Trim your load from 40 pounds to 25 or 20, and you don't need the big pack with the beefy suspension — a more streamlined pack will do, and it alone may save three pounds or more. Modern packs employ lighter materials that are just as strong as older ones, and designs that cut ounces without reducing load-carrying capacity; in short, slimmer, lighter packs carry more weight comfortably today than in the past.