Outdoor equipment lightweight guide, professional backpacker equipment introduction and common sense

Hiking should be light-weight equipment. It sounds like a natural fit, but what is light, how light, and how light is appropriate?

Why light weight?

As the name suggests, lightweighting is to reduce the weight carried by various means. There is no light burden on the long road. Walking with excessive weight for a long time will overdraft physical strength, damage the knees, shoulders, spine and waist, reduce the fun of outdoor hiking, and weaken the passion and motivation to continue participating in activities.

By reducing the load and saving energy, you can walk farther and faster. A lighter and smaller backpack allows you to move more flexibly, whether you are climbing or wading, and it is easier to maintain your balance when passing through rough and slippery roads.

When researching various types of lightweight equipment, backpackers will repeatedly measure the characteristics and performance of the product. The additional benefit is to help further familiarize themselves with their equipment, master its various functions, advantages and defects, and find out the most suitable usage. , Try to maximize the advantages of equipment.

Finally, the lightweight hiking has minimal damage to trails and camps. During the journey, the load-bearing capacity of the sole and the tip of the cane is reduced, and the damage to the trail is reduced accordingly. When camping, the ultra-light ground nails have less impact on the ground, and the lightweight diet produces less garbage.

Multiple is called lightweight?

Many articles on lightweighting define that the ideal weight for hiking is not more than 1/4 of the body weight. That is to say, for a man weighing 80 kg, the weight should not exceed 20 kg; for a woman weighing 60 kg, The weight should not exceed 15 kg. Taking outdoor hiking in the past 20 years in terms of the progress of lightweight concepts, it is too heavy. My standard is to hike in the spring, summer and autumn on 3-5 days, and the weight should not exceed 1/5 of the body weight, preferably around 1/6. In other words, a man weighing 80 kg should carry 13-16 kg; weigh 60 kg The lady, weighs 10-12 kg.

If you have enough experience in wild survival, you can continue to reduce your load, which can be described as 'Psycho-Lite', but for most backpackers, it is unnecessary. There are two main things about trekking, walking and camping. Excessive attention to the ease of walking will naturally have a negative impact on the comfort of camping, and vice versa. The purpose of lightweight is to help backpackers further enjoy the fun of the outdoors, in fact, it is to achieve the most suitable balance between walking and camping.

How to lightweight backpack?

There are several ways to reduce the weight of the backpack. The first is to discard unnecessary equipment. Tactical knives, camping axes, and engineer shovel are all the same weight. No matter whether they are in trails or camps, they have almost no chance to use them. From an environmental protection point of view, they are not even recommended. They are not used at all except for pretending to be cool.

The second is to choose the appropriate line of equipment. In the summer, I carry a mummy sleeping bag for snowfields, a three-person tent when I travel alone, and a trekking umbrella when I travel through the rain forest. That can only be said to be a crime.

The third is to choose equipment that suits your own conditions. For example, if you can't sleep well on the egg nest cushion, but if you don't want to buy an inflatable cushion, you are also looking for it yourself.

Based on these principles, you can start to choose the most suitable specific model from a wide range of outdoor equipment. How to choose various types of equipment and the products I personally recommend will be described in more detail in the following chapters. Here is a brief introduction.

Backpackers often refer to the so-called 'three big pieces', namely backpacks, tents and sleeping bags, because these three pieces are all necessary to carry when traveling, and they are often the heaviest equipment. I prefer the “five big pieces” and add sleeping pads and rain gear to the three big pieces-these two pieces are not only necessary equipment for travel, but after years of research and development, the weight of the three big pieces Has fallen to roughly the same level as the last two.

Backpacks

The traditional trekking backpack uses nylon fabric, even if it has a certain waterproof performance, it must be equipped with a rain cover. In addition, traditional trekking backpacks often include a separate top bag, which theoretically helps compress the main compartment and organizes storage more organized. In fact, a large number of cable ties and buckles have been added, or in other words, increased weight and possibly damaged parts. . Although ultra-light equipment advocates one thing with multiple uses, it also follows the philosophy of simplicity. The new generation of ultra-light hiking backpacks generally use ultra-light and ultra-strong crude benzene (Diagram blend) as the main fabric, without a top bag, and the weight can be reduced to less than 1 kg. Some backpacks without racks are even only 300 to 400 grams , And crude benzene is super waterproof, and the rain cover can be completely omitted, further reducing the load.

Ultralight backpack

Tents

Ultra-light trekking tents generally use crude benzene instead of traditional nylon fabrics, and at the same time discard the poles, and use trekking ski pole manufacturers poles, ground nails and wind ropes to fix the tent. The traditional light-weight two-person tent is about 2 kg, while the new generation of ultra-light tent can reach under 1 kg, saving more than 60% of the weight.

