I'm an outdoor expert, and these are the first 12 things I'd do to make my hiking backpack less heavy before buying any ultralight hiking gear
The packing tweaks you need can make your next hike more comfortable (without costing a penny)
Lightweight hiking can quickly become an expensive hobby. Swap your backpacking tent for a Dyneema shelter, replace your lightweight sleeping bag with an even lighter premium down quilt and invest in a carbon trekking pole or two, and you could easily spend well over £1,000 in pursuit of a lighter pack.
The good news is that most hikers are already carrying more weight than they need to. After years of reviewing hiking gear, I've realised the biggest weight savings often come from rethinking what you pack, not replacing it. Chances are there are a few easy wins hiding inside your backpack right now.
Below, I've collected 13 (+1) tips, some of which you might have heard before and others that are hopefully new and useful to hikers and walkers. From chopping your toothbrush in half to leaving most of your "just in case" gear at home, here's everything you can do to make your bag lighter without spending a ton of cash.
I hope it goes without saying, but to achieve the ultimate echelons of lightness, you will need to plan pretty meticulously. If you're new to hiking and planning on going a longer trip, I would err on the side of caution and pack extra layers and emergency water.
However, for those with some experience who would like to take their ultralight adventures to the next level, it's time to start culling!
Matt's been testing outdoor gear on T3 for nearly a decade and has travelled to many countries, loves spending time in the mountains, hiking, trail running and walking. He's a big fan of optimising his gear and finding the best bits of kit that might enhance his outdoor experience.
1. Audit your first-aid kit
I have a full, unopened first aid kit that I took with me to Mongolia when I ran the Mongol 100. I'm still carrying around the same – potentially expired – kit to this day, whether I'm in the mountains or on longer trips.
And sure, a comprehensive first-aid kit makes sense for remote, multi-day adventures, but many hikers carry far more than they'll ever need on a day walk.
Instead of taking an entire shop's worth of supplies, tailor your kit to the route, distance and number of people in your group. A handful of plasters, blister treatment, pain relief and any personal medication will often be enough.
Lifesystems has a pocketable kit that covers most of the stuff you can sort during a hike. Even with that, you can lose the pouch and decant/sort the contents into a thin plastic or fabric bag.
(You didn't hear it from me, and I certainly don't recommend it, but I know runners who only take surgical glue with them in case there is a wound that needs addressing, but that's it. Pretty hardcore.)
2. Stuff clothing directly into your backpack
Stuff sacks keep gear organised, but they also waste space. Soft items such as insulated layers, fleece jackets and sleeping bags often pack more efficiently when they're stuffed directly into your backpack. You won't save much weight, but you may find you can get away with using a smaller backpack in the future.
Down jackets often stuff into their pockets, and most insulated gear can be squashed properly without any sacks. As for fleeces, I usually take the lightest weight option I have on trips.
66ºNorth's Tindur Shearling Jacket is amazing, but also bulky and not well-suited for ultralight adventures, as it's thick and not really compressible
My current favourite is Peak Performance's Freelight AOP Polartec Alpha Half Zip top, which is incredibly light yet provides excellent insulation.
If I'm feeling extra brave, I only pack Mammut's Eiger Nordwand FL Air Mesh Vest, which uses the same materials and sits directly on the skin. It provides plenty of insulation and takes up zero space in my bag.
3. Decant toiletries
Cutting your toothbrush in half to save weight is the ultimate flex for ultralight adventuring. It might seem redundant at first, but once you look into things, you quickly realise there's no reason to carry a full tube of toothpaste or a 250ml bottle of sunscreen on an overnight trip.
Travel bottles or tiny refillable containers weigh considerably less and take up far less room. You can, of course, get dedicated gear that houses your toiletries – like Matador's Refillable Toothpaste Tubes – but in most cases, cheap plastic tubs/containers will do the trick.
4. Question every "just in case" item
Before I go on a hiking or walking adventure, I always start laying out every bit of gear I plan to take, including an extra fleece, spare trousers, an extra pair (or two) of socks, and camp mules.
