Last Updated on March 5, .eight lb Ultralight Backpacking Gear List for I’ve spent years assembling the best ultralight backpacking gear setup for my multi-day hikes into the wilderness, and I’d love to share my 2023 record with you.
Because the gear you bring alongside backpacking will make or break your journey. I’ve realized this lesson the onerous means.
On a 2014 attempted trek of the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland, a brutal storm put me and my inefficient gear to the test, and issues went downhill quick. The humbling expertise bolstered what I’d already identified: it was time to overtake my backpacking gear setup.
Since that fateful journey, it’s been my mission to assemble one of the best ultralight backpacking gear setup for my personal wants. I’ve counted ounces, scoured over evaluations, and slowly pieced collectively my dream package. The base weight of my 2023 ultralight backpacking gear list comes in proper round seven and a half pounds.
Nowadays, I really feel light, mobile, and unstoppable on the trail.
So try the gear I love, read a number of reviews, and use the checklists as you get ready for your subsequent journey into the backcountry.
Because backpacking is just better with quality ultralight gear.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING GEAR
Backpack, Shelter & Sleep System
Backpack, Shelter & Sleep System
Backpack: Zpacks Nero 38 DCF
I switched to the Zpacks Nero 38-liter pack after my 2022 gear shakedown, and I’m thrilled with it. It’s snug, completely waterproof, and can haul 4 or 5 days price of food with ease. For longer meals carries, or during winter journeys, I’ll continue to make use of my Arc Blast 55-liter pack.
Weight: 10.9 oz | 308 grams
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Tent: Zpacks Plex Solo
I simply downsized from the Zpacks Duplex to the one-person Plex Solo tent for the 2023 season. By doing so, I shaved seven ounces off of my base weight and now solely have to hold one trekking pole. This is the lightest absolutely enclosed tent around, but it still presents ample room to stretch out and store my gear.
Weight: 13.9 oz | 395 grams
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Sleeping Bag: Katabatic Gear Alsek 22°
My Alsek 22° bag has never failed to hold me warm. Katabatic Gear’s quilt design saves weight by dropping the zipper and using much less material than a mummy-style bag. The bag clips onto paracord that I wrap across the sleeping pad, which helps to regulate warmth and creates room to stretch out.
Weight: 23.zero oz | 653 grams
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Sleeping Pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite
I used to sleep on the large Therm-a-Rest Neoair Xtherm MAX, but I switched to the smaller three-season Xlite pad and trimmed 11 ounces off of my base weight. This pad is a commonplace amongst backpackers and has cemented itself as a staple within the ultralight group.
Weight: 12.2 oz | 346 grams
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Stuff Sack/Pillowcase: Zpacks
I’m a finicky abdomen sleeper and should have a high quality pillow when I’m backpacking. By day, this capabilities as a waterproof stuff sack to hold my clothing, and when bedtime comes, I stuff my Plasma one thousand down jacket inside and it transforms into a brilliant comfortable pillow that secures to my sleeping pad.
Weight: 1.four oz | 40 grams
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Tent Stakes: Zpacks Carbon Fiber
These ultralight carbon fiber tent stakes are as light-weight because it gets and stay anchored within the earth pretty properly. As you may imagine, these are fairly easy to break, and should be used gently; never forcefully hammer them into the bottom. For more grippy stakes, go for these ones as an alternative.
Weight: 1.7 oz | forty eight grams (8 stakes)
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Total Backpack and Sleeping System Weight: 63.1 oz | 3.94 lb | 1.seventy nine kg
Carried Clothing
Down Jacket: Montbell Plasma one thousand
In phrases of warmth-to-weight, the Plasma one thousand down jacket is second-to-none. By utilizing insanely efficient 1000-fill down as an insulator, Montbell has raised the bar for all premium ultralight down jackets. Gear nerds, rejoice, as it merely doesn’t get better than this.
Weight: 8.8 oz | 250 grams
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Rain Jacket: Montbell Versalite
I recently upgraded my rain gear game and switched from the ultra-popular and affordable Frogg Toggs rain jacket to the Versalite. While sporting a a lot higher price ticket, the Versalite matches higher, breathes better, and is much more durable. It also works fairly nicely as a windbreaker.
