An Adventurer’s Guide to Climbing Mount Elbrus

One of the most interesting of the Seven Peaks (the seven highest mountains on each continent), Mount Elbrus is a popular destination for climbers and adventurers from around the world.

Tucked in the Caucasus Mountains near the Russia-Georgia border, Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in all of Europe. But perhaps most impressively, it is also the tenth most prominent peak in the world (meaning that it is a rather “independent” mountain, that isn’t bordered by other high peaks).

Physically, Elbrus is a very impressive mountain. It has a permanent ice cap, which not only makes it a beautiful peak to appreciate from afar, this ice cap feeds more than 20 glaciers situated on and around the mountain. Elbrus actually has two peaks: The east summit stretches 5,621 meters (18,442 feet) into the sky, while the taller western summit climbs to a height of about 5,642 meters (18,510 feet).

Each peak is a dormant volcano. But don’t worry – the chances of either erupting while you are scrambling up the summit are exceedingly low. Elbrus was last thought to have erupted nearly 2,000 years ago.

Now that you know a little bit about the mountain, we’ll explain what you need to do to have a good chance of making it up the summit.

Getting to Mount Elbrus

You can climb Elbrus as part of a guided commercial expedition, or you can climb the mountain on your own. If you elect to join a group, you’ll need to follow their recommended itinerary, and meet up with the party in the designated location. Independent climbers can also have a great time summiting Elbrus, but you must be sure to plan your trip carefully if you wish to make it up the mountain on your own.

No matter where your journey begins, you’ll need to start by traveling to Moscow, situated some 870 miles away from Mount Elbrus, or Istanbul, which is about 150 miles closer to the mountain. From one of these two places, you’ll need to board a plane and fly into Nalchik Airport, although some tour groups meet at or fly into Mineralnye Vody Airport instead.

From there, you’ll need to board a minibus and travel to one of three towns located near the mountain. Terskol is the largest of the three and provides the most amenities, but some travelers chose to travel to Cheget or Azau – the closest of the three to Elbrus – instead. It’ll take you between one and three hours to reach these destinations from the airport.

At this point, you’ll head directly to Elbrus and begin preparing to summit the mountain.

Routes to the Summit

There are several different routes to the summit of Elbrus, but two – one that climbs up the north face, and another which climbs up the south face — are by far the most popular. The eastern and western routes up to the summit are typically only attempted by seasoned and skilled climbers, who’ve already accomplished both of the common routes.

South Side of the Mountain

The South Side of Elbrus is the most popular way to reach the summit. It is also the route by which most people have success. Whereas climbers who tackle the north side of the mountain only succeed about half of the time, climbers scaling the south side of the mountain are successful approximately 90% of the time. The south side of the mountain can also be completed more quickly than the north side.

The south route begins in Azau. Unlike most other climbing routes around the world, the south route up Mount Elbrus features a number of cable cars and chairlifts that will not only carry you most of the way up the mountain, they’ll also haul your pack. This means you will only need to carry your day pack while climbing.

There are several camps along the route, including three different barrel camps, constructed from large, circular metal containers.

Mir Station, located at about 11,500 feet (3,500 meters), is the first and most crowded of the camps, as day hikers and skiers often stop here before turning around and heading back down the mountain. There are plenty of amenities at Mir Station, including souvenir and coffee shops (be sure to use this opportunity to charge your phone). However, if you aren’t suffering from altitude sickness, and you don’t have a compelling reason to do so, it is generally wise to keep heading up the mountain without stopping.

The second set of barrels is located at Garabashi Station, situated about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) above sea level. You can hike from Mir to Garabashi, but most climbers will instead prefer to take the chairlift between the two camps. Garabashi represents the terminus for the motorized lift system, and it is a good location to acclimatize and prepare for the summit push. This is one of the last places to charge your phone or buy a cup of coffee, so take advantage of these opportunities as necessary.

You can hop aboard a snowcat at this point, and it’ll take you up to about 15,500 feet (4,700 meters). You’ll have to pay for the privilege of doing so, but it does shorten the length of time you’ll need to reach the summit. Nevertheless, most mountaineers will not feel like they’ve truly completed the summit by utilizing these motorized vehicles, so serious adventurers generally stay on foot.

Many climbers make the final push for the summit from Garabashi, but others continue farther to the third camp – Shelter Maria, located at about 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) – before attempting to reach the summit. Shelter Maria provides fewer amenities than the lower camps do, but you’ll have access to a gas stove all day and night long, and you’ll even have electricity during the day. There is not, however, a water supply for this camp, so you’ll need to melt snow for drinking water.

