Backpacking gear

The term 'backpacking' is derived from the backpack one carries, which is a survival kit for a hiker. What to take and what not to take depends on person to person. The fact remains that this decision is very important as this will be a main cause for disappointment or enjoyment at the end of the trip. Weight is a very important factor, if the backpack is heavy then the hiker will be able to walk with ease and cover more area but if it is heavy then he/she might even suffer from injury and soreness, which will greatly reduce the fun. There should be evaluation of balance of weight vs. utility for every piece of equipment As a thumb rule total pack weight is not to exceed 25% of body weight. Significant reductions in weight can usually be achieved with little sacrifice in equipment utility, though very lightweight equipment is often more costly. Backpacking gear and backpacks have become a big industry. So entire kits are available which includes the backpacks, as well as common camping equipment modified to reduce the weight, by reducing the size, reducing the durability or using the modern materials such as special plastics and alloys of aluminum. Designers of stoves which are portable and tents have been very ingenious. Homemade gear is common too, such as a 'beverage can stove'. There is lot of science which is applied specially in food- the main constituent of a backpack. Food is highly packaged, dehydrated so that it is light and reconstituted when hot water is added. Some may carry pre-cooked and vacuum-packed without being dehydrated. These can be reheated when needed by a chemical reaction, which reduced the burden of stove and fuel. But these tend to be heavier and to some extent the advantage is lost if there are more than two of such packs. One of the popular foods is Trial mix - consisting of Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. As in life, Backpacks should be packed with more 'commonsense' than 'science'.