The Backpack That Almost Broke My Back
Last month’s hiking trip was the wake-up call. Dragged my usual 50L pack stuffed with “just in case” gear through three airports and a muddy trail. Sore shoulders. Sweaty back. Felt like a pack mule. Realized halfway that most crap I hauled? Never touched it once. Got home cranky and thought, “Gotta fix this dumb situation before the next trip.”
So, dug out every damn travel thing I own onto the living room floor. Looked like a gear explosion happened. Picked up each piece, one by one, and asked myself: “Did I actually use this last trip? Or the trip before?” Turns out, that extra pair of heavy jeans? Nope. The giant hardcover book? Uh-uh. Three separate charging bricks? Pure laziness. Half the stuff went straight into the donate pile. Felt lighter already, just seeing it gone.
Playing Gear Tetris in the Garage
Next step? Hunting down replacements for the bulky survivors. Started simple. Found this compact, quick-dry towel folded up tiny in the back of a drawer. Tossed the bulky cotton beach towel instantly. Dug out an old phone with a cracked screen – perfect for offline maps and music, way lighter than my giant new brick. Found those tiny reusable toiletry bottles buried under bathroom junk. Squeezed in shampoo and soap. Way better than carrying half-full bottles.
Then things got serious. Remembered a friend ranting about this “merino wool” stuff. Found a thin wool t-shirt on sale. Rolled it up. Couldn’t believe how small it packed, and wool? Supposedly doesn’t stink after days. Skeptical, but packed it. Biggest win was swapping the heavy hiking boots. Found these trail runners hiding in the closet. Lighter than my sneakers! Slid them on. Felt like cheating.
The Not-So-Graceful Trial Run
Took my shiny new “light” kit for a weekend test near home. Packed it all into a smaller 35L backpack I already had. Felt smug… until rain hit. Needed my rain jacket. Pulled it out. Still bulky as hell. Got soaked wrestling with it. Dumb move. Also learned the hard way I skipped a microfibre washcloth. Tried drying off with the tiny quick-dry towel after a creek dip. Stayed bent like a shrimp trying to reach my back corners. Felt ridiculous.
And water? Forgot a bottle! Ended up refilling an old plastic juice bottle I found. Drank creek water like an idiot. Made a mental list on the soggy hike back:
- Find a damn light rain jacket.
- Pack the damn washcloth.
- Do NOT forget water bottle.
The ULTRALIGHT Moment (Almost)
Went back online, less smug this time. Targeted the rain jacket first. Found one called a “shell” – felt like tissue paper when the package arrived. Seriously? Packed it down smaller than my sandwich. Also grabbed a reusable water bottle made from recycled something-or-other. Lighter than most plastic ones and didn’t taste weird. Double-checked the washcloth was in.
Just packed for the real trip next week. Here’s the final soldier list crammed into that 35L:
- 35L Backpack (old, but lighter than the monster)
- 3 Quick-dry tops (including the magic wool one)
- 2 Convertible hiking pants
- Paper-thin Rain Jacket
- Trail Runners (bye-bye boots)
- Sandals for showers
- Tiny Towel + Washcloth
- Micro Toiletry Bottles
- Old Phone + ONE charger
- Water Bottle (finally!)
- Small First-Aid kit (learned my lesson once)
Weighed the pack. Half of what I used to carry. Half! Shoulders already doing a happy dance. It’s not some minimalist guru setup, just dumb stuff cut out and bulky stuff swapped. Less crap to haul, less crap to lose, less crap stressing me out. Ready to actually enjoy the trip, not just survive carrying it. Should have done this years ago.
