Hiking Light & Comfortable

Which do you choose? Comfort on the trails by having the lightest pack ever, or comfort at camp so you can sit back and relax while sipping a little ‘something-something’ watching the sun set?

"You can’t possibly have both,

you need to choose!"

...or so the theory goes.

I have zero interest in lugging a 20 kilo (44lbs) pack around on the trails, however I’m also not willing to sacrifice all the creature comforts. So the challenge was on to find good quality, durable, lightweight gear that provides comfort both on the trails and in the camp.

The Big Four

Whilst every gram/ounce counts, there are four items where the biggest weight saving can come from, so this is where the majority of my research fell to:

Backpack
Tent
Sleeping Bag
Mattress/Sleeping Pad

The tricky part is finding the right balance of lightweight whilst ensuring you stay comfortable. The lightest backpack in the world may look great on paper, but if it doesn’t support the weight in the pack or doesn’t fit your body type, then you will likely end up in pain every single day... is saving that kilo really worth it?

Also, what works for one person may not work for you and vice versa. That old adage of “every body is different” is completely true when it comes to hiking gear. Absolutely it is worthwhile reading reviews and researching, and if you really want to unleash your inner geek, create those magnificent spreadsheets with all the differing data for comparison analysis. Just bear in mind that the same equipment may or may not suit you, and once again, what looks great on paper may or may not be great for you in reality.

Backpack

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to not only read reviews, but go and try the backpacks on and make sure there is weight placed in the pack. The backpack I eventually chose was Osprey Aura/Aether AG 65 This pack is no lightweight contender weighing in at 1.93kg (4lbs 4oz) for the medium sized pack, but the anti-gravity system works a treat for me and so far I have not received any shoulder pain. A full field-test review on this pack is coming soon, so stay tuned.

Tent

One of the biggest opportunities to save weight is by being discerning with the tent you choose. With so many options out there, it’s worthwhile listing your definite must-have features and your dealbreakers. After extensive research I did choose a lightweight tent, although not the lightest. The desired features I was willing to sacrifice a bit of weight for were; double walled (separate mesh tent body and fly), freestanding, and inner tent volume. I wanted a tent that I could comfortably fit myself and my pack and to be able to sit upright. This way, if the weather turned bad and I stay relatively comfortable if I was stuck in one location. Ultimately I went with the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (with separate groundsheet).

Sleeping Bag

If you are a never-move-during-sleep kind of person, then you have it made with the mummy-shaped lightweight bags. But for the rest of us, extra space in the bag makes for a much more restive sleep. This was one area I was not willing to sacrifice comfort. If my feet and legs cannot move then I feel like I cannot breathe. Sacrificing comfort here in the aim of reducing weight was a false economy... if I cannot sleep well, then my energy is completely sapped with no chance of recharging. No matter how light my pack is, it will never make up for poor sleep. Nemo have come out with a range of ‘spoon shaped’ bags that give extra room at the shoulders and the knees and accommodate all that tossing and turning. Don’t ask me why they’re called spoon shaped, they look nothing like a spoon to me.

Mattress/Pad

Pads are typically lighter than mattresses, and which sized pad also makes a difference. If Ultra Lightweight is your religion, then a half sized pad may be your jam. But once again, comfort here wins-out for me. Not only does what you choose determine the level of comfy padding during the night, but it does play a critical role in thermal protection from the cold ground.

My Gear

I selected my gear by balancing weight and comfort (also $$). Whilst the below certainly is not the lightest out there, it is by no means the heaviest weighing in at a very respectable 4.53kg (9lbs 15oz) in total. It will also provide some extra comfort when at camp.

Osprey Aura/Aether 65 AG - 1.93kg (4lbs 4oz)
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 with groundsheet - 1.42kg (3lbs 2oz)
Nemo Salsa 15 - 1.19kg (2lbs 10oz)
Big Agnes Insulated Air Core (Regular Wide) - 0.71kg (1lbs 9oz)

Bonus Item

As the weight of my gear was pretty low, I allowed myself one bonus item that will add significantly to my camp comfort... a chair!

Yeah I know this is completely unnecessary, but what a glorious time I will have as I ease my weary muscles in the hugging comfort of a chair sipping on that warming ‘something-something’ watching the sun set... pure camp bliss!

The chair of choice - Helinox Chair Zero. Weighing less than 500g (around 1lb), a small weight penalty that gives so much.

Bottom line is, do your research, read reviews, check out the gear in person and work out what is going to work for you. It is possible to go lightweight and be comfortable.