Reduce a weight of your mountain equipment. Bring along a lighter tent.

Going a multi-day mountain adventure usually means to carry a backpack at least 10 kg in weight. For mountains trip a tent is almost a necessity, because no one knows for sure whether will rain or not. Even if a forecast predicts no rain in your chosen area, the chances are that a storm may come in the middle of the night.

Though carrying a tent is not an easy thing. A tent for two people has a weight of approximately 3 kg. Those light one-wall tents for a single person are not comfortable. You can only lay down in them. Its better to have more space (for cooking for instance).

Limiting yourself to basic equipment helps you to reduce the weight of your backpack. Sometimes it is a trade off, to leave something behind you.

When you are going on a mountain trail, feeling light increases enjoyment of your surroundings. You don’t need to be burdened like a burro under heavy equipment. 

Especially if you are going alone and don't want to carry all that weight with you, bringing along only poles, pegs and a rain fly is an option. The total weight: 1,5 kg.

Picture shows my single wall tent erected on a mountain top somewhere in Slovakia.

                                 A good option is to take only a rain fly and poles with you.

This is how it looks like with the rain fly removed. Poles are exposed to view pus my equipment spread on a floor. Instead of the floor a plastic tarp was used. Such a modify tent can be used up to 3 person.

In such a modified tent you can easily use a stove. This time I boiled water with cranberries, blueberries and spruce twigs to make a herb tea. There is no wall-to-wall floor. In areas with annoying insect, such a mosquitoes and black flies, add an ultra-light mosquito net!

With bringing a light mattress instead of that heavy self-inflated one helps to reduce the total weight even further. Self-inflated mattresses are comfy though to heavy for summer use and not necessary. A cheap one season mattress is a good option for summer use.

Go out and learn what things are not necessary to bring on an outing. You will be surprised, how many things are only a burden on a mountain adventure. 

Make a list of equipment needed on several day mountain trip. At the beginning my list had around 80 items. No it is less then a half. It sounds like a lot of things, if I say 40. Its good to know that a lighter, for example, counts as one item! A knife is also an item. Viewed in this perspective number 40 its not much.

Though there are some considerations. A famous mountaineer once said: "Two matches are too much, one too less." 

Each person has to do his or her own considerations what to bring on a mountain adventure.