Weight: 6.three oz | 179 grams
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Wind Pants: Enlightened Equipment Copperfield
Hiking can get chilly in shorts, particularly if you’re above treeline. This crazy mild pair of wind pants helps stop morale-zapping gusts and layers nicely with my thermal bottoms to maintain my legs heat. They dry very quickly and weigh as a lot as an empty water bottle. They’re a no-brainer for me.
Weight: 1.5 oz | forty three grams
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Long Underwear: KUIU Peloton 97
If there are lighter thermal bottoms in the marketplace, I can’t find them. I’m retiring my old Patagonia Capilines and giving these a attempt for the upcoming season. They’re created from crazy ultralight fleece, and even rock zippers on the backside of the legs so you’ll be able to take them on and off whereas wearing shoes.
Weight: four.5 oz | 128 grams
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Gloves: KUIU StrongFleece 220
I’m rapidly turning into obsessed with KUIU gear. Their innovative supplies are on the chopping edge of ultralight tech, and are quite comfortable in addition. These silky gentle gloves helped shave almost an oz. off my 2023 base weight, and should do every little thing I ask of them within the backcountry.
Weight: 1.three oz | 37 grams
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Headwear: KUIU Ultra Merino a hundred forty five
My odor-blocking KUIU Merino wool neck gaiter has a great deal of sensible functions on the path, and can eternally be a part of my backpacking package. I often use mine as a scarf, beanie, and face-covering throughout my hikes, and its versatile sufficient to be worn in numerous different different ways.
Weight: .9 oz | 43 grams
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Total Carried Clothing Weight: 23.four oz | 1.46 lb | 663 grams
Cooking System & Food Storage
Cooking System & Food Storage
Stove: BRS-3000T
I carried the Jetboil Flash for years before I decided to lighten my load and change to the insanely gentle BRS-3000T. I’m glad I did. I shaved 9 ounces off my cooking setup weight and might boil water with ease. This little stove is a little erratic, however it gets the job done nonetheless. Read More >>
Weight: .88 oz | 25 grams
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Pot: TOAKS Titanium 450 ml
Because I moved on from the Jetboil to the BRS-3000T, I wanted to choose a camping pot to for all my backpacking meals endeavors. The TOAKS 450 ml titanium pot suits the bill and has been as helpful and durable as advertised. It’s a great portable mug for touring as properly.
Weight: 2.7 oz | seventy six grams
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Spork: Sea to Summit Alpha Light Long
This titanium Sea to Summit spork is feather-light, sturdy, and great at shoveling fresh-cooked backpacking food into your mouth. Its lengthy deal with measures about 8.5 inches, making it easy to scoop food from the bottom of freeze-dried meal pouches without dipping your hand into the bag.
Weight: .39 oz | eleven grams
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Food Storage: Ultralitesacks DCF Bear/Food Bag Kit
This waterproof DCF bag (1.9 oz) can maintain 7-8 days’ worth of food throughout multi-day backpacking trips. It helps masks odor from bears, and rodents, and can be utilized with a rock sack and paracord (.5 oz) to suspend and hang my consumables when hungry creatures are a menace.
Weight: 2.4 oz | 63 grams
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Lighter: BIC Mini
I use my BIC Mini lighter to ignite my range and to burn off any frayed threads on my precious backpacking gear. It’ll additionally assist me begin a fire to maintain warm throughout low-temperature emergency conditions. A lighter might be a lifesaver and is important for any backpacker’s ultralight gear list.
Weight: .39 oz | eleven grams
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Total Cooking System Weight: 6.eight oz | .forty three lb | 192 grams
Water Filtration & Storage
Water Filtration & Storage
Water Filter
Dirty Water Reservoir
Coupling Adapter
Clean Water Container
Water Filter: Sawyer Squeeze
The Sawyer Squeeze has cemented itself on countless ultralight backpacking gear lists. Why? Because it’s simple, effective, and very lightweight. Word to the sensible: Don’t try to save weight by purchasing the Sawyer MINI. It’s maddeningly sluggish. Read More >>
Weight: three.5 oz | 99 grams
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Dirty Water Reservoir: CNOC Outdoors Vecto 2L
Though it weighs an oz. greater than my old Evernew pouch, my new Vecto makes it far easier to gather water alongside the path. It’s dual-opening design allows me to easily seize H2O from streams or scoop it up from shallow sources. It’ll additionally hold from a tree while gravity filters the water for me.
