carry on bag? This is a truly excellent carrier, and this is the second year the LILLEBaby carrier was tested for inclusion in our list, and it made it right into the first place position again! The LILLE Baby series is relatively new to the baby carrier market, using beautiful and highly functional Scandinavian styling, and including some very comprehensive features. They make three categories of carriers: the LilleBaby’s COMPLETE series, CARRY-ON series, and ESSENTIALS series. As the name would suggest, the COMPLETE series is the most versatile, with six carry positions, a wide weight range that includes infants down to 7 pounds, and big kids up to 45 pounds. Within the COMPLETE series, they have the All Seasons, the Airflow, the Original, and the Embossed Luxe version. Unless you live in (and never travel outside of) Arizona, southern California, or Florida, which might lead you to purchase the Airflow version, we highly recommend the All Seasons.
Do your packing early: Don’t wait until the night beforehand to load your pack. Read How to Pack and Hoist a Backpack for helpful loading tips. Do your pre-trip pack loading several days in advance, then weigh it to be sure you didn’t overdo it. A rule of thumb is that it should weigh no more than 20 percent of your body weight. If your pack weighs well above that mark, take a hard look at your checklist and see what you can jettison. You can also learn more ways to cut pack weight by reading How Much Should Your Pack Weigh? See additional info on best backpack coolers.
Navigation and maps might be the most important hiking essential. If you know where you are, you should know how to get home. If you’re lost, you’re in trouble. In this case I actually use several devices. GPS watch with track loaded. Dedicated backup GPS device with maps loaded. Smartphone app with offline maps (make sure you’re in airplane mode). Paper topographic maps. Guidebook or hike printout. Compass to navigate with paper. This is pretty straightforward. Use sunscreen and SPF protected clothing to avoid sunburn (and sun poisoning). I also carry a tarp and cord in my pack so I can erect a shade shelter if need be.
Reducing backpack weight advice : Shelter/ Tent. 2 lbs or less for a solo tent. 1 lb or less for a tarp. See ultralight tents. Sleeping bag should be down material. It is lighter, more compact, and warmer than its synthetic rival. Yes, it can get wet and become almost useless. However, with a proper dry pack liner (see 1), that won’t happen. Tarp, not a tent. Tents can weigh twice as much as a tarp shelter. A tent provides two walls – an outer one for shelter and inner mesh one for a bug-free enclosure. You only need the outer one for shelter (a tarp). What about the creepy crawlies though? Use a mosquito net for your face, everything else will be covered by your sleeping bag. See even more information on this website.