You ever get back from a long backpacking trip, drop your heavy pack on the floor, and wonder why the hell you packed that extra fleece jacket that you never wore? Oh and all those power bars that you never ate? And the three packets of wet wipes that you stuffed in the side pocket and totally forgot about? Well I know I have, and that’s why I’ve made it my mission to curtail some of that extra gear that only slows me down.
Yes, it’s true that most of us could probably be carrying more than 20% of our body weight, despite the common hiking myth to the contrary, but it still feels better to walk with a lighter pack. Naturally, you need some form of a sleep system – a sleeping bag or camping quilt, a sleeping pad or alternative and a shelter like a tent, bivy sack or tarp. You need food and water and a first aid kit, too, but there are lots of extraneous items within and outwith those categories that you’ll honestly probably be perfectly comfortable camping without. Read on to find out which backpacking non-essentials you can ditch for your next trek.