Regardless of which camp you choose to make your final push from, you’ll need to start early. Most expeditions begin the final summit sometime between 12:00 and 3:00 am. This gives you enough time to get to the summit and back down to the highest chairlift before it stops running around 4:00 pm.

Assuming you start at Garabashi, it’ll take you about 8 hours to reach the summit, and then an extra 4 to 5 hours to climb back down to the chairlift.

North Side of the Mountain

Climbing up the north face of Elbrus is far more challenging than climbing the southern face, and relatively few climbers opt for this route. Only those with a significant amount of experience climbing snowy peaks should attempt it without a guide.

There aren’t any cable cars or chair lifts on the northern side of the mountain, so you’ll be forced to haul your gear up 10,000 vertical feet from base camp to the summit.

There are also several significant hazards that climbers must negotiate on the way up the north side of the mountain. There are several large and dangerous crevasses, and the north side’s steeper slope makes avalanches more likely too.

Additionally, the summit push itself is incredibly long on the north side of the mountain and stretches for about 6,000 vertical feet.

Trip Timing

Most climbers scale Elbrus during the summer – primarily between the months of June and September. July is likely the single most popular month during which people climb the mountain, but many climbers find it easier and safer to climb during June, while there is still plenty of snow on the ground.

A few guide services do schedule climbs during the winter, but the very low temperatures make this a challenging endeavor. Oftentimes, the temperatures will fall to less than -40 degrees Fahrenheit during the long winter nights.

How Hard Is It to Climb Elbrus?

Elbrus is considered one of the easiest of the Seven Summits in many ways, but it also presents a number of unique challenges to climbers.

The climb doesn’t require a lot of technical climbing. Most adventurers – even those who don’t have much mountaineering experience – can learn the necessary ice ax skills “on the job,” while climbing up the mountain. Bad weather, however, can make climbing the mountain much more difficult and hazardous. And because the weather on Elbrus is very unpredictable, there are always risks associated with the climb.

Additionally, climbers will face a pretty difficult summit push when trying to ascend Elbrus – many experienced climbers even consider the summit push one of the most difficult of any of the Seven Summits. This is primarily because there aren’t any camps at high altitudes, so you’ll need to climb more than 6,000 vertical feet to reach the top.

Staying Safe During Your Trip

Safety should always be at the forefront of your mind during any trip – you don’t want to have to cut your trip short because you become sick or injured before getting the chance to reach the summit. In addition to incorporating the same safety practices you’d use on any trip, you’ll want to do the following things when trying to climb Elbrus.

• Register with the Elbrus Rescue Center upon arriving. They will give you the chance to share your contact information with them, as well as the date on which you intend to finish your climb. If you do not return or contact the center by this time, they’ll begin mobilizing a rescue effort.
• Make sure you bring cash with you when heading to the mountain. There aren’t many ATMs in the vicinity of Elbrus, and those that are in the area frequently run out of cash during the summer season.
• Speak with your doctor before traveling to southwest Asia. Some healthcare providers may recommend that you receive vaccinations for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and rabies before traveling to the Caucasus region.
• As with any other adventure, travel with a group if possible. This will reduce the chances that you’ll be the victim of a crime while making your way to the mountain, and it’ll help provide additional safety while scrambling up the summit too.
• Be sure that someone back home knows your itinerary and your intended date of return. This way, they can contact the authorities if you don’t make it back on time.

Avoiding Altitude Sickness

Anytime you undertake a high-altitude adventure, you need to be careful to avoid altitude sickness. It is impossible to completely eliminate the possibility that you’ll be stricken with the illness, but you can do a few things to help improve your chances of staying healthy on your trip up the mountain.

The amount of oxygen available falls with increasing altitude. By the time you reach 8,000 to 12,000 feet, the levels become low enough to cause health problems. In fact, prolonged oxygen deprivation is essentially the cause of the altitude sickness.

Your body can cope with reduced oxygen levels to some degree – many people live their entire life above 8,000 feet. But if you’ve lived around sea level for most of your life, you’ll need to acclimatize (allow your body to adjust to reduced oxygen levels) gradually. There are hard limits; nobody can acclimatize enough to live normally above 18,000 feet or so. But most people should be able to cope with the low oxygen levels encountered while scaling Mount Elbrus.

