Ultralight backpacking, lightweight backpacking, ultralight hiking. What’s the deal? Why is there a small, very loud corner of the internet yelling at me about how important it is to be light, to be ultralight, to be lightweight, to cut my toothbrush in half and do away with comfort all together?
Because comfort is relative, that’s why. The entire ultralight backpacking movement is about backpacking with only what you need, in order to reduce the weight you carry on your back, to free up your legs and mental stamina. It is minimalism incarnate. Instead of sterile living spaces, you get the freedom to move quicker and be less burdened by heavy gear that you don’t need. Does it bring you joy? Doesn’t matter. If it’s not essential to survival, it goes. What’s pack weight? Your base weight? Be ready to talk grams. You can see my gear list for the Pacific Crest Trail here.
Now, the above description is the radical version of ultralight backpacking. It is the approach that many thru-hikers, who tend to be ultralight hikers, adopt when hiking over long distances. This is because the toll on your body is extreme when backpacking hundreds of kilometres and being lightweight or ultralight is more of a necessity.
If you carry too much, you risk injury and just outright discomfort which can lead to quitting because what is even the point of trudging through extreme discomfort day after day after day, when you could just ditch your belongings and experience a raw sense of lightness and joy?
For overnight camping, weekend warriors and backpacking trips that are a couple of days, I don’t think you need to be so extreme. When you’re not out there to punch through miles as quickly as possible, having a bit more weight, for the sake of enjoyment (think whiskey bottles, a kindle, extra cosy layers, a deck of cards) makes sense to me.
I think it’s also important to point out that I have seen this go too far, to the extent that it impacts on safety. I’ve seen hikers do away with their tents to save grams (and look doing away with one of the big items is a very efficient way of doing this) but I do not recommend it. This approach just relies on other hikers around you to act as your safety plan.
I had one hiker beg to crawl into my tent when an un-forecast and un-seasonal storm hit, because he had not packed a tent, because he didn’t want to carry the weight. In hindsight, this was a pretty busted and unsafe decision because nature bends to no one, tent or no tent.
Principles of Ultralight Backpacking
In an attempt to distil the essence of ultralight backpacking, I’ve written some deeply scientific principles which inform the religion:
Weight Reduction: The cornerstone of ultralight backpacking is reducing the overall weight of your gear. Item by item. This tends to involve meticulously selecting lightweight equipment, eliminating unnecessary, luxury items, and finding multi-purpose gear. Shedding grams is a very common phrase associated with this particular principle. You will hear ultralight hikers use it a lot.
Multi-Purpose Gear: Ultralight backpackers often opt for gear that can serve multiple functions. For example, I use my Tyvek ground sheet as a sit pad too, many people use a stuff sack with your hiking clothes as a pillow (as we know I have a luxury blow up pillow), I use my jetboil to cook, to eat out of and to consume warm drinks from (no blows, plates or cups).
Ultralight/Lightweight Materials: Equipment made from ultralight materials like Dyneema, silnylon, and titanium are popular choices in ultralight backpacking. These materials are strong, durable, and weigh significantly less than their traditional counterparts.
Resupply Strategy: Ultralight backpackers frequently plan their trips to include resupply points. By carrying fewer supplies and purchasing or resupplying along the way, they reduce the weight of their packs. It’s also about packing light food, which tends to be objectively less delicious. You want to pack dehydrated meals and heavily processed but calorie dense food. The fresh fruit often stays on the shelf. But in good news, chips are in.
Benefits of Ultralight Backpacking
I know I’ve spelled out the profound feelings of lightness and joy that come from carrying a lightweight backpack, and light weight gear more broadly, but let me make it a bullet point list for you:
Increased Mobility and Speediness: With a lighter pack, hikers can cover more miles in a day. Simple. You carry less, you move faster, you feel better doing it.
Reduced Physical Strain: Lighter loads put less stress on the body, reducing the risk of injury and allowing hikers to feel less drudgery and thoughts of quitting to go and enjoys one’s life.
Comfort: Depending on how you look at it. The comfort of the days often outweighs the comfort of the night if it’s over long distances.
