30 Ways to Reduce Your Backpacking Base Weight for FREE (or cheap)
Today I want to talk about THIRTY DIFFERENT WAYS to cut your backpacking pack weight for FREE (or at least very cheap). As we all know, reducing your pack weight is the easiest way to make your backpacking trips more enjoyable, but it can be a very slippery slope to spending a ton of money on ultralight gear (Hello, $600 tents!) BUT there are plenty of ways to lighten your backpacking load without spending ANY money (or at least spending very little).
These 30 different ways to make your backpack lighter for free or very cheap are broken up into 4 main categories: 1) ditching things you don’t need, 2) utilizing multi-purpose items, 3) limiting the quantity of items, and 4) dialing in your kitchen.
Shoutout to all the people on Instagram who responded to my question box and helped with these tips. I’ll be giving credit for the ones I used. Also, I don’t personally even do ALL of these things, this is a case of throwing spaghetti at the wall and you can eat the spaghetti that sticks for you (you know what I mean?).
DITCH WHAT YOU DON’T NEED TO REDUCE YOUR BACKPCACKING BASE WEIGHT
So first of all, the easiest and CHEAPEST way to greatly reduce your backpacking base weight is to simply not bring things you don’t need. Believe it or not, the weight of an item you don’t bring is 0 oz. — revolutionary.
I’m being a bit sarcastic here, but I know I, and many others, do struggle to leave certain things at home. If you’re struggling with pairing down the things you bring with you on backpacking trips, try plugging literally EVERYTHING you’re bringing into a program like lighter pack. Pack your whole setup, and type in EVERY.SINGLE.ITEM. Don’t just do it from memory, chances are you are going to forget or leave out a bunch of stuff. Force yourself to account for every tenth of an ounce, and it might make it a little easier to ditch some things you’ve been hanging on to.
If you still need help, here’s a list of things I think most people could leave behind in order to reduce their backpacking base weight.
1. Leave the deodorant/perfumes at home.
(assistance from: @leo_mckenna)
Learn to embrace the stink, you really don’t need as many personal hygiene items as you think. You ESPECIALLY don’t need it if that item’s only purpose is to help you smell better. You are going to stink no matter what, leave the deodorant at home.
In general, if you’re bringing something for purely aesthetic purposes, leave it.
2. No camp chairs, please!
(assistance from: @fischerm.27)
A foam pad, or even your ground sheet, is your best multi-purpose friend. You really don’t need a camp chair unless maybe you have a medical condition where sitting on a chair is the only thing that makes backpacking bearable for you. There are also lots of nice rocks and logs alllllll over the woods waiting to be made into comfy chairs. Reduce your backpacking base weight: leave the luxuries at home.
3. Ditch the backpacking pillows.
My fiance would not agree with me here, he swears by his pillow. But chances are, you are already carrying something that will work WONDERFULLY as a pillow. Personally, my method of choice is putting my puffy in my clothes bag. Others suggested putting a buff around your puffy, or whatever extra clothes layers you have that you aren’t already sleeping in.
4. Ditch the stuff sacks.
(assistance from @kalennelak)
I know I just said I use my clothes bag for a pillow, but that is the only extra bag I carry and I should probably even ditch that. You really do not need bags to separate your things. As long as you have a pack liner (or pack cover) to protect your gear from rain, you really do not need individual stuff sacks for everything. It’s just extra weight. If you REALLY need a bag (ex: for your first aid kit, etc.) a plastic ziploc bag will do just fine. I’ve used the same plastic bag for entire thru-hikes and it’s lighter (and cheaper) than fabric options.
5. Ditch your wallet.
Just like you don’t need bags inside your bags, you really don’t need a wallet. Or at least not the one you would typically carry. Try using a hair tie or rubber band to keep 1-2 cards, your ID, and your cash together. A plastic baggy works well as a wallet also. Small, DCF wallets are also (although more expensive) option. Just, for the love of all things ultralight, don’t bring your big leather trifold into the backcountry with you.
Think critically about your keys as well when attempting to reduce your backpacking base weight. If you are going on a weekend trip and leaving a car, just bring the one car key and leave the rest somewhere safe.
6. Ditch extra straps / tags / size of gear.
Some backpacks come with extra compartments, straps, pockets, etc. that you simply don’t need. See if you can take them off or, in some cases, cut them off. If you want to take it really far, you can even cut the tags off all your backpacking items to reduce your backpacking base weight.
Many people also cut their sleeping pads to different lengths. You can make your foam pad shorter and use your pack or extra clothes to insulate the area beneath your feet.
Some people even do this with blow up pads, but keep in mind that this will void the warranty of your blow up pad.