Ultralight tent

Sleeping Bags

The bottom of the traditional sleeping bag will lose its fluffy under the compression of body weight, and then lose its warmth. Ultra-light walking gradually turns to Quilt (quilt). Quilt covers the body, and the warmth under the body is solved by sleeping pads. Under the condition of the filling amount and bulkiness of the down, the quilt can be 1/3 or more lighter than the mummy sleeping bag of the same length, three seasons (-7°C) The medium and long models are only between 550g and 600g. The lower part of Quilt is integrated into a foot compartment, which can fully keep your feet warm, while the upper part can be tied to a sleeping mat to achieve a sealing effect similar to that of a mummy. Most Quilts can also be opened completely like envelope sleeping bags. They are also convenient and flexible. They will not be as restrained as mummy sleeping bags during sleep. They are suitable for three seasons and four seasons.

Ultralight sleeping bag

Sleeping Pads

After using Quilt instead of traditional mummy or envelope sleeping bags, the sleeping pad not only plays a role of support and moisture proof, but also keeps warm, which becomes more essential. The weight of the current ultra-light air cushion is almost the same as that of the ordinary egg trough cushion, between 350g and 500g.

Inflatable sleeping pad

Rain Gear

The ultra-light rain jacket and rain skirt match, between 250g and 350g, suitable for resisting showers; while the ultra-light thick styrene poncho, only about 150g, is more suitable for humid and rainy environments. The function of the poncho is relatively single, and the rain jacket can also be used for wind protection and warmth, and the rain skirt can also be used as a reserve mat. Although one or two hundred grams are added, there may be more opportunities for use on different routes.

Rain jacket

Down Jackets

The down jacket keeps warm, but it absorbs sweat and is also afraid of wetness, so I stay in my backpack most of the time on the trail. However, the temperature difference between day and night in the outer suburbs and mountainous areas is large, and activities in the camp are indispensable. If you only eat, sleep, and regain your strength in the camp, you can choose a thinner and lighter down jacket; on the contrary, if you plan to spend more time around the camp and go with your friends, then you should prepare a thicker one. As well.

Down jacket

Water Gear

Water tools include water filtration equipment and water storage equipment. As long as it is an overnight field route, water filtration equipment is indispensable-exercise will cause a lot of sweat, and if you don't replenish it in time, you will get dehydrated. But even if you only carry water for 2 days, that person will need at least four or five liters, so don't say anything It's super light. Compared with the traditional sturdy but heavy PCT water bottles, backpackers now prefer lightweight mineral water bottles. The four 1L SmartWater bottles add up to less weight than a 1L Nalgene bottle.

Although water utensils are necessary, they don't add up to more than 200g, so they are not counted as 'large items'.

Kitchenware

Some friends may wonder why kitchen utensils are not included in my 'Big Five' items. Don't you eat on foot? People are iron rice or steel, so they must eat for sure. The question is how to eat. Some ultra-light backpackers choose dry food or cold food, so they don’t need to carry fuel and stove, but put the dehydrated food in a sealed tank, pour it into room temperature water, carry it in the backpack, and take it out at the camp. It also saves the time for boiling water and cooking, and you can sleep after eating. Therefore, only tableware is necessary in kitchenware, but the weight and the 'big five' are hard to compare.

Kitchen utensils include stoves, cooking utensils and tableware. Travelers who are unwilling to eat cold should choose titanium products as much as possible. Compared with aluminum products and stainless steel products, titanium is much lighter and of course much more expensive. Most of the world's titanium kitchenware are produced in China, and domestic brands such as Huofeng and Case are also well-known worldwide, and their design and quality are not inferior to international brands.

Others

There are a lot of bits and pieces to carry on a multi-day hike. In addition to first aid, washing, hygiene and electronic supplies, they also include mosquito repellent, sunscreen, etc. From the perspective of ultra-light, they should be selected based on the principle of good enough. equipment.

How to lightweight dress?

Compared with the weight of the shoulders while walking, the weight of the clothes on the body seems to be insignificant, but every few hours or even ten hours of walking every day, every defect in the clothes on the body will be magnified, so a well-fitting clothing is essential Importantly, it is no exaggeration to say that life and death matter.

Layering is a tried-and-tested way of dressing in outdoor sports such as hiking, mountaineering, skiing, kayaking, trail running, mountain biking, etc. By adding or removing different layers of clothing to achieve full body moisture permeability, warmth and waterproof The overall effect.

