Ultralight tips and techniques that will change
the way you think about backpacking!
As our site grows we will be adding more articles about new ultralight techniques and tips to help you refine your skills and increase your comfort level.
Ultralight Backpacking Introduction
The number one thing that needs to be expressed right at the beginning is that backpacking is suppose to be FUN. It doesn't matter how much or how little you are carrying, if you are not having any fun than why bother. We all go out in the woods and connect with nature for lots of reasons, so if going lighter makes it easier and less stressful than the possibility of exploring those far off locations becomes a reality.
Ultralight backpacking is a collection of learned skills and a mental comfort level that puts you right at the edge. What I mean by that is you refine your equipment list to a point that you have everything you need for the conditions you will encounter. No more and no less. Every single piece of equipment you have with you is evaluated and scrutinized for function (possibly multi function), durability, weather conditions, experience and weight. The process is really quite simple. For example, if you are traveling above tree line and there is the possibility of severe weather and high winds, then an ultralight tarp is probably not going to cut it. And at the same time taking an 8 lb, four season mountaineering tent on a summer trip in fair weather is overkill. Another example would be, if all you are doing is boiling water for some dehydrated meals, then take the 1 oz alcohol stove and leave the 16 oz white gas flame thrower at home. This learning process takes time and I suggest you try one technique at a time. Get comfortable with it and add it to your knowledge base. As you become more knowledgeable your mental comfort level also increases.
Backpacking in general has come a long way. When I first started many moons ago I was a very traditional, old-school backpacker. I wore huge full-grain leather mountaineering boots, carried a humongous 6000 cu in pack and slept in a tent that was made to withstand the weather on Mt Everest. My base weight without food and water was nearly 50 lbs. Back then the equipment available was made for mountaineers not weekend warriors. But we felt secure that if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for us. In my opinion it created a false sense of security. But what came with that feeling of security was an aching back and bad knees. All the bravado and testosterone didn't make it any more fun. By the end of the day I was totally exhausted and I had only covered 5 miles. I kept telling myself "there has got to be a better way". Well there is a better way and I began to see the light.
Seeing the light
Even after all the torture I had endured I still enjoyed backpacking and spending time in the outdoors. My next solution was to set up a base camp and then do day hikes out from there. I got to explore and at the end of the day I felt great. Good enough to go again the next day. But I always longed for those places that were out of reach of a day hike. So I came to the conclusion that if I could get my pack weight down to the bare minimum I could reach those places. After lots of experimenting and testing I got my pack weight down to a 20 lb. base weight. Great progress but still not good enough. By the time I added food and water I was still pushing 30 lbs. That is still like carrying a 3 year old around all day long. The analogy of having a monkey on your back comes to mind. A big 30 lb monkey.
Thru-hike preparation
The point where I really turned the corner on pack weight reduction was during preparation for my Pacific Crest Trail section-hike. I just knew that if I didn't get my pack down to the bare minimum I just wasn't going to make it. Well I completed 850 miles in one continuous 7 week stretch with a base pack weight of 8 lbs. I hiked in tennis shoes, slept under a tarp, used an alcohol stove and stayed warm under a lightweight down quilt. I had a blast. And along the way I refined my skills, thought process and comfort level to a point where I realized I didn't need all that heavy over-built equipment to feel safe and secure. I finally had exactly the equipment I needed to go lighter, faster and further.
Hopefully this site will inspire you to take the next step and lighten the load you are carrying on your back. I figured the best way to help others was to put together information and a selection of gear that gets you to that goal.
Hike on!