What you should definitely not pack with you on a hike

There is an endless amount of advice and lists on the internet for every type of hike – one-day, multi-day, extreme ridge crossing, winter, summer, in the rain. Most of the writers of these articles know exactly what to take with you on a hike. But few write about what not to take with you. Then you end up dragging kilograms of unnecessary extra weight with you.

“What not to bring” lists are created by experience. Some travelers simply discover, perhaps for the first time, that the things they packed in their luggage are taken out unused upon returning home. Sure, when traveling by car, for example, this means that you will have less space in your suitcase. (Although if you calculate the global amount of unnecessarily transported T-shirts and pieces of underwear, it may also have an impact on world oil prices.) But when you have to lug it all on your back, preparation in this regard is also quite essential. So what are you most likely not going to use at all on your outdoor trips?

Some things are too heavy, some are too bulky, others have lighter alternatives, and some are simply “just” unnecessary. Clothes also fall into the last category. 

Too many spare clothes?

Some things are too heavy, some are too bulky, others have lighter alternatives, and some are simply “just” unnecessary. Clothes also fall into the last category. How many times have you packed items in your backpack that you never used?

It naturally depends on your discretion and the specific type of hike, but if your clothing is of good quality and functional, as it should be, then you really won't use it much. If you don't want to "smell like an adventurer", definitely take at least one spare T-shirt.

But again – functional. Ideally made of merino wool, which absorbs sweat well away from the body, starts to smell later than other types of fabric and can warm you up even when wet. These unique properties predetermine it for use as a basic, absorbent layer in a classic functional clothing composition. We have written about this several times here.

Be sure to also take into account the season. In the dry summer, you can certainly afford “lightweight backpacking” more than in the winter, when you sweat even more when moving and when it is even less appropriate to stay in a sweaty T-shirt all day. Perhaps you have also experienced that during a simple run around your home, a gust of cold wind was enough to blow you away at the end, and you ended up in bed for a week. A similar situation somewhere in the mountains would be much more dangerous.

And as for clothing, one more note. Definitely do not take anything pure cotton with you. Pure cotton is great for wearing at home, but it tends to get wet with increased physical activity. It simply does not wick sweat away from the body, and therefore after a few hours you will be wearing a wet rag instead of a comfortable T-shirt. And this does not only apply to T-shirts, but also to underwear or socks. Some synthetics, or a combination of synthetics and cotton, are suitable for underwear, and (again) merino wool is suitable for socks.

Digression: lightweight and ultralight backpacking

Now let us digress for a moment. A few paragraphs ago we mentioned “lightweight backpacking”, which is an English technical term meaning something like “lightweight hiking”. The goal of people who engage in this type of travel is to have the lightest backpack possible and at the same time have everything they need in it. You can find a lot of (video) instructions on the Internet that deal with this issue.

The most extreme variant of lightweight hiking is “ultralight backpacking”. Adherents of this hobby really only carry the bare essentials. There are no set technical standards for “ultralight backpacking”, however, it is written on tourist forums in the USA that you can consider yourself an “ultralight backpacker” if your backpack weighs no more than about 4.5 kilograms. Including the tents, of course!

And now on to the list of what not to take with you on a hike…

Too much (unsuitable) food

It is best to write a menu in advance. Food is of course the basis, but when packing you should think about what you will actually use, what you will unpack unused from your backpack upon your return, and what you will probably just throw away because it will be spoiled and therefore inedible. Here it is more than ever appropriate to think about a balanced diet, but also about the fact that when hiking in nature you will definitely have a higher energy consumption than when walking your dog through the streets of your city.

When it comes to food, you should make sure that it is rich in calories and proteins at the same time, and therefore has a good ratio of weight to energy value. In short, various energy bars are ideal, and you can then supplement your vitamins with dried (or freeze-dried) fruit. Or with what grows in the forest in a given season (if you are not hiking in winter). And by the way, the gifts of nature are a great way to save space in your backpack. If you know what to look for and where to look, and you also know something about mushrooms, you're halfway there.

Scho-ka-kola^® energy chocolate is a perfect snack for your trip in every season.

Be sure to also pay attention to dehydrated foods and ready-made meals. Such meals are lightweight and compact, but at the same time they will provide you with enough nutrients comparable to classic portions of homemade or restaurant food. In addition to the food itself, all you will need is water, and fortunately (at least in our Central European conditions) there is still quite a lot of that in nature.

Also map out the opening hours of pubs and restaurants along your route. In the Czech and Slovak context, it is not a problem to plan your route so that you pass by one at least once every few days. You can also replenish your supplies in local food stores in villages and settlements on your way. This can help you save extra kilograms of weight.

In this category, also pay attention to dishes. Don't take anything too heavy and definitely don't take too much. You will need one mug, one mess tin with a lid, one spork and maybe a coffee filter and a lightweight portable stove with an alcohol lighter... and that's all. As for the mug, like the mess tin, it should ideally be stainless steel or titanium, so leave your favorite ceramic mug for your morning coffee ritual at home in your own interests. You could still break it and it would also make quite a noise...

And what is the aforementioned spork, anyway? This new word has only recently come to us and refers to a complete set of cutlery in one package. The word is a corruption of the English spoon+fork. And on one side there is also a cutting edge of the cutlery knife. 

Invest in newer, lighter equipment

When lightening your equipment, focus mainly on those parts of it that tend to be the heaviest and most bulky. Which mainly means a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, possibly a tent and certainly the backpack itself.

If we stick to the original question of "what not to take", then don't take a sleeping bag that weighs more than 1.5 kilograms with you on a hiking trip. You will be cursing for those extra hundreds of grams after the first day. You can afford a lighter sleeping bag especially from spring to autumn, when outdoor temperatures usually don't drop below freezing even at night. If you are traveling in winter, the weight values are naturally different due to the need for more voluminous insulation. In any case, make sure that your sleeping bag not only weighs as little as possible, but also takes up as little space as possible.