Weight: 2.5 oz | 71 grams
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Filter/Bottle Coupling Adapter: Sawyer
This tiny little gizmo makes life a lot easier when filtering water on the path. It allows me to connect my Sawyer Squeeze filter to my Smartwater bottle, making the process rather more seamless. When properly linked, my filtering kit can also be held on a tree for hands-free purification.
Weight: .3 oz | 9 grams
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Clean Water Container: Smartwater 1L Bottle
Even though it’s twice the load, I prefer the one-liter Smartwater bottle over the Sawyer Water Pouches that include the Squeeze Filter. Why? Because the Smartwater bottle is more durable, simpler to slip in and out of my pack, and doesn’t collapse when I’m filtering water.
Weight: 1.5 oz | 43 grams
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Total Water Filtration and Storage Weight: 7.eight oz | .forty nine lbs | 221 grams
Electronics & Technology
Cell Phone
Battery Bank
Charging Port
Charging Cables
Headphones
GPS Device
Cell Phone: iPhone 12 Mini
I just lately switched to the iPhone 12 Mini mainly because it’s one of many lightest smartphones available on the market. It has a quick processor, 128 GB of storage, takes great photographs, but only has so-so battery life. My phone is my go-to navigation software over physical maps on multi-day hikes.
Weight: 4.eight oz | a hundred thirty five grams
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Battery Bank: Nitecore NB10000
Since I rely on my phone as my main form of navigation, a battery financial institution is crucial for my multi-day journeys. As far as I know, the Nitecore NB is the lightest 10,000 mAh power bank on the market. It’ll maintain my telephone, headphones, flashlight, and GPS unit charged for practically per week.
Weight: 5.three oz | a hundred and fifty grams
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Charging Port: Anker PowerPort Mini
Whenever I hit a town and stop into a restaurant or store to shortly charge my cell phone and battery bank, the Anker PowerPort Mini is ideal for the job. It’s geared up with fast charging 12-watt output and might juice up my battery bank and other devices in simply a couple of hours.
Weight: 1.three oz | 38 grams
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USB Cables: Cable Creation 6″
To charge my smartphone, battery financial institution, headphones, and headlamp, I carry two tiny six-inch USB cables (lightning connector and one micro-USB). Their minuscule length doesn’t allow me to use my phone whereas it’s charging, but that minor inconvenience is definitely worth the weight financial savings.
Weight: .70 oz | 20 grams
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Headphones: Apple AirPods Pro
Music, podcasts, and films are an immense morale increase whereas hiking or winding down within the tent, so I all the time backpack with headphones. I lately upgraded to the luxurious Apple AirPods Pro. They weigh more than my old Panasonics and must be recharged, however they’re totally worth it to me.
Weight: 2.0 oz | fifty seven grams
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GPS Unit: Garmin inReach Mini
I used the Garmin inReach Mini for the first time on my thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, and I was thoroughly impressed. I was able to send messages to friends and family no matter where I was, and they could see my exact GPS coordinates each time. It’s great for solo backpackers who want peace of thoughts.
Weight: 3.5 oz | 99 grams
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Flashlight/Headlamp: RovyVon Aurora A5X
I recently switched from my Nitecore NU25 headlamp to this teeny tiny USB-rechargeable flashlight. It has great battery life, rocks 4 totally different brightness ranges, has a reading lamp setting, glows at midnight, and clips to the brim of my hat (all while weighing half an ounce). Need I say more?
Weight: .55 oz | 15 grams
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Total Electronics Weight: 18.three oz | 1.14 lb | 514 grams
Miscellaneous Items
Sit Pad
Trowel
Compass/Thermometer
Pocket Knife/Scissors
Mini Towel
Pen and Paper
Sit Pad: Folding Foam Mat
This lightweight sit pad is kind of identical to the one included with my Zpacks Nero 38 pack. It works as a snug cushion when sitting on the ground, fits inside my pillowcase to add quantity, and served as padding for my Arc Blast when its body snapped mid-hike. Read More >>
Weight: 1.zero oz | 28 grams
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Trowel: ‘The Deuce #1’ by The Tent Lab
Nobody wants to step in doo-doo on their backpacking journey and Leave No Trace ideas require that hikers eliminate their waste properly. This light-as-a-feather backpacking trowel helps me dig holes in the wilderness to bury my poo whereas leaving the environment nearly undisturbed.