The most important thing to do to acclimatize as effectively as possible is to spend as much time as you can at a given elevation before increasing your height. It may be wise to stay in Cheget, Azau or Terskol for a week or more before beginning your ascent. Azau, for example, is 7,700 feet (2,350 meters) above sea level, which is already pretty 50% higher than Denver.

Some of those who climb Elbrus begin by first climbing nearby Cheget Mountain, which climbs to about 11,800 feet (3,600 meters). Terskol offers another acclimatization opportunity, as it is home to Terskol Observatory, which sits a little over 10,000 feet (3048 meters) above sea level. Climbing Cheget Mountain or hiking to the Terskol Observatory will help your body acclimatize and set you up for a successful summit, but be sure to take it slow and let your body adjust gradually.

But if you don’t want to do any of these things, you’ll just need to proceed slowly, and be sure to descend promptly if the symptoms become serious. It is also wise to speak with your doctor before attempting the climb, as he or she may be able to help you know how your body will react and what symptoms if any, you need to watch for. Your doctor may even be willing to prescribe medications that can help eliminate the symptoms of altitude sickness.

Packing and Preparing for Your Trip

In many ways, your Mount Elbrus pack list will resemble the pack list needed for most other mountain adventures. As always, be sure to follow any advice provided by your guide service (if you are going with a professional group), and tailor the list to suit your specific needs.

Clothing

• Heavyweight base layers (top and bottom)
• Lightweight base layers (top and bottom)
• Warm socks (at least two pairs)
• Fleece or synthetic mid-layers (top and bottom)
• Raingear (including a jacket and pants)
• Heavy outer coat
• Hiking pants (lightweight)
• Long sleeve shirts (at least two)
• Winter gloves
• Winter mittens (for summiting)
• Winter hat
• Warm-weather hat
• Cotton t-shirt and shorts (for use during traveling)
• Hiking boots
• High-altitude mountaineering boots
• Sandals/camp shoes
• High-rise gaiters
• Sunglasses
• Ski goggles

Equipment

• Ice ax
• Crampons
• 90- to 120-liter duffle bag
• Carabiners
• Climbing harness
• Daypack
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping Pad
• Stuff Sacks
• Water bottle/hydration system
• First-aid kit
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Propane stove
• Mess kit
• Trekking Poles
• Toiletries
• GPS / Compass / Map
• Route guide
• Camera
• Water filter/purification tablets
• Lighter / fire starter
• Multi-tool

Tips for Traveling to Russia

Many of the most alluring mountain peaks and other natural points of interest are located in potentially dangerous areas, but Mount Elbrus’ location – near the Russia-Georgia border – is a particularly hazardous one.

Accordingly, you’ll need to consider whether or not it is wise to make the trip; and if you do make the journey, you must plan it very carefully to give yourself the best chances of a problem-free adventure. This means, among other things, embracing the following tips:

• You’ll need to obtain a Russian visa to gain entry to the country. Russian visas can take some time to secure, so be sure to start the process well before your intended departure date.
• The U.S. State Department actually recommends that citizens completely avoid traveling to the North Caucasus region. In fact, the State Department specifically warns against climbing Mount Elbrus, as doing so requires you to travel through very dangerous areas, which U.S. government employees are not allowed to visit.
• The U.S. State Department explains that terrorism, civil unrest and targeted harassment are all quite common in the region. Additionally, westerners traveling through the Caucasus are often kidnapped and held for ransom by local gangs.
• The U.S. State Department also cautions that American citizens may experience problems with government officials while traveling to Russia. Extortion of U.S. citizens is common, and officials frequently prevent detained individuals from communicating with the U.S. Embassy in a timely manner. Additionally, the number of U.S. diplomats stationed in Russia is very low, further complicating matters.
• Extreme caution is advised whenever visiting a place that westerners are known to frequent.
• It is likely safer to travel with an experienced and reputable guide service, who already has financial, governmental and personal relationships in the area.

Mount Elbrus is certainly one of the most interesting of the Seven Summits. It presents a few unique challenges, including significant dangers related to terrorism and crime, but the mountain also provides a few unique creature comforts – like chairlifts and coffee shops — that few of the other seven do.

So, as with any other adventure, be sure that you plan carefully and learn as much about the destination as you can before your journey begins.

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The Ultimate Guide to Geocaching

Spending time in the great outdoors is all of the entertainment some hikers and campers need to have a great time. Between the sights and sounds of the natural world and the relaxed pace of the natural world, many people are content to just take it all in.

But some of us like having a little more to do when enjoying the wilderness. You may be delighted by the beauty surrounding you and happy to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, but once the tent is pitched and the campfire smoldering, you can’t help but feel a little bored.

