My Inventory

The first thing that I did that was, perhaps the most helpful was to take an inventory of my backpack and supplies for a standard 3 day hike. What I found was surprising:

1. Sleeping Bag (-30 Ledge Sports) 6 lbs.
2. Tent (Coleman 2 man w/Fly)        4 lbs.
3. Tarp (Just in Case)                       2 lbs.
4. Jacket                                          2 lbs.
5. Hooded Sweatshirt                      3 lbs.
6. Sweatshirt                                    3 lbs.
7. Socks (4 pair)                              1 lbs.
8. Sweats                                         1 lbs.
9. Shorts (2 pair)                              3 lbs.
10. Camp Shoes                                3 lbs.
11. Knife (2)                                      1 lbs.
12. Matches (entire box)                     8 oz.
13. Mess Kit                                      1 lbs.
14. Rope                                            1 lbs.
15. Food (2lbs per day)                      6 lbs.
16. water (5 liters)                               20 lbs.
17. Mosquito Repellent                       10 oz.
18. First Aid Kit                                  1 lbs.
19. Backpack                                     6 lbs.
20. Sleeping Pad                                 2 lbs.

TOTAL                                                67 LBS

As you can see there was a lot of waste. Keep in mind that these weights are approximate and from memory as I did not write any of the weights down. Also, it should be noted that I am larger than your average hiker. At 6'2" and 320 lbs, my clothes weigh more than some peoples sleeping bags, and carrying the weight isn't as shocking when you realize its only 30 percent of my weight. However you look at it though, it was a lot of weight with a lot of unnecessary waste. A few keys to taking your inventory that I would have done differently:

1. Write down the weights for future reference
2. Pack the backpack first (taking items out one at a time)

No matter what you do though, an inventory is a good place to start looking for ways to drop some pounds,