Greatest Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Bearfoot Concept

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Ultralight backpacking permits the adventurous spirit to see the world on their very own ft with out carrying the discomfort of a heavy load. Whether or not you’re headed out on a thru-hike otherwise you wish to create a system that can hold you snug in your native backpacking trails, ultralight gear helps you hike farther and extra comfortably.

Studying tips on how to drop a number of kilos out of your system is a good way to scale back the pressure in your physique, however determining the place to begin and what to search for in your ultralight gear decisions might be actually intimidating.

On this weblog publish, we cowl every little thing it’s essential to find out about ultralight backpacking. We’ve additionally created a easy ultralight backpacking gear listing for “the massive three” gadgets (tent, sleeping bag, and backpacking pack) that embrace among the greatest merchandise in the marketplace that can assist you slim down your pack weight.


What’s Ultralight Backpacking?

Ultralight backpacking is a type of foot journey that includes carrying a particularly gentle load. Whereas it isn’t unusual for some backpackers to hold 30 (and even 40) pound hundreds, light-weight backpackers carry a base weight (every little thing of their backpack apart from meals and water) of 20 kilos or much less, and ultralight backpackers purpose to scale back their base weight to beneath 10 kilos. Superlight backpackers carry a base weight that quantities to fewer than 5 kilos.

Backpackers’ causes for switching to an ultralight setup differ, however many select to take action as a result of a lighter load places much less stress in your joints. This implies you could usually journey sooner and extra comfortably than you’ll with a 30 or 40-pound pack.

A lighter load might also show you how to to remain harm free, simplify the packing course of, and create house for a number of luxurious gadgets.

Ultralight backpacking gear laid out on wood floor in preparation for a trip

Components To Think about When Selecting Ultralight Gear

A number of backpacking gear comes with an “ultralight” label. However there are not any business laws that categorize simply what meaning. Just a few components that it’s best to contemplate whilst you’re selecting ultralight gear embrace:

Is it inexpensive?

Is it dependable?

Is it secure?

Ultralight Gear Affordability

Ultralight backpacking gear usually comes with a hefty price ticket. However, relying on the product that you just’re selecting, it may additionally offer you 1000’s of miles or a number of years of continuous use. In the event you’re working inside a strict finances, this is likely one of the components that will likely be most vital to you.

Fortuitously, it’s doable to search out light-weight and even ultralight merchandise on a finances.

One other method to save cash on ultralight gear is to purchase used or wait on the market durations like Black Friday, Labor Day, and Memorial Day.

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The place To Discover Price range Gear

Ultralight Gear Reliability

There’s a typical false impression that ultralight gear is flimsier or much less dependable than customary backpacking gear.

Whereas most of the supplies which can be used to assemble ultralight gear are thinner, they’re not essentially extra susceptible to abrasions or punctures.

Nonetheless, ensure that to check out a bit of substances’s reliability rankings prior to creating your buy.

Ultralight Gear Security

Some ultralight backpackers select to go with out fashionable backpacking gadgets like a range to shave a number of ounces. In some conditions, doing so could also be an applicable determination. However remember that consolation gadgets like a range are additionally security gadgets since they may also help you fend off hypothermia and boil water.

It’s by no means value sacrificing security gear (like a satellite tv for pc communication machine or first help package) within the identify of ultralight backpacking.

When you resolve to go ultralight, a very powerful items of substances that it’s best to concentrate on are your “massive three”: your tent, backpack, and your sleeping bag, which is what we’ll discuss beneath.

These things are usually the heaviest gadgets in a pack, and maintaining their complete weight beneath 6 or 7 kilos will set you as much as hit that ultralight mark.

Tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad laid out on ground on backpacking trip to Dusy Basin
Crucial a part of selecting ultralight backpacking gear is to verify it’s secure and dependable for the backcountry

Greatest Ultralight Backpacking Tents

Ultralight tents are available in lots of totally different sizes and styles. Backpackers can usually be present in freestanding tents, semi-freestanding tents, trekking pole tents, tarps, hammocks, and bivvies.

Every of those kinds caters to a particular sort of mountain climbing.

A bivy, for instance, is what a hiker would possibly use for a fast and light-weight journey into the backcountry the place you want much less safety from the weather, whereas a freestanding tent gives an answer for backpackers who need to have the ability to arrange their residence wherever.

