Zé wrote:I don't think it matters if the food is dehydrated, dried, or whatever.
If you have food that contains water (like fruit), then that water essentially counts as water you would drink otherwise.
In the end ... it shouldn't matter.
Well, yes and no.
When backpacking in the desert, freeze dried food often doesn't cut weight much because you have to pack in all your water.
Elsewhere, with a little planning, you can usually camp where there's a water source. When water is available at your camp site, freeze dried food can make a big difference in terms of weight. If you carried a lot of "regular" (i.e. hydrated) foods on a five day trip, you're carrying all that water weight
the whole trip rather than just picking up the water as you go.
Of course freeze dried food generally requires a stove and fuel (or a wood fire and the knowledge of how to cook with a wood fire). From what I've read, the stove and fuel+freeze dried food saves weight, particularly on longer hikes.
Beyond food and water, look at the "big three:"
1. shelter
2. sleeping system
3. backpack
Those three are usually the heaviest components of your gear. With respect to those:
1. SHELTER: I used to use my old North Face 2-person tent on all my trips, even solos, which weighs 7 pounds. Now, I have a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL which weighs 3 pounds, saving 4 pounds. In the Sierra, even in summer, it's nice to have a tent because it can rain and because a tent provides a mosquito-free haven. In So Cal in the summer, you really don't need a tent. You can go with a tarp, a bivvy, or just sleep "under the stars," all of which will save you even more weight.
2. SLEEPING SYSTEM: I stopped using my old three pound synthetic bag and bought a one pound down bag, saving 2 pounds. I bought a 3/4 length 1" thick Thermarest (less than one pound) to replace my old full length 1.5" thick Thermarest (about two pounds), saving (at least) a pound. Total sleeping system savings: 3 pounds.
3. BACKPACK: My old Lowe Alpine pack weighs 6 pounds empty. My new GoLite Quest pack weighs 3 pounds empty, saving 3 pounds.
From changing my big three, I saved a total of ten pounds.
Likewise, you can go through all your gear, substituting gear of lesser weight. For example, a regular 1 liter Nalgene bottle weighs 6 oz. A one liter platypus weighs about 1/2 oz. If you carry six liters, you're up around 2 pounds if you use Nalgenes vs. 3
ounces. with Platys -- or less if you buy a larger Platy instead of 6 one liter ones. Yes, the weight savings are less dramatic with smaller amounts of water, but you get the idea. As Colin Fletcher once said, "take care of the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves."
Cut an ounce here, cut an ounce there, and you can really get somewhere. I had my base weight down to about 23 lbs for a 5 day Sierra BP. When food, water (2 liters), and fuel were added in, my pack weight was about 38lbs. That's no ultra light record, but a few years ago my pack would have been over 50lbs for a five day trip.
A word of caution: don't cut too much. On my last Sierra backpack, I carried a Black Diamond Ion** headlamp (1 oz.) vs. my usual Princeton Tec EOS (4 oz). However, the Ion just wasn't bright enough one night when I went for water about 0.2 mi. up the trail. I was in a rocky high altitude area, and the trail was over rock in steep terrain. I repeatedly got off trail, and really couldn't tell what I was getting in to. It's not worth it to save 3 oz. and put your self at risk of injury. Cut weight? Yes. Compromise safety? No. I still carry my 13 oz (ouch) PLB 406 MHz satellite beacon.
Just some ideas,
HJ
*Base weight = pack weight without "consumables" like food, water, and fuel.
**Please note that I have the older (2 LED) model of the Ion. I have no comment on the newer (1 LED) model of the Ion itself, but I do note that their proprietary 6V batteries cost about $5.00 each whereas a regular alkaline AAA battery can be had for about $1.50 each or even less if you buy in bulk.
