In 2011, popular US backpacking magazine Backpacker published a 12-step guide to ultralight backpacking. At the time, this was quite astonishing for a magazine that until this point had taken a very traditional approach to backpacking. Being an avid ultralighter, I was excited to see the methodology being referenced by the mainstream, and looked forward to reading their recommendations.

I was naturally interested in what Backpacker's idea of ultralight was. It often seems that the magazine is crippled by corporate sponsorship as the gear suggestions nearly always come from the big names: Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, REI, the North Face, Arcteryx. Not that there's anything wrong with that: those companies make some great gear (albeit at the cost of brand-inflated prices – I'm looking at you, Arcteryx!). How, I wondered, would they fare at making an ultralight packing list under obvious sponsorship from such brands, when the majority of ultralight equipment was emerging from the cottage industries? Could they possibly ignore the small independent manufacturers that had at that point pretty much defined and established the niche ultralight market?

Sadly, upon reading the article, I found that they had indeed stuck with the big guns for most of their recommendations. Furthermore, their recommendations seemed to be quite wide off the ultralight mark, and occasionally come from so-called "experts", none of whom carried any weight at any of the ultralight parties I usually hang out at.

I decided, then and there, that this imbalance needed to be addressed, and set off to write a series of posts that examined their recommendations, found some real ultralight alternatives, and drew on the wisdom of the truly experienced: writers and bloggers who live and breath ultralight on a daily basis.

The series helps people reduce their pack weights down to what would be considered an ultralight level (more on that below), and is intended for a typical, three-season trip over, for example, a long weekend. Rather than fixate on the latest gear, the series recommends gear which has seen fairly wide adoption among ultralight hikers, writers, and bloggers: gear that has been proven capable of being up to the job by people who actually use it.

I originally wrote this series between 2011–2013. Naturally, the backpacking market is constantly changing and new techniques and technologies are adopted. Much has changed in recent years; even the big companies now offer enticing lines of surprisingly light gear. One of the advantages of having this series in web form is updatability, and whenever possible I edit rewrite the guide, one article at a time, adding updated information about new equipment and reflect recent developments in skills and knowledge.

The articles here are updated versions of the original blog posts (which are still available if you're curious), and the latest updates have been written in winter 21017.

So without further ado, let's take a look at what ultralight backpacking is all about.

Overview

In its original article, Backpacker stated:

Load up your pack for a summer weekend trip. If it weighs more than 15lbs (7kg), you have a problem.

It's perhaps a little harsh to say "you have a problem". Of course, people have been backpacking with heavy loads for decades. What ultralight backpacking considers heavy, most people consider normal – and the weight of a pack is, to a large degree, what puts many people off backpacking.

I think it's fair to say that most "traditional" backpacking involves carrying a pack in excess of 14kg/30lb (including food & water). For many people, the weights are a lot more. I often meet people carrying over 20kg, even for relatively short trips over, say, a long weekend. And I've run into (or usually, past) people carrying 30kg/66lb, which if frankly astonishing. When I tell them my pack, for a similar period, weighs around 9kg, I typically have to help them pick their jaw up off the ground. (It's much easier if I help them as my pack weighs less. I'm considerate like that.)

There is a set of broad categories that define types of backpacking according to weight carried. Backpacker's limit of 7kg/15lb (assuming it includes food) is actually fairly light:



> 20lb / 10kg = Heavyweight

12-20lb / 5-10kg = Lightweight

6-11lb / 3-5kg = Ultralight (UL)

< 6lb / 3kg = Super Ultralight (SUL)



But beyond the figures, what does this all mean? In my opinion, not much. It doesn't really matter which category you fall into. Lightweight, ultralight, or SUL... they're just definitions. Go as far or as light as you want or feel comfortable with.

So why go ultralight then?

The purpose of ultralight, in my opinion, is simply to lighten your load. For me, the whole point of "going ultralight" is to reduce the stress on your back caused by carrying extremely heavy weights over difficult terrain for long distances. It's a healthier option for your body, and will allow you hike further, in more comfort. It may well enable you to hike more regularly, and for many more years.

This, for me, is what it's all about. It's not a numbers game: the weights are there simply to give you an indication of where you are now, and what is possible.