6 Lightweight Tools & Gadgets That Could Save Your Back On The Next Hike

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When setting out for a hike, every extra ounce in a backpack counts — it will show up in your back, knees, and pace long before you get back or reach your destination. For that reason, you have to start thinking about cutting as much weight as possible. Shedding the weight in most cases means leaving stuff behind, but you don’t really have to make that sacrifice, especially when it comes to tools you actually depend on. You need lightweight alternatives that still serve the same purpose on your hike.

For example, carrying a compact medical kit instead of the traditional hard-box first aid kit can shave off a few ounces off your back. It might be just a few ounces lighter, but once you do the same for a couple of more gadgets or tools — the weight adds up to several pounds lighter and ultimately less stress on your back and legs the further you walk. Including the compact first aid kit, we’ll look at six lightweight tools and gadgets that take the weight off your shoulders without sacrificing safety or utility on the trail.

Trekking poles are a must-carry for any hiking trip, and most popular go to options are made of aluminum. If you want to shed a little bit of weight, carbon fiber poles are a great alternative. A pair of aluminum trekking poles will typically weigh anything between 18-22 ounces compared to 12-18 ounces for their carbon fibre counterparts. That’s about four ounces dropped without changing how you hike. The difference may not look like much, but that lighter swing is more noticeable with every step and thousands of pole plants on a long trail.

Carbon fiber poles are also stiffer with less flex under load. This means less vibration and more comfort, especially when moving on loose ground or making a descent. However, there are two trade-offs you’ll have to consider before going for a pair of carbon fiber poles — they are more expensive and durability on rough terrain gets called into question. The material is strong lengthwise but usually vulnerable when subjected to sideways impact harsh bending.

As a result, they may suddenly break rather than bend gradually, unlike aluminum poles, which can be corrected with a simple repair job. For this reason, I usually treat my carbon poles as a way to cut weight on less rugged, well-maintained trails. I still reach for my aluminum poles if I know rock-hopping and tent support will be part of my outing. The $60 Foxelli Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles are a decent pair if you decide the lighter poles are worth a try.

Another must-have for my hiking trips is a rechargeable headlamp like the Nitecore NU25 400, which weighs less than two ounces. That’s unnoticeably light if you consider the fact that full-size camping lanterns usually get to north of three pounds in weight. Headlamps are tiny making brightness a genuine concern, but in our roundup of the best rechargeable headlamps, we highlighted how modern units can pull off several hundred lumens.

Besides being more than bright enough, headlamps leave your hands free and always point exactly where you need the light to shine on the trail or campsite at night. These two attributes also make them a much better alternative to flashlights, which always have a hand occupied. With an ultralight headlamp, you really don’t need any other lighting solution apart from your phone’s flashlight, which you will in most cases have on you anyway. Most headlamps also come with SOS mode in case you get stuck or get lost and it gets dark on you.

A dedicated GPS is one gadget that can keep you safe in the wilderness, where phone coverage may be spotty or nonexistent. Old-school GPS units are usually bulky, but you can always go for a modern, more compact satellite communicator like Garmin’s inReach Mini 2 for navigation. It’s one of our top picks when it comes to portable high-tech backpacking accessories because it’s light (about 3.5 ounces), durable, and can fit in your palm. Despite the small size, the Mini 2 comes feature-packed with interactive SOS alerts, weather forecasting, a digital compass, and Garmin’s TracBack routing.

The SOS alerts and TracBack routing are the most important features here. The former lets you reach 24/7 emergency responders and can send texts to family and friends when connected to your phone. TracBack creates a breadcrumb trail to help you navigate back to your starting point in case you get lost or darkness, fog, or fatigue make finding your way challenging. With these features, compact satellite communicators not only reduce the load you have to lug around but can also be life-savers if something goes wrong on your hiking trail.

Lugging around a full gallon of water is impractical, especially since you’re trying to save your back here. I usually carry a small water bottle that doubles up as a backpacking water filter instead whenever I’m sure my hiking route has water sources. The water along the route will definitely be unsafe for drinking in most cases, but a dependable water filter bottle like the LifeStraw Peak Squeeze will sort it out. Such a filter works by forcing water through a membrane microfilter which traps harmful microorganisms and other contaminants. The water that comes out the other side then becomes safe for drinking.

With such a tool, water sources like creeks, streams, and lakes become safe to drink. There are cheaper filters like the $14 LifeStraw Personal Hiking Water Filter, but you have to use them directly from the source. I prefer the Peak Squeeze because it’s available with two storage options — 22 and 33.8 ounces which means you can scoop water and squeeze as you continue with your journey. If in doubt, this filter does meet the necessary safety standards for removing parasites and bacteria.

I always go for a compact fabric kit like the Protect Life Mini Emergency Kit to save space and weight without sacrificing the essentials. It’s ranked first on Amazon’s Best Seller in Camping and Survival Kits at the time of writing, and it’s not hard to see why. The fabric case lets you tuck a full-size emergency kit into a hip belt pocket or the top lid of your backpack rather than squeezing a large and hard first aid box between the rest of your hiking gear.

In a kit such as the one recommended above, you’ll get a variety of bandages, an emergency blanket, elastic band, an eye pad, scissors, tweezers, and antiseptic towelettes among other essentials. All these items mean you can replace your old bulky first aid box with something much lighter without missing out on any important supplies you might need in a minor trail emergency. One thing you’ll have to be psychologically prepared for with such a kit is having to dig through a cramped-up case, which is the only trade-off over a standard first aid kit.

Emergency shelter is just one item hikers tend to forget when setting out for a trek. We don’t expect you to carry a whole tent with you since we’re looking to cut on weight as much as possible. A bivy sack like the SOL Emergency Bivvy is an ultralight way of fixing this problem. This tool is more of an emergency sleeping bag that’s windproof, waterproof, reflects heat, and is light enough to chill at the bottom of your backpack without adding significant weight and bulk.

We’ve highlighted the SOL Emergency Bivvy here since it weighs less than five ounces and you can pack it down to about the size of a soda can. Despite the small real estate, this sack can keep you warm and dry if you get stranded or injured in harsh conditions on a trail. It’s like having a sleeping bag with you though it’s more of a safety plan rather than a substitute for the latter. In the packaging it also comes with a rescue whistle and a paracord drawstring that you can use as tinder to start a fire if the need arises. A bivy sack should be a must-carry for any outdoor adventure, as it can be the difference between surviving or being consumed by Mother Nature when things don’t go as planned.

Weight comes at a premium for any kind of backpacking activity. For this reason, I chose those that substitute an otherwise heavy tool or gadget that is critical in backpacking activities — not just a nice to have ultralight gear. My selections cut the weight you have to carry significantly up to about a fraction of what the standard tool or gadget weighs. Some weight differences might be small, but these tweaks quickly add up to reduce the overall load you have to carry while hiking.