Then, I ask myself a simple question: What's the likelihood I'll actually use this? The answer, more often than not, is "probably never," which is why I often end up leaving them at home.
5. Carry the right amount of water
Now, I appreciate this is controversial, but water is often the heaviest single item in your pack, so you must make sure you carry the right amount. One litre of room-temperature water weighs roughly one kilogram, so carrying three litres when you only need one is an easy way to add unnecessary weight.
This might not be a good example of a water source on your hike, but there are devices that can filter water from any source
Before setting off, check whether your route passes reliable refill points and adjust accordingly. That said – and I can't stress this enough – just don't compromise your safety. Always carry enough water for the conditions and build in a margin if you're unsure.
6. Remove unnecessary packaging
Energy bars don't need to stay inside cardboard boxes, and trail mix doesn't need to travel in bulky supermarket bags. Repack snacks into lightweight reusable bags before leaving home. I would also leave everything behind that might melt or go off quickly.
For hiking, it's always best to take energy-dense foods, mostly fatty ones, such as nuts, hard cheeses, salami, olives, etc. Dehydrated foodstuffs, like fruit and veg, also weigh a lot less than their watery counterparts.
7. Check for duplicate gear
This catches almost everyone eventually (including me). In most cases, you don't need two head torches or pocket knives, and there's no need to carry a multitool, a Swiss Army knife, or three charging cables. Lay everything out before you pack and look for overlap.
8. Pack your sleeping bag properly
If your sleeping bag spends most of its life inside a compression sack, you're making packing harder than it needs to be. Stuff it loosely into the bottom of your backpack and let it mould around the rest of your gear. It creates a more stable load and makes better use of every litre.
9. Repackage meals
Freeze-dried meals are convenient, but supermarket food often comes wrapped in far more plastic than necessary. If you're cooking your own meals, transferring ingredients into reusable bags can reduce both weight and waste.
10. Weigh every item
I mentioned being meticulous at the beginning, and weighing your gear on a kitchen scale is the ultimate sign that you're taking ultralight packing seriously. This is the habit that separates experienced backpackers from everyone else.
Use a kitchen scale and record the weight of each item you regularly carry. Once you know exactly what's in your pack, it becomes much easier to spot obvious opportunities to save weight. You might discover your "lightweight" camping chair weighs more than your tent.
11. Rethink your repair kit
I love getting my old gear repaired – I just recently stitched up a bunch of my socks – but I must admit that my repair kit is quite sizeable by now.
A small multitool, like Leatherman's Micra, might have more than enough functionality for most types of shorter trips
Do you really need a full-size multitool, half a roll of duct tape, cable ties, spare cord and three tent pegs on every hike? Pack for the trip you're actually doing, not the expedition you're imagining.
12. Pack with tomorrow in mind
If something doesn't help you stay safe, comfortable, fed or sheltered, ask whether you'll genuinely miss it on the trail. Cutting a handful of small items often has a bigger impact than replacing one expensive piece of kit.
+1: Tech you can leave at home
In this day and age, not taking technology is often one of the easiest ways to save weight. Modern smartphones are capable navigation devices for many day hikes, making a dedicated handheld GPS unnecessary on well-marked routes (again, be sensible with this).
Some outdoor watches, like the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, have built-in satellite navigation, offline mapping, and long battery life, which essentially make any other bit of navigation and messaging gear redundant.
Other brands' wearables are often just as capable when it comes to navigation. If you're wearing a GPS smartwatch from Garmin, Coros, Suunto or Apple, you'll also have route guidance, altitude data and emergency features right on your wrist.
Likewise, one compact GaN charger can replace multiple charging bricks, a single USB-C cable may be all you need if your devices share the same connector, and a 5,000mAh power bank is often plenty for a day's hiking instead of carrying a 20,000mAh brick (especially if you aren't using the phone for navigation, turned WiFi off and battery saver mode on).
Of course, if you're heading into remote terrain or tackling a multi-day expedition, dedicated navigation devices and larger batteries still have their place. But for many hikes, leaving a few gadgets behind is one of the easiest ways to make your backpack feel noticeably lighter without spending a penny.
