Do cut off the handle on your toothbrush

My outdoor activities in its infancy were running shoes or military boots, an old down bag, which probably had more feathers than down, a lack of tent, or heavy tent, thick woolen sweaters, cotton pants, bread and sausages – in a way spartan, but also heavy. Then came a phase of upgrading the equipment, followed by a period of “could be usefull” and increased photographic activity, all of which weighed down the backpack. Student life was replaced with work life and the equipment slowly got lighter, while “could be usefull” stayed at home.

Now, when we finally begin to be satisfied with our equipment, ultra light packpacking evangelists such as Andrew Skurka, Ryan Gordon and Henrik Morkel and many more enter the arena, and all of a sudden our equipment is not light enough. Then it is important to remember that the easiest way to get a lightweight packpack is to leave what you can at home. Sometimes we need not only a list of what to bring along. Sometimes we need a list of what we should not bring along. But whatever you do, there is a limit. Some things must be brought along – no matter what. Stay away from the children’s teddy bears.