There is no universal plan for how to carry a backpack. We all have our own motivations, needs and levels of experience. However, everyone agrees that hiking is a lot easier and more enjoyable when the backpack doesn’t weigh the proverbial ton. Here are 30 telltale signs you should be thinking about reducing your exposure to the wilderness.
( Note : This is an edited and expanded version of an article I published in March 2019 – 14 Signs You’re Carrying Too Much Stuff; Note 2: For the other end of the load spectrum, see “50 Signs You ‘re you’ve gone too far ultralight backpacking”) :
1 . Your backpack has a capacity of 70 liters or more. Regardless of the length of your hiking trip, you will always find a way to fill it.
2 . Her trail name is “Kitchen Sink”.
3 . To put on the backpack, you have to sit down.
4 . When you stand up afterwards, not only do you inadvertently groan and wince, but everyone who happens to be nearby also groans and winces.
5 . You have a poster of Cheryl Strayed in your gear storage at home. You keep a miniature version of the same photo in the leather wallet you carry with you on the go.
6 . Her first aid kit puts paramedics to shame.
7 . When fully loaded, the top of your pack is above your head.
8 . You regularly reach water sources with between one and two liters of H20 in your backpack.
9 . When trekking in the Himalayas, the porters call you “brother”.
10 . You’ve named your pack one of the following: Ennis, Bertha, Goliath, Beast, or Ben (like the big bell in the Elizabeth Clock Tower). Alternatively, labeling a reference to your backpack with the “F” word is also a pretty good indicator.
11 . Your ideal sleeping bag for three-season travel has “Arctic” in the model name.
12 . Whether you’re going uphill or downhill, people on horses always avoid you. Mountain bikers too.
13 . For you, carrying a heavy backpack is a mark of honor. Funnily enough, over the past few years, I’ve seen the “pack weight script” flipped on its head. These days, challenging microlights are more likely to bellow at the tinyness of their pack than two-legged packhorses to puff their chests at how much weight they’re carrying.
14 . Your luxury items outnumber the essentials. two to one
15 . Your balance will be severely affected each time you negotiate river crossings, snowfields, storm surges, boulders, boulder hoppers, and steep/rough descents.
16 . On the go, you’re constantly rummaging through your backpack, looking for items you’re sure are in there somewhere, but can’t remember exactly where.
17 . Boy Scouts point at you and giggle when they see you along the way.
18. After you’ve broken camp and set off, your morning coffee finally arrives and you realize you forgot to have a #2 coffee before you left. However, your backpack is so heavy that you don’t want to take it off and put it back on. So you decide to get it under control and then spend the next hour playing hide and seek with Terry the turtle head. When you inevitably reach the point of no return and realize you can’t take Tezza, unceremoniously drop your backpack in the middle of the path and run into the woods. However, you won’t get more than ten meters before you lose control of your sphincter and soil yourself before you’re able to digging a cat hole and dropping your shorts. To make matters worse, you were in such a hurry that you left your toilet paper in your backpack. The moral of this not unusual story is: A. Drink your coffee a little early and; B. Carry a lighter, less burdensome load that can be easily detached when needed.
19 . In the pouring rain, your hiking companions (all six) gather in the anteroom of your tent to play cards.
20 . You constantly worry about not being adequately prepared and always compensate by bringing items with you that are inappropriate and/or unnecessary for the environment you are going into (e.g. mega multi-tools).
21 . You recently signed a deal to be the face of Coleman Camping Equipment.
22 . You’re wearing athletic sandals (which weigh almost as much as your footwear). ” But I need them for river fords .” Are you sure? Alternatively, you can also take off your socks, take out the insoles and put on your trail runners.
23 . When you empty your backpack after a trip, you realize that there are at least five items that you not only didn’t use, but also never saw the light of day during your trek.
24 . When hiking, you regularly lean too far forward. This is often a sign that your pack is not only too heavy, but that it’s sitting too low on your back. Over time, this posture can lead to rounded shoulders, neck strain from constantly tilting your head up to see properly, and lumbar pressure.
25 . Your camping gear for an extended backpacking trip consists of a pot, plate, bowl, frying pan, two mugs (one for strangers in distress), knife, fork, spoon, french press and cheese grater.
26 . For weekend trips, pack groceries for an extra day.
27 . Wear sturdy hiking shoes when backpacking in three seasons. Traditionally, sturdy boots and overloaded backpacks go together like peanut butter and jelly or Vegemite and toast. When you see one, you often see the other (see Trail Runners Vs. Hiking Boots: A Thirty-Year Perspective for a detailed discussion).
28 . Your clothing and all your hiking gear will be camouflage in design. Even your moor roll is in camouflage.
29 . You are a bushcrafter (see #28).
30 . And the biggest sign you’ve got too much stuff in your backpack in the woods? You focus more on how uncomfortable you are than on the beauty of your surroundings.
Diploma
Obviously some of the points above are ironic. However, the premise of the article is quite serious. There are a number of reasons to carry a lighter load in the wilderness*, but in my experience the most important reasons are simply comfort, health and pleasure. It’s better for your body, which is less prone to stress-related injuries, and also for your mind, which is less distracted than it would be under the weight of a heavy load
: Always according to your level of experience and the constraints of the environment you are going to). Addendum : I was about to hit publish for this article when the old axiom, “ Don’t pack your fears,
‘ shot through my head. This is one of those phrases that hikers repeat ad nauseam when discussing what (and how much) to pack in the forest. However, I have long felt that prejudice, prejudice, and plain old-fashioned stubbornness can often be equally limiting and heavy. As someone who’s come the long way to light/ultralight backpacking, I want to leave you with three parting thoughts: 1. No matter how long you’ve been hiking, keep an open mind about your gear choices; 2. Do due diligence and listen to people with extensive experience. 3. Ultimately, we’re all trying to optimize our time in nature. Relief can be helpful.
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