Introduction

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 concept being acknowlegded by the mainstream, and looked forward to reading their recommendations.

I was naturally interested in what Backpacker's idea of ultralight was. It often seemed that the magazine was crippled by corporate sponsorship as their gear recommendation nearly always came 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 while receiving 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, 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 breathe ultralight on a daily basis.

The series helps people reduce their pack weights down to what can 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, and ideallly continues to be used by them many years later.

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

Overview

In its original 2011 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 an ultralight backpacker might consider heavy, most people consider normal. Nonetheless, it is good to remember that it is the thought of carrying a heavy pack that puts many people off backpacking. This is what ultralight backpacking fundamentally addresses. If you can go ultralight, you can go anywhere.

I think it's fair to say that for most people, "traditional" backpacking involves carrying a pack in excess of 14kg/30lb (including food & water). For many people, the weight will be a lot more. While hiking in Finland 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 is 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 the types of backpacking according to weight carried. Note that these weights do not include food and water - they are the base weight only:



> 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. In the past decade, there has been a small backlash against the title “ultralight backpacking”, mostly from people who have already transitioned to ultralight themselves and seemingly forgotten what it is like to carry a truly heavy load.

I say keep it simple. Lightweight, ultralight, or SUL... they're just definitions. Go as far or as light as you want or feel comfortable with. The point is to make long distance hiking more accessible and enjoyable, and to maintain levels of safety and comfort. If you feel durability of light weight materials is an issue, by all means use something more durable and a little heavier. Nobody should judge anyone in their attempts to enjoy the outdoors more.

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 to come.

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. Ultimately, you define how light you want to go.