Got told my food bag was too heavy on a 5-day trip in the Sierra

A guy I met at the Whitney Portal trailhead said I was carrying 35 pounds for no reason, and he was blunt about it. I was bringing a big stove and three cans of fuel when I only needed one, plus a bunch of extra snacks I never ate. Has anyone else had a stranger give them hard advice that actually made their pack lighter?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianaanderson1mo ago

Try ditching the extra fuel cans and repackaging snacks into ziplocks to cut weight fast. I used to haul a whole camp kitchen and then realized I only needed a tiny stove and one pot for boiling water. Sometimes a random blunt comment from a stranger is the best gear shakedown you'll ever get.

lindal131mo ago

Haven't you ever considered that the real weight problem isn't fuel or food, but the pack itself? I swapped from a traditional framed pack to a lightweight frameless one and dropped nearly two pounds right off the bat. @the_spencer makes a solid point about being prepared, but sometimes a lighter pack forces you to be more creative with your gear choices. A frameless bag won't let you haul a camp kitchen anyway, so it naturally keeps your load honest. Might be worth trying on a short trip to see how it changes your packing habits.

the_spencer1mo ago

Hold up, I gotta push back on this a little. In my experience, that extra weight can be a lifesaver if your plans go sideways. I once got stuck an extra day in the Winds because of a storm rolling in, and having those extra snacks and fuel cans meant I didn't have to ration or cut my trip short. A light pack is great for moving fast, but a slightly heavier one can give you more freedom to adapt when conditions change. Take that stranger's advice with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary depending on your style.