Lighten the load, Don't Break the Bank

**mistone** · 02-10-2016, 14:28

what SilvrSurfr said makes sense!

**Sunndog** · 02-10-2016, 14:37

If you are on a budget then thats that really. But i would say look at your big three/four, work which one you can shave most weight off and save up for that
Underquilt is probably your best next purchase all round but i bet your pack is a good ole weight

There are some cheap down vests and jackets like uniqlo out there that could save you an easy chunk

**Caminante** · 02-10-2016, 14:43

DIY has saved me a lot of money and weight compared to purchasing it on the market. I guess, technically, it's more of a cost avoidance than saving money

I'm 46 with decent, perhaps not great, knees and in a previous life I was a mountain bikers. I don't think anybody obsesses about weight like a xc mountain biker, and it's very expensive to shave a gram on bike parts. The cheapest way to do it, with plentiful side benefits, was to lose body weight and get stronger. That's assuming you have some to lose, and I always have ~5 "non value add" pounds to give up. Of course, there is still a benefit to lighter gear and how it rides on your back, but don't ignore the benefit of lightening your body which you also have to carry up that hill, or your knees have to support going down.

**SilvrSurfr** · 02-10-2016, 14:44

There's an old adage about "if you don't use it for two or three trips then leave it at home" that really gripes my butt. I always carry a 4.5 ounce Emberlit EL TI Mini wood stove, though I hardly ever use it. However, I will always carry it because I prefer a backup to my alky stove. I also carry a Bahco Laplander folding saw (7 ounces), and I can't remember the last time I used it. Then there's the first-aid kit - I think it weighs six ounces and I've used it maybe twice in six years? And boy, do I get annoyed at my repair kit (4 ounces) since I've never used it, but you won't catch me on the trail without it.

The two places I always overpack are clothing and food, but that doesn't sound particularly stupid to me either. Being cold and wet is a showstopper.

**bser272** · 02-10-2016, 14:46

Cheapest thing you can do... lose some body weight. Easier on the feet/knees/back in my experience.

**knix04** · 02-10-2016, 14:53

That's me, bser. I'm carrying 10+ around my belly!

**SilvrSurfr** · 02-10-2016, 15:01

Originally Posted by bser272

Cheapest thing you can do... lose some body weight. Easier on the feet/knees/back in my experience.

That's great for overweight people, but I'm not overweight. I'm 5'11" and 165 lbs., but I got the idea a couple of years ago that I could lose 15 lbs. Bad idea - not only did I get a lot of comments about how gaunt and skinny I looked, but my waist size dropped from 32 to 30 inches, which meant that I had to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe.

That wasn't going to happen. I put back on the 15 lbs. (which was pretty darned easy), and forgot about weight loss!

**Jeff Myers** · 02-10-2016, 15:38

You mentioned you knee being part of the motivation. Good quality compression knee will help a lot. I use one myself.

**Scarecrow** · 02-10-2016, 16:36

Valley Scout, just out of curiosity, what pack are you using? In my experience, I found a lot of the problem of pack weight to actually be a problem with weight distribution. I went from using a High Sierra Appalachian 75 to an Osprey Atmos 65 AG, and virtually all the pain I felt from carrying a load of 35 lbs vanished when I switched to the Osprey. The suspension system on this pack really does a spectacular job of evenly distributing the weight, and now that 35 lbs of gear, food, and water doesn't seem nearly as rough on me as it was in the old High Sierra pack. Just some food for thought. I think anything else I would've touched on has already been covered by others who have responded here so far.

**zukiguy** · 02-10-2016, 17:42

I've rarely been able to follow my own good advice and that of others about saving the bucks and buying the "good stuff" once. The lure of gear that will fit the bill and that I can afford is just too high. Lucky for hangers there's a huge resale market for those early "mistakes".

I've rotated through several iterations of insulation, hammock and shelter. The last significant weight savings was on my bridge this past trip. I finally got some hiking poles that serve as the spreader bars on my RidgeRunner. That $30 purchase took off about 8oz from my pack.

I just got back from a trip with several other hikers who have been more successful at losing weight than I. For now I'm having a hard time breaking that 20lb base weight barrier. I'm hoping to pick up some tips/tricks from those guys to carve off a few more pounds.