The next picks are among the most time-tested, light-weight choices in the marketplace:

ZPacks Duplex Tent

Key Options

  • Design sort: Requires trekking poles. Freestanding improve out there
  • Capability: 2-person
  • Flooring house: 28.1 sq. ft
  • # of doorways: 2
  • Head top: 48”
  • Weight: 18.5 ounces
  • MSRP: $699

The place to buy

  • Nice for: solo or partnered utilization, thru-hikes, anybody who desires to take a seat up of their tent.
  • What we like: Extraordinarily light-weight, very spacious, makes use of trekking poles for arrange
  • What we don’t like: Studying curve for arrange, can have condensation build-up

The Zpacks Duplex Tent is likely one of the hottest ultralight tents in the marketplace. It’s a two-person tent, nevertheless it’s light-weight sufficient that plenty of individuals use it as a spacious one-person tent.

With a sturdy construct, backpackers can count on it to face as much as most environments with confidence though it’s vital to notice that you just do want two trekking poles to set it up. Alternatively, you may go for the Freestanding Flex Improve.

Backpacking with a tent just like the Zpacks Duplex lets you shave off a big quantity of weight out of your setup due to the Dyneema(R) material, which can be extremely waterproof.

A well-treated Duplex will final any backpacker 1000’s of miles. You’re unlikely to fulfill a Zpacks Duplex proprietor who hates their tent – and that’s saying one thing! BFT Founder Kristen makes use of the Zpacks Triplex (3P) tent which is nice for backpacking with a companion and a pet.

The primary downside with this tent is that it traps each warmth and moisture, which signifies that you might find yourself with a bit of little bit of condensation in your tent. However maintaining it ventilated will cut back moisture in your tent.

Ultralight Zpacks tent set up at remote campground in the forest with sun shining through the trees
BFT Founder Kristen utilizing the Zpacks Triplex within the Boundary Waters

MSR Hubba Hubba 2-Particular person Tent

Key Options

  • Design sort: Freestanding
  • Capability: 2-person (1 & 3 individual additionally out there
  • Flooring house: 29 sq. ft
  • # of doorways: 2
  • Head top: 40”
  • Weight: 2lbs, 14 ounces
  • MSRP: $549.95

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Tenting on rock outcroppings and locations with laborious floor the place freestanding tents are simpler to arrange
  • What we like: Spacious, sturdy, freestanding tent, nice in inclement climate
  • What we don’t like: Not probably the most ultralight tent possibility in the marketplace

The primary time I took the Hubba Hubba 2-Particular person Backpacking Tent out for a spin, I used to be instantly impressed with its inside house. My pal and I camped collectively on this tent with out combating for room and each of us had been capable of stretch our our bodies out with out hitting the partitions.

The Hubba Hubba is a superb tent for individuals who prefer to camp in spots with laborious or questionable surfaces since you can set it up and camp within it even in the event you’re unable to correctly stake it out.

This tent additionally comes with two doorways, which signifies that you don’t need to crawl over your companion to get out in the course of the night time.

The primary challenge I had with this tent was packing it all the way down to a compact measurement. With the assistance of a compression sack, you may decrease the house it takes up. However in the usual sack that it is available in, it may be actually laborious to make it small.

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MLD Cricket Pyramid Tarp

Key Options

  • Design sort: Requires Trekking Poles + Man Strains
  • Capability: 2-3 individuals
  • Flooring house: NA
  • # of doorways: NA
  • Head top: 55”
  • Weight: 9 – 13 ounces
  • MSRP: $185

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Desert campers, dry environments
  • What we like: Lighter than simply about every other tent, very packable
  • What we don’t like: Could be uncomfortable in moist and stormy environments, no safety from bugs

It takes a sure sort of individual to change into really snug with a pocket tarp. However the MLD Cricket Pyramid Tarp makes it simple to make the transition and it’s nearly half of the load of different fashionable ultralight tents.

This tarp has a pyramid fashion, which signifies that it provides you a bit of bit additional safety than a easy sq. or rectangular-shaped tarp.

Customers can customise their tarp, selecting the fabric and colour of the man strains that they need. Relying on what decisions you go for, it’s possible you’ll add or lower a number of ounces.

