Our ultralight backpacking philosophy is ‘carry what you want, nothing extra, nothing much less’. Going ultralight doesn’t imply it’s important to sacrifice vital consolation. We’ve put collectively a full backpacking gear listing – full with a free-standing tent, a range, and even a pillow – for beneath 10 kilos.
Ultralight Backpacking Gear Checklist
Backpack
Goal Weight: 2 lbs
Our Decide: Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 (1 lb 15.9 oz)
A lot of the packs in our information to ultralight backpacks have one factor in widespread: simplicity. After utilizing dozens of various packs through the years, we’ve discovered that options like further pockets and a closely engineered body add weight and normally aren’t essential if you happen to’re sticking to a UL packing listing.
We’ve carried the Gorilla for 8,000 miles of backpacking, and it has but to allow us to down. It’s mild, snug, and sufficiently big to hold your entire gear.
Tent
Goal Weight: 2 lbs
Our Decide: Huge Agnes Tiger Wall UL1 (2 lbs 2 oz)
Relating to ultralight shelters, we stick to a double-wall tent. That’s positively not the best option to shed weight – single-wall, trekking pole tents are lighter. However they’re additionally finicky, have a steep studying curve, and their single-wall design encourages condensation to type on the underside.
We’ve backpacked with the Tiger Wall for 10,000 miles, most lately for 500 miles on the GR11 in Spain. It stored us dry, cozy, and shielded from bugs. Campsites had been laborious to come back by on that path as properly, so the freestanding design allowed us to arrange in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Footprint
Goal Weight: 2 oz
Our Decide: Six Moon Designs Polycro Footprint (1.5 oz)
Polycro (or polycryo) is an excellent skinny, light-weight plastic generally used for seasonal window insulation. It’s also a go-to groundcloth materials for ultralight backpackers. It’s delicate for positive, however this 1.5-ounce sheet will hold you dry in case your tent flooring soaks by way of.
Sleeping Pad
Goal Weight: 1 lb
Our Decide: Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir Xlite (13 oz)
Some folks like the sturdiness of a closed-cell foam sleeping pad, however we’ll select an inflatable backpacking sleeping pad each time.
The NeoAir Xlite is a tried-and-true, thru-hiker-tested choice. Its 4.5 R-value offers sufficient insulation to maintain you heat in spring, summer time, and fall, and its 3-inch thickness prevents bottoming out.
Sleeping Bag
Goal Weight: 2 lbs
Our Decide: REI Magma 30 (1 lb 8.4 oz)
A light-weight sleeping bag is without doubt one of the only (and expensive) methods to chop down on pack weight. Luggage full of down are considerably lighter than artificial insulation, and higher-quality down makes for an distinctive warmth-to-weight ratio. Search for a fill energy of 800 or above for a critically light-weight and heat bag.
You’ll be hard-pressed to discover a sleeping bag with extra general worth than the Magma 30. We thru-hiked the Colorado Path (a number of instances) with this bag and we’re thrilled with its efficiency. There are many quilts which can be even lighter weight, however it is a true sleeping bag, so you’ll be able to actually snuggle into it.
Pillow
Goal Weight: 3 oz
Our Decide: Sea to Summit Aeros Down Pillow (2.5 oz)
True UL hawks might flip their noses on the mere point out of it, however we all know that tenting pillow will be a fully important piece of substances for some.
At simply 2.5 ounces, you’ll hardly really feel the Aeros Down in your pack, however you’ll actually really feel it when it’s time to get horizontal.
Range
Goal Weight: 4 oz
Our Decide: MSR PocketRocket 2 (2.6 oz)
We not often want a range that may do greater than boil water. The primary issues we search for (other than weight) are windproofness, sturdy arms, and an environment friendly burn. There are extra highly effective backpacking stoves which have higher simmer management and ignition switches, however we largely care about getting water sizzling, quick.
The PocketRocket 2 is certainly one of our favorites, and we’ve taken it on 12,000 miles of backcountry trails, together with the CDT and PCT. After 900 meals, we all know the PR2 boils water shortly, is secure, and packs down sufficiently small to suit the range and a small gas canister in your pot. We’re massive followers.
