The best gear setup is the one that keeps you warm, lasts for years, and is within your budget. This looks different for every hiker, and lighter isn’t always better. On my first multi-day backpacking trip, I failed to think about my system as a whole and tried to shave weight wherever possible. Because I had a heavy 0-degree sleeping bag, I brought a Therm-a-Rest Z-lite as my pad. Any extra heat I got from my heavy sleeping bag was immediately siphoned by the ground. The solution would have been to either go with a heavier sleeping pad and take a slight weight penalty for warmth, OR rethink my system and pair a different sleeping bag with a warmer pad.
Shaving weight on random pieces of gear without thinking about the ramifications has consequences, like buying an ultralight backpack without having an ultralight setup. Though you’re saving weight on the light pack, you’ll be extremely uncomfortable.
Our Ultralight Gear List
Our Mid-Weight Gear List
Why Lighter Isn’t Always Better
The ultralight backpacking craze encourages us to shave ounces wherever possible, often at the expense of durability, warmth, or comfort. Gear companies jump on board, developing the lightest products possible. Some of this gear works great, but it may not be for everyone. There are plenty of times where selecting gear a few ounces heavier may save weight and money in the long run.
First, pay attention to how your gear is made. Ultralight fabrics can more delicate, expensive, or both. For example, many sleeping bags have a 20D fabric outer layer. My ultralight quilt has a 7D outer layer, and after two years, it ripped while cowboy camping in Joshua Tree. On the other hand, some ultralight fabrics like Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) are extremely durable, but more expensive. Overall, consider the intended use of your gear and if shaving ounces is worth sacrificing durability and / or paying more.
How Utility, Versatility, and Cost all Impact Each Other
- Utility: How much use you get out of a product; longevity
- Versatility: The amount of scenarios / trips in which you could use the product
- Cost: The amount of money you paid for the product
Utility and versatility are the two most important factors to consider when trying to keep costs low in the long scheme of things. When you invest in a more expensive product that will last forever and can be used in more scenarios, you save money over time. Conversely, selecting the lightest possible product that cannot be used for everything and does not last will eventually cost more money.
To illustrate, an extremely lightweight and cost-effective sleeping bag rated to 40 degrees may work great in the summer. However, for any shoulder season trips you’ll need something warmer. Instead of investing in one quality 20-degree sleeping bag or quilt that could be used year round, you may be tempted to find another cost-effective warmer bag. This adds both cost AND weight to your pack, as a cheaper 20-degree bag won’t be as light as the one nice one you could have bought in the first place.
Cost vs. Weight
It’s tempting to look for products that have the lowest intersection of cost and weight. However, ultralight products made by cutting corners—or with cheap materials—won’t last as long, thus costing more in the long run. When looking for sleeping bags, look at the denier of the fabric. While a quilt using 7D fabric will be lighter, 20D material is more durable. Consider whether you will want to ever cowboy camp or use your quilt/bag around camp before choosing the lightest material.
As you shave ounces, typically cost either rises or durability decreases. There are extremely tough ultralight fabrics like DCF, but these materials drive up price tags. To illustrate, Gossamer Gear’s The Two tent is $375 and 23.5 ounces, while the DCF version of the same tent is $589 and 20.8 ounces. In this case, you’re able to both shave weight and increase durability by investing in a more expensive tent.
How I Select Products
For me, the two most important factors are versatility and utility. In the long run, this keeps costs down. I have one quilt that works for 95% of the trips I take, and I invested in an expensive and ultralight two-person tent that I bring even when I’m solo. Instead of finding the most perfect and lightest piece of gear for each trip I plan, I focus on buying the best products that will work for the majority of my backcountry adventures.
While this method saves on cost in the long run, it can also help with overall weight. Instead of looking for the lightest option in every piece of equipment possible, I consider how it will all work together as a whole. For example, if I bring a heavier/thicker fleece midlayer I may be able to skip a base layer or go with a warmer-rated sleeping bag. This way, I end up saving weight by choosing one heavy layer instead of two lightweight layers.
It’s also important to keep in mind that most bloggers/vloggers/influencers have been building their gear closets for years. If you’re just starting out, unless you’re willing to invest thousands of dollars off the bat you’ll have to work around what you’ve got for a while. I do have the privilege of having tested a lot of gear, so I have a ton of products to pick from. If you’re just starting out, there are a few different ways to go about gear shopping in terms of your own priorities.
How to Buy Ultralight Gear
- Cost as a priority: You’ll be carrying extra weight if cost is your #1 factor. Don’t be swayed by selecting the cheapest possible lightweight products. Scour reviews and research materials used in low-cost lightweight options to make sure you won’t have to replace your gear. While keeping costs low, it’s still possible to decrease your pack weight with some creativity. Get a stuff sack that doubles as a pillow case, or go stoveless. There are ways to hike light without investing a fortune.
- Weight as a priority: For your big three products (tent, backpack, and sleeping bag), financial investment is the key to finding the lightest and most durable products. However, before finding ultralight products to replace everything in your pack do an inventory and see what you can go without, or double up on. Instead of purchasing an ultralight pillow, use a stuff sack with your down jacket in it.
- Versatility/utility as a priority: If you want to be a 3-4 season backpacker and get the most use out of each piece of gear, you’ll fall into this category. If this is you, you’ll want to think about the range of temperatures you’ll be sleeping in throughout the year, or how many people you’ll ever want to backpack with at a time. While you may invest more upfront for quality products, having one setup year-round saves money. Similarly, your pack might be heavier for warm weather trips, but simply leaving stuff at home (like the extra jacket) can help cut down on this weight.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking there’s one *right piece of gear* to buy. When it comes down to it, people have different priorities and should feel comfortable selecting gear that aligns with their needs. It takes years to fine-tune a lightweight backpacking kit. Instead of blindly following someone’s suggestions on the internet (including ours), use these ideas as a base and research whether these truly fit your needs.