How to lighten the load

[Scythe13]

Okay, are you all ready for this? Time for a massive fun filled informative post.

The post about Bug Out Bag (BOB) weight has be reborn, so I figured I'll make a bit of an extra contribution. Also, I hate having to slug around more weight than necessary. Why carry the kitchen sink if you don't have stuff to wash? So, time to start chucking that 'crap' and lightening what you have.

With all ultra-lite camping, you can cut the most weight by cutting down the big 3. Tent, Sleeping system, Bag.

Okay, so let's start with those 3.

Tent:
Do you really need one? For some people, like Beardyman or myself, we have family to look after, so a tent will help a huge deal! But we could cope without them. Reason we could cope, is because we're able to properly set up a basha and are experienced with them. This experience comes with time. Some people, like MikeA don't need a tent because they're a master Basha user, and don't have to care for the family situation. But there are other people who are much newer to using a basha. McCavity is certainly man enough for this critique, but he would benefit from use of a tent, until he is versed with use of a basha. If you can get the practice in, a basha will be a huge weight cutter.

A tent is ideal for those new to camping and prepping, or those with a family to care for. Because the wife wouldn't move without the dogs, we have to have a tent.

But how do you cut weight with a tent? Look at each piece of it and try to upgrade. Lighter poles? Lighter cover? Lighter ground sheet? Lighter guy ropes? Are there parts you can cut off and throw away? Can you use lighter pegs? There is usually a way you can cut down the weight. If your budget allows, you can just buy a super light tent. Not all ultralite tents are good for every season, but you can always modify them to make them better for colder seasons and wetter ones. Better waterproofing and better insulation in the form of space blankets. Just one between your fly sheet and waterproof cover can help a huge deal! Just mind the condensation.

Lastly, could you bare a bit of a cramped situation while you build up a different shelter out of wild materials? If so, what about a 2 man tent to sleep in while you build a shelter? Smaller than a 3 man tent, and thus it's lighter.

Sleeping System:
This is a huge cutter! If you're happy to butcher stuff up, you'll like this.
First off, I've posted a load about the way I have my sleeping system. But please note, there are MANY other ways just as good if not better. What I have works for me.

Do you need that 4 season bag, or could you cope with a smaller lighter 3 season, and then just use bag liners to layer up? This can cut out as much as 2kg! If you could cope with it, you could even cut down to a 2 season and liner up from there. But this could go terribly wrong if you don't pay enough attention to how your body is feeling. It takes practice and back-ups to get this to work. Personally, if you are going to experiment with this kind of thing, make sure you have someone with you and a back-up sleeping bag, for your winter trials.

There are also ultra-light sleeping bags available. Expensive, but very comfortable.

What about your sleeping mat? Is it really worth it? For me, damn right it is. I have ultra-light stuff, aluminium lined, lovely to keep me warm, and weights very little. Used those crumby foam things on Dartmoor because I didn't want the dogs to rip up my nice ones. Turns out, the dogs were better thermal assistance than those foam bits. If you have something and it sucks, don't carry it around. Nature can provide a better alternative, like pine needles, leaves, and the alike. Just make sure you smoke them early on.

I knew a guy who would take half a basha and a space blanket as his sleeping gear! He would just put the basha on the floor to stop water coming in, and have the space blanket under that. He said he would sleep like a beast. Oh, forgot to mention his little A frame shelter and half ton of leaves he would put down as a mattress. I've never tried it, but he swore by it.

Bag:
How much is your bag? Really, do you need that weight or size of bag? Sometimes, the answer will be a resounding YES. But not for everyone.

If you have a 40 litre bag you'll fill it up. If you have an 80 litre bag, somehow you'll even manage to fill that. Level up to 120 litres and you know what, you'll manage to get the same amount of space filled. Whatever size your bag is, you'll likely fill it. So consider that when you make your bag selection.

There are ultralite bags and the alike, but the reason I'm not saying too much here is because the bag situation is very individual and would take much more than a single bit of a thread to discuss.


Everything else:
Now the real fun.

Let's get to cutting off everything we can.

How much of that toothbrush do you need? Can you cut it in half? How much of that MRE pack is wasted cardboard and useless cutlery? Would it be better stored in ziplock sandwich bags? What about tinned food? Do you need it, or is it better to have dried food that doesn't come in half a litre of salt water and metal? Can you use a smaller roll on deodorant instead of a huge hefting metal can of it? I'm betting you could.

WOOOOOW, hold up a second!!! You used how much cutlery and cook set? With what size gas can? Stop right there! We need to have a talk.

You have a gas burner? That's okay. But it's fricking HUGE! Do you plan on cooking Godzilla? Only cook what you can eat, and there's no point having a mega supersize cooker when Vango make tiny ones for about £35. Why not opt for a pocket rocket? They're amazing and super small too. What? You have a cooker shield to help keep the wind away from your burner? If it's cold and you want a warm meal, you'll probably want warm hands too. With that in mind, wouldn't it make more sense to gently cup your hands to keep away the cold? Brilliant, that's a lot of heat cut.

Gas canisters. These are amazing and come in more shapes and sizes than cupcakes come in. The trick with them? Learn to cut as much weight as you can as quickly as you can. A few smaller canisters won't last as long as a big one, but as soon as you finish a small one, you can throw it and lose more weight. Over the course of a week the whole weight loss will be best using multiple smaller cans, but the initial carry weight will be more. Could you cope with a smaller can, and try to use nature's fuel instead, and make a fire?

Pots, pans, plates, cutlery.
I hate these because I hate washing up. The only exception is a pot, because you need one thing to cook with. Go for lighter materials, like aluminium or titanium. Also, consider the size you NEED and not the size that you think looks cool. Personally, I manage to get everything into 2 small containers that clip together. Total size, just bigger than 2 stacked mugs. As for plated and cutlery, no need for either. Eat from what you cooked in and get a couple of twigs and make chopsticks. Or just a flat bit of splitter-free wood and make it into a spoon. Chopsticks work a treat for stirring implements too.

Lastly, because my little fingers are tired and hurting from all this keyboard abuse, water. This stuff is heavy!!! Carry what you need until you can get to where you can refill. Water is bountiful if you're smart enough to look in the right places. Better to carry a load of water purifiers than it is to carry a ton of water! This can cut out 4-5kg, depending on how much water you carry. Personally, I like to go with 1.5 litres of water, and enough purifiers to sort at least an additional 60 litres of water. That'll last me a while!

One thing I recommend, before I post this, don't scrimp on toilet paper! You'll use a lot, so carry a lot. Why? Because it's very light and stops you filling your bag with loads of useless stuff you'll never use.

Remember, you'll fill your bag, regardless of what size it is.