Ultralight Backpacking

INTRODUCTION

What is ultralight backpacking?

Ultralight backpacking allows you to greatly reduce the weight of your load on
backpacking trips. How low can you go? There are people hiking the entire Pacific Crest
Trail (some 2,500 miles) with only 8.5 pounds of gear! No kidding. And that includes
the weight of the pack itself. Add two pounds of food per day, plus some water, and you
have a total pack weight of 20 pounds for a 4- or 5-day trip … not bad.

Why go light?
The reasons are probably obvious. If you’ve ever spent days sweating and huffing and
puffing under a huge load, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re interested in
doing a long hike, like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide trail,
or some other route, an ultralight load can make a huge difference. Many people on long
thru-hikes come down with serious injuries to their ankles, knees, backs, etc. An
ultralight load greatly reduces the risks of these stress injuries.

It’s all about freedom …

The ability to stroll casually through the wilderness without effort is truly amazing.
We’ve become such slaves to gear, and it doesn’t have to be that way. Imagine being able
to spend days in the wilderness with a pack no heavier than a daypack. This greatly
changes the quality of your trip … increases your freedom, and makes your experience a
true joy.

Drawbacks of going light …

Ultralight backpacking isn’t for everybody. There are some trade-offs. For example: if
you carry a decent 6-pound tent, you can set it up without too much concern for location
and be reasonably sure you are going to be fine and roomy in violent thunderstorm. If
you want to go the ultralight route, you’ll need to make a few sacrifices, or at least have
more knowledge of how to use your equipment. Bivy bags are much smaller and more
claustrophobic. Tarps are larger and airier, but less protective. Even some of the latest
tarp/tent hybrids aren’t quite as good. But … all of those options weigh less than 2
pounds, including ground cloth. Going ultralight means trading some of the extra
comforts in camp for the comfort of a light pack.

If you're interested in ultralight backpacking, go to Dave Brock's home page at:

http://members.tripod.com/gohike/. He did a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest trail last
summer, and he wrote detailed reviews of the ultralight gear he used. See his gear list
with weights at: http://members.tripod.com/gohike/pct/gear.html See his reviews of the
equipment at: http://members.tripod.com/gohike/pct/gearreview.html

So here are some gear considerations for an ultralight pack:

SHELTER:

Bivy bags
Bivys are generally the tightest of the shelter options. They range from a simple sleeping
bag cover, to elaborate waterproof systems with two poles. Generally they range in
weight from 1.5 – 2.5 pounds. They can be very claustrophobic, and somewhat difficult
to enter or exit during a rainstorm. But … during nice weather, most bivy bags allow you
to fold back the cover and sleep with your head exposed to the stars – a very open and
enjoyable feeling. Some people swear by bivy bags, but it all comes down to personal
preference.

You can buy a Bibler-brand bivy, which some people think is the best on the market:
http://www.biblertents.com/ Total weight of their “hooped” model is about 23 - 27 ozs.
They have an interesting design with a built-in piece of wire to keep the fabric off your
head, and a proprietary “Todd-tex” fabric that is quite soft on the inside … very pleasant
to the touch, but completely waterproof and breathable.

Another well-known brand is Outdoor Research (OR). They have two models that are
quite popular, but somewhat heavier than the Bibler tents:
http://www.outdoorresearch.com

Tarps
Tarps are great. Open, airy, fun. They make you feel much more connected to the world
around you than a closed tent, and they are much lighter on the back. Some of the
lightest new tarps on the market today are made from silicone-impregnated nylon
--“silnylon.” Silnylon is usually 1.1-ounce nylon that has been impregnated with
silicone, which is much lighter than the usual polyurethane-coated nylon. And since the
nylon is soaked through with silicone the outer surface of the nylon never absorbs water
like with polyurethane-coated nylon.

Campmor has a good silnylon tarp for $85.00. 10 x 12 feet. 19 ounces.

