"Chuck your boots," says Chris Townsend, the author of The Advanced Backpacker (McGraw-Hill). Instead, wear low-top hikers, sneakers, or sandals.

The old saw that a pound [half a kilogram] off your feet is like five [about two kilograms] off your back is true, he says. He even bucks the notion that you need boots for ankle support. "What gives you support is the heel cup," he says.

To drillers of holes in toothbrush handles, Townsend says, "What, a half ounce [14 grams]? Big deal. Weigh your big items. A lighter rain jacket alone can save a pound."