My pack used to weigh more than it needed to, and I learned that on a ridge in the rain, of all places, after reading a piece on Swords Camping Supplies about lighter loads. It was not a fun lesson, but it was a useful one.

Now I do the boring thing first: I lay everything out on the floor and look at it. All of it. The spare socks, the second knife, the pot I never use, the charger for a device I left at home anyway. Laid out flat, it is easier to be honest about what I am actually going to touch.

Duplicates go first. The second lighter, the spare headtorch, the pile of stuff sacks for one sleeping bag. I keep one of each and put the rest back in the drawer where they belong. Then I ask what my friend is bringing, because sharing gear is free weight loss. She takes the stove and the fuel, I take the pot and the coffee. One tent between us instead of two, split across two packs.

The first aid kit got smaller and better. Out went the things I would never use on a weekend, in went more of what actually runs out. A few plasters, tape, painkillers, blister pads, a small bandage. It fits in a pocket of the lid now, which means I can find it without unpacking the whole bag.

On the trail I felt the difference on the climbs. My shoulders did not complain at the first steep bit. I moved faster on the flats without trying. And at camp I knew where everything was, because there was less of it to lose. I slept better too, though that might just have been the weather.