Fortunately, there are a number of great ways to have fun while hiking or camping. Below, we’ll talk about geocaching — one of the most rewarding (and occasionally challenging) activities to enjoy during your next adventure.

What Is Geocaching?

In a nutshell, geocaching is a game-like activity in which you hunt for treasure.

But, instead of using a treasure map, you will use a GPS device to find the loot. And instead of gold or riches, the treasure will usually consist of a journal and collection of interesting knick-knacks left by those who came before you.

The object of the game is to find various geocaches – typically a small to medium-sized plastic or metal box – hidden in various places all over the world. To find the cache, you’ll have to use a combination of clues and GPS coordinates. Once you find the geocache, you’ll usually sign the included journal and leave a brief note about finding the cache.

Additionally, many geocaches also contain a variety of small items other geocaching participants have left. Typically, you’ll be encouraged to take one of the items and leave a new one of your own. Some of the items may be rather random, but others will likely have some sentimental value to the person who left them.

Over time, many items will migrate from one geocache to the next, as participants collect them and then place them in other geocaches. For example, a can of beans (often called the “original can of beans,”) that was placed in one of the very first geocaches ever documented has traveled all over the U.S. Some of these types of famous items can actually be tracked, so that you can try to find them yourself.

Some geocaches are placed in relatively easily accessed areas in cities or suburbs, but most of those that outdoor enthusiasts will encounter are placed in state parks, national forests and other out-of-the-way locations.

Geocaching first began around the year 2000, as GPS units became increasingly affordable and common. The activity formerly went by a variety of names, including GPSstashing, before the community settled on the term geocaching.

How Do You Participate?

The first thing you’ll want to do is to find a geocache listing site that covers your area (or the area in which you’ll be traveling). A simple Google search should produce several different listing sites from which you can choose (although geocaching.com is a good place for most novices to get their feet wet).

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the procedures and protocols of the site and follow all of the rules listed. Pick one of the caches that seems to be in your area and get to work.

Some caches will require you to solve puzzles or decode ciphers to reveal the coordinates of the cache, while others simply provide you with the coordinates right off the bat. Just select the style that most appeals to you. Some geocaching sites and societies may charge a nominal fee (or accept donations), which help to offset the costs of managing the site, but others allow you to participate for free.

What Do You Need to Geocache?

Part of the appeal of geocaching is that you don’t need much equipment to participate. Basically, you’ll need the following items:

A Handheld GPS Device

The primary piece of equipment you’ll need to geocache is a handheld GPS unit. It needn’t be especially expensive or packed with features – just about any model that will determine your location accurately will work. However, models that include tracking features and allow you to store waypoints, routes and other data are generally preferred.

Be sure that you select a model that will hold up to the rigors of trail life. You don’t want your GPS to stop working because you dropped it on a rock or because the humidity in the forest reaches saturated levels. Some GPS units are designed to stand up to these types of indignities, but others can be protected through the use of a padded, waterproof cover.

A Smartphone, Tablet or Laptop Computer

You’ll often need to check the listing site that provides coordinates and clues to a geocache’s location, and the best way to do this is with a cell phone (or, if you prefer, a tablet or laptop). A cell phone will also allow you to consult maps of the area or post messages on the listing site once you find your treasure. Cellphones also provide obvious safety value, which you should always keep in mind while exploring the wilderness.

Note that many modern cellphones provide GPS capabilities, so you may not need to carry a separate GPS and cellphone.

Basic Outdoor Equipment

The rest of the gear you’ll need will depend on where you are looking for a geocache. If you are looking for a geocache in a suburban park half a mile from your home, you won’t need much more than a pair of walking shoes and some comfortable clothing. However, your geocaching adventures may take you much further from the beaten path, thereby necessitating a bit more gear.

You should always bring water along anytime you venture into the wilderness, but you can use your own judgment when deciding what else to bring. The following items may be helpful:

• Comfortable hiking clothes
• Hiking boots or good walking shoes
• Small first aid kit
• Daypack
• Snacks
• Trekking Poles
• Camera

What Kind of Containers Are Used for Geocaching?

A variety of different containers are used for geocaches. In fact, this is part of what makes the activity so fun and challenging – you’ll rarely know exactly what you’re looking for.

Many geocaches are stored in military ammunition boxes. Typically, these boxes are covered in official geocaching stickers and they’re occasionally painted or decorated in other ways. Ammunition boxes are ideal for larger geocaches, as they will hold a fair number of trinkets, and they protect the contents from the elements. Additionally, most ammunition boxes are built from very robust materials, which ensures they’ll last for years.

