Journal

The Ultra-Light 5 Day Hike

The goal with any hike whether it is a 5 month journey across the Pacific Trail or a quick day hike on the local trail, is to only take what is necessary to complete the journey. The reason for this is obvious, we want to be as light as possible so that we can save our energy and use it efficiently to complete the hike in a safe and enjoyable way. Beginner hikers tend to overpack and in turn excerpt more energy than necessary. Over time with gained experience comes the understanding of “the essentials”. Here is an example list of essential items for a 5 day hike with the goal of staying under 35lbs. As always, each hike is dependent on climate and conditions so please research and plan accordingly. This hike was planned for a 5 day hike in non-extreme weather.Gear List for a 5 Day Hike in Mild Weather   Item Weight (kg) Weight (lb) TOTAL EQUIPMENT 7.061kg 15.56lb Sleeping Bag (including bag) 960.0 g 33.86oz BIVY Shelter 900.0 g 31.75oz Backpack 670.0 g 23.63oz Pad 434.0 g 15.31oz Pike Trail pocket blanket 195 g 6.88oz Pullover 400.0 g 14.11oz Wind Breaker 370.0 g 13.05oz Umbrella 303.0 g 10.69oz Stove 270.0 g 9.52oz Shell Pants 250.0 g 8.82oz T-Shirt Long Sleeve 240.0 g 8.47oz Camera 170.4 g 6.01oz Thermal Base Layer 170.0 g 6.00oz Sleeping Bag Liner 140.0 g 4.94oz Hat (sombrero) 127.5 g 4.50oz Cooking Pot 0.85lit 118.0 g 4.16oz Medical kit 100.0 g 3.53oz Water filter/bottle 95.0 g 3.35oz Water Bag 90.0 g 3.17oz Fuel Bottle 84.0 g 2.96oz Tripod 80.0 g 2.82oz Radio 80.0 g 2.82oz Rope 80.0 g 2.82oz Journal, pen, maps 75.0 g 2.65oz Flashlight 70.0 g 2.47oz Soap 68.0 g 2.40oz Bowl / Cup / Scoop 61.3 g 2.16oz Brief 61.0 g 2.15oz Toilet Paper 60.0 g 2.12oz Space Blanket 51.0 g 1.80oz Water bottle 50.0 g 1.76oz Knife 48.1 g 1.70oz Towel 42.0 g 1.48oz Matches/Wood/Candle 40.0 g 1.41oz Socks (2pair) 36.4 g 1.28oz Bandana 28.4 g 1.00oz Monocular 25.4 g 0.90oz Sunglasses 20.4 g 0.72oz Tooth Powder 20.0 g 0.71oz Storm Whistle 20.0 g 0.71oz Lighter 20.0 g 0.71oz Battery (spare) 16.7 g 0.59oz Head Net 14.0 g 0.49oz Toothbrush 10.0 g 0.35oz Spoon 9.0 g 0.32oz Spare Light 7.0 g 0.25oz    TOTAL CONSUMABLES 6.800 kg 15 Food (5 days) 4.350 kg 9  9/16 Water 2.000 kg 4  7/16 Fuel 0.400 kg 14.1oz Salt & Spices 0.050 kg 1.8oz TOTAL PACK WEIGHT (not including clothes worn) 14.055 kg 30.56lbs   WORN 1.004 kg 2  3/16 Trail Shoes 0.600 kg 21.2oz T-Shirt 0.182 kg 6.4oz Shorts 0.090 kg 3.2oz Underwear 0.057 kg 2.0oz Socks 0.040 kg 1.4oz GPS Watch 0.035 kg 1.2oz