Lindsey Skidmore

If you’ve been backpacking, you are probably well aware of the feelings of bruised hips and aching knees after a few nights in the backcountry. The basis of ultralight (UL) backpacking aims to remedy these problems through minimalism and use of lighter gear. Ultralight backpacking is considered to be a base weight, or the weight of your pack minus food and water, of 10 pounds or less. With a lighter base weight, you can cover more miles with fewer injuries. For this reason, many thru-hikers, or people who hike long trails such as the Pacific Coast Trail and Appalachian Trail, adopt this style of backpacking. If you know the tikokers “ThruHikers”, for instance, they are ultralight backpackers! If you have never backpacked, ultralight backpacking can be difficult to get into because it requires knowledge of your gear and what is necessary for you to bring.

Like most backpackers, I started out with a classic 65 L Osprey backpack bought from REI with lots of pockets and zippers, made with thick durable fabric. This bag is awesome! It has lasted me 7 years and I still use it when I’m guiding in Yosemite or don’t want to inconvenience the group on a trip with having only my own lightweight gear.

I was introduced to UL backpacking through my significant other at the time. An avid thru-hiker and base-weight elitist, he taught me ways to cut down on what I had to carry and encouraged me to look into gear that would fit my specific needs. With lots of time and research, I have slowly replaced the heavier things in my backpack, like my synthetic sleeping bag with a down one, a framed pack to a frameless one, and Chacos sandals with Xero shoes. In this process, I took the time to look into each piece of gear, read reviews, look at Youtube videos, and ask my friends.

My original backpacking backpack (and me in high school)! Still trucking today

One of the main criticisms that ultralight backpacking receives is that, usually, lighter gear is more expensive. While this is often the case, my favorite way to upgrade my gear is through purchasing used gear. You can buy used gear in a couple of places: local gear stores like Wonderland Gear Exchange, r/ULgeartrade, or Facebook groups such as the UL Hiking Gear Swap group. Another downfall of ultralight gear is that it tends to be less durable than traditional backpacking gear due to the lighter materials used. However, with the right treatment of your gear, you can make it last. Perhaps the worst thing about UL backpacking though, is how annoying the people can be. Having dated one for some time, I’m able to say that UL backpackers can be some of the most pretentious people you’ll meet on the trail and will probably try to one-up you with the incredible minimalism of their pack. If you are thinking about switching to UL backpacking, don’t be that person who puts their pack weight over the wellbeing of the group. It's easy to get lost in gear and numbers but it's important to remember that it is all about enjoying the outdoors and being comfortable.

Some resources I found helpful when transitioning from a traditional backpacking style to UL backpacking were the Ultralight Reddit, R/Ultralight (also check out R/ultralightjerk for a laugh), YouTubers such as JupiterHikes and Cotezi, and the use of the website lighter pack.

R/Ultralight offers great advice on ways to lighten your pack from suggested budget-friendly UL gear lists to cold soaking recipes (which is making your food by just adding cold water so a stove isn’t necessary ie less weight). Lighterpack, a website, allows you to visualize your base weight by individually weighing everything that goes into your pack and sorting groups of gear into categories. This lets you see what pieces of gear are the heaviest so that you can upgrade to lighter, more efficient gear. Your lighter pack can also be shared with others and they can provide you with feedback and gear suggestions (mine is linked below for reference)!

Ultralight not Ultra-annoying

Hikes at your Fingertips

PA to the PNW