Weight: .45 oz | thirteen grams
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Compass/Thermometer: Coghlan’s Four Function
A compass, thermometer, and whistle for underneath an ounce? That’s a no-brainer. I haven’t used the whistle or compass but, but they’ll be there for me if I’m ever in a pinch. I grasp this outdoors my tent so I can examine the exterior temperature every morning.
Weight: .81 oz | 23 grams
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Micro Scissors: Tacony Super Shears
I used to hold a mini Swiss army knife, but I by no means used any tools apart from the scissors. So, I swapped it out for this extremely light-weight and compact pair of micro shears and shaved virtually a full ounce within the process. These scissors are sharp, durable, and minimalist.
Weight: .18 oz | 5 grams
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Mini-Towel: PackTowl Ultralite (Face-Size)
I use my PackTowl Ultralite microfiber towel for wiping down the condensation inside my tent and drying out my cooking pot, but it could serve many other purposes. It can be used as an emergency fireplace starter, masks, or gauze if the state of affairs requires it.
Weight: .56 oz | 16 grams
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Pen & Paper
I love to take notes during my backpacking adventures, especially at nighttime inside my heat ultralight tent. Note-taking improves my reminiscence and helps me recuperate important details when I’m writing my hiking guides weeks and even months after my initial experience.
Weight: .35 oz | 10 grams
Ditty Bag: Ultralitesacks DCF Ultralight Zip
Organization is vital when backpacking, so I use this waterproof ditty bag (large size) to keep my electronics, accessories, toiletries, and first-aid objects in order. It’s the proper measurement for my wants, and I maintain it at the top of my backpack for fast and easy accessibility on the trail. Read More >>
Weight: .sixty seven oz | 19 grams
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Total Miscellaneous Weight: 4.1 oz | .26 lb | 116 grams
First-Aid Kit & Toiletries
First-Aid Kit & Toiletries
Total First Aid Kit & Toiletries Weight: 1.eight oz | .11 lb | 50 grams
Total Base Weight: a hundred twenty five.3 oz | 7.eighty three lb | 3.fifty five kg
Worn/Carried Items
Watch
Hiking Socks
Trekking Pole
Worn and carried objects do not depend in course of complete base weight.
Trail Running Shoes: Salomon XA Pro 3D V8
These footwear saved my Colorado Trail thru-hike. a hundred and twenty miles in, I made a switch from the La Sportiva Wildcats, which ran very small and put blisters all over my toes. The XA Pro 3D V8s have been comfortable and breathable from day one and made the rest of my hike gratifying and pain-free. Read More >>
Weight: 27.8 oz | 788 grams
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Hoodie: KUIU Peloton ninety seven
KUIU’s Peloton ninety seven hoodie is a new addition to my listing, and I can’t wait to get it into the mountains to put it via its paces. It weighs a meager 5 ounces, which is unfathomably gentle for a fleece hoodie. I still love my Montbell Cool Hoodie, however this is simply too progressive to not check out.
Weight: 5.zero oz | 142 grams
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Shorts: Patagonia Nine Trails
I all the time used to hike in my prAna Strech Zion pants however came to realize that I’m happier carrying shorts. The Nine Trails are extraordinarily snug, water resistant, have built-in boxer briefs, and sport threeseparate zippered pockets. What more might you ask for in a pair of hiking shorts? Read More >>
Weight: 6.4 oz | 181 grams
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GPS Watch: Garmin Instinct
Maybe it’s a little bit of an ultralight backpacking luxury, but the Garmin Instinct’s usefulness on the trail makes it a no brainer for my 2023 gear listing. This sturdy and straightforward watch helps me navigate, records my heart rate, tracks altitude and distance traveled, syncs with my phone, and much more.
Weight: 1.eight oz | fifty two grams
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Socks: Darn Tough Light Hiker
The Darn Tough Light Hikers are the right backpacking sock. They don’t have much cushion, but are nonetheless sturdy, snug, and intensely breathable. Not fairly your style? Check out our extensive post on the sixteen best hiking socks for men and women in 2023.
