Weight reduction advice?


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I'm always looking for smart ways to reduce the weight. Here's one that I recently discovered: I have a white gas stove and those classic old MSR Cascade steel pots (yes, I know I could save weight with aluminum or titanium). I got a $3 can of black heat-resistant paint at the hardware store (barbeque paint) and painted the outside of my 3L pot with several coats of it. The black paint allows the pot to absorb heat from the stove much more quickly than a reflective surface so I can carry less fuel. I even did a little scientific test to confirm it works. Several times, I boiled 2L in the pot before it was painted (without a lid), which took on average 15 minutes. I painted the pot and did the same thing and my average boil time dropped to 10 minutes and 45 seconds. Does anytrailsnw body have any tried and true weight-saving tips to share?

Use an old plastic 2 litre soft drink bottles (coke, 7up etc.) to carry your water in. They are almost weightless, cheap, can be compressed when empty to save pack space - just blow into them to return to shape, and are just about indestructible. (try filling one with water and then jumping on it - you'll damage yourself before you damage the bottle!) :^)
Build an alcohol stove and spend some bucks for a titanium pot. That will DRASTICALLY reduce your weight.
When I bring my camera w/ telephoto lens I leave the binoculars at home...
If you're bringing spices for cooking, don't put them in a plastic bottle. Instead, cut a drinking straw in half and fill it with a spice, then fold the ends in. Twenty straws weigh less than one little plastic bottle. Use a paper straw if you want a biodegradable container.