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=226&
prrfnbr=88644

An even fancier tarp is the Integral Designs silshelter: http://www.integraldesigns.com

17 ounces. It has a clever design that allows it to be completely closed during bad
weather, but open during nice weather.

Last summer and fall, I hiked with a 2-mil plastic tarp that weighed 18 ounces, including
guy lines and 6 stakes. Add another 6 ounces for a tyvek drop cloth. For the tarp, cut a
piece of plastic 11 feet long. Make it 9 feet wide at the "head" and 6.5 feet wide at the
"foot" end. Attach some cords at the four corners and mid-points with a sheet bend knot:
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/menasha/knot0112.htm I set it up as an A-frame
using stray sticks as poles: http://www.montanasoft.com/images/bmw/bmrobtent.jpg .
On one trip it rained almost solid for 3 days and I stayed dry. I cover my backpack with a
plastic bag and store it just in front of the tarp opening, which discourages wind-driven
rain from entering.
The downside to a plastic tarp (as opposed to silnylon) is that plastic isn’t as strong. You
have to be very careful where and how you pitch it. You have to think carefully about
wind-direction and natural shelter from the wind. If a violent storm comes in, you're in
for a long night. If you pitch the A-frame very low (like crawl-space low), you should be
fine -- the wind will spill over the top rather than shred your plastic. Silnylon tarps weigh
the same, but are much stronger.

TarpTent Hybrids
This is a very interesting concept … more protection than a regular tarp, less weight than
a full tent. Look at http://www.tarptent.com for an excellent hybrid between tarp and tent
... 19 ounces including everything but ground cloth. Very nice product. Sells for about
$165.00.

SLEEPING GEAR:

Typically, people carry a sleeping bag that weighs 2.5 – 4 pounds or more. For summer
hiking there are much lighter and better options:

Ultralight sleeping bags

A good manufacturer is Western Mountaineering:
http://www.westernmountaineering.com/ . They make very high-end (Expensive!)
sleeping bags. I think they have a nice little 40-degree model that weighs 16 ounces. If
you wear some poly long johns in it, you could probably go down to the freezing mark
and stay comfortable -- especially if you are using a bivy bag.

Another option is http://www.campmor.com . Their house brand down bags are

inexpensive and somewhat light. They have a 20-degree model that weighs 2.25 lbs. I
think that "20 degree" rating is highly optimistic ... probably more like 35 or so. They
use 550-fill down, which is a pretty low grade. But ... they aren't terribly heavy and
they're cheap at $120.00.

Quilts
Quilts are excellent for summer use … light and comfortable. Most quilts are really a
hybrid between a quilt and a mummy bag – the foot section is boxed in, but the rest of the
quilt opens up like a blanket.

Lynne Whelen’s quilt: http://www.lwgear.com (click the “Lightweight gear” link). 22

ounces, synthetic fill, 45 degrees, $155.00. This is an interesting design because it can
actually wrap completely around you to prevent drafts.

Do-it-yourself instructions:

Goose-down quilt: http://www.newsushi.net/quilt.html 17 ounces, goose down, 35

degrees, $130.00 in materials, plus 3 days of labor.

Synthetic quilt: http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html 24 ounces, synthetic, 35

degrees, $50.00 in materials, 2 days labor.
Sleeping pads
Many people carry a sleeping pad weighing 2 pounds or more. Some lighter options:

Thermarest now has an ultralight model: http://www.cascadedesigns.com

20 x 47 x 1 inches, 18 ounces, $60.00

The “Mount Washington” foam pad was another good option: 20 x 60 x .65 inches, 7
ounces, $20.00 Cut it down to 20 x 48, and it will weigh about 5.5 ounces. It used to be
sold by an outfit called Paramount Outfitters, but they’re now out of business.

The REI blue foam pad is even lighter: http://www.rei.com. Their 3/8” blue foam pad
costs $10.00. Cut it down to 20 x 48 and it weighs 4.5 ounces.

