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Lightweight backpacking requires that all of the materials in the backpack total between ten to twenty pounds. In order to achieve that weight a backpacker has to plan wisely, not only purchasing lightweight gear, but also packing the food and water for the trip wisely. The key things to remember about lightweight backpacking food are to pack flat, and remove all excess air and packaging.

Packing Flat

It is important to buy lightweight containers so that the food and water supplies may truly be lightweight backpacking food. The best thing about food is that it is consumed, so the weight it adds to the pack diminishes during the course of the trip. The downside is that the containers that the food is stored in still have to be carried back home.

When in the market for a lightweight backpacking stove, there are a lot of options to choose from as well as information to consider before purchasing a stove. Lightweight backpacking stoves start at about three ounces and go up from there. Some models are made more for snowy weather and high altitudes, where others are made to make a quick meal on a day hike. Some stoves you can purchase at a store and others, especially for hard core backpackers, can be made from scratch.

Weather Conditions

A person with a serious interest in lightweight backpacking has to purchase lightweight backpacking gear. With traditional equipment, it is almost impossible to keep the weight of the pack within the ten to twenty pound range required for lightweight backpacking. With the increase of technology, it is much easier to find lightweight backpacking food, equipment, stoves, tents, clothing, etc.

A Matter of Planning

Lightweight backpacking gear consists of the large items needed to camp and that take up the majority of the weight in the pack. Next are the smaller items that are also essential, but are smaller items that don’t add substantial weight to the pack.

‘Lightweight’ and ‘boots’ do not seem to go in the same sentence together. However, with the lightweight backpacking movement, lightweight backpacking boots have also been developed to keep up with the trend. When a lightweight backpacker is attempting to keep his/her pack under twenty pounds, it only makes sense that he/she would not want to be carrying three pounds each on his/her feet.

Not too long ago, the standard hiking boot weighed anywhere from three to five pounds and were made strictly of leather that had to be water-proofed correctly to stay dry no matter what the weather. You can still find this type of boot today, but there are so many other options to fit the specific needs of the backpacker, lightweight packers do not typically go with this style any longer.

Lightweight backpacking requires updated gear in order to keep the base weight of the pack (without consumable supplies like food) under twenty pounds. Lightweight backpacking equipment is key, since in covers all of the essentials needed to camp and cook in some of the most beautiful places in the world.

The Big Gear

There are three essentials that every backpacker needs to consider in the big gear lightweight backpacking equipment. The first, and some might say most essential ingredient, is the right pack. Most backpacking enthusiasts have several packs that they can choose from according to the specifications of the trip. Each pack needs to be lightweight but durable, able to withstand multiple types of extreme weather conditions. It also must be strong enough to carry at least twenty pounds (after food and water has been added to the base supplies) and should have multiple straps and buckles where the backpacker can tie on multiple supplies to the outside of the pack in addition to the pockets and space within. The backpack must fit the hiker properly, and employees of shops specializing in lightweight backpacking equipment are able to help backpackers get fitted in and choose the perfect pack for backpacking, hiking on a day trip, or going on an expedition.

Whether you are new to the hiking and backpacking experience or you are a seasoned camper, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that lightweight backpacking will be more enjoyable during the hiking part of the trip than carrying a heavy load. Since a backpacker has to pack in and pack out all of the supplies that he or she needs, it is essential that each backpack is packed with care so that all camping needs are covered and no extra weight is added to the pack with non-essentials.