I just hit 100 nights on the trail and it made me rethink my whole packing list

I finished a short trip in the Smokies last week and my log hit that number. For years I carried a heavy 4-season bag, thinking I needed to be ready for anything. Seeing that count made me realize 80 of those nights were in mild weather where a lighter quilt would have been fine. Anyone else have a gear item they carried way too long before a stat made them switch?

3 comments

3 Comments

kaigibson2d ago

Carried a full tang knife for years. My trip logs show I mostly just opened food packets.

pat_stone2d ago

Ever try to baton wood with a tiny folder? Yeah, me neither... but that's not the point. My old fixed blade was for the "what if" moments, not the daily packets. It was about feeling ready for a snapped tent pole or a rough cut, even if I never needed it. The weight was a dumb tax on that feeling, honestly. Now my pack feels lighter and I don't miss the fantasy.

riverdavis2d ago

That's why my pack knife is a tiny folder now, @kaigibson. It's perfect for food packets and weighs nothing.