However, other geocaches utilize different types of containers. Some are comprised of a simple plastic storage box, while other participants create custom-built boxes. Some of the most challenging geocaches to find are small ones – the smallest geocaches are often about the size of a film canister!

Note that geocaches are typically partially hidden in the landscape, and the very best ones are often the most challenging to find. In fact, geocaches should always be placed in out-of-sight locations, at least with respect to the primary trails and recreational areas in the vicinity.

Where Are the Best Places to Participate?

Geocaches can be placed in a variety of places, but they should always be located on public property. This ensures that anyone can seek them out and it prevents you from having to trespass to participate. In fact, geocaches should not be placed in any place that requires you to cross private property to reach, either.

Given this, national parks, national forests, state parks and small municipal parks are some of the most common places in which geocaches are hidden. Just start searching by looking in your general area, and then try to pick one or more of the most appealing caches to search for.

General Geocaching Tips

Geocaching is a pretty simple activity that doesn’t require participants to possess a lot of equipment, experience or knowledge. You can get started at any time and start having fun almost immediately.

But, there are a few important things you’ll want to keep in mind to make the most of the experience and ensure you don’t get in the way of anyone else’s good time.

• Some participants leave “hitchhikers” in geocaches instead of more typical trinkets. Hitchhikers are generally small items that bear the logo of a town or park. They’re designed to be carried by participants from one geocache to the next so that they eventually turn up in some exotic location. If you take a hitchhiker, be sure that you perpetuate its journey and place it in another geocache, located somewhere else.
• Always bring a small trinket with you to swap out for one of the items in the geocache. Never take anything unless you have something to leave in exchange.
• Remember that many children participate in geocaching, so only leave family-friendly trinkets or messages in the container.
• Never move a geocache – even if it wasn’t located exactly where it was supposed to be, or you had great difficulty finding it. If you truly believe there is something wrong with the location, contact the listing site and bring it to their attention.
• Always employ leave-no-trace practices when searching for a geocache. While most outdoor enthusiasts will agree that it is fine to leave an unobtrusive geocache in a natural habitat, no one wants to see litter scattered around the geocache site. This would also take some of the fun out of finding the geocache, as the trash would lead you right to it.
• Never spoil the hunt for anyone else. Finding the geocache on your own is part of the appeal of the activity – nobody wants to have that ruined by someone who blurts out the location of the cache.
• Make sure to note the size of the cache before you select a trinket to leave behind. Some caches are too small to leave anything behind; you’ll just have to sign the log and move on. Others are large enough to contain relatively big trinkets. You can’t always determine the size of the cache from a listing site, but many will provide clues.

Geocaching is a fun and exciting way to pass the time while you are enjoying the great outdoors, and people of all ages and experience levels can participate. So, grab your GPS, find a good listing site in your area and get out there and start looking for treasure. You never know what you’ll find inside the next geocache you open.

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Weight Saving Strategies for Your Next Backpacking Adventure

Whether you are a weekend warrior, who’d like to figure out how to lighten your pack a bit, or you spend weeks on the trail at a time, and you need to find ways to shave every possible ounce, most backpackers will have more fun on the trail with a lighter pack.

A lighter pack will not only help you travel farther on your next adventure, it’ll allow you to cover ground faster, enjoy better balance and safety while hiking, and feel better after the day’s hike is over too. So, no matter what type of backpacking you enjoy, try to employ some of the following tips and tricks the next time you are filling your pack.

How Much Should Your Pack Weigh?

Ideally, your pack should weigh as little as possible, while still containing everything you may need during your camping trip. But new backpackers often have no idea what a reasonable pack weight is.

Most experienced backpackers use the 20% rule – your pack shouldn’t weigh more than 20% of your body weight. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll want to have a pack that weighs about 40 pounds or less. This isn’t always possible (particularly for very small backpackers), but it is a good target weight range.

Some campers like to break the items in their pack down into two categories: Your “base” pack, which includes your tent, sleeping bag, clothing and other items that you’ll pack in and pack out, and the “consumable” items, which includes things like food and some toiletries.

Splitting up your pack into these two categories allows you to better target the unnecessarily heavy portions of your pack. It may, for example, let you determine that your “base” pack weighs a reasonable amount, but you are bringing too much food. Some campers may find themselves facing the opposite problem.

