lighten your backpack weight." canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/how-to-lighten-your-backpack-7-tips" last_updated: "2019-04-15" --- # How to lighten your backpack? 7 tips for cutting gear weight effectively Authors: David Czempka Date: 2019-04-15 Planning a long mountain crossing and terrified by the idea of 20 kg on your back? Then we wrote and filmed a set of tips exactly for you – how to lighten your backpack weight. Planning a long mountain crossing and dreading the thought of a **20 kg backpack**? Not exactly young anymore, and your body just doesn't get along with a heavy pack? Then we wrote and [filmed a set of tips](https://youtu.be/827_LCz6Adg) – how to lighten your backpack's weight. As we already mentioned in our article on [the benefits of lightweight hiking](/blog/lightweight-hiking-benefits), cutting down your gear weight goes hand in hand with learning new techniques and getting to know your own needs. You won't reach the ideal overnight – it's a journey, a process. But you'll notice the difference from the very start, and step by step you'll begin enjoying your wanders through nature with a small, light pack noticeably more. So don't hesitate – get started! [Video](https://youtu.be/827_LCz6Adg) ## Start Building Your Gear List Get a scale (a kitchen one works fine) and get to work. Weigh every single piece of gear. Write down the weight of each item. We recommend the online app [Lighterpack](https://lighterpack.com/) or [Geargrams](https://www.geargrams.com/) for this, but a spreadsheet or a piece of paper works too. It might sound a little nerdy, but without a real sense of how much everything weighs, you won't get anywhere. Then you can start thinking about whether you actually need a given item, or look for a lighter alternative. We've written **a detailed article** on how to put together your own gear list. When we talk about gear weight, we mean what's known as your **Base Weight**. This doesn't include consumables (food, water, cooking fuel) or the clothing you'll be wearing most of the time. ## Take Time to Prepare **Gear:** The lightest thing is always the one you leave at home. (And it costs nothing!) If you study the weather forecast carefully, you might save yourself from hauling extra clothing, or discover you can leave the tent at home and get by cowboy camping or with a light tarp. **Food:** Find out whether you need to carry food for the entire trip or whether you can restock along the way at a local store, or grab something hot at a mountain hut. We typically carry 750–1000 g of food per day, with around 2500–4000 kcal depending on the length of the trip, its difficulty, and the weather. Choose food that won't spoil easily, packs down small, is light, simple to prepare, nutritious, and calorie-dense ([freeze-dried meals](/c/cooking/food), nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate, peanut butter, dried meat, olive oil, tortillas, protein and other energy bars, etc.). Don't carry things in cans or heavy packaging – repack them into your own bags or ziplock bags. You'll find more tips on light, nutritious trail food in [this article](/blog/tips-for-eating-on-trail). **Water:** If you study your route carefully, you'll avoid passing water sources with your bottles already full. Usually, you don't need to carry water for the whole day. In many temperate hiking regions, it's rare to go a whole day without passing at least a small stream. If you add a water filter to your kit, 1–2 liters of water will be plenty. ## Use Multifunctional Gear If you can give one item multiple uses and cut out another item because of it, that's a win. [A tarp-poncho](/p/sea-to-summit-ultra-sil15d-nano-tarp-poncho) works as a rain cover for you and your backpack, and you can also pitch it as an improvised shelter. [Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil 15D Nano Tarp Poncho](/p/sea-to-summit-ultra-sil15d-nano-tarp-poncho.md) A bandana (tube scarf) works as a hat in cold weather, as a sleep mask at night, as head and neck sun protection in warmer weather, and can even double as a dish towel, among other things. [Patizon Merino Tube](/p/patizon-merino-tube.md) You can deliberately buy a less