This tarp requires two trekking poles to set it up however the course of is comparatively easy and the guylines make it simple to create the fitting pitch and degree of rigidity that’s applicable to your campsite.

Those that are new to utilizing tarps as their important shelter ought to persist with arid environments whereas they’re getting used to the MLD Cricket Pyramid Tarp.

However as soon as they get the dangle of it, it’ll probably change into their go-to shelter due to its weight financial savings and flexibility.


Greatest Ultralight Sleeping Luggage

One good strategy to assist your ultralight gear targets is by upgrading your sleep system. Think about swapping your sleeping bag out for a quilt.

Quilts perform like a sleeping bag, however as a substitute of tucking it down beneath your physique, you strap it round your sleeping pad for insulation.

And, since quilts make the most of much less material and down than most sleeping luggage, they’re usually a lot lighter than a conventional mummy bag.

Enlightened Gear Revelation Quilt

Key Options

  • Temp score: Choices for 0° – 50°
  • Down fill: 850g or 950g
  • Foot field? Sure
  • Weight: 9.68 – 38.95 ounces relying on customizations
  • MSRP: $250 – $490

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Those that favor a personalized quilt, hotter sleepers
  • What we like: Cozy, versatile, easy design, lighter than most sleeping luggage
  • What we don’t like: Studying curve with strap system to forestall drafts and chilly spots whilst you’re sleeping

Enlightened Gear’s best-selling quilt is the Revelation Quilt. This time-tested traditional is available in quite a lot of totally different temperature choices and is totally customizable.

Its iconic zippered foot field retains your toes heat even when the temps dip low. And, if you’d like, you may unzip every little thing and use this quilt like a blanket.

I owned a 0-degree Revelation for quite a lot of years. There have been quite a few instances after I woke as much as frost on the bottom and frozen water bottles, however I didn’t discover the acute temperature drop as a result of I used to be so cozy within my Revelation.

BFT Founder Kristen makes use of the Enlightened Gear Confederate which is the 2P model of this quilt. It’s nonetheless extra light-weight than another 1P sleeping luggage.

These quilts are dependable, long-lasting, and light-weight, which makes them an incredible possibility for ultralight backpackers.

Enlightened Equipment two person sleeping quilt for backpacking
Keep cozy with an Enlightened Gear 1P Revelation Quilt or the 2P Confederate (proven above)

Katabatic Flex Quilt

Key Options

  • Temp score: Choices for 15°, 22°, & 30°
  • Down fill: 850g or 950g
  • Foot field? Sure
  • Weight: 24.3 – 31.3 ounces
  • MSRP: $350- $470

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Chilly sleepers, quilt sleepers who hate a draft
  • What we like: Lengthy-lasting, hotter than aggressive quilts, simple to make use of
  • What we don’t like: costly funding

The Katabatic Flex Quilt is my go-to ‘bag’ for all 3-season backpacking as a result of its light-weight design and adjustable fashion. My common 22-degree, 900-fill energy quilt prices $410 and weighs 22.8 ounces. But it surely packs a severe punch!

In truth, the temperature vary on this product is extra beneficiant than many aggressive merchandise, maintaining you heat all the way down to 10 or 15 levels with out challenge.

This makes it a terrific decide for chilly sleepers and a staple merchandise for a lot of ultralight backpackers.

Whereas this bag is likely one of the costlier choices in the marketplace, it seldom disappoints its consumer.

Outside Vitals Summit Down Sleeping Bag

Key Options

  • Temp score: Choices for -15°, 0°, 15°, & 30°
  • Down fill: 400g – 1080g
  • Foot field? Sure
  • Weight: 1lb 7oz – 3lb 3.5oz
  • MSRP: $354.97 – $529.97

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Ultralight backpackers preferring a conventional sleeping bag fashion
  • What we like: Middle zipper, heat, sturdiness
  • What we don’t like: Not the lightest possibility in the marketplace

Outside Vitals is understood for uplifting innovation by fastidiously crafting new methods to expertise the outside. The Summit Down Sleeping Bag is the proper instance.

This sleeping bag encompasses a heart YKK zipper, permitting you to zip or unzip your bag with both arm, after which you may splay it open from the center.