Weight: 2.1 oz | fifty eight grams
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Trekking Pole: Zpacks Carbon Fiber
This light-weight carbon fiber trekking pole is totally essential to my gear list. It distributes weight away from my injury-prone knees as I navigate steep terrain and in addition acts as tent pole to maintain my Plex Solo standing robust. It’s mild as a feather, sturdy, and tall sufficient to pitch my tent.
Weight: 7.2 oz | 204 grams
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Hat: KUIU Air Mesh Flexfit
It was time to get a model new hat, so I figured I’d grab one from KUIU that matches the pattern on my hoodie. Though I haven’t put it by way of the ringer yet, this hat appears quite breathable and may ventilate properly when I begin sweating. I love attempting out new hats, so we’ll see how long this sticks round.
Weight: 2.6 oz | 74 grams
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Sunglasses: Knockaround Fast Lanes
I’m too clumsy and forgetful with sunglasses to hold onto a pair for longer than a season, so I put on the budget-friendly Knockaround Fast Lanes. They’re trendy, match my face nicely, and have polarized lenses. They’re only $28, so if I break or lose them, I won’t be heartbroken.
Weight: .85 oz | 24 grams
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Total Worn/Carried Items Weight: fifty three.eight oz | 3.36 lb | 1.53 kg
Consumables
Contact Solution
Sunscreen
Rubbing Alcohol
Hand Sanitizer
I’ve accrued an array of tiny plastic containers over the years to hold my sunscreen, blister prevention cream, bug repellent, Advil, and multivitamins. I carry the bare minimum of what I suppose I’ll need on a given trip and stash my toiletries and first aid supplies in two separate Ziploc baggage.
I use a Jetboil Mini gasoline canisterwith my tenting range to boil water for my dehydrated meals. An empty canister weighs about 7 oz (200 grams) when full and three.3 oz (94 grams) when empty.
Food for a day on the path (about 3,000 calories) weighs about 24 oz (1.5 pounds | 680 grams), and I all the time bring an additional day’s rations in case of emergency. Check out my guide on backpacking food and meal planning if you need to see precisely how I pack food for a trip.
On average, I carry a couple of liter of water (35.25 oz | 1 kg) at a time during my backpacking adventures and filter water as I go. If the trail I’m climbing goes long stretches with none freshwater sources, I’ll carry two or more liters at a time. Water is heavy, so I try to not overload myself if opportunities to purify are plentiful.
Consumables do not rely towards whole base weight.
Total Consumables Weight (Five Days of Food + One Liter of Water): 155.zero oz | 9.sixty nine lb | 4.39 kg
Total Worn/Carried Items + Consumables Weight: 211.zero oz | 13.19 lb | 5.ninety eight kg
Total Worn/Carried Items + Consumables + Base Weight: 334.eight oz | 20.ninety three lb | 9.forty nine kg
That’s it. You’ve now taken a peek at every single merchandise on my 2023 ultralight backpacking gear list. I hope this publish helps you in one way or one other in your multi-day climbing endeavors.
And now, for those of you who aren’t totally familiar with ultralight backpacking, I’d like to reply a couple of of your questions.
Ultralight Backpacking FAQs
Ultralight Backpacking FAQs
What is Ultralight Backpacking?
Ultralight backpacking is the minimalist apply of packing as mild as potential while remaining protected and cozy on the path. The typical base weight limit for an ultralight setup is 10 kilos or less.
The ultralight mindset may be traced back over 100 years but has solely been broadly practiced since the 1990s. Since then, expertise has introduced upon considerably lighter gear that is easier than ever to get your arms on.
What is Base Weight and What are Consumables?
Base weight is the entire mixed weight of your pack minus food, gas, and consumables. Worn clothes and items that will be carried outdoors of your backpack (like watches, sun shades, trekking poles, and so forth.) don’t depend towards your base weight.
Think of your base weight items are the things that you’ll carry for the entirety of your hike (your backpack, tent, sleeping bag, further clothes, and so on.) The weight of these things should be more or less fastened in your entire journey.
Consumables are the gadgets that fluctuate in weight through the period of your journey (like food, water, stove gasoline, Advil, sunscreen, and so forth.) The weight of your consumable items isn’t fastened and will vary from day to day.