warm [sleeping bag](/c/sleep/sleeping-bags) or [quilt](/c/sleep/quilts), and boost the warmth with a down jacket, which you can also use as an insulating layer during the day. - [Patizon G Quilt 350](/p/patizon-g-quilt-350.md) - [Cumulus Lite Line 200](/p/cumulus-lite-line-200.md) - [Cumulus X-Lite 300](/p/cumulus-x-lite-300.md) - [Montane Anti-Freeze Hoodie](/p/montane-mens-anti-freeze-hoodie.md) - [Montane Women's Anti-Freeze Hoodie](/p/montane-womens-anti-freeze-hoodie.md) - [Enlightened Equipment Women's Torrid Pullover](/p/enlightened-equipment-womens-torrid-pullover.md) - [Enlightened Equipment Men's Torrid Pullover](/p/enlightened-equipment-mens-torrid-pullover.md) - [Cumulus Plancklite Men's](/p/cumulus-plancklite.md) - [Cumulus Minilite Women's](/p/cumulus-minilite-lady.md) If you hike with [trekking poles](/c/gear/trekking-poles), get a [shelter](/c/sleep/tents/non-freestanding-tents) you can pitch using them. The weight savings compared to a tent with its own pole structure are pretty significant here. [Warmpeace Shelter Tarp](/p/warmpeace-shelter-tarp.md) [A trowel](/p/thetentlab-dirtsaw-deuce-2-ul-trowel) can double as a tent stake, so you can leave one at home. It gets trickier, though, when you have to go dig a hole in the middle of the night. [Sea To Summit Pocket Trowel](/p/sea-to-summit-pocket-trowel.md) ## Replace Heavy Gear – Focus on the Big Three In ultralight slang, the Big Three refers to your backpack, sleeping bag, and shelter. The sleeping pad is often included too (making it the Big Four). These are the heaviest items on your gear list, and replacing them can save you several kilograms. The lighter the gear, the more expensive it naturally gets (harder to manufacture, pricier materials). You don't have to replace your current gear right away – but once it wears out, replace it with something lighter. Buying the whole Big Four at once is fairly costly, so it's better to spread it out over time. If your budget is tight, try browsing our sales or secondhand gear. When deciding what to buy first, it can help to look at it mathematically and calculate the cost per gram saved. Example: I have a backpack weighing 2020 g and I want one weighing 980 g for €90. The total weight saving is 1040 g, so each gram saved costs me about €0.09. With smaller, lighter items, this ratio gets a lot worse, which is why it pays off most to focus on the heaviest things first. ## Experiment, Analyze, and Learn After you get back from a trip, think about whether you could leave something at home next time, or whether you were missing something instead. Aside from your first aid kit (or repair kit), you should ideally use everything you bring. Learning new techniques and getting to know your own needs is something you can't avoid when going lightweight. You could leave half your gear at home and buy super light equipment, but without the right experience, you'll likely put your safety or comfort at risk. Learning to function with less takes a bit of practice. ## More Quick Tips For consumables, **use a package size that matches the length of your trip**. You don't need a full-size tube of toothpaste, a whole roll of toilet paper, and a full bottle of sunscreen for a weekend trip. Small travel-size packaging is often expensive, so it's better to keep the large size at home and refill small containers for trips. A few years back, we used to laugh at people who used trekking poles. Since our first longer crossing, we never head out without them anymore. [**Trekking poles**](/c/gear/trekking-poles) genuinely help you cover more kilometers per day. They shift part of the load from your legs to other parts of your body, and they help you keep a steady pace. Plus, you can use them to pitch your tarp. [Fizan Compact](/p/fizan-compact.md) With less weight on your back, if the terrain allows and your ankles are up for it, you can swap heavy hiking boots for **lightweight trail running shoes**. They say 1 kg on your feet tires you out as much as 5 kg on your back. Regardless of the exact number, 30 km will be much easier and more comfortable in trail runners than in hiking boots. The shoe conforms better to your foot, and thanks to the mesh venting, it can