Cookset
Goal Weight: 5 oz
Our Decide: Toaks Titanium 750mL (4.1 oz)
We prefer to hold our backpacking cookset easy – a single pot with a deal with and a good strainer lid. Search for one thing titanium for the utmost weight financial savings (aluminum will do as properly). We’ve discovered 750mL is a superb quantity to intention for – giant sufficient for one particular person, satisfactory for a pair.
The Toaks Titanium 750mL has been our trusty companion for 1000’s of miles. It hardly weighs something and is pretty inexpensive.
Utensil
Goal Weight: < 1 oz
Our Decide: Toaks Titanium Lengthy Deal with Spoon (0.8 oz)
The lightest backpacking utensils are going to be these created from titanium or plastic. We simply take one utensil to do all of it. We strongly advocate an extended deal with choice to keep away from burns and to scrape the final bits out of the underside of a dehydrated meal pouch.
We’re massive followers of the lengthy deal with spoon for reaching to the underside of backpacking meals with out getting your arms soiled.
Water Filter
Goal Weight: 3 oz
Our Decide: Sawyer Squeeze (3 oz)
There are many sorts of water filters, however squeeze filters are by far our favourite as a result of their simplicity, mild weight, and availability. Something with a pore measurement of 0.2 microns or much less ought to handle water borne micro organism. (If you’ll be in an space with viral water contaminants, you’ll need to carry alongside a chemical therapy as properly.)
Pair the Sawyer Squeeze with a Smartwater bottle, or any reusable bottle with the identical thread sample, and also you’ve received an ultralight filtration system that can final for years. We choose the unique Squeeze over the Sawyer Mini for journeys with reasonably silty water – it will get clogged much less simply.
Rain Jacket
Goal Weight: 10 oz
Our Decide: Outside Analysis Helium (7 oz)
All the time pack for the local weather and climate you might be backpacking in. Mountaineering within the arid mountain west, you’ll be able to typically get away with a light-weight 2- or 2.5-layer rain jacket. If you’ll be in constantly soggy circumstances, like within the northeast or pacific northwest, go for a heavier responsibility 3-layer mannequin and think about rain pants as properly.
The Helium (males’s / girls’s) has been our rain jacket of selection on the Colorado Path, CDT, and PCT. It’s tremendous mild weight and comes with simply the fitting minimalist options to maintain you dry and cozy in scattered showers.
Rain Pants
Goal Weight: 5 oz
Our Decide: Zpacks Vertice (2.5 oz)
There have been loads of arid-climate journeys the place we left the rain pants at residence. Holding your legs dry is usually much less of a security concern than ensuring your core is heat. For journeys the place we do take pants, we hold it light-weight.
Base Layer
Goal Weight: 6 oz
Our Decide: Arc’Teryx Rho LT Crew (5.6 oz)
Layering is important to efficiently regulating your physique temperature within the backcountry. At a minimal, we at all times carry an additional pair of socks, a base layer, and a down jacket. On chillier journeys, we’ll additionally pack a fleece or artificial mid-layer.
The Arc’Teryx Rho LT Crew (males’s / girls’s) high has an unimaginable warmth-to-weight ratio and is tremendous cozy.
Fleece Mid Layer
Goal Weight: 7 oz
Our Decide: Rab Ascendor Gentle Hoody (6.8 oz)
Most sub 10-pound gear lists will omit a mid layer, and truthfully, we solely carry one on particularly chilly three-season journeys. The Ascendor Hoody (males’s / girls’s) is mild sufficient and sufficiently small although that we fortunately pack it once we need to be on the protected facet.
Down Jacket
Goal Weight: 9 oz
Our Decide: Mountain {Hardware} Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket (8.8 oz)
The Ghost Whisperer (males’s / girls’s) has the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any of our favourite down jackets, and is a go-to for a lot of thru-hikers and fast-packers alike. We’ve hiked with some model of it for over 12,000 miles, together with the PCT, CDT, Colorado Path, and Lengthy Path.
Mountaineering Socks
Goal Weight: 2 oz
Our Decide: Darn Powerful Ultralightweight Micro Crew Socks (1.8 oz)
Nobody likes having moist toes, so don’t overlook an additional pair of socks. Our long-time favorites are Darn Powerful.