Keeping track of your base weight and consumables individually will give make it easier to calculate how a lot you presumably can count on to hold on a given trip.
There’s no cut-and-dry listing of base weight items vs consumables in the ultralight backpacking community, so don’t fret a lot about how to classify everything you carry. Base weight is only a quantity in the end.
Does Backpacking Have a Weight Chart?
There’s no official weight chart for backpacking classifications, so defining them is completely objective. Based on my personal backpacking experiences, here’s my finest stab at it:
* Traditional Backpacking: 30+ lb base weight
* Lightweight Backpacking: 20 lb base weight
* Ultralight Backpacking: 10 lb base weight
* Super Ultralight Backpacking: 5 lb base weight
Is Ultralight Backpacking Dangerous?
It can be, however provided that you don’t prepare your self properly.
Lightweight backpacking gear can perform simply as nicely, if not better, than heavier traditional gear, so there’s no added risk if you pack on your trip appropriately. If something, a proper ultralight setup is safer than a conventional setup as a outcome of it’ll put less strain in your physique.
Where ultralight backpackers can get in trouble is once they depart behind important objects (first-aid provides, physical maps, weather-specific gear) for the sake of slicing weight. This practice of being “stupid light” is foolish and may put hikers in peril.
Is Ultralight Backpacking Gear Expensive?
For me, ultralight backpacking has been fairly pricy, but it doesn’t should be for you.
My current ultralight backpacking setup is worth around $2,500 model new, which isn’t any small worth to pay. Cost aside, the quality gear in my pack will carry out at a excessive level and certain won’t need to be changed till a few years sooner or later. That’s money well spent, in my eyes.
It’s potential to put together an ultralight backpacking for a fraction of what I spent, nevertheless. You just have to be keen to get somewhat creative. How, exactly? Seek out second-hand gear, analysis finances manufacturers, and be willing to sacrifice a little little bit of high quality to save some cash.
Benefits of Ultralight Backpacking
Benefits of Ultralight Backpacking
Many backpackers hesitate at buying ultralight gear, believing that packing less will diminish their experience on the path. Here are some advantages that suggest that fairly the opposite is actually true.
Carrying Less Weight Means Fewer Injuries
The heavier your backpack, the more prone you become to slips, falls, twists, sprains, and breaks on the trail. Lightening your load will make you extra sure-footed and lessen the chance of accidents that can derail your hike instantly.
You Can Move Faster and More Efficiently with a Lighter Pack
A fine-tuned ultralight backpacking setup will allow you to hike quicker and more successfully than if you have been to hold a backpack full of heavy, inefficient gear. This quicker tempo will lead to more day by day distance hiked and fewer power expended per mile.
Ultralight Backpacking is More Comfortable than Traditional Backpacking
Anyone who has ever carried a heavy, overstuffed backpack is aware of how agonizing the expertise can be. Straps dig into your shoulders, uninteresting ache creeps up your again, and your knees start to ache with every step.
Too much weight in your again distracts out of your mountaineering expertise, plain and simple.
A streamlined ultralight setup will ease the discomfort of traditional backpacking, reduce your aches and pains, and put your mind off of your body and again onto your environment.
A Lower Base Weight Means More Space for Consumables
When you make the transition to ultralight, a lot of free area will open up in your backpack. This newfound room will permit you to pack further meals, water, and gasoline for the lengthy stretches of path where you’re unable to resupply for several days at a time.
Tips & Tricks for Ultralight Backpacking
Tips & Tricks for Ultralight Backpacking
Over my years of backpacking and converting to an ultralight setup, I’ve discovered quite a couple of priceless lessons alongside the means in which. Here are some of the finest bits of ultralight backpacking wisdom I can offer you.
Buy a Scale
Every ounce counts on the planet of ultralight backpacking, so get your palms on a precision scale and weigh each item that goes into your pack. Analyzing the load of your present gear will assist information the finest way for future modifications to your setup.
Scrutinize Everything
To get your base weight as little as possible, you’ll have to take an in depth take a look at each single piece of drugs in your packing list. Compare your current gear meticulously to different items in the marketplace, and at all times ask your self, “Can I go lighter?”
But lighter gear doesn’t at all times imply higher gear, nonetheless, so be ready to do thoughtful analysis and make decisions based on an item’s effectiveness as nicely as its weight.
