Just realized I used to carry a 15 pound pack and now I'm down to 8

For the first five years I camped, I did what every beginner does and brought way too much stuff. My pack weighed around 15 pounds on a weekend trip, and I would be wiped out by mile three. Last weekend at Ricketts Glen I weighed in at 8 pounds flat, and I actually had energy left at camp. The big change was switching from my old steel cook set and inflatable pillow to a simple aluminum pot and a rolled up fleece. I also stopped bringing a separate tent footprint and just use a cheap piece of Tyvek now. My back and knees thank me every single trip. It took me a while to trust that I would not freeze or starve without the extras. What was the one piece of gear you cut that made the biggest difference in your pack weight?

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emerychen4d ago

Mine was my sleeping pad, of all things. I was hauling this big heavy self inflating one and swapped to a cheap foam pad that weighs almost nothing. Sleep is a little less cushy but my pack dropped over a pound and a half right there. The other big one was my stove. I leave the fuel canister one at home now and just use a little alcohol setup with a soda can. Sounds dumb but it works fine for boiling water.

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