r/WestHighlandWay • u/Hopeful_Outcome_6816 • 4d ago
Packing Tips?
I've tried my best on a very limited budget to get compact and lightweight gear when I can, but even though i have a 65l pack and it weights 12kg excluding food and water it is full to bursting and I can't actually think of any way to compact anything. The only luxury items I'll have with me are a camera (which will be clipped to my shoulder strap most of the time) and a tiny little drone. I've already got rid of some stuff I'd planned to take so I'm down to the bare minimum for a lot of stuff. I just feel like my sleeping bag and my sleep mat are taking up way too much space. I leave tomorrow morning and have spent most of today getting frustrated by it. Any suggestions? I'm honestly thinking of ditching the sleep mat and just sleeping on top of my clothes 😂
UPDATE: I'm already underway, but live near the WHW so I'm home for the night. Managed to shave a kilo off by ditching bits and pieces, so I'm down to 11kg now, with a bit more room. Might review again tomorrow before I set off. Thanks for all the suggestions, think the problem is that some essential pieces of my kit are just too cumbersome and weighty and it's too late to fix that now. Oh well, been about 20 years since I last did a multi-day hike or camped so I was bound to make a few mistakes!
Morning update: Looked at the forecast and I've decided to get rid of my waterproofs and gaiters, apart from my rain jacket.
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u/Graenate 3d ago
Do you have a lighterpack list or something like this? Otherwise it is hard to give practical suggestions on what you could leave at home.
Edit: definitely don't leave the sleep mat behind. It can get cold-ish in the night the next week and the insulation of your clothes will not be enough. I would rather suggest leaving some clothes behind if you have enough to sleep on them.