Ground Cloths
Probably the best ground cloth material is Dupont Tyvek “HomeWrap”: http://tyvek.com
This is construction material used to wrap around frame houses before installing the
siding. Only 1.8 ounces per square yard, waterproof, breathable. For more “hiker”
information, see: http://www.monmouth.com/~johno/Tyvek.htm

Also, don’t forget the standard 2-mil plastic … light, waterproof, cheap, but very slippery
and unpleasant to the touch.

COOKING GEAR:

Going with no stove

This can be a great idea. Three rocks with a small fire inside isn’t as bad as you might
think. Your pot can rest securely on the 3-point stance. Be sure to leave plenty of
airspace between the rocks, or the fire won’t “breath” properly and you’ll be choking on
smoke. Also make sure your fire is completely out, and scatter the burnt rocks and ashes
before you leave to hide your visit. I generally carry several ounces of dry tinder in my
pack to help on rainy days.

Wood stove
There are several options for carrying a small wood stove. REI, http://www.rei.com and
Campmor http://www.campmor.com both carry small “backpacker” grates that you can
suspend over two rocks as a cooking surface. Also, you can make a collapsible
woodstove from thin sheet metal. See instructions at: http://www.thru-
hiker.com/workshop.asp?subcat=2&cid=9 The “Nimblewill” stove weighs just over 4
ounces and collapses flat into its own carry case.

Alcohol stove
Alcohol stoves are extremely popular these days. They don’t generate as much heat as a
gas stove, but are much lighter, simpler, and quieter. You can buy a “Trangia” alcohol
stove from http://rei.com or better yet, make one yourself (it’s extremely easy): visit
http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html for a complete list of instructions for many many
stove designs. They usually weigh less than 3 ounces and are quite serviceable.
Canister stoves
Canister stoves are much better now than in the past. The canisters are re-designed with a
screw-on attachment system that doesn’t leak. Some popular models are the “Snow Peak
Giga Power Stove”: http://www.thru-hiker.com/reviews.asp?subcat=2&cid=64, and the
MSR “Pocket Rocket”: http://www.rei.com . Both of these stoves weigh about 3 ounces
and require a 7-ounce canister, which should last for 2 days.

Cooking pots
I use aluminum pots … light, cheap, effective. There was some concern awhile back
about aluminum pots causing Alzheimer’s disease, but there has been extensive research
showing there is no connection. Wal-Mart has a “Grease-saver” pot that is very popular
with the ultra-light crowd. Four ounces, 5-cup capacity, $6.95. For a two-quart
aluminum pot, K-Mart has a “Mirro” brand pot that is excellent. Take off the handle and
use a pot gripper. Make a custom lid from a disposable aluminum baking pan. Four
ounces, $6.00.

They make Titanium pots now that weigh about 4 ounces with lid. Some brands
are MSR and SnowPeak. Cost is about $35-75

FOOD:

I make meals from some sort of starch like rice, grits or noodles; a "broth" like bullion or
cup-a-soup; and a meat. Cook it all in one pot. For the meat, I used to carry cans of tuna
or chicken, but I now dry fresh-cooked chicken and veggies on a homemade stovetop
dryer. That saves about 6 ozs. per dinner. I try to carry only dry foods ... no cans or
anything else heavy. Even cheese could be considered a luxury.

Now that I'm using fires ... I cook a double-sized meal at night and save half of it for the
morning ... so basically I eat a cooked dinner at night and another (cold) in the morning.
For the lunch break, I eat the "breakfast" of 8-grain whole grains with raisins and
powdered milk. That system has the weight-advantages of dry food (which require more
cooking), and still requires only one fire per day. Also ... I pour some canola oil into all
meals for extra calories. Carry the oil in an empty little plastic soda bottle.

