Whether you’re backpacking or camping, you don’t want your backpack to be heavy as that’s going to be uncomfortable. To reduce that weight, you need to bring everything that you require without bringing too much – which can be a difficult balance to find.

Many inexperienced backpackers will always pack beyond the necessities, and with experience, you gain the knowledge to know what the items are that you could really be without for a short period of time. Two of the most popular areas that people often bring too much of include clothes and toiletries.

The amount of clothes that you bring depends largely on where you’ll be going, what you’ll be doing, how long you’re going for and of course – the weather. If you’re only going for a single night, there’s really no need to bring multiple t-shirts or a change of trousers, as you’ll most likely not need them. If you’re expecting wet conditions, a spare pair of socks would be ideal as re-wearing damp socks could cause blisters and will generally just be very uncomfortable!

For toiletries, again you only need to bring what you need. You’re very unlikely to ever need to bring a full tube of toothpaste, especially if you’re only going for a day or two! If you can instead bring the amount that you’ll need in small tubes you’ll not only create a lot more space in your backpack, but also reduce the weight more dramatically than you might think!

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Common essentials that you’ll find in many people’s packs include:

  • A map.
  • Illumination.
  • First aid kit.
  • A lighter.
  • A knife.
  • Food.
  • Water.
  • Shelter.

Other items often depend on the conditions you expect to face. Items to protect you from the sun such as sunglasses and a hat, waterproof items to protect you from the rain as well as gloves and scarves to keep you warm – all depend on the weather.

If you’re camping, the three heaviest items that you will bring will likely be your tent, your backpack and a sleeping bag. Where you can, try to buy and use the lightest versions possible as that will definitely save you a lot of weight!

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