That week on the Olympic Coast taught me to pack light

I used to bring everything including the kitchen sink on trips. Then I did the Shi Shi to Oil City route last July and my pack was 55 pounds. After day two I could barely stand up straight and I gave half my gear to a hiker turning around early. Now I'm down to 30 pounds max.

2 comments

2 Comments

lopez.jana26d ago

Oh man, 55 pounds is brutal. I did that same route last year and made the same mistake with a 45 pound pack. What really helped me was cutting down on clothes - I used to bring a separate outfit for every day and now I just bring two shirts and wash one in the creek. Also ditched the camp chair for a sit pad, saved like 3 pounds right there. My big game changer was swapping the heavy tent for a tarp shelter, but that's definitely not for everyone. Your 30 pound target sounds reasonable for that trail, especially with the water crossings where a lighter pack makes a huge difference.

carter.laura25d ago

I actually just read an article about how people overpack clothes on backpacking trips, like they're planning for a fashion show instead of getting dirty and sweaty... It's wild how much you can cut down when you realize you're just gonna smell bad anyway. I switched to a single pair of shorts and one long sleeve shirt for sun protection, and that saved me almost 4 pounds compared to my old setup. The sit pad thing is real too, I never understood why people lug those big camp chairs up a mountain when a foam pad does the same thing for a fraction of the weight.