Lightweight Backpacking: A Philosophy and a Journey

Lightweight backpacking is a philosophy and a journey.

: Image by D.L. via Flickr

Traveling lighter in the wilderness is a philosophy in the sense that you must change your way of thinking about what to throw into your backpack. Instead of thinking, “What else can I fit in?”, you start thinking, “What can I get along without and leave at home?”. Thus your philosophy is changed, in minimal terms, from inclusion to exclusion.

Oh yes, I also said that lightweight backpacking is a journey. I’ll use a journey by foot as an instructive metaphor. When you attempt to reach a destination by walking, you must proceed step by step.

Just as taking a journey by foot is a gradual undertaking, one step and then another and another, so becoming a lightweight backpacker is best accomplished gradually. Also, a step at a time. Let your philosophy of finding ways to leave things at home guide you on your step-by-step journey to becoming a lightweight backpacker.

One of the first steps you can take is finding ways to multipurpose things that you normally take backpacking. If you can find two purposes for one item, it’s likely that you can leave another item at home. For instance, you can use trekking poles to hold up the awning of your tent. Instead of bringing a cooking pot, a bowl and a cup, you can use the cooking pot for all three. In the place of moleskin for hotspots and blisters, use duct tape, which has many other uses, for dressing your blisters.

Once you adopt the exclusion philosophy and decide to take the journey towards lightweight backpacking, the process of planning and packing a lighter backpack can be just as fun as the backpacking trip itself.

By Richard Davidian, Ph.D.

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