I’ve seriously reduced my pack weight over more than 40 years of hiking in an effort to become a lightweight backpacker. My base weight is now 13 pounds, and I’d love to have a base weight that’s less than 10 pounds. But am I willing to give up some comforts to get there? Below are my thoughts on gear that could make me ultralight, and why I may not be ready.
*For reference, here is the Backpacking Routes recommended mid-weight gear list, and our recommended ultralight gear list.
Backpack: Frameless or internal frame?
- Pro: I could save up to a pound on my back with a frameless pack. An internal frame pack—I use the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction—is better for fully packed loads above 20 pounds; I’m at ~26 pounds for a five-day trip.
- Con: I’d really need to get serious about cutting more weight, and I still like some comforts.
- Staying With: 2-pound internal frame pack. I learned not to buy a pack before my gear is at the weight where I want it to be.
Tent: Single wall or double wall?
- Pro: A single-wall trekking pole tent could be half the weight of my current 2-pound, 1-ounce double-wall tent, and the new Dyneema single-wall tents are durable, don’t sag when wet, and are good at shedding rain on the outside. Double-wall tents like my Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 are better at keeping condensation away from my sleeping bag and gear inside the tent, and their weight has come down considerably in recent years.
- Con: I camp in the damp Northeast, where condensation inside a tent can be a problem. Single-wall tents can shed moisture on the inside walls of the tent onto your sleeping bag and gear. And the new single-wall Dyneema tents can be twice the price of a double-wall tent. Double-wall tents are heavier than single-wall tents.
- Tossup: I like my ~2-pound double-wall tent, but a single-wall Dyneema trekking-pole tent could be in my future.
Sleeping Bag: Quilt or mummy bag?
- Pro: Quilts are lighter, and pack smaller. They’re also more versatile than a mummy bag. But I like being able to close up the hood of a mummy bag when I’m hiking in cold weather.
- Con: Sleeping bags are heavier than quilts. They’re also not as versatile in warmer weather. Quilts may not keep me warm in cold weather.
- Staying With: 1-pound, 6.5-ounce Marmot Phase 20 mummy bag.
Sleeping Pad: Full or three-quarter length?
- Pro: I could drop 4 ounces by going to a three-quarter length pad. But I like that my feet and legs don’t hang off the end of my full-length pad.
- Con: My feet and legs would hang off the end of a three-quarter length pad. A full-length pad is heavier, maybe only by ounces, but when I’m trying to shed at least 3 pounds from my base weight, ounces quickly add up to pounds.
- Staying With: Full-length Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite pad. A good night’s sleep is one comfort I won’t give up. Ever.
Food: Stove or stoveless?
- Pro: Going stoveless is a nice weight savings, maybe up to a pound. You can start hydrating dinner at lunch and it will be ready to eat when you reach camp at night. Or maybe you carry food that doesn’t need preparation. But carrying a stove gives me a hot meal or drink in cold weather.
- Con: Who wants to eat a cold supper on a cold day? I don’t like carrying two canisters—one full, and one low on fuel—because I can’t be sure the nearly empty canister will last the trip.
- Tossup: MSR PocketRocket stove when it’s cold, stoveless when it’s warm.
Trekking Poles: Aluminum or carbon?
- Pro: Carbon poles are lighter than aluminum, and though poles aren’t weight on your back, they are weight you’re carrying on your feet. Aluminum poles can cost half the price of a carbon pole, and have a reputation for being more durable than carbon. Aluminum poles can bend under extreme pressure, but can still be used.
- Con: Carbon poles are expensive, and there are questions about durability for the less-expensive ones. They break under extreme pressure. Aluminum poles like my Mountainsmith Tellurite (1 pound, 4 ounces for two) are heavier.
- Sticking With: Aluminum poles, mainly because of the high cost for carbon poles.
Odds and Ends
- Water Filter: I carry the 2-ounce Katadyn BeFree. I could use purification tablets instead, but I don’t like the taste they give to water. I’ll stick with the BeFree.
- Rain Gear: My Arc’teryx Zeta FL rain jacket is 7.2 ounces, and my Arc’Teryx Zeta SL rain pants are 8.6 ounces. I could cut 2 ounces off each piece of clothing by buying new gear, but it would be pricey. And I like my GORE-TEX rain gear.
- Hoody: 9.6 ounces. I could try to get down to 6 ounces with a down puffy, but I prefer my synthetic Patagonia Micro Puff that I know can handle wet weather.
- Pillow: 2.1-ounce Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight. I could leave it home. Naw.
- Bear Can: 2 pounds, 1 ounce for the BearVault450. Get better at bear hangs, and leave it home. I’ll think about it.
- Stuff Sacks: I use the Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack for my sleeping bag and clothes. My pack is waterproof, so I could ditch the two waterproof compression sacks and just use a trash bag for a liner. Savings: 4 ounces. But I like the security of knowing my bag and clothes will be dry, so no.
- Water: Carry 1 liter of water instead of two 1-liter bottles. Savings ~2 pounds. Possible when I’m hiking in the wet Northeast with abundant water sources.
- Clothes: Not much to see here. My shoulder season clothing choices are a T-shirt, shorts with a mesh liner, long-sleeve base layer shirt, a puffy, lightweight gloves, and fleece headband. I also pack a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, pants, and socks to sleep in to protect my sleeping bag from my dirty self.
Final Tally: Not ultralight, but pretty close
So there it is. I’m not sure I’ll ever reach a 10-pound base weight, but I could get to about 20 pounds for an overall pack weight with some fairly easy moves.
My current overall pack weight for a five-day trip is 26 pounds. Eliminating a bear can (2.1 pounds), going stoveless (~12-ounce savings), carrying only 1 liter of water (~2-pound savings), using a ~16-ounce trekking pole tent (~1-pound savings), and being careful about not packing too much food (~1 pound savings) could get me to ~20 pounds for an overall weight.
And that feels pretty darn good.