5 Tips to Reduce the Weight of Your Backpack While Hiking
While hiking can be an incredibly fun activity, there’s no denying that one of the biggest challenges is carrying your pack. Even if you are extremely fit, your back can struggle after a long day.
To save yourself from the pain, it’s important that you find some ways to cut down on what you are carrying. It might not be very easy at first, but you will notice a significant difference.
Below we are going to talk about some tips that can help you reduce the weight of your backpack before your next hike.
Let’s get started!
Downsize packaging
One of the biggest causes of unnecessary weight is the packaging of your items. For instance, while you may want to bring along certain toiletries, you don’t often need the huge heavy bottles they come in.
The same goes for food items and other essential products. It can be worth downsizing to lighter options, or even something like these adventure meals, which are designed to take up the least amount of space possible.
Create an essentials checklist
A packing checklist is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and for a good reason – it works! If you have a set inventory to follow, you are much less likely to throw in unnecessary equipment.
If you’re unsure where to begin, there are a variety of great ones online that you can use to get started. However, it can be worth making your own that is suited directly to your location and the current weather.
Choose one luxury item carefully
Amongst all of your crucial gear, it’s normal to take one luxury item with you so that you are entertained. While a book might be the first thing on your mind, these are often the heaviest!
A reading app on your phone works just as well, and you don’t need to worry about storing it amongst everything else. Just make sure you take a battery pack to keep everything charged.
Look for lightweight gear
One of the more obvious tips is to keep an eye out for lightweight options when shopping for hiking gear. From your tent to your water bottle and cooking equipment, most companies will outline that they are designed for long journeys.
When in doubt – double-check the weight on the labels and add everything together. If you think it will be too much, hold off and look for something else.
Evaluate after every trip
Finally, while you might think that you need all the items you have packed, there may still be things that aren’t exactly “essential.” After each trip, evaluate what you used and what you didn’t.
Alongside making sure that you pack away all of your belongings (instead of leaving them for weeks), you’ll be able to determine what you should bring next time.
Final words
And that’s it! These were five tips to reduce the weight of your backpack while hiking. Now that you know what to watch out for, you can make the necessary changes so that your trip is more enjoyable.
Good luck!