Simple Set-ups and Pack-downs: When you have less stuff, it’s much easier to keep track of. I promise you the less you have the more astutely you are aware of it and whether it is in its exact place, because you use it everyday.
Tips for Aspiring Ultralight Backpackers
In case you’re new to this and not reading it for the validation of already being a speedy ultralight hiker, here are some tips for departing from traditional backpacking and camping set ups to a more lightweight hiking approach:
Start Slow: Transitioning to ultralight gear can be a lot, so take it one step at a time. Changing your association to comfort might not come naturally. Evaluate your gear, prioritise which items can be replaced or left at home, and gradually build up your ultralight gear.
Choose Quality Gear: Investing in high-quality, ultralight gear is essential. And it’s definitely expensive. But it’s worth spending a little more upfront to ensure durability and performance AND reduced pack weight. I often agonised over hikers leaving their stinky shabby looking packs out the front of restaurants because I was like… that is THOUSANDS of dollars worth of gear left UNATTENDED.
Be Mindful of Safety: While reducing weight is the goal, safety should never be compromised. Don’t be that hiker crawling into tents into the storm because they didn’t want to carry one. Always carry essential items like first-aid supplies, a shelter, and adequate clothing for the conditions. Hypothermia is not fun.
Engage in Pack Shake-Downs: You can do this to your own gear, or have some other ultralight hiker help you out. Remember the goal is lighter gear, lighter base weight. I say that because it can be hard to watch some throw your luxuriously warm sleep system in to the unnecessary gear pile.
Ultralight Gear
My gear list is here if you want to check out what I took with me on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Otherwise, your gear list should look something like this (but hike your own hike and pack what works for you):
The Big Ticket Items
Backpack
Shelter
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Worn Clothing
T-Shirt
Shorts or skirt
Trail runners or hiking boots (if that’s your thing)
Socks
Underwear (way less than you think)
Gaiters
Sunglasses
Sunglasses cord
Watch
Buff
Hat
Packed Clothing
Base layer top
Base layer bottom
Puffy/insulated jacket
Rain jacket
Sleeping socks
Down booties
Beanie
Gloves
Camp shoes
Backpacking Gear
Trekking Poles
Water treatment
Headlamp
Food Storage
Stuff sack
Wallet
Pillow:
Pack Cover
Pack Liner
Groundsheet
Water bottle
Knife
Cooking System
Stove
Spoon
Lighter
Electronics
GPS/Personal Locator Beacon
Powerbank
Headphones
Wall Charger
Phone Case
Various charging cords
Toiletries
Trowel
Anti-Chafe
Hand sanitiser
Lipbalm
Sunscreen
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Wet wipes
Toilet paper + Toilet paper bag (for packing it out y’all!)
Pee rag
Blister kit: Compeeds, tape, sewing needle and thread
Medication: ibuprofen, any medication you need
What are luxury items?
I am assuming that by this point in the article, it’s pretty clear that if you want to be an ultralight hiker you pack less stuff. But also, being an autonomous and independent person in the world means that you can chose to bring stuff back into the mix.
These additional items are known as ‘luxury items’ which is to say, they are not essential for survival, and therefore a luxury. One of my luxury items on the Pacific Crest Trail was a light weight blow up pillow. Bold, I know.
Ultimately, luxury is in the eye of the beholder. I carry a stove which some ultralight hikers would deem to be a luxury item because, babe, have you heard of cold soaking? You can eat without heat. But the more obvious example are things like kindles, those little glass jars of tiger balm, musical instruments, and
Is Ultralight Backpacking Worth It?
Here is my considered opinion on ultralight backpacking. I have hiked hundreds of miles with my little ultralight pack. She wasn’t the most ultralight pack out there. But she did not have many luxury items beyond that blow-up pillow. And I do think it’s worth it. You just need to strike the right balance will all the gear and what makes you happy on trail.
At the end of all of it, the reason for being out there is normally something along the lines of ‘because it makes me happy and I feel more myself at the mercy of nature than I ever could inside a concrete city.’ And if it makes you happier to take cosy layers and a kindle, just do it. Whatever gets you out there.