breathe. For most hikers who switch to trail runners, blisters become a thing of the past. If you're heading out with other people, agree on gear you can share and **split the weight between you**. Two or three people can get by with a single stove. While one person cooks, the other can set up their sleeping area. If you have a multi-person tent, one person can carry the fly, another the inner mesh, and a third the poles and stakes. You can also share things like a [trowel](/p/thetentlab-dirtsaw-deuce-2-ul-trowel), a [water filter](/c/gear/water-filters), and a [knife](/c/cooking/knives). - [Victorinox Walker](/p/victorinox-walker.md) - [Deejo Tattoo 37 g Tree Coralwood](/p/deejo-tattoo-37-g-tree-coralwood.md) - [HydroBlu Activated Carbon Filter for Versa Flow](/p/hydroblu-activated-carbon-filter-for-versa-flow.md) - [Katadyn BeFree 1 L](/p/katadyn-befree-1-l.md) - [TheTentLab DirtSaw Deuce #2 UL Trowel](/p/thetentlab-dirtsaw-deuce-2-ul-trowel.md) - [Sea To Summit Pocket Trowel](/p/sea-to-summit-pocket-trowel.md) - [Sawyer Mini SP128 Orange](/p/sawyer-mini-sp128-orange.md) If your budget is very tight and you're handy, you can try **making your own gear**. There's an indescribable feeling in building something that actually works. You could start by making an alcohol stove out of a beer can (see the [YouTube tutorial here](https://youtu.be/OvvdLVUJXZc)). You can make a floorless shelter out of [Tyvek](/p/tyvek-groundsheet-250-x-150-cm). The next level after that could be a tarp, or even a backpack. [Tyvek 75x230 cm (for 1 person)](/p/tyvek-groundsheet-230-x-75-cm.md) Learn to get by with two pairs of underwear and socks. You wear one pair while the other, already washed, dries on your backpack. Choose clothing made from suitable materials for your trips: synthetic materials (lightweight and fast-drying), merino wool (natural antibacterial properties, great weight-to-performance ratio), down (the best thermal insulator). The right clothing choices let you pack fewer pieces, and they're lighter too. **No duplicate items**. Why do you need a [pot](/c/cooking/cookware) and a small mug as well? You can make coffee in the pot after your meal, too. If you have items that serve the same purpose, leave one of them at home. If it's allowed where you're hiking, you can cook over a campfire or on a [wood-burning stove](/p/toaks-titanium-wood-burning-stove-small). You don't need to carry fuel – it's lying all around you. ## For Those Who Take It Really Seriously [**Cold soaking**](https://backcountryfoodie.com/cold-soaking-guide-for-stoveless-backpackers/) – get used to not cooking at all. Leave your whole cooking setup at home. We personally don't bring any cooking gear on short weekend trips. Go over every item in your gear multiple times and **unscrew, remove, or cut off anything unnecessary**. Get rid of parts of your gear you don't need and modify it as required. Start using a shortened [**sleeping pad**](/c/sleep/sleeping-pads). For inflatable or self-inflating pads, you can buy a shortened version right away, usually labeled size S. These are typically around 120 cm long – long enough to fit your whole torso. You can put your backpack or spare clothing under your legs. Or you can get a foam pad and trim it down to whatever length you want. - [Tyvek 75x230 cm (for 1 person)](/p/tyvek-groundsheet-230-x-75-cm.md) - [Liteway Wash Bag](/p/liteway-wash-bag.md) - [Tidy Gear Gaiters](/p/tidy-gear-gaiters.md) - [Sea To Summit Camp Cutlery Spork Charcoal](/p/sea-to-summit-camp-cutlery-spork-charcoal.md) - [Liteway Sleeping Pad Cover](/p/liteway-sleeping-pad-cover.md) - [Darn Tough Women's Light Hiker 1/4 Lightweight](/p/darn-tough-light-hiker-1-4-lightweight-womens.md) - [Sea To Summit Wilderness Wash 100 ml](/p/sea-to-summit-wilderness-wash-100-ml.md) - [Sea To Summit Airlite Towel – Small](/p/sea-to-summit-airlite-towel-small.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-stuff-sack-pillow.md) - [Liteway Rain Skirt](/p/liteway-rain-skirt.md) - [DexShell Running Lite Sock 2.0](/p/dexshell-running-lite-sock-2-0.md) This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/how-to-lighten-your-backpack-7-tips). ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.