1. More Comfort

It feels much better to have 15 pounds on your back than 50. No asking for help to struggle into that heavy pack. A heavy load leaves you sore at the end of the day, and you sweat a lot. My light backpack can be slung from one shoulder and then the other to let my back cool, and I never feel sore from carrying the weight.

2. More Range

A long day with a heavy pack might be 10 miles. With my running shoes and 15-pound load I have often gone more than 20 miles in a day without suffering. That means I have a whole lot more range. Areas of wilderness that were out of reach for a weekend trip are now possible.

3. Fewer Injuries

Some will tell you that light backpacking is dangerous because you carry less gear and less durable gear. The latter may be true, so baby that sleeping bag. But it is also true that with less weight on your back you are less likely to twist an ankle, hurt your back or lose your balance. On balance, my experience is that I have less of a chance of an injury when going light.

4. More Freedom

I used to carry an extra day pack for climbing to the summits of mountains when I was backpacking. Who wants to scramble up those steep sections with a 45-pound load? Then, I had to return to my big pack – even if I saw a better route down. Now my pack is so light that it goes everywhere with me. I hardly ever notice its weight, and I like that freedom.

5. Faster Travel

You may not like to go fast all the time when backpacking, but isn’t it nice to have the option? That’s what going light gives you. It means you can speed up to reach that waterfall, or speed up to make that campsite after playing in the waterfall too long. If there is a storm coming in, you can move to safety more quickly when you are carrying less weight. Also, if have an emergency and need to hike out to the car or a town, you can do so much quicker with 15 pounds on your back than with 50.

6. Simplicity

Have you seen that Corona Beer commercial where the couple brings a load of equipment to the beach and begins laying out towels, opening coolers and setting up umbrellas that are almost blown away by the wind? Then another couple walks to the beach with nothing but an icy bucket of Coronas and they sit down to enjoy the view. That’s simplicity.

Some people get a thrill from finding ways to cook the fanciest meals while in the woods, and from having folding furniture and electric socks, but not me. Backpacking light means simplifying things a bit, which is not a sacrifice, but a pleasure. I often go without a stove, for example, relying on foods that don’t need cooking. Not cooking? I like that. It also means no dishes to wash, and more time for swimming in that alpine lake.

1. What is the coldest weather you will be camping in?

If your backpacking is limited to the summer months, you can probably get away with any sleeping bag rated down to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). Otherwise, consider your future plans and get a bag that will work at the coldest temperatures you expect to encounter. If it is too warm for summer use, you can always open it up like a blanket and lay it loosely over yourself so it won’t hold in so much heat. Another alternative is to buy one bag for winter trips and one for summer.

2. What kinds of conditions will you be camping in?

The conditions you can expect will determine what fill is best for you. If you will always be backpacking in the northwest, and so possibly getting wet most of the time, you don’t want down. It loses most of its insulating ability when wet. A good synthetic fill is better. On the other hand, if you will be camping most of the time in the desert southwest, a down sleeping bag is the lightest (and most compressible) option available. My own down bag weighs just 17 ounces, stuffs into a bread bag, and has kept me warm to below freezing. If you are careful you can keep any bag dry, but it is tough in some conditions, so ask yourself where you’ll be going, and how good you are at staying dry.

3. How claustrophobic are you?

Some people really can’t get comfortable in a mummy bag. They need room to move around. If you aren’t sure how you feel about this, there is one way to find out: get in those bags. See if you feel good in a snug mummy. Borrow one and spend a night in it if you have to. A good mummy is the warmest sleeping bag you can get for the weight, but semi-rectangular may be better for comfort.

4. How big are you?

If you are tall, be sure you can fit comfortably in that sleeping bag with the hood closed. What if you are too big for a tight mummy bag? Try a rectangular or semi-rectangular one.

5. How heavy is the sleeping bag?

Even if you are not into ultralight backpacking, there is no reason to carry too much weight if it isn’t necessary. A decent summer sleeping bag shouldn’t weigh more than about three pounds. To get down to the weight of my down bag (17 ounces) you’ll have to spend more. A winter bag will be heavier because of the additional filling, but in any case, compare the various bags according to their temperature ratings and total weight (with the stuff sack if you’ll be using it).

6. How packable is it?

No filling invented yet is as compressible as down. For that reason, if you use a small backpack, you may want to consider a down sleeping bag. Some synthetics can be packed in compression sacks to reduce their volume, but this can eventually damage the filling and so reduce the bags insulating ability. Also, a compression sack adds more weight to your load. It is probably better to simply put a large synthetic-fill bag on the outside of the pack.

There are certainly other specific questions to ask about sleeping bags as you look at them. A zipper that opens at the bottom is nice for those with hot feet. A water-resistant shell can keep dripping tent condensation from wetting the filling of the sleeping bag, or allow dew to be shaken off in the morning if camping in the open. There are many other features you might find too, but start with the six questions above to quickly narrow down the options.

Apart from keeping things light, another important goal of mine was to spend less money for clothing and equipment. The change to shoes fit into that plan. Here are some of the ways to keep your hiking shoes both light and cheap.

Buy Closeouts

For longer hikes and backpacking trips I like to have high-quality shoes. Generally I use good running shoes that weigh a pound or less each. If they list the weights, I buy them through catalogs or online. Otherwise I can tell by lifting the shoes in the local shoe store if they are in my weight range. If you shop in traditional stores, you could also bring a small kitchen scale to check weights.

Of course, many of the best running shoes cost $80 or even $100. I don’t like to spend that much on shoes ever, so I buy closeouts. For some reason, people apparently want the latest fashion. There is no difference in performance as far as I can see or feel, but thanks to this fashion-conscious market last years styles are hard to sell, and so are discounted steeply. I have bought $85 running shoes for as little as $25 in this way.

The Sierra Trading Post catalog is a good one to check for these deals. I won’t mention specific brands that are light or cheap because these change so frequently. Check online, get a few catalogs sent to you, and you’ll find some deals.

Buy Low Quality

My second strategy for keeping my hiking shoes light and cheap is to go to Wal-Mart or Kmart or other places which sell shoes inexpensively. The lowest cost shoes I use at the moment (2009) are $10 at Wal-Mart. They are definitely low quality, but only in terms of materials and longevity. In actual use, they grip better than any expensive shoes when I am hiking in rocky territory where I like to climb around a bit.

The key with these cheap hiking shoes is to use them only for short backpacking trips and hikes that don’t take you too far into the wilderness. I once used a $7 pair of shoes on a week-long 110-mile trip in the Rockies, and I almost regretted it. They came close to falling apart after seven days of rough terrain.

I have to say, though, that they were very comfortable, light, and required no “breaking in.” I would use such hiking shoes again, but limit them to trips of about three days or less. I might also carry some duct tape just in case repairs were needed.

So shop those closeout sales for quality running shoes (they still seem better to me than those specifically called hiking shoes). Or buy the cheapest comfortable shoes you can find for shorter hikes. And bring a scale to the store with you. That’s how you keep it light and cheap.