The sewn foot field retains your ft additional heat throughout use and the shell is made out of 10 denier ripstop nylon that’s DWR handled as a way to cut back saturation throughout use. This bag is greatest for ultralight backpackers who aren’t fairly prepared to surrender the protection of a traditional sleeping bag however nonetheless need a light-weight possibility.

Woman taking a selfie wrapped up in Outdoor Vitals Summit down sleeping bag during light snow fall
staying cozy with my Outside Vitals Summit down sleeping bag | Picture credit score: Mary Beth Skylis

Greatest Ultralight Backpacks

Ultralight backpacks will let you carry every little thing you’re utilizing in your again with out considerably including to the load. Superb-tuning your pack’s weight is a superb technique you need to use to shave a number of ounces.

Crucial components to think about embrace the quantity of assist that you just want, the torso and hip belt size, the pack’s capability, weight restrictions, and climate resistance.

The next packs present dependable, time-tested options for ultralight backpackers.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest

Key Options

  • Inside capability: 40L
  • Exterior capability: 9.8L
  • Body sort: Inside
  • Weight: 30.1 – 32.3 oz
  • MSRP: $349

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Desert backpackers, every-weather backpacking
  • What we like: Spacious, nice weight-to-capacity ratio
  • What we don’t like: Skinny materials

In the event you’ve ever seen a dialed-in ultralight backpacker earlier than, they had been most likely carrying the Hyperlite Mountain Gear: 2400 Southwest Backpack.

This pack is a traditional possibility for individuals who need a robust, sturdy backpack with out the load.

Obtainable in 40L/55L/70L capacities, this pack comes additionally in two totally different colour choices. The DCF material creates a water resistant barrier between the weather and your belongings. And it’s designed to assist long-term use.

The Hyperlite 2400 Southwest Backpack is a nice decide for each ultralight backpackers and hikers that need to make the transition to an ultralight system. It is because it’s a light-weight product however its weight capability can be increased than customary ultralight backpacks.

Female backpacking wearing a Hyperlite ultralight backpack on trip to Coyote Gulch in Utah. Woman is standing in shallow water with tall bluffs on either side
Kristen sporting a bigger Hyperlite backpack on a visit to Coyote Gulch in Utah

Superior Wilderness Designs Lengthy Haul

Key Options

  • Inside capability: 50L
  • Exterior capability: 10L
  • Body sort: Removeable inside body
  • Weight: 31.15 – 32.7 oz
  • MSRP: $299

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Versatile backpackers, thru-hikes, backpacking in several climates
  • What we like: Customization, colour choices, water-resistance, might be made with extra sturdy supplies
  • What we don’t like: Shoulder mesh might trigger chafing

The Lengthy Haul is one in all Superior Wilderness Designs’ most rugged and dependable backpacks. It’s a customizable pack that comes with 50 liters of inside storage and 10 liters of exterior storage.

Its massive capability makes it nice for multi-day and week-long journeys and every little thing in between. Do you want to have the ability to carry a bear canister? No drawback. This pack has your again.

I carried the Lengthy Haul pack for a thru-hike of the Colorado Path, for travels internationally, and in informal environments and it shortly grew to become my most-trusted piece of substances. Even after almost half a decade of use, this backpack continues to carry out reliably in each surroundings by which I take advantage of it.

It’s additionally made with a detachable body, which I really like as a result of you may alter it and its weight to accommodate your consolation and backpacking fashion.

This can be a nice backpack for anybody who likes a private contact to their gear, together with a bulletproof backpack efficiency.

The SWD Lengthy Haul backpack held up on my Colorado Path-thru hike and lots of different adventures

Granite Gear Virga 2

Key Options

  • Inside capability: 50 – 58L
  • Exterior capability: Not specified
  • Body sort: Frameless
  • Weight: 19 ounces
  • MSRP: $149.95

The place to buy

  • Nice for: Uber ultralight backpackers, brief journeys, superior backpackers
  • What we like: Reasonably priced worth, easy-to-use strap system, roomy inside and exterior house
  • What we don’t like: Not nice for medium to heavy hundreds

Ultralight backpackers can usually be discovered reducing weight and giving themselves shakedowns on the weekends. It’s an unlucky side-effect of a seriously-dialed-in system.

