Before I set off on my next trip, I need to make a definitive choice about the exact style of camping I want to achieve. Cutting down on unnecessary equipment is the only way I’m going to drop my pack weight.
To be honest, I was shocked to hit a 13kg pack weight. On a backpacking trip last year—where I carried a full tent, three days of food, a yoga block for meditation, and a pair of camp Crocs—my pack only topped out at 15kg. This time, I was aiming for total simplicity, yet the weight was nearly the same.
Moving forward, my goal is to cover distance and have the freedom to stop and camp “anywhere”. I want to live as close to off-the-grid as possible but not ignoring the hybrid approach. Trying to use traditional bushcraft skills but still picking up basic supplies or local water along the trail if needed.
Here is how the gear I actually carried stacked up against that goal:
1. The Pack: The Heavy Squeaker
- The Kit: Mystery Ranch Bridger 55 (Used)
- The Verdict: Exceptional weight distribution, but a real mental test.
I originally wanted to compress all my kit into a tight 35L pack, but during the final repack at home, I panicked and upgraded to the 55L. My logic was that if I needed to make a lightning-fast getaway in the dark, I wanted enough dead space to shove everything in loose without having to pack it perfectly.
While the bag felt a bit overkill, it was roomy and distributed the heavy load beautifully across my hips. The massive downside? A sharp, persistent squeak right by my ear with every single step through the quiet woods. It was incredibly distracting. I’ve reached out to customer service to see if there’s a known fix, but it’s a frustrating flaw for a premium bag.
2. The Shelter: A Psychological Blanket
- The Kit: DD Hammock 3×3 Tarp (Used) & Cloud Peak 2 Footprint (Used)
- The Verdict: Overkill for the weather, but essential for peace of mind.
In all honesty, looking at the clear weather, I didn’t actually need a tarp. It acted more like a psychological comfort blanket—a thin layer of security separating me from the open, vulnerable woodland canopy. I’m glad I had it to establish a base, but at 1kg (including pegs and guylines), it’s heavy.
I’m currently hunting for a secondhand DD Ultralight Tarp for summer camping. In the meantime, I’ve ordered some woodland camouflage nylon fabric off the roll to DIY a lightweight 1.5m x 3m solo tarp. I’ll need to research small-tarp configurations and learn how to adapt a basic flying A-frame to changing wind directions.
As for the ground sheet, it came in incredibly handy as a clean place to sit, keep my kit off the damp floor, and protect the bivvy. It’s technically just a footprint from my Cloud Peak 2 tent, but it has officially earned a permanent spot in my minimalist kit.
3. The Sleep System: The “Burrito” Success
- The Kit: Alpkit Hunka XL Bivvy Bag (Used), Bestway Sleeping Mat, and Lightweight Sleeping Bag
- The Verdict: A massive efficiency win, despite a 3:00 AM chill.
Before leaving home, I tried a new packing method: I put my sleeping mat inside a sleeping bag liner. Lay my sleeping bag on top, and slid the whole setup directly into the bivvy. With the air squeezed out, I rolled the entire “burrito” up from the foot and shoved it into a single dry bag. It created a fairly bulky package, but the efficiency in the field was unmatched. I just unrolled it, pumped up the mat, and bed was ready in seconds. Packing up at dawn was just as fast. I will absolutely use this method again.
I chose my lighter sleeping bag for this trip and kept the mat inside the liner so that if I overheated, I could fully unzip the bag and use it as a quilt without lying directly on sticky plastic. My temperature was perfect for most of the night, but it sharply dipped around 3:00 AM. I woke up cold, but pulling on my wooly hat saved the night.
Shaking Out the Pack: The Small Stuff
To keep myself from carrying a lead-weight pack next time, the rest of my kit is getting a ruthless audit:
- The Sleep Clothes Habit (Used): Changing into clean, designated sleep layers right before bed is a brilliant habit I kept from last year’s hot backpacking trip. It felt like a bit of overkill for a quick, one-night local test, but keeping sweat and forest debris out of your insulation layers is always worth the minor weight penalty.
- The Thermal Leggings (Unused): Another psychological backup. They don’t weigh much, but they stayed buried at the bottom of the bag.
- The Midge Head Net (Unused): I was definitely being a bit too casual about the bugs on this trip. I left the net packed away because I didn’t want a mesh screen restricting my midnight view of the trees. I got away with it, but a fresh mosquito bite on my finger was the perfect warning shot. I got incredibly lucky they didn’t find my face.
- The Kitchen & Heavy Iron (Used/Unused): My alcohol burner, windshield, and 750ml mug setup completely earned their keep for morning coffee and porridge. However, the folding saw doesn’t quite match the long-term goal, and that second and third liter of panic-packed water needs some serious thinking. I don’t want to be tied to carrying everything I need for every single step of the way.
Missed any of it…
There is a Man in the Woods 
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