If you wanted to do something to make an outdoor activity as enjoyable, safe and fun as possible, what would you do? If you are someone who likes to end the day tired from head to toe, this answer is easier than you think.
Less Weight = More Fun
If you have never given importance to lightening the weight of the backpack, the tips that we show below will make you consider how to approach these activities. After many years of mountain and outdoor activities, every lighter gram of my backpack has made me happier. Starting from the basis that approaching minimalism, the ‘ultralight’, should never compromise the safety of the activity, over time you realize that in addition to increasing comfort, it improves health and safety.
WHY LIGHTEN THE WEIGHT OF THE BACKPACK?
There are numerous reasons to lighten the weight of your backpack:
Health:
Knees: Patellar tendons tend to become inflamed when you move more weight than you are used to.
Ankles: Aside from suffering less the lighter you go, a sprained ankle will be less severe the less weight you carry.
Cervicals and back: Although it is more important the quality of the backpack and load its weight on the hip rather than on the shoulder pad, it is still true that the less weight we carry, the better for our cervicals.
Security:
Less exposure time in dangerous places: Going lighter will allow us to go faster both in dangerous areas and areas exposed to stone falls, etc.
... and less time we are exposed = Less chance of an accident.
Greater safety on descents: Most of the accidents happen to the descent related to the accumulated fatigue, therefore, a light team will save us energy.
Balance: In technical zones, we will gain balance and avoid falls.
Less weight = Greater Security
TIPS
Making decisions that determine the weight of your backpack starts with knowing the route well. Knowing what the weather will be like, or how much water will be available along the way, will save you a good amount of weight.
After knowing the maximum number of details, plan the material to take from a realistic perspective.
Generals
1. Checklist: Make a list of what is necessary and stick to it, do not go overboard
2. Avoid making the backpack at the last minute: You will have more possibilities of carrying what you do not need and forgetting what is important.
3. Share with the rest part of the common team: Stove, tent ...
Backpack:
1. Get a light backpack: There is an abysmal difference between a light backpack and a classic one.
2. Don't buy a bigger backpack than you need, you will be tempted to fill it.
3. Remove the straps or ‘straps’ that you don't use, and if you need any, replace it with a light material.
Gram for gram saves a total of surprising weight, especially if you must carry mountaineering equipment.
Sleep
1. Use a sleeping bag according to plan. There are mountaineers who use their winter bags when 95% of the activities they do do it in summer (even in refuge).
2. Use feather instead of fiber: Although fiber has advanced its technology in recent years, the feather is to date the material with the best weight / warmth ratio.
3. Get an ultralight tent, the difference in weight is abysmal, and the benefits go well with what we expect from them.
4. Bivouac whenever you can, in addition to being a nice experience, can you think of a lighter way?
Clothes
1. The weight difference between tights and pants can be about 300g.
2. Avoid cotton: With sweat or rain, cotton retains moisture and considerably increases its weight.
3. Wear clothing from other sports such as Trail, Athletics or cycling (athletic shorts, cycling sleeves ...): the limit is in your imagination.
4. ¿Why wear a heavy GoreTex if the weather is good, it will be hot and I can wear a thin trail or athletic jacket?
5. Labels: some are very large, cut them all!
carries the essential, and that "the essential" is as light as possible
Food
1. Drink from the fountains: Take advantage not only to fill the canteen, but also to drink from the fountain. The best way to carry water is inside you.
2. Use a camelbak or light plastic canteens instead of heavy containers.
3. Choose high calorie foods. Energy meals weigh less than conventional ones since they have a higher caloric intake. If we have conventional food, try to increase the caloric intake (example: apple weight >> nuts)
Going light minimizes caloric expenditure, you will need less food and drink.
First aid kit
1. Take single-dose pills Avoid taking the whole box!
2. Adapt the kit to the activity, it will not be the same for a multi-day expedition as for a short climb.
accessories
1. For GPS, Lamps ... It is a good idea to bring some extra batteries ... but think about it, not one set of spare batteries per person! One spare set per pair / group may suffice.
2. ¿Wallet? For what! carries only the following in a card holder:
a. ID
b. Credit card
c. Money in bills
3. Glasses holder: The difference between a light plastic one and a classic one can be remarkable.
4. Knife: try to use the knives that only have a sharp edge. Unless you carry technical material -such as skis- you won't need a multipurpose.
5. Guide: Do not carry the entire book, take a photocopy of the sheet that interests you.
Source: forumsport
