By Patrick Gensel
For many backpackers, myself included, one of the single most important elements of any piece of equipment is weight. even shaving just a little bit of weight off of trivial things such as a first aid kit can extend a day on the trail, but how is this done without compromising the effectiveness of such a crucial item.
For starters we can begin by deciding what an effective first aid kit consists of.
Emergency Blanket
Assorted Bandaids
Cotton Balls/swabs
Moleskin
Ibuprofen/Tylonol
Neosporin
Chapstick
Antihistamine
Cold medicine
Camp soap
Sunscreen
Needles
Safety pins
Towelettes
Matches
Floss
small bottle of rubbing alcohol or vodka
Keep in mind this is a somewhat basic kit, but one I usually carry, also keep in mind that certain things you may already carry can be substituted for other items, for example if you carry duct tape, this can be used as moleskin for blisters. be creative when planning your trip and you will be surprised at how many things can serve multiple purposes.
Lightening the Load
So how to we take this stuff and make it lighter? well i begin by getting the smallest zippered sandwich or freezer bag I can find that everything will fit into. another key is to take enough of each item, but don’t go overboard. A lot of weight can be stripped by ditching unnecessary packaging, most camping stores sell small lightweight plastic bottles that you can put your liquids in if they come from bigger bottles, or you can get travel size containers from your local store. another way to greatly reduce weight is by taking your pills and rolling them into aluminum foil.
As you can see, just eliminating small things here and there helps to eliminate unnecessary weight to help provide a more enjoyable trek.