Then there are sleeping mats, which we have also written about several times. The right choice is a self-inflating or inflatable sleeping mat, which is not only lightweight but also very compact. It takes up almost no space in your backpack – compared to a classic foam sleeping mat, which also doesn't weigh much, but is often a fairly significant part of your "luggage". On the other hand, modern folding foam sleeping mats are made of high-quality material and are mechanically durable.

When it comes to tents, the situation is more complicated. Consider whether you really need a tent for a multi-day hike. If there are more of you, you can of course take turns carrying it, but especially in the summer months, a tent can simply be an unnecessary extra burden. However, a tent for one person doesn't have to weigh more than 1.5 kilograms, so if you are not an "ultralight backpacker", then again, why not…

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And then we have backpacks, which we sell in variants for one-day or multi-day hikes. Naturally, in the first case, the backpack will be a little lighter. A two-day backpack can easily weigh up to 1.5 kilograms, a backpack for four or more days will weigh about a kilogram more. Again, we are leaving out ultralight variants here, but how much does your current backpack, which is ten or more years old, weigh? Then you are better off selling it to a less demanding traveler or donating it to a homeless shelter.

But we will devote a few more lines to backpacks. If you are buying a new one, choose one that matches your requirements in size. If weekend trips are your "specialization", then there is no point in looking for a 70-liter expedition backpack. On the other hand, if you usually spend a week or more in the wilderness, then a 25-liter bag will not be enough. In general, you will need a volume of about 20 liters per day, adding about 10 liters more each day.

Adjust the size of the knife to the situation

You won't need a massive forest knife to cross the Jeseníky ridge. Although it may not seem like it, the practicality of carrying a knife is also crucial. We certainly have no illusions that most hikers who deliberately set out on a light journey consider the knife as part of the weight of their backpack. After all, we most often carry it on our waist! But a large, bulky sheath on our belt will sooner or later start to bother us, regardless of whether we have a 200-gram kitchen knife or a half-kilogram bear machete there.

For most cases outside of real survival situations, a lightweight folding knife will suffice. Such knives usually weigh around a hundred grams and will be fully sufficient for cutting bacon, grating wood or spreading bread. Some folding knives are even equipped with a belt clip, so you will also save some grams on the sheath. Also consider whether you need multi-function knives or multi-tools. A bottle and can opener may come in handy occasionally, but you definitely don't need to lug a screwdriver into the woods with you.

Other tools include a saw and an axe (you can also start a fire with pieces of wood that are the right size for your needs without any modifications); or a shovel that is too heavy. Yes, a multi-purpose survival shovel is suitable, but there are also lightweight versions available that won't weigh you down too much.

And what about cosmetics?

Yes, we also think that hygiene is necessary, but its level may not be comparable to a working day in the office or a date at a restaurant when you walk twenty kilometers a day. So you don't have to go overboard with cosmetics either. After all, we wouldn't recommend it, not only for your back, but also with respect to nature. A lot of traditional cosmetics are not biodegradable (or are very poorly biodegradable), so it's better to limit their use to a minimum.

You can handle practically all cosmetics (except maybe for brushing your teeth) with one – of course, biodegradable – soap. You can also use it to wash Clothes that are already too dirty and sweaty on the way. However, definitely do your hygiene and washing as far away from the water source as possible, especially if it is a natural spring. The rule still applies that we only want to leave our footprints in nature. It is pointless to unnecessarily risk contaminating groundwater with even less drastic chemicals.

Brushing your teeth is of course an activity that must be done even when traveling. Try to adapt your choice of toothpaste to your trip. Get a travel pack and choose a paste that you will not have to use too much. And that does not contain fluoride. At the same time, you can "fine-tune" your oral hygiene by chewing on pieces of clove, for example, which has antibacterial effects.

What you definitely should not take on the road from the cosmetics area is shampoo, deodorant, shaving supplies and mirrors. You really do not need to look like a participant in a modeling casting in the mountains and in the forest. Shampoo can be a burden on the environment, deodorant can attract wild animals (which is especially dangerous in exotic environments), and the rest… we probably don’t even need to discuss that.

In addition to soap and toothpaste, however, it’s better to also pack toilet paper (in a plastic bag so it doesn’t get wet) and, depending on the situation, don’t forget to pack feminine hygiene products.

Electronics and other “essentials”

Definitely consider what electronics you need to take with you. If you are not a professional photographer, a mobile phone will be enough to take snapshots. A DSLR usually requires an entire case. Don’t pack tablets or e-book readers either – you won’t have time to go online or read anyway. You can do that at home. Depending on the battery life of your mobile phone, consider whether you need to carry a power bank or whether you can just plug the charger into an outlet that you come across once every few days. You can carry your mobile phone turned off most of the time.

A headlamp will definitely come in handy, but again – charge it before the trip and leave spare batteries at home. If you are not a fan of extreme night ridge crossings, a regular headlamp will easily last you a week on a full charge. Don’t bring jewelry or watches with you, unless it’s a smart sports watch that you want to use to measure your activity. Or a wedding ring that you simply aren't used to taking off, except when you go to the sauna.

In conclusion

As you can see, we carry too much weight unnecessarily into nature. Reduce this weight to a minimum and you will look forward to your hikes. Whether you are a fan of one-day trips or extreme hikes lasting a week or more. If you are satisfied with your equipment, try taking it for a ten-kilometer walk with your dog before a multi-day trip. If you do not have a problem with the volume and weight of the backpack even after a half-day hike, you are a winner.