Wearable Weight
Wearable weight is defined as everything you wear or carry outside your backpack. This includes your clothes, shoes or trail runners, phone, camera and any other items you carry on your person.
This is part of your total carry weight, so don’t ignore it.
I’ve seen pilgrims walking with 1.5 to 2kg cameras slung over their shoulders, or a pair of hiking boots hanging off the back of their backpacks. Your feet don’t care how you distribute the weight. They still have to carry it.
The same principle applies to anything you repeatedly move as you walk. Your footwear is lifted and moved with every step. Hiking poles are swung forward with your arms, again and again. More about this in the next section.
A camera carried around your neck or in your hand is another item you are moving over thousands of steps. The weight may be small, but its location and how often you have to move it can make a difference.
The best way to determine your total carry weight is to weigh every item that you will take with you and add it all up. Include the clothes and footwear you will be wearing, your electronics and anything carried outside the backpack. And remember to include the water you intend to carry.