Energy Financial institution
Goal Weight: 5 oz
Our Decide: Nitecore NB10000 Gen 3 (5.3 oz)
We’re more and more reliant on electronics for our outside adventures. We usually take a smartphone, private locator beacon (PLB), watch, and rechargeable headlamp. There are large advantages to this tech, nevertheless it does additionally necessitate maintaining every little thing charged up.
It is best to by no means rely solely on electronics for the success and security of a visit, however energy financial institution could be a lifesaver. We glance for no less than 10,000 amp hours (good for not less than a couple of full recharges of a typical smartphone).
The Nitcore NB10000 has been our favourite battery financial institution from the PCT to the Spanish Pyrenees. It’ll recharge most smartphones 3-4 instances.
Headlamp
Goal Weight: 4 oz
Our Decide: Black Diamond Spot 400-R (2.6 oz)
For a light-weight headlamp, we’ve discovered 400 lumens tends to be loads shiny. We additionally like fashions which have a lock characteristic, so it doesn’t unintentionally activate in our pack whereas mountain climbing.
Tried and true, the Spot sequence at all times appears to be what we hold going again to as our go-to headlamp.
How one can Hike Ultralight
Ultralight gear permits you to transfer sooner and go additional. Holding your pack weight down additionally reduces the prospect of harm by decreasing stress in your physique.
The downsides? Ultralight gear is dearer, much less sturdy, and sometimes means sacrificing some in-camp consolation.
1. Weigh All of Your Gear
We advocate selecting up an cheap meals scale, and if any of your gear is over the goal weight, think about upgrading. You’ll be able to monitor your objects in a spreadsheet, or use an internet gear monitoring device.
2. Get Assist from the Backpacking Group
Analyzing your whole package takes time, and figuring out what to get as a substitute takes vital effort. Communities like Reddit (r/ultralight), LighterPack, social media, or CleverHiker may also help you determine what you really want and what you don’t, in addition to problem your considering in a form, pleasant, and enjoyable method.
3. Don’t Pack Your Fears
Newbie backpackers are inclined to carry further gear out of concern of ‘operating out’ or being caught in dangerous climate. They’re afraid of being moist, in order that they pack heavy-duty rain gear and an artificial sleeping bag. They’re afraid of being chilly or soiled, in order that they pack layer after layer of garments.
It is best to at all times pack gear applicable to your ability stage and the environmental circumstances. However don’t let concern or lack of expertise be your limiting issue. Totally analysis the circumstances and terrain of your journey so you may make knowledgeable choices on what you actually want.
4. Keep away from Redundant Gear
You most likely solely want one utensil, as a substitute of a fork, spoon, and knife. In the event you can clear off in a lake or river, you solely want one set if in-camp garments (even for multi-week journeys).
Ditch gear that you just would possibly by no means use – if you happen to’re bringing a stick of deodorant or a bottle of cleaning soap/shampoo, rethink. Multi-use objects may also save vital weight – the clearest instance of that is bringing a shelter that makes use of trekking poles for construction, versus a separate set of devoted tent poles.
5. Pack the Proper Quantity
Decide how a lot of every provide you’ll want to your journey size, and solely carry that a lot. As a substitute of packing a full tube of toothpaste or sunscreen, squeeze some right into a separate container and convey simply sufficient for the journey.
6. Skip Luxurious Gadgets
Backpacking inherently requires tradeoffs – you’ll be able to’t absolutely reproduce your at-home life-style within the backcountry. Some issues that we’ve opted to depart behind through the years are camp sneakers/sandals, giant toiletries (we usually hold it to toothbrush, toothpaste, chapstick, and face wipes reduce in half), further electronics (usually we’ve a smartphone, PLB machine, watch, headlamp, and energy financial institution), and hulking cookware (we eat out of the identical pot we cook dinner in).
Do a shakedown (i.e. a one-night trial run) in your favourite path and depart a couple of luxurious objects behind to see if you happen to can actually stay with out them.
Conclusion
Some backpackers genuinely benefit from the mental and engineering problem of creating a package as mild as attainable. Nonetheless, we like it as a result of it protects your physique so you will get essentially the most enjoyment out of backpacking. We advocate for ultralight consolation – reduce every little thing pointless whereas staying protected and cozy sufficient, and we hope this listing helps you do this. Comfortable trails!
