Just got back from my first weekend trip in the Dales - I have done quite a lot of car camping but haven't been without the comforts that this allows for over a decade.
Reading the 'how light is your pack' thread has made me chuckle and realise that I am on the first step of a long journey - my pack for this trip was 20kg (ouch!) but I reckon that it's the best way to learn what I need to leave behind or replace.
My tent (24 year old) Vango Force 10 FW and Trangia (same age) still keep me dry and fed!
Weighty bits were spare clothes, bottle of wine and sleeping bag. I know ....excessive.....but I have to sleep somewhere !
Just wanted to say hi - this site has been a great find for me !
Hello, Mattw and welcome to the forum. I joined this site a while ago adamant that I would never go camping, not even car camping. Now I'm wild-camping! But I've picked up a huge amount of useful advice and info from the people on here, and learned from them on weekend meets. I'm rather glad that when I did my first wild-camp, I was using new gear and had learned enough from this site about going lightweight that my pack wasn't too bad (though I thnk my wallet felt bad!!).
Lightening up is fun and does'nt have to be expensive. Just keep your eye on the classifieds or ask for some particular piece of kit, someone is bound to be selling
20kg, that's impressive. Trangias and the old Force 10 tents are among the very best bits of kit ever produced in my opinion. Bomb proof construction and simple designs that will rarely fail. Just not all that suitable for backpacking due to the weight. I reckon the tent should be the first thing to be replaced.
A bit of advice I'd offer is not to get too bogged down with weights. While many people on here would cringe at the thought of carrying even a 15kg pack, provided you are fit and have a half-decent sac, this weight is ok to carry. Before you start spending lots of money, think about things that you carried that you didn't really need. For example with the spare clothes: do you need 5 spare fleeces? or would you actually be ok with just one? In a real emergency you must remember that you're also carrying a tent and sleeping bag which provide decent warmth. Think also about food. Avoid carrying wet stuff.
Mainly have fun. Whatever your system, make sure you enjoy it.
Thanks for the welcome and the advice - I know I have a long way to go but then again there are lots of weekends and even more hills, dales and mountains out there - so plenty of opportunities to lighten up.
I think that fundamentally the weight comes from some of the older kit - sleeping bag, pack, jacket. I know lugging a bottle of wine is excessive (tips above noted for next trip)but apart from that I didn't think I carried excessive clothes or food.
I'll have a look again at what I didn't use / wear and see where that gets me !
Ben - the tent weighs in at 2kg which considering that I am not going to ditch it for a tarp and loincloth combo I was thinking that this was ok for a while - in terms of reducing the weight the sleeping bag is definately target number 1 so any pointers on 3 season bags much appreciated !
Weighty bits were spare clothes, bottle of wine and sleeping bag. I know ....excessive.....but I have to sleep somewhere !
Sleeping in a wine bottle? Terrific idea... next time you could leave clothes, sleeping bag and tent behind.
Welcome to the forum, Matt! And as you have probably already realised, the quest to attain lightness is more of an obsession than a rational strategy (ask how many of us could lose a few pounds around the middle...). But the main ethos of leaving behind as much as you can is certainly going to make for more enjoyable, light-footed days in the hills.