Generally speaking, you’ll want your base pack to weigh less than 30 pounds, although small backpackers may need to shoot for a slightly lighter load. Many backpackers who embrace “lightweight” techniques like to get their base pack under 20 pounds, and hardcore “ultralight” campers usually aim to get their base pack below 10 pounds.

Achieving these super-lightweight base packs will take plenty of work, and you’ll usually have to spend a bit of money on high-end camping gear, but it is possible. It will, however, require you to sacrifice camp comfort in a number of ways, so be sure that you weigh the pros and cons of pack weight carefully before starting.

15 Helpful Tricks for Shedding Weight from Your Pack

Fifteen of the best load-lightening tricks around are listed below. You probably won’t be able to employ all of these tips, but most backpackers should be able to embrace a couple, which should allow you to enjoy a lighter pack on your next trip.

1. Opt for Dehydrated Foods Whenever Possible

Food represents the bulk of the weight from the “consumables” portion of your pack – toothpaste and toilet paper don’t really represent a ton of weight. Accordingly, your food represents a great place to target when trying to shed unnecessary weight.

But you need to understand an important point first: It isn’t really your food that is very heavy – it is the water inside your food that is responsible for the bulk of the weight. So, by simply foregoing fresh fruits, vegetables and meats in favor of dehydrated versions of these items, you’ll be able to shave a significant amount of weight.

There are a number of dehydrated camping foods on the market, but you can also make dehydrated fruits or meat jerkies yourself.

2. Swap Out Your Utensils for Chopsticks

Not all weight-saving strategies will knock pounds off your pack weight; some will only help you shave an ounce or two. But ounces add up, and if you are serious about lightening your pack, you’ll need to embrace weight-saving strategies that get big results, as well as those that provide more modest weight savings.

Relying on chopsticks instead of the knife and fork that typically come with camping mess kits is a good way to accomplish the latter. You’ll likely still need a spoon, but if you prepare your camping food properly (meaning that you pre-cut any large meats or vegetables into bite-size pieces), you’ll find chopsticks will effectively replace a fork and knife.

Chopsticks weigh practically nothing, and, if you use unfinished sticks, you can simply burn them on your last night at camp (this won’t save you much weight on the trip back to the trailhead, but every ounce counts). Chopsticks won’t cost you anything either – just ask for an extra pair the next time you order Chinese or Thai takeout and toss them in your pack.

3. Swap Out Your Synthetic Sleeping Bag for One Stuffed with Down

The choice between natural and synthetic fibers is a hotly debated subject among serious backpackers and hikers. In practice, both options present different benefits and drawbacks. Synthetics are usually lighter than natural fibers, and they usually continue to work when they’re wet. Natural fibers, on the other hand, are often more affordable and they’re usually quite effective when dry (wool is an anomaly, as it continues to insulate well when it’s wet).

However, in terms of weight savings, down is one of the best sleeping bag fillers you can select. Down sleeping bags provide a better warmth-to-weight ratio than most synthetic-based sleeping bags do, and they’re also quite comfortable too.

You will have to take steps to protect a down sleeping bag from moisture, as it won’t keep you very warm if it gets wet. So, you may want to store your down sleeping bag in a waterproof stuff sack or apply a water-repelling product to the outside.

4. Leave the Sleeping Pad at Home, or Go with a Three-Quarter Model

Shedding unnecessary pack weight occasionally requires you to be ruthless when deciding which things you need, and which things you can get by without. Your sleeping pad is a perfect example.

Some backpackers will decide a sleeping pad isn’t completely necessary. You don’t want to sleep directly on the ground if you can help it, as the ground will draw heat from your body (unless, of course, you are camping during the dog days of summer, when the cool ground would be a benefit). Also, the ground is obviously not a terribly comfortable surface for sleeping.

However, if you spend five minutes collecting flexible conifer boughs, place them on the ground beneath your tent, and cover them with a small tarp, you can enjoy a pretty comfortable sleeping spot, without having to lug a sleeping pad with you on the trail.

If you can’t imagine going camping without a sleeping pad, you can likely still save a bit of weight by choosing a three-quarter-sized model, rather than a full-length pad. Just place the pad under your head and torso, and then use your pack to prop up your feet and legs. In fact, doing so may also help your feet feel a little better after a long day on the trail.

5. Don’t Carry Unnecessary Amounts of Water

You obviously need to carry water with you on the trail, but you should be careful to avoid bringing more than necessary. This is especially true for that backpacking in eastern forests or other areas in which water is ubiquitous. If you are going to cross or walk alongside a stream or creek every half hour or so, you don’t need to worry about carrying a gallon of water – just replenish your stores as necessary while making your way down the trail.

