Backpacking Base Weight – What it is and how to lower it
Base weight in backpacking is the amount of weight in a hiker’s backpack minus consumables like food, water, and fuel. A lower base weight is desirable because it affords more comfort and allows a hiker more agility. Ultralight backpackers pay extra attention to this and can have a base weight less than 8 pounds.
Items such as your backpack, tent, and sleeping bag are considered part of your backpacking base weight. Most experienced hikers try to keep their base weight low to enable them to move faster and/or carry more weight in consumables. This is common on long-distance trails like the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail where comfort and pace can be of extreme importance.
How to Lower your Backpacking Base Weight
The first option for reducing your backpacking base weight is to toss aside some things you do not need. Most of us carry something extra we might need, just in case. Reassess what you are carrying and determine if you really need it, or if you just want it.
Perhaps you carry a hatchet, which is great for camping but not a necessity. If you need to build a fire, there are usually enough fallen dead limbs to work with so you can probably eliminate it.
Do you carry a folding camping chair? If so, you don’t need it. You can always find a place to sit, such as a stump or rock or maybe in your tent or on your sleeping pad. Or you can use a sit pad, like the Redcamp foldable seat, which is much lighter than any camp chair. It might not be as comfortable for sitting around camp, but it will be more comfortable to carry during your hike.
These are just a couple of examples, so take some time and see what you can do without. You might easily find your base weight a few pounds lighter without having to spend a dime.
Invest in lighter gear
If you are looking to reduce your base weight by buying lighter gear, it will likely involve reaching deeper into your pockets, but it can be a price worth paying when it comes to your comfort.
The four big items a hiker carries when backpacking are their backpack, tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. Look at these items first for the biggest boost in weight reduction of your base weight. When deciding on what piece of gear to upgrade first, factor in the cost-to-weight reduction ratio and whether the item will bring you extra comfort.
For example: Your tent may be the heaviest item you are carrying, but your sleeping bag will only keep you warm down to 40-degrees. Your sleeping bag may not reduce as much weight initially, but it can bring you extra comfort when trying to stay warm, meaning you may not need to carry as many clothing layers, thus reducing your base weight even further.
If you have the money to replace all your gear with lighter options at one time, by all means, go ahead, but you can easily drop $1,000 of more. However you plan to upgrade your gear, be sure to do plenty of research before spending money so you feel comfortable with your decision.
Upgrading your backpack
If you decide to upgrade your backpack to a lighter or ultralight option, make sure the pack is comfortable and can carry all the weight you plan to take. Some backpacks may have a recommended weight capacity of only 25 pounds, and while the pack may be comfortable initially, pushing the weight beyond its limit can make for an uncomfortable hike.
A great, ultralight backpack that won’t break the bank is the Dan Durston 40L from Drop on Amazon. It only weighs 32oz, so as long as it has enough capacity to fit your gear, this is a winner.
For two additional great lightweight backpacks, check out my comparison of The Granite Gear Crown2 vs the Osprey Exos.
Upgrading your tent
Upgrading a tent to something lighter can be a hard choice because of so many variations in design. Do you want a lighter freestanding tent or a tent you need to set up with your trekking poles? Perhaps you want to use a tarp in place of a tent altogether or, if you are hiking somewhere that has a shelter, you can forego carrying any kind of shelter.
There are a lot of great options for ultralight tents. Here is my list of recommendations, but If you want a lightweight tent and are limited on funds, you might be interested in the MIER Ultralight 2P tent or the 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2. Both are two-person tents, so they offer enough space for a solo hiker and their gear (or two people minus gear), and both come in under 3 pounds.
Upgrading your sleeping bag
And if you are still carrying a hefty Coleman tent you bought from Wal-Mart years ago, then you know these sleeping bags and other cheap options are not backpacker friendly. They can weigh 3 or 4 pounds and you might be lucky to pack it down to the size of a basketball.
Fortunately, you can find budget-friendly sleeping bags on Amazon that are lightweight and pack down tight. My first sleeping bag for backpacking was this REVALCAMP sleeping bag. It weighs less than 3 pounds, packs down to a manageable size, and cost less than $30. It isn’t the warmest bag, but it worked great for gauging my interest in backpacking.
If you have a bigger budget, take a look at the G1 sleeping bag from Aegismax. It has down fill and weighs around 25 ounces and cost around $130. Or, for about 40 extra dollars, you can get a custom made Economy Burrow Quilt from Hammock Gear that weighs less than 18 ounces.
You can also check out my Top 10 Recommendations for an Ultralight Sleeping Bag or Quilt if you want some great additional options.
Upgrading your sleeping pad
There are also many options with sleeping pads that can help reduce your base weight. Foam pads can be very light, but they are bulky. Inflatable sleeping pads can be ultralight, but they can cost upward to $200. Bottom line, don’t skimp on what makes you comfortable to save a few ounces. What’s the point of reducing weight if you aren’t going to be comfortable doing so?
The Insulated Air Core from Big Agnes is a great option for a lightweight sleeping pad. It isn’t the lightest pad available but at only 22oz, it offers plenty of warmth and cushioning, and only costs around $100.
For other ideas on upgrading your sleeping pad, check out my 6 best sleeping pads for side sleepers. Though this list targets side sleepers, the pads inside are all-around great options.
Note: For help calculating base weight, check out weighmygear.com.
What is a good base weight to aim for?
A good backpacking base weight is 15lbs, which does not require ultralight gear to achieve. However, 10 – 12lbs is a great goal to aim for, being a happy medium between comfort and weight.
There is no definitive answer for what an ultralight base weight is, but anything under 10lbs will generally be considered so. Achieving this base weight will require some ultralight gear and/or going without some items you are used to carrying.
The Disadvantage
The disadvantage of lowering your base weight is it may require going without something you are used to having. However, most avid hikers discover with enough experience that there are items they do not need or can at least do without. This sometimes mean sacrificing luxury items, but in the long run, most would agree lowering their base weight was a good decision.
Conclusion
Whether you decide lowering your backpacking base weight is the right choice or not, the main thing to consider is always your comfort. It should always be the number one when it comes to any piece of backpacking gear, be it your backpack, your sleeping pad, your tent, or whatever. If you aren’t comfortable doing without some items to lower your base weight, then keep them, or at least wait until you have enough experience to determine if you should discard it from your pack.
If thru-hiking is in your future, I recommend finding a way to be comfortable with a lower base weight. Doing so will reduce the fatigue on your body and lower your chance of injury.