7. Ditch the extra clothes (town clothes, etc.) to reduce your backpacking base weight.
A mistake I see a lot of new backpackers make is packing way too many clothes. You only need one outfit to hike in, one outfit to sleep in (base layers), maybe one more warm layer like a puffy or a fleece depending on the weather, and rain gear. Two pairs of socks TOTAL (so the one you are wearing and one spare), two pairs of underwear MAX (again, the one you are wearing and one extra). Yes, I’m so serious. Bringing less clothes is one of the bets ways to reduce your backpacking base weight.
Also, you really don’t need town clothes. Your rain gear and puffy will do just fine (credit: @maude.plltr).
And, as I said before, you are going to stink no matter what, just embrace the funk. Wear the smell as a badge of honor for how many days you’ve spent unbathed in the backcountry.
Some people even sleep in their hiking clothes and don’t bring base layers, but I would only recommend this in places where the temperatures are safe enough to do so even if you get your regular hiking clothes wet (think places that won’t get exceedingly cold at night).
8. Ditch the camp shoes (or at the very least don’t carry crocs).
You really don’t need camp shoes. But if you MUST have them, do something lighter than crocs which are super bulky and heavy.
@quasistoic recommends the Daiso sandals, my personal favorites are the Amazon Jiyaru shower shoes which are super cheap and light. You can even cut off excess foam to make them even lighter to really reduce your backpacking base weight.
9. Don’t carry books.
I can’t believe I have to say this, but physical books are SO heavy. Download an audiobook or an e-reader version if you must have your reading while on a backpacking trip.
10. Ditch battery powered items (opt for rechargeables instead).
Battery powered things, like headlamps are generally heavier than their rechargeable counterparts. Plus, carrying backup batteries is pretty heavy too. One AA battery is 0.8 oz., if you carry two-three for backup that’s several extra ounces. Chances are, if you carry a phone, you’ll need a battery bank anyway. So instead of bringing a battery bank AND a bunch of extra batteries, try to focus on rechargeable electronics instead.
11. Ditch your trowel (use trekking poles instead).
(assistance from: @sockedinhikes)
I did this for a while and, for me, the ease of bringing a trowel is honestly worth the extra ounces. But one way to reduce your backpacking base weight is by using trekking poles to dig your cat holes. Ice axes work EXCEPTIONALLY well for this if you are already carrying one. Just make sure you are still following Leave No Trace Principles and digging your cat holes at least 4-6 inches wide and 6-8 inches deep.
EMBRACE MULTI-PURPOSE ITEMS TO REDUCE YOUR BACKPACKING BASE WEIGHT
Another great way to reduce backpacking pack weight is by finding items that fill multiple purposes. This is essentially another way to ditch things but it’s a little different so it got it’s own category.
12. Use a poncho.
If you get a big enough rain jacket/poncho, you can use it as a pack cover as well. Just put the poncho on with your pack on your back and voila! Another way to avoid carrying a pack fly is either getting a backpack that doesn’t require one, or lining your backpack with a trash compactor bag so all the important items are protected from rain.
13. Tape + Gauze = bandaids (and gear repair).
LeukoTape and gauze can go a long way for a lot of different uses. Personally, this is what I usually pack instead of bandaids. The tape can also be used for gear repair, whereas a bandaid can not.
14. Bandana OR buff.
A bandana or buff has a TON of uses. You can use them to hold back your hair, protect your neck from the sun, pre-filter water, as a snot rag, to dry off things that were left out in the rain, and to clean your cook pot. I’ve even used a bandana to dry off after showers at RV parks. You really don’t need a camp towel if you are properly utilizing a bandana or BUFF.
15. Socks + Plastic/bread bags = Gloves.
Your extra socks can make a good replacement for gloves. Add plastic bags or bread bags to make them waterproof in cold rain. Bread bags are also great for putting in your shoes during snowy or damp sections to keep your feet more dry.
LIMIT QUANTITIES / USE SMALLER ITEMS TO REDUCE YOUR BACKPACKING BASE WEIGHT
16. Limit / repackage hygiene items.
If you really feel like you need to bring soap, put it in a small eye dropper container.
Put hand sanitizer in a 1 oz. container that you can put in a fanny pack.
Repackage lotion into a 0.5 oz. container instead of just bringing the entire 3 oz package.
Buy the tiny travel toothpastes instead of a full tube (or try out the tooth paste tablets, I personally never have).
Carry a smaller travel tooth brush instead of a regular, more dense one. Personally, I like the toothbrush from Litesmith because it’s not so small that I have to stick my hand in my mouth when brushing.
Repackage baby wipes in a plastic bag instead of carrying the entire pack.
This is obviously easier for weekend trips or if you are preparing resupply boxes. If you are on a thru-hike, see if people will split bulkier items with you.