Focus on the ‘Big Four’
In most backpacking gear lists, the heaviest items are as follows:
* Backpack
* Shelter
* Sleeping Bag
* Sleeping Pad
By getting your hands on a brand new ultralight tent, backpack, sleeping bag, and pad, you can trim not solely ounces but kilos off of your conventional backpacking setup.
Don’t Bring Duplicates
Packing double of an merchandise when one will do is a no-no within the ultralight backpacking group. Why? Because the UL mantra is about carrying solely what you need and nothing else. This means you can go away the extra socks, shirts, pants, underwear, and sandals at house.
Share Gear with Others
Communicate along with your hiking partners, share your gear, and distribute the weight between your backpacks every time possible. Pooling the load of your ultralight tents, stoves, pots, water filters, knives, and so on. is a good way to lower your base weight by sacrificing some consolation and comfort.
Research Your Hike Thoroughly Ahead of Time
The trail you hike and the climate you anticipate to encounter ought to dictate what gear you pack and what you allow behind. Study your hike’s terrain, check forecasts, decide the distance between water sources, and pack accordingly.
For instance, backpacking alone for two days within the world’s driest desert will call for a vastly totally different gear list than mountaineering for a week through intense wind and rain in Patagonia.
Let the journey forward determine what you pack and depart all your different unnecessary gear behind.
Stupid Light, Not Even Once
Ultralight backpacking isn’t a contest, so don’t leave essential objects behind simply to shave a few ounces off of your base weight. This apply is called being ‘stupid light’ and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Prepare yourself for worst-case situation weather, convey a whole first help equipment, and pack physical and digital maps when navigating unfamiliar terrain. Cutting corners to trim weight is foolish and may be life-threatening if your hike goes sideways and you’re all alone in the backcountry.
Best Ultralight Backpacking Resources
Here are some helpful books, websites, and tools which were invaluable along my journey as an ultralight backpacker. I hope you find them as helpful as I do.
Ultralight Subreddit
Reddit.com/r/Ultralightis a helpful forum to discuss ultralight backpacking, gear lists, trip reviews, and extra. Redditors on this super-involved neighborhood are fast to answer questions, share wisdom, and provide recommendation.
LighterPack
LighterPack is a superb place for backpackers to maintain observe of, analyze, and examine their gear lists. Users can assign weights to each piece of gear of their backpacking setup and the website calculates base weight, carried weight, and consumables in a useful pie chart.
Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips
Though Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips was published in 2011, it’s filled with considerate data that is still one hundred pc legitimate right now. The creator, Mike Clelland, packs over a hundred and fifty extremely helpful pointers into the book, all drawn from his lifetime of hiking, camping, and exploring the good outdoor.
Andrew Skurka
Andrew Skurka has been an absolute legend in the ultralight backpacking community for years. Want some proof? Check out his four,700-mile expedition around Alaska, the place he hiked, packrafted, and skied for seven straight months via some of the world’s most distant wilderness.
Ultralight Backpacking YouTube Channels
YouTube is stuffed with great ultralight backpacking enthusiasts who are desperate to share adventures, gear suggestions, and tips with the world. My personal favorites are Darwin onthetrail, John Zahorian, and Jupiter Hikes.
Should You Transition to Ultralight Backpacking Gear?
Should You Transition to Ultralight Backpacking Gear?
In a word, undoubtedly.
Going ultralight is an train in freedom and efficiency.
There’s merely no downside in drastically chopping your pack weight, as long as your new set up keeps you protected, pleased, and cozy on the path.
Trimming weight and minimizing your packing list means that each item you pack ought to serve its purpose as effectively as possible. Space and power will no longer be needlessly wasted on hauling round a bunch of unnecessary stuff.
Less weight on your back means you’ll hike farther, longer, and more comfortably. There are merely no arguments in opposition to responsible ultralight backpacking that make sense, so my advice is to provide it a try. Lighten your load, what’s there to lose?
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What are some of your favourite items of ultralight backpacking gear of 2023 that didn’t make my list? What’s your base weight? Do you’ve any ultralight packing ideas or tricks? What is the lightest backpacking gear listing you’ve ever seen? Let me know by leaving a remark below!