George Fisher Ltd - Award Winning Outdoor Equipment Store in Keswick, England, UK

Buying Guides : Lightweight Backpacking

The ability to walk in the hills without the need of getting back to civilisation every night and so explore further has appealed to many over the years. There is a great sense of achievement to be felt after a multi- day walk, having coped with worst the land and weather has thrown at you as you stride back into the urban sprawl.

Yet what puts many off is the thought of all that bulk and weight to be carried up hill and down dale to be able to do this. Traditionally the average size of rucsac for even weekend trips has been not less than 65litre in capacity. Fortunately modern equipment means less weight and less bulk. Such is the advance in lightweight products that all those 100g savings soon add up to kilos in reduced pack weight.

Too many people though pack to many extras just in case, which even with lightweight kit can push the weight to needlessly tiring amounts. The key to going light is to look at what you really need to carry then justify any extras extremely strictly.

Start off by looking at your pack base weight: this includes sleeping: sleeping bag and mat; shelter: tent, pegs and guylines; packing: rucksack and stuff sacks; cooking: which includes stove, pan, utensils and water treatment. Other essentials- such as first aid which might include sun cream and insect repellent, plus map, compass, torch and toiletries. Also included in the base weight is spare clothing.

This base weight should weigh between 6 and 14 kilos. What it doesn’t include is food and fuel i.e. the time variable products. What can be seen from the chart is that base weight can form only around half of the overall weight, so it’s easy to see why lightweight and dehydrated foods are so popular.

Lightweight products do make a difference. The new Paclite fabric is a great option for those who weight and breathability are key factors. The Berghaus Infinity lite top has great warmth to weight ratio like all good synthetic fill garments and twice as warm as the same weight fleece. It used to be thought that to go light meant being a hardy sort that put up with less comfort – yet I can see little discomfort in the very light list. True there is no espresso maker but the only changes that might be made for the more general user would be a tent with greater head room such as the Terra Nova solar minor.

I would recommend a rucksack that carried the load better , takes it off the shoulders and allows better posture when walking. This would make the pack heavier but your back would thank you at the end of the day.

In both lists are included sets of walking poles. When carrying heavy loads these will aid posture and make your walking more energy efficient, which should more than compensate for their extra weight.

These lists show what can be done if you are very focused on weight. In reality I would expect people to mix and match to their own needs. Also these lists imply solo backpacking, so in pairs there should be a further reduction in weight.

So if you want to go light but your base weight is over 15kg then come in either store and talk to our staff-we can help take a load off your shoulders.

VERY LIGHT KIT LIST		LIGHT KIT LIST
THE NORTH FACE MOUNTAIN MARATHON TENT	1600g	TERRA NOVA SOLAR 2 TENT	2600g
		GROUND SHEET PROTECTOR	370g
RAB QUANTUM 200 SLEEPING BAG	450g	JOUTSEN 1000 SLEEPING BAG	990g
SILK BAG LINER	112g	COOLMAX BAG LINER	275g
THERM A REST ULTRALITE æ SLEEP MAT	540g	THERM A REST GUIDELITE	960g
MSR POCKET ROCKET STOVE	86g	GO GAS SUMMIT STOVE	326g
GAS CYLINDER 225ml	228g	GAS CYLINDER 225ml	228g
WINDPROOF MATCHES	10g	WINDPROOF LIGHTER	64g
MSR TITAN KETTLE 850ml	118g	MSR STOWAWAY PAN 775ml	356g
MSR TITANIUM FORK & SPOON SET	28g	PRIMUS KIFE FORK SPOON SET	100g
TREKKING DEHYDRATED FOOD BREAKFAST X 2	340g	WAYFAYRER FOOD BREAKFAST X 2	660g
MAIN MEAL X 2	230g	MAIN MEAL X 2	660g
LUNCH & SNACKS X 2	800g	PUDDING X 2	660g
PERONIN VANILLA ENERGY DRINK X 2	230g	LUNCH & SNACKS X 2	1000g
WATER 1L	1000g	WATER 1L	1000g
CHLORINE TABLETS	5g	KATADYN WATER FILTER	250g
PLATYPUS 2L BLADDER	36g	PLATYPUS 2L + DRINK TUBE	102g
SILVA TYPE 7 COMPASS	22g	SILVA TYPE 4 COMPASS	35g
MAP SECTION PRINTED FROM MAP SOFTWARE	10g	OS AQUA 3 EXPLOER MAP	198g
LIFESYSTEMS TREKKER FIRST AID KIT	225g	LIFESYSTEMS OUTDOOR FIRST AID KIT	355g
LIFESYSTEMS WHISTLE	12g	LIFESYSTEMS WHISTLE	12g
SPARE SOCKS	72g	SPARE SOCKS	72g
LOWE ALPINE FLEECE HEADBAND	23g	EXTREMITIES POWERSTRETCH HAT	31g
EXTREMITIES THINNEYS GLOVES	31g	EXTREMITIES STICKYWINDIES	61g
THE NORTH FACE HYDRENALITE WIND SHIRT	260g	LOWE ALPINE MICRO GRID FLEECE	265g
BERGHAUS INFINITY LITE TOP	270g	BERGHAUS FURY MICRO FLEECE LINED WINDPROOF TOP	335g
BERGHAUS PACLITE SMOCK	275g	BERGHAUS SULVIAN XCR WATERPROOF JACKET	616g
BERGHAUS PACLITE O/TRS	185g	BERGHAUS STORM OVER TROUSERS	324g
PETZL ZIPKA HEADTORCH	57g	BLACK DIAMOND MOONLIGHT HEADTORCH	112g
SALOMON RAID RUCSAC	670g	DEUTER AIRCOMFORT 45+10	2200g
LEKI TITANIUM WALKING POLES	400g	LEKI TITANIUM ANTISHOCK WALKING POLES	510g
TOTAL WEIGHT g.	8327g (18.5 LB)	TOTAL WEIGHT g.	15717g (35 LB)

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George Fisher Ltd. 2 Borrowdale Road. Keswick. Cumbria CA12 5DA
Tel: 017687 - 72178 Email: customerservice@georgefisher.co.uk

VERY LIGHT KIT LIST

LIGHT KIT LIST

TOTAL WEIGHT g.

TOTAL WEIGHT g.