Outdoor clothing is generally divided into three layers from the inside to the outside:

Base Layer: Also called Inner Layer, it regulates body temperature, breathes moisture and wicks away perspiration. As a close-fitting underwear, light slippery, quick-drying, and durable synthetic materials (polyester fiber) should be used in higher temperature seasons, and light, soft, breathable and warm merino wool materials can be selected in lower temperature seasons. In short, Resolutely avoid pure cotton products that absorb water but are impervious to moisture.

Insulation Layer: Also called Mid-Layer, it has the function of isolating convection, ventilating and keeping warm. The material is mainly fleece and down.

Shell Layer: Also called Outer Layer, it plays the role of wind and rain protection. It is often referred to as 'Jacket'. In fact, it includes Windbreaker Jacket, Rain Jacket, Hard Shell (Hard Shell) etc.

It is said to be three layers, but not necessarily three pieces of clothing (and most of the time it is not three). In the hot season, there may only be a simple base layer, while in the cold season, you may need two or even three middle-layer clothing. Keep warm.

In the seasons with higher temperatures (late spring, early autumn and summer), my personal habit is quick-drying long-sleeved shirts or short-sleeved T-shirts, tight running trousers plus sports shorts (men) or short skirts (women); lower temperatures In season (early spring and late autumn), I wear merino wool underwear inside, hiking pants outside, and a rain (or wind) jacket on my upper body. I decide whether to add a fleece top according to the temperature.

Hiking underwear (Underwear)

Underwear is divided into two categories, one is for wicking perspiration and deodorization in the hot season, and the other is for ventilation and warmth in the low temperature season. On foot, especially for long-distance crossings of multiple days or even weeks and months, the lightest way is to prepare one set for walking on the trail and one set for camp rest. In the camp, the walking set can be washed and dried or baked, while on the trail, the sleeping set can be hung outside the backpack to dry.

Hiking Shirts

A shirt is a very individual thing. There are styles, fabrics, colors, patterns, functions, features and other specifications to choose from, and there are many brands and styles, and it is often impossible to start when buying. At the same time, most backpackers choose to wear ventilated, moisture-permeable, quick-drying round neck short-sleeved walking in summer, and wear a windshield or even a rain jacket when the temperature is slightly lower, thus neglecting long-sleeved shirts. Although a shirt is not as comfortable as a T-shirt when sleeping as a base layer, long sleeves and collars can be used for sun protection and insect protection on the trail, and can be rolled up as short sleeves when needed, which is more flexible and versatile.

Hiking Shoes

The most important thing about shoes is to fit the feet, and secondly, to fit the road. Like other equipment, you can go all over the world with one shoe, but it's more to find a guilt.

Many old donkeys in the United States tend to use Trail Runners. Trail Runners do have many advantages. They are light, flexible, comfortable, cheap, and not afraid of getting wet-as long as it is not winter or snow, you can just walk by yourself. !

Trail running shoes

But the premise is that the road conditions are better and the surface soil is thicker, which may not be suitable in northern China. The vegetation in the north is thin, and the mountain trails are often piled with gravel. Trail running shoes are difficult to use their strengths, and the feet are also easy to break, so the mid-top hiking boots are more suitable.

Hiking boots

Hiking Socks

Socks play a decisive role in whether there will be bubbles on the feet on outdoor hiking, and their importance is no less than shoes. The ideal way is to use one pair for walking on the trail and the other pair to keep warm when resting in the camp.

Hiking socks

Trekking Poles

Trekking poles are not considered clothing, but on the trails, most of the time they are held in the hand, rather than tied to the bag or back on the back, so they are grouped with the clothing worn on the body.

Trekking poles

How to lighten food?

The issue of food is a bit complicated, and a large part of it depends on personal taste. Generally speaking, dehydrated food is the first choice for outdoor people when there is water. Instant noodles (instant noodles) are the staple food of most hikers. If you want to change the taste, you can choose dehydrated rice. North American backpackers also choose dehydrated mashed potatoes and pasta (Mac & Cheese), but they are harder to buy in China (or more expensive). If it is a short-distance route within 3 days, then take a bit of spoilage and bring some vegetables and fruits—you have to eat watermelon, but the best are apples, pears, small tomatoes and other thin-skinned fruits. If it is more than 3 days, it is recommended to buy some dehydrated vegetables, which are cheap, light and greedy. Energy supplements can be alternated with beef jerky, dried fruit bars, chocolate and/or cheese products. It is not recommended to bring raw meat. Fireproofing, anti-corrosion, carrying, and garbage cleaning are all problems. If you are greedy, you can buy single-packaged small sausages, dried tofu, dried mushrooms, etc., mix them in the noodles and heat them, and eat one or two in a meal.

What is basis weight?