However uber ultralights are one other breed, completely. They search for the lightest backpacks after which proceed shaving ounces off of their system. And for this fashion of individual, the Granite Gear Virga 2 backpack is likely to be the fitting decide.

The Granite Gear Virga 2 is a frameless backpack that is available in three totally different torso sizes with a traditional roll-top closure. This pack options the entire fundamental requirements like house and gear loops, nevertheless it weighs simply 19 ounces – or about half of the load of some ultralight backpacks.

However due to its light-weight design, it’s not probably the most snug pack to make use of for medium to heavy hundreds. It’s greatest used for brief journeys or longer journeys with a particularly gentle load.

When paired with its inexpensive $149 worth, this backpack has sufficient catchy options to show heads all around the nation.


Further Ultralight Backpacking Gear Concerns

One of the best ways to optimize your backpacking setup is by specializing in the “massive three” gadgets. However backpackers additionally have a look at important gear like sleeping pads, tent stakes, pots, stoves, prepare dinner methods, sunscreen, electronics like a GPS machine and headlamp, and clothes like your base layer, hoodie, rain jacket, and boots to see the place they will swap for extra light-weight gear.

You’ll be able to and may proceed making changes to your package even after you’ve designed your first system to offer your self the perfect and most snug ultralight backpacking gear setup doable.

Studying tips on how to go ultralight can take some effort and time. However when you’ve dialed in your massive three gadgets, it’s loads simpler to take action.

Just a few further gear gadgets that will show you how to to attain your ultralight targets embrace:

MSR Pocket Rocket stove

MSR Pocket Rocket Range

2 ounces

This range is likely one of the lightest choices in the marketplace. But it surely nonetheless performs completely at excessive elevations or in inclement climate.

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Knog Bandicoot Headlamp

Knog Bandicoot Headlamp

2 ounces

Knog is usually recognized for making gear for biking however this headlamp is a sport changer due to its adjustability, light-weight design, and rechargeable construction. Plus, it’s waterproof and it comes with a 2-year guarantee.

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Therm-a-rest Z-Lite sleeping pad

Therm-a-rest ZLite Sleeping Pad

10 ounces

The Therm-a-rest ZLite is an efficient sleeping pad for hammock sleepers or those that don’t wish to take care of an inflatable sleeping pad.

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Thermarest NeoAirl xLite sleeping pad

Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite

12 ounces

The NeoAir XLite is extraordinarily snug and it has an R-value of 5.4 (ladies’s) for additional heat within the shoulder seasons.

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Brooks Caldera 6 trail running shoes

Brooks Caldera 6 Path Footwear

1lb 2.2 ounces (pair)

These path runners shave some weight with out forfeiting consolation and assist. It’s not unusual to search out sneakers that weigh 22 ounces or extra. These are available in at half of that.

Store at:


Suggestions For Shaving Weight From Your Pack

Whereas maintaining your “massive three” ultralight is the simplest strategy to lighten your load, there are different simple methods you lighten your load whereas backpacking:

  • Swap your Nalgene out for a Smartwater Bottle (or an analogous lighter plastic water bottle)
  • Minimize non-essential gadgets out of your pack like additional clothes
  • Repackage your meals into Ziploc luggage
  • Use a titanium prepare dinner set which are typically lighter than the options
  • Eat out of your prepare dinner pot as a substitute of bringing a bowl or mug
  • Take away additional straps and webbing out of your pack
  • Don’t be afraid to continue to learn!
Two ultralight backpacking backpacks and two pairs of shoes on rocks near river

I hope this publish helps you in your journey towards ultralight backpacking. Keep in mind that there isn’t any ‘proper’ gear arrange and it might take you a number of journeys and even years to dial in your strategy. Most of all, have enjoyable!

Nonetheless getting your ultralight backpacking gear dialed? Continue to learn with these backpacking gear weblog posts:

Are you an ultralight backpacker? What are your go-to ‘prime three’? What different ideas are you able to share? What different questions do you could have? Depart a remark beneath!

Learn everything you need to know about ultralight backpacking gear including our top recommendations for ultralight tents, sleeping bags, and ultralight backpacks. Shave weight for your next trip so you can make the most of your time on the trail.



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