Your plans for that great adventure are set. A remote destination is awaiting. You’ve invited your best friends and the food has all been purchased.

Now the question comes, where are you going to put everything? You want all that food, but you also need to bring the first aid kit. And your back can only handle so much.

The recommended weight for a beginner’s backpack is 25% of their bodyweight and for some people that’s even pushing it. So how can we lighten your load?

Let’s look at the 6 fundamentals to cutting pack weight:

Fundamental #1 – Heaviest things first. Get rid of your tent and use a tarp. You can save 8 pounds right off the bat by using a 1 pound trap. Use dehydrated food. Food is one of the heaviest items you’ll carry and with new technology the flavors are getting better all the time, so do some taste testing and find out what you like.

Fundamental #2 – Find multiple uses for one item. The more uses you can find for one item the less items you’ll have to take.

Fundamental #3 – Buy lightweight gear. With new technology you can find lighter versions of just about anything.

Fundamental #4 – Get rid of that big backpack. With a big backpack you have a tendancy to fill it, but with a smaller backpack, you just don’t have the room. Hence, you’ll usually be a little more picky about what you bring.

Fundamental #5 – Dont pack it. Everything that you put in your pack adds weight, but if you leave something out of your pack you reduce its weight by 100%. So ask yourself if you really need those extras. Do you really need all those cook pots, or a machete, or a camp chair?

Fundamental #6 – Asses gear. Keep lists every time you pack and asses what you used and didn’t use at the end of every trip. Obviously, if you didn’t use the first aid kit, you’ll still need to bring it, but other items might not be needed. In time, you will see patterns and ways to cut weight, just be patient.

I used to have a buddy that I backpacked with that would be bring everything and some spares. His backpack weighed a ton, but he always had extras. Then it hit me, why not just forget more at home and borrow all those extras, he’s bringing them anyways.

I remember I was almost to the point of just bringing my pillow in my pack, when he figured it out and decided to go lightweight. Well, all good things must come to an end.

In closing, I hope this article helps you lighten your load!