17. More sun protective clothing = less sunscreen.
(assistance from: @intrepidsalamander)
Be intentional about your clothing choices so you can pack less sunscreen. If your arms and legs are covered by photo protective clothing, that’s less sunscreen that you have to carry. You’d be surprised how far a 1 oz. tube can go when most of your body is protected by fabric.
18. Treat clothes with Permethrin & carry a bug head net.
In the same vein, if most of your skin is covered by Permethrin treated fabric, and you have a small, 1 oz. bug head net. You can get away with carrying way less or no bug spray at all.
19. Carry a small brush or comb.
Instead of other, heavier plastic brushes use a bamboo brush or plastic comb to keep your hair in order. If you are on a weekend trip, you probably don’t need a brush / comb at all.
20. Carry a tiny swiss army knife with built-in scissors instead of a large knife.
People may disagree with me on this, but I don’t really think you need a large knife for backpacking. A mini swiss army knife with built in scissors does the trick for me and is a great option for reducing your backpacking base weight (credit: @Intrepidsalamander, who also recommended a size 10 surgical blade and mini scissors).
21. Don’t bring more than you need on short trips.
(assistance from: @firexneck)
If you are just going on single over night, think really critically about what you actually need. Do you really need a big fat battery bank? If it’s going to be above 70 degrees the whole time, do you need a puffy? If you’re leaving tonight and getting back tomorrow afternoon, do you need two full days of food? Bringing less stuff is a sure fire way to reduce your backpacking base weight.
DIAL IN YOUR KITCHEN TO REDUCE YOUR BACKPACKING BASE WEIGHT
22. Bring food with high calorie/oz. ratios.
Try for a higher calorie/ounce ration in your food. Fat is going to be the best bang for your buck so consider carrying things like olive oil packets to get more calories in for less weight.
23. Get rid of unnecessary food packaging.
If you’ve ever seen hikers loitering outside of a grocery store, chances are you’ve seen them getting rid of all the excess trash that typically comes with food you buy from the store. Not only does this reduce the bulk of the food you’re carrying and the trash you have to pack out, but it also reduces your backpacking base weight.
24. Hang your food where regulations allow (and/or use an Ursack).
Bear cans are extremely heavy. Study how to do proper bear hangs and utilize them in areas where regulations allow to reduce your backpacking base weight. Consider an Ursack as well.
25. Simplify your eating “tools”.
You can truly get away with just one pot, one stove, and one eating utensil for your backpacking kitchen setup. You don’t need a cup/mug, use your pot or water bottle that you’re already carrying.
You can also try for lighter options for your utensil, like chopsticks (credit: @ericjuarez) or plastic fast food utensils (credit: @benhaminthancock) (these are also easy to replace if you lose them).
26. Cold soak to save weight.
Even lighter than one eating vessel and one stove is one, super light eating vessel and no stove. Many hikers use cleaned out Talenti gelato containers as their cold soaking vessel. Cold soaking is a super lightweight way to consume calories while hiking.
27. Use a lighter stove.
If you can’t commit to cold soaking but still want a way to lighten your cooking setup, try 1) using smaller fuel cans 2) using an alcohol stove (these can be SUPER light if they are allowed where you are backpacking, and you only have to bring as much fuel as you need). 3) Give the tiny BRS stove a try (credit: @siobhancarr). I personally can’t recommend this, the one I got broke right away and couldn't’ keep a seal with my fuel can. Josh had the prongs of his literally melt as he was cooking food. But other people (like @siobhancarr) have had great experiences and kept the stove for two 5 month thru-hikes. The quality seems to be hit or miss, but if you want to give it a try, they’re less than $20.
28. Use Smart water bottles (or similar).
Thru-hikers almost exclusively use lightweight smart water (or other supposedly single-use) bottles as their water receptacles which is way lighter than something like a nalgene or other types of water bottles. That said, you can absolutely use smart water bottles as reusable water bottles. Don’t just buy new ones for every single trip. Sawyer water filters also filter out microplastics, if you are worried about them breaking down over time.
29. Carry water treatment (especially for shorter trips)
(assistance from: @winslowwalks)
I’ve been talking a lot about Aquatabs in recent videos and especially for shorter trips, carrying water treatments instead of water filters can be a lighter, alternative option to reduce your backpacking base weight.
30. Don’t carry excessive water (please be smart).
One of the EASIEST ways to reduce your backpacking base weight is only carrying the water you need (but PLEASE be smart about this). One liter of water is 2.2 pounds, so consider drinking a lot of water at water sources and only carrying enough to get you to the next one. Make sure you are CERTAIN of your water sources if you are going to do this and aren’t cutting it too close.
So, there’s 30 ways you can reduce your backpacking base weight for free (or at least very cheap). Shoutout to the people who contributed ideas for this blog on Instagram.