Light as air.

Image by Neil T via Flickr

 

"Many a mickle makes a muckle". So said Gordon Jackson in an advert about supermarket savings in the 1970's. It had something to do with looking after the pennies and the pounds looking after themselves.

It is just as relevant when it comes to grams and kilos.

There are always savings to be made. I just reduced the weight of my psion 5 by 3 grams by changing the stylus. I could reduce it further by not using the stylus, the plastic tweezers can double up, or a small carbon fibre rod. I can reduce it further by removing the AA batteries and running it on the backup Lithium. I choose not too because it reduces functionality more than I wish. However I know the options and have considered them.

Not all 500ml plastic bottles are created equal. They all weigh slightly different amounts.

My tent pegs, similarly so, some are lighter than others. A gram or two, but why not take the lighter of them, they will perform the same practical function.

I suffer from asthma which means medication in the form of an inhaler. For whatever reason I cannot get just the refill bottles, the NHS hands out the whole container each time. I pay for it and am happy to pay for it, but I would be just as happy to pay the same and avoid the plastic pump mechanism.

The original plastic inhaler pump weighs in at 46grams. Once I had removed all the stuff that is not necessary for function this halves. Still though it is more material than I need to make it function.

Fortunately not one to ever throw anything away I had an older style inhaler. Attacking this with a pair of scissors and then attacking the remnants with a drill I get the weight down to 5 grams.

It still fulfils the same function. I could reduce the weight a little more but it begins to get potentially "un-functional".

46grams of equipment which could save my life doesn't seem a bad trade off. However with a bit of thought this can be reduced to 5grams of equipment which can still keep me alive. 

I used to scoff at these sorts of weight savings but it is remarkable how it adds up. It also represents a different mindset. The first, if I don't care about the few grams here and there I end up with a few kilos here and there and that is no fun carting around. 

To be constantly looking at ways of saving grams easily means a packweight which is always being refined.