BACKPACK:

The backpack should be the last piece of gear you "Lighten." First lighten all items going
into the pack, then go with a lighter-duty, smaller pack. I'm designing/building my own.
Mine will weigh somewhere between 1.5 - 2 pounds. (My store-bought REI backpack
weighs 6.25 pounds). The shoulder strap harness of my new pack will come off and
attach to a large stuff sack for a day-pack. And the top lid will come off and attach to the
removable hip-belt as a fanny pack. During my long trip, I’ll hang the main bag in a tree
(with the 45 lbs of food in it), and go off with the fanny-pack and day bag for 2-3 day
side-trips with a light pack. Then ... come back to the main bag and move further into the
wilderness.
If you're looking to buy instead of build, a good place to start is
http://www.gvpgear.com. This is the website of a guy named Greg Van Patten, who
designed an ultralight pack, and now sells it. His pack is extremely light ... about 12
Ounces. You should never carry more than 25-30 lbs total weight in this pack. He offers
it for $85 for the standard design and $135 + for a semi-custom. Obviously, he's not in it
for the money. Also ... I believe he has taken the ultra-light thing to the extreme. His
shoulder straps are "hollow" so that you can stuff extra clothing into them for padding...
same with the hip-belt. He saves a few ounces, but I'm putting foam padding into my
straps/belt.

A larger company is "GoLite:" http://www.golite.com They have a range of packs you

might be interested in -- $85 - $200.

See also Lynne Whelen’s site at: http://www.lwgear.com for some of his ultra-light packs.

Another option is the Kelty "Cloud," which (I think) sells for more than $400.00. Also
very light and very modular with removable components, etc.

CLOTHING:

I now carry only the following:

Running shorts ... 3 ozs
REI "expedition weight" polypro underwear pants ... 10 ozs.
REI "expedition weight" polypro underwear shirt ... 12 ozs.
Fleece pullover ... 16 ozs.
2 pairs hiking socks ... 8 ozs.
Waterproof/breathable jacket ... 16 ozs.
Polyester T-shirt ... 6 ozs.

Usually ... people carry too much clothing. I think I can further save
weight from the clothing listed above ... especially in the socks and the
polypro pants and shirt. The trick for me is to layer up as necessary, and
wash the socks every night (without soap). Hang the socks on your pack the
next day and they'll be dry quickly. Don't wash one pair until the other
pair is dry.

Marmot makes a (supposedly) breathable/waterproof "Precip Anorak" that

weighs only 9 ozs, and costs $80.00 from REI http://www.rei.com

SMALL ITEMS:
- 1 oz. mini knife instead of a 6 oz. fat Swiss army knife.
- 1 oz. "micro mag light" instead of the 4 oz. "mini mag light."
- Use a plastic trash bag as a pack cover on rainy days. (I'm thinking of
making an ultra-light silnylon pack cover, which will be more durable for
bushwhacking).
- Lexan spoon instead of stainless steel spoon.
- 1 oz. collapsible Platypus 2.4 liter water bladder instead of a 12.5 ounce
Nalgene 2-liter water bottle.
- Leave keys and wallet at home -- carry car key, ID, charge card, and cash
in a little zip-loc bag ... saves another half-pound.

The idea is to examine every piece of gear you bring along and explore ways
of doing without it or doing with something lighter. There's a lot of
information on the net about ultralight hiking, and a lot of people willing
to share what they know, so don't hesitate to jump in and ask questions on
forums, etc.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

“Beyond Backpacking” by Ray Jardine: http://www.rayjardine.com . He makes some

abrasive comments in the book, and some of his ideas seem weird, but there’s good info
too. Take the wheat and leave the chaff. And be sure to test ideas on short trips before
relying on them deep in the wilderness.

RECOMMENDED WEB SITES:

In addition to the websites quoted above, check out the pages listed below. And
remember, many of these pages have lists of links to other pages. These should get you
started:

http://www.monmouth.com/~johno/index.html This is the home page of a guy who has

been experimenting with Ultralight, and has compiled quite a bit of info on it.

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html has a ton of info on making your own custom

gear.

http://www.hikinghq.net/ “Sargeant Rock’s hiking pages.” Good field-tested advice –

especially on alcohol stoves