Clearly, you’ll need to use sound judgment when taking this approach – you don’t want to underestimate your water needs and find yourself in a bind. But because water is such a heavy supply, it certainly makes sense to avoid carrying any more than is absolutely necessary.

Note that this is not a good practice for those hiking in arid regions, where water is difficult to find. It is far wiser to carry more water than necessary than it is to tempt fate in this manner.

6. Skip the Second Pair of Shoes

Just about every beginning camping book provides a similar piece of advice: Bring sandals, flip-flops or some other type of slip-on shoe that you can wear around camp. This is pretty good advice, as it’ll help keep your tent cleaner (no one wants to take their boots off every time they go inside), and it’ll help protect your feet better than going barefoot would.

However, if you are really interested in shaving every possible ounce from your pack, it is generally wise to skip the camp shoes. You’ll have to walk around camp barefoot or just keep your hiking boots on, but you’ll usually find it necessary to make sacrifices when trying to save weight.

Some minimalist-minded backpackers will take the laces out of their boots while in camp to make them easier to slip on and off. This can be a bit time-consuming, but it is a pretty good workaround for those who don’t want to haul camp shoes in their pack.

7. Scale Back Your Mess Kit

Most experienced backpackers have a trusty mess kit that is comprised of several different items. And while there are plenty of high-end mess kits that weigh very little and skip any unnecessary components, most mass-market mess kits will come with a large pot, a smaller pan, utensils and a plastic cup. Some may even include plates too.

But if you are trying to shave weight from your pack, you’ll want to leave most of these things at home. We already discussed swapping out your fork and knife for chopsticks, but you can also get rid of the plates and pans that come with the kit. If you want to save weight, you’ll need to use one pot for all of your cooking and eating.

Additionally, the small plastic cups that come with many entry-level mess kits are essentially worthless. Leave the plastic cup (which may melt if filled with hot coffee) at home and pick up a camping mug that is campfire-safe instead.

8. Eliminate Any Redundant Items

It’s often wise to embrace redundancy where safety is concerned, but you typically won’t need to bring multiple versions of the same item on the average camping trip. So, try to go through your pack and get rid of any doubles you may have.

For example, you probably won’t need a second flashlight if you are packing a good headlamp. Likewise, you probably don’t need matches with your kitchen kit and your repair kit. Do you typically bring a metal pot holder to help with cooking? Leave it at home and just use your multi-tool pliers instead.

In fact, eliminating redundancy presents a complementary strategy: Try to pack items that have multiple uses. For example, if you typically like to bring along a small fishing kit, you can probably use monofilament line instead of thread when making any necessary equipment repairs.

9. Get Rid of Any Unnecessary Food Packaging

While foods designed specifically for camping rarely features a lot of unnecessary packaging, “regular” foods usually do. Most packaged foods, for example, will be sealed in a plastic bag, which is placed inside a larger cardboard box. There’s no reason for you to carry the box with you on the trail, so just discard the box when packing your food kit.

Similarly, avoid the temptation to bring along more food than you need. Maybe you like to buy rice in 5-pound bags when you go to the store, but you obviously won’t eat this much rice on a typical camping trip, so just pack as much rice as you need in a Ziploc bag, and leave the rest at home.

Condiments can also add up to a lot of weight pretty quickly – especially things like olive oil or butter.

10. Rely on Water Purification Tablets Rather than a Filter

It is always imperative that you treat all back-country-collected water before drinking it. Fail to do so, and you’ll likely regret the decision. You may only suffer mild intestinal distress by drinking untreated water, but in a worst-case scenario, you could become seriously ill, and require immediate medical attention.

But, while you must treat any water you drink on the trail, that doesn’t mean you have to bring along a heavy water purifier to do so. Instead, you could just use water purifying tablets, which will weigh much less. Water-purifying tablets won’t remove the particulate matter in the water, but you can easily use a bandana or similar fabric to strain out most of the silt and dirt.

You could also boil your water to treat it (you’d have to use the bandana in this case too) to avoid having to carry a filter. But, this will mean you’ll have to bring more fuel, which may offset any weight savings you enjoy from leaving behind the filter. Unless, that is, you follow the next tip on our list.

11. Forego Your Stove for Short Trips

If you are traveling to a place where campfires are allowed, and you are secure in your fire-starting abilities, you can simply leave your entire camp stove at home and cook over your fire. It’s a little trickier to cook with a fire than a stove, and it’ll take a little more time (you have to build the fire and wait for coals to form), but if you are trying to shave as much weight as possible, this is a very effective strategy.

