Backpacking Tips for Going Light!

Going backpacking? Here are a few tips to help you travel light.
“On a long journey, even a straw weighs heavy.”

This Spanish proverb rings true when it comes to planning for a backpacking trip. Packing essentials and shaving weight means you are saving yourself extra fatigue and frustration along the trail… And every ounce counts.

Whether you are traveling with family or friends, planning a multi-day camping or backpacking trip requires accessories to accompany the journey. Packing to precision is a bit like the backpacking journey itself. Reaching success takes time, and there will be some obstacles along the way. In all likelihood, you will make mistakes along the way that you learn from and avoid on your next trip. There are many excellent resources out there, guiding your journey to ultralight travel.

At LIttlbug, we’ve narrowed down ten important tips to make your next backpacking excursion more comfortable than your last.

Considerations for the Big Three: Sleeping Bag, Pack, Shelter
It all starts with what’s known as the “Big Three” backpacking necessities of sleeping bag, pack, and shelter. Unless you are a sleep-on-a-bed-of-leaves-and-camp-under-the-stars type, carrying a lightweight tent and sleeping bag are the most critical considerations to make, along with, of course your backpack. A few helpful guidelines:

• Sleeping bag should weigh 18 oz or less
• A pack (50 liters) should weigh 30 oz or less
• Shelter/solo tent should be minimized to 2 lb or less; 1 lb or less for tarp

Give yourself time to pack with a plan
Of the ten factors discussed in this article, none is more important than giving yourself TIME to do your packing and planning correctly. Set aside specific time in your preparation schedule for packing your backpack–then add half an hour. Scrambling through the process of preparing your wilderness load leads to over-packing, forgetting a critical item, or not taking time to do the little things that can knock off a few critical ounces.

Use a scale
There’s no better to way “know the score” in your backpacking effort than to use a scale. It’s an investment that can go a long way in getting a true understanding of whether something is worth packing or minimizing in your quest to travel light.

Trash compactor bag for a bag liner
There are bag covers and protectors on the market that are very effective… and they also add extra weight. Many trash bags on the market are strong, durable, and waterproof. Lining your pack with a bag such as this is enough to keep everything perfectly dry and shave off an ounce or two in the process.

Aside from socks, don’t pack spares
This goes back to giving yourself time to plan. Structure your clothes-packing plan such that you know specifically what you need to wear for each activity, and make sure one piece of clothing is packed to suitably execute it. If you don’t have a plan, you are likely to pack an extra shirt of pair of pants you ultimately didn’t need. However, it is always important to have a spare pair of socks. Going the extra mile to ensure foot comfort is recommended for any backpacking trip.

Use a razor blade instead of a knife
If you’re going on more of a serious live-off-the-land excursion, packing a knife is probably the smarter choice. However, there are many backpacking trips where you’ll find you never actually needed your knife, and even if you did, you were doing jobs a small, lighter-weight razor blade could handle. Every bit helps.

Ultralight pillow
If you’re loading up the car or van for a long weekend at Grandpa and Grandmas, packing your own pillow may be a standard practice. Subsequently, eating up an abundance of surface area in your vehicle also becomes standard practice. Many of you get the visual… One large pillow hogging up space in the trunk or back seat… and you can only compress it so much. When planning a camping trip, minimizing pillow surface area is critical. Consider using a Ziploc bag. These weigh virtually nothing, but a high-quality bag is made to seal in air when inflated. It’s as simple as inflating the bag at night, wrapping some clothes around it, and resting away.

Cut down your sleeping pad
Only enough cover your torso. Want to add padding to your legs and feet? Use your backpack for extra cushion.

Remove excess straps
Consider removing hip or waist straps, sternum straps, and other backpack straps if you don't use them. As you stick to only the necessities, you save a few ounces by eliminating the useless excess.

Use an ultralight stove
When it comes to food, fire, and camping, wilderness enthusiasts have varied preferences. Some like to pack sustenance that doesn’t require cooking. Others prefer to have hot meals that leave the satisfied at the end of the day. If you’re the type looking to make a soothing fire part of your trip, utilizing the most lightweight stove possible is a critical consideration.

How does 5.1 ounces sound?

The Littlbug Senior and Junior camping stoves were conceptualized and created by seasoned experts of the industry. They’ve braved the wilderness for multiple days at a time and faced the obstacles that come with carrying just enough without bringing too much. They have stared down the challenges that accompany planning for a trip that guarantees the glow of warm, dependable heat.

The team at Littlbug has crafted a solution meant to preserve camping environments and hold up to Leave No Trace principles, while helping you travel light for your next backpacking trip.

As you prepare for your next journey, the Littlbug is the perfect accomplice for fast heat that can be sustained through alcohol or wood. Want to more? Contact your friends at Littlbug for further insight.