Basis weight is an important criterion to measure lightweight. The usual calculation method is to subtract the consumables, namely water, food and fuel, from the weight of the total burden. The formula is

Basis weight=total weight﹣(water﹢food﹢fuel)

However, this method ignores the difference in the amount of power bank and sanitary consumables (dry and wet paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, facial cleanser, etc.) between long and short lines, so my calculation formula is

Basis weight=total weight﹣(water﹢food﹢fuel﹢sanitary consumables﹢power bank)

Every old donkey will carefully calculate his own basis weight, and seek the lowest possible under the premise of ensuring safety and comfort. Not for comparison or show off, but by carefully measuring the weight of each piece of equipment, weighing its proportion in the total weight, to determine whether it is worth carrying, or to find a more suitable replacement. Under the same total load, the lighter the basis weight, the more water, food, and fuel you can carry, that is, you can walk for a few more days at a time; under the same total load, the lighter the basis weight, the more spoiled food and The more equipment you have, that is to say, the more fun you can play in the camp.

Although the basis weight is very important, it does not need to be overemphasized, otherwise it will put too much pressure on your heart and wallet. There are many light-weighting tips. When you gradually accumulate according to your own hiking experience, pick the one that suits you.

How to estimate the total weight?

With the basis weight, we can estimate what the total weight of the backpack will be.

Let us first estimate how much sanitary products are consumed every day. Half a pack of paper towels, 3 wet paper towels, a small stack of toilet paper, and a common 6g toothpaste in hotels, the total weight is less than 60g. We can roughly determine that even with the addition of hand sanitizer, dishwashing liquid, facial cleanser, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, etc., the total weight of sanitary products consumed every day is within 80g, but we still set the upper limit at 100g.

Secondly, estimate how much food is consumed every day. This is even more difficult. Everyone has different tastes. Even if the same person uses two different routes, or even the same route, the food they carry may not be the same. Can only be roughly estimated in the simplest way. A bag of ordinary instant noodles with packaging weighs between 120g-140g. Based on 130g, 7 bags of 910g are roughly 2 pounds (907.2g). What North American backpackers recommend is 2 pounds of food per person per day on three-season hiking. Of course, no one will only eat instant noodles on foot, and they will not eat it for several days. However, 1000g per person per day is almost enough.

Finally, let's estimate the fuel consumed every day to determine how many gas cylinders to bring. In an environment of 0°C, boiling 1L of water requires burning the liquefied gas in a 15g flat gas tank. The wind is strong in the wild, but if you eat dehydrated food, a half-liter of water per person and one meal is almost the same. It can be assumed that an average meal consumes 12g of fuel, a full tank of G3 contains 110g of gas, and 9 meals can be used; a full tank of G2 contains 230g of gas, and 19 meals can be used.

Now considering the 7-day line, it is also necessary to add a can of G2 (connected cans of 380g), a 20000mAh high-capacity power bank (between 400g-500g, calculated as 500g), and a total of sanitary consumables and food for 5 days 7.7 kg, plus 2.6 kg of water, the total weight is about 15.7 kg.

Look at the 3-day short-term, you can choose a smaller G3 (210g can), a 10000mAh power bank (calculated at 200g), 3 days of sanitary consumables and food totaling 3.3 kg, plus 2.6 Kg of water, total weight 10.8 kg.

Have reached my ultra-lightweight goal.

What are the disadvantages of lightweight?

Lightweight is not without disadvantages:

First of all, many ultra-light equipment are expensive. For example, the price difference between aluminum and titanium for outdoor pots of the same size may be ten times higher.

Secondly, moderately priced ultralight equipment tends to have poor durability. For example, trail running shoes usually need to be changed between 500-800 kilometers (300-500 miles), while a pair of high-quality hiking boots can last for 1500 To 2000 kilometers.

Third, ultra-light equipment is more sensitive to correct usage, such as trekking poles. Although carbon fiber is lighter than aluminum, it is easier to break.

Fourth, ultra-light equipment requires careful maintenance, such as all down products.

Finally, the use of ultra-light equipment often has certain limitations. For example, compared to self-supporting tents, poleless non-self-supporting tents cannot be moved at will.

In short, lightweight has higher requirements for backpackers’ wallets and experience. However, as long as the usage is correct and the maintenance is meticulous, it is not a problem for most ultra-light products to stick to 2000 kilometers.

to sum up

All of the above are empirical talks, which can only be regarded as opinions and suggestions, and they are definitely not laws. Cold and warm knowing that everyone still has to start from themselves and choose more suitable equipment and collocations. I am more afraid of heat, so the recommended products, especially sleeping bags and down jackets, may not be suitable for people who are afraid of cold. Even if you are a big hiker, the recommended equipment, usage, tips, etc. may not be suitable for everyone, you still have to try it yourself. All in all, as long as it feels not tailor-made for you, don’t take the trail.

Finally, set out to enjoy nature!