Warning: I cut my food weight by 1.5 pounds using a grocery store trick and it worked
I did the PCT section from Kennedy Meadows to Kearsarge Pass two weeks ago and my base weight was killing me at 18 pounds. I started repackaging everything into snack size ziplocs at home instead of bringing the original bags, which sounds dumb but saved me 1.5 pounds. The real trick was pouring my oatmeal and instant rice into flat bags so they pack tight against my pack walls. I also ditched the bear can and hung my food for the first time, which saved another 2 pounds but scared me at night. Has anyone else tried the flat bag thing, or am I late to this?
Man, yes, the flat bag thing is real. I did the same on the JMT last summer and couldn't believe how much dead space I was hauling around in those puffy original bags. Squeezing everything flat against the pack walls also keeps your load from shifting, which is huge on the downhill.