It is a good idea to watch the weather very carefully before the trip if you plan to take this approach – a couple of rainy days could make things very tough on you. You don’t want to end up eating all of your snacks on the first few days because you can’t get a fire started.

But, this brings up another, related, strategy you can employ: You can simply bring foods you don’t need to cook. This is an especially attractive option for short trips. You can probably get by for several days while eating canned meats, trail mixes, peanut butter and jerky – it may not be gourmet dining, but meals on the trail rarely are.

12. Skip the Middle Layer of Your Tent

Tents are comprised of three basic layers: A ground cover that blocks moisture, a middle layer which is primarily there to keep out the bugs and provide privacy, and a rain fly that protects you from the rain. And while it is certainly an aggressive strategy for shaving off some weight from your pack, you may be able to leave the middle layer of your tent home on some trips.

To be sure, this is not a great option for cold-weather locations. The walls of your tent don’t provide very much insulation, but when you are trying to sleep through a long, cold night, every little bit helps. Similarly, this is not a great idea during heavy rains – the rainfly will keep you dry in light rain and gentle winds, but it won’t work very well if the winds are howling and the rain pouring.

Bugs can also be a problem for those who choose to employ this strategy. But, bug spray will help some, and you can also use a bug net (which will weigh less than your tent’s middle layer) when you are sleeping.

13. Don’t Bring More Flashlight Than You Need

It’s not only convenient to be able to see in the dark, being able to do so will keep you safer too. You don’t want to step in a hole or on top of a snake while walking around camp at night because you can’t see. But, a lot of campers take things a bit too far when selecting and packing flashlights for their trip.

First of all, if you are really serious about shedding unnecessary weight, you have to limit yourself to one light source. You can’t bring a flashlight and a headlamp, nor can you bring a lantern to use in camp – lights simply weigh too much for you to do so. Just pick a good headlamp or a hand-held flashlight that works in conjunction with a headband.

And for that matter, don’t buy more flashlight- or headlight-power than you need. You aren’t trying to explore the dark side of the moon; you are trying to make sure you don’t trip on a rock while walking back to your tent after dinner. By all means, select a light that provides adequate illumination, but weight matters more than candlepower, once you get above a minimally adequate threshold.

14. If You’re Bringing a Cellphone, Don’t Bring Any Paper

Bringing a cell phone on a camping trip is a bit counterproductive from a weight standpoint. Some of the larger models weigh nearly half a pound – that’s a significant quantity of weight for someone who is trying to create a lightweight pack. Besides, part of the reason you are going on a camping trip is to escape daily life anyway. Why would you purposely bring along a tether to the real world?

The truth is, cell phones do provide significant safety value (assuming you are camping in a place with cell service), and many modern campers will consider them mandatory equipment. This is hard to argue with, although it bears mentioning that you only really need one person in your party to bring a phone for emergency use. Everybody doesn’t have to bring one in order to have an emergency form of communication.

Nevertheless, if you do decide to bring a smartphone with you, take full advantage of it. Your phone won’t weigh any more than it normally does if you fill it up with data, so instead of bringing along books, field guides, permits or big, fold-out maps, bring digital versions of these items instead. Just remember that battery life will become an issue, so use your phone as sparingly as possible.

15. Strip Down Your Pack

You’ll obviously want to keep weight in mind when selecting a new pack, as it is one of the heaviest items you’ll carry, and there are plenty of places manufacturers can shave weight. You may be able to shed a couple of pounds by swapping out your old sporting-goods-store model for a high-end, ultralight pack.

But there are also several ways you may be able to make your existing pack lighter. For example, most packs feature several connectors, buckles and other miscellaneous pieces of hardware that you could do without. Just take these things off and leave them at home.

And although it may pain many campers to do so, you should probably cut off all of those airline tags hanging from your pack. Many campers like to leave them attached as mementos of previous trips, but it doesn’t take many of these tags to add up to a couple of ounces, and if you are serious about weight savings, every ounce counts.

Don’t hesitate to come up with your own creative ways to lighten your pack either – just be sure to keep safety at the forefront of your mind, make sure you don’t leave out first aid supplies or other necessities, and you should be able to enjoy a lighter pack.

Of course, some backpackers prefer being comfortable in camp, so they’re willing to carry an extra couple of pounds worth of gear. There’s nothing wrong with this approach either – it’s all about planning for the kind of backpacking adventure you want.

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