3 Heavy Cases to Swap Out Before Your Thru-Hike

If you’re not careful you may end up carrying unnecessary heavy cases while thru-hiking or backpacking. We illustrate three common types of heavy cases that we’ve seen in backpacks.

Ultralight Glasses Case

a Petzl Headlamp case is a relatively heavy case

Headlamp Case

The headlamp case for the Petzl e+LITE weighs 19 grams. This is just one gram lighter than the actual headlamp itself. I recommend leaving this case at home because your headlamp should be fine without being in a case. As a result you will save 18 grams!

A MSR case that is open weighs a lot and is an unnecessary heavy case

Stove Case

The stove case for the MSR PocketRocket 2 is relatively heavy when compared to the stove weight. The plastic case weighs a whopping 30 grams! The entire stove weighs 73 grams. The case weighs about 41% of the stove weight! I recommend leaving this case at home. To keep your stove clean, you can use a sealable plastic bag that weighs just a few grams. As a result you will save about an ounce of weight!

A glasses case is likely the most common heavy case carried by backpackers

Eyeglasses case is the most common heavy case

I would guess that the eyeglass case is the most common heavy case seen on the trail. The average eyeglasses case weighs around 114 grams or 4 ounces. You can easily make your own eyeglasses case that only weighs 30 grams (1.06 oz). As a result of making your own glass case you can save about 3 ounces!

Summary

It’s important to watch out for heavy cases that can sneak into your pack. Even outdoor manufacturers have designed heavy cases for their lightweight gear. So it’s important to pay attention to what you put in your pack. Every extra ounce you add to your pack makes a big difference. It’s important that you weigh and evaluate everything you put in your pack if you want to have a light pack on your hike.