What Is Ultralight Backpacking?
If you go backpacking often enough, you’ll likely come across an ultralight backpacker on one of your trips. You’ll notice them by their small backpack and impressive speed. They’ll probably be passing you on the way up a hill, to be honest. Their ease and grace on the trail is enough to make you think “what is ultralight backpacking and how do I get into it?”
Be warned, ultralight backpacking isn’t for the occasional backpacker or for the faint of heart. It’s for the dedicated trekker who is serious about getting around fast and with very little weight on their back.
A lot of work goes into becoming an ultralight backpacker. Below, we’ll dig into what ultralight backpacking is and what kind of effort goes into it. We’ll also cover the pros and cons so you can decide whether drastically cutting down backpack weight is right for you.
The Basics of Backpack Weight
Before we get into the nitty gritty about ultralight backpacking, it’s important that you understand a few basics about backpack weight.
When reading about backpack weight, you’ll likely come across the term “base weight”. Base weight refers to the weight of your loaded backpack before you pack food, fuel, and water (AKA your “consumables”). This is the weight that will stay fairly consistent. Base weight measures the gear that you bring with you on every trip and leaves out things such as food and water that varies by trip.
Base weight is of key importance to ultralight backpacking. It is the weight you can easily manipulate without posing a potential danger to yourself. After all, you don’t want to cut weight by skimping on water.
The “Big Three” will be the main contributors to your base weight. These are your sleep set up, your backpack, and your shelter. When looking to reduce backpack weight, the Big Three are the items to evaluate first.
If you want to learn more about backpack weight, check out this post.
What is Ultralight Backpacking?
Ultralight backpacking is essentially backpacking where the goal is to carry the least amount of weight that you can.
There are no hard-set standards to what constitutes an ultralight backpacker. However, most backpackers will agree that to confidently declare yourself “ultralight”, your base weight should be under 10 pounds.
For reference, the average backpacker will have a base weight around 30 pounds.
This doesn’t mean that hikers who go ultralight are leaving a lot behind. It means that they put a lot of effort into making their gear as lightweight and versatile as possible. Lessening the weight of their backpack is a sport in itself.
Why Go Ultralight?
There are many benefits to going ultralight with your backpacking gear. Having less weight on your back during your trek is not only more comfortable but allows you to move better. Below are some of the biggest reasons to go ultralight.
- Less Wear on the Body– When you carry a heavy backpack for miles, it is going to put strain on the body. This is true even if your backpack fits properly, though proper backpack fit does limit the negative effects. Having a lighter backpack will reduce the wear on your body, especially if you go on a lot of backpacking trips.
- Move More Quickly, Cover More Miles– Have you ever been passed on the trail by someone with a day pack or small backpack? Chances are they just cruised on past you while you chugged along with your large pack. You can move a lot faster with a lighter backpack. This means you can also cover more miles and see even more of what those beautiful forests have to offer!
- Less Pain – Some aches and pains are unavoidable on the trail, even when you’re perfectly strapped into your backpack. Having less weight on your back means your shoulders, hips, and lower back wont get so sore so quickly.
- More Agile – When thirty pounds of backpack shifts to the side, it can be hard to keep your balance. I’ve fallen in a creek once thanks to this. Having a light backpack means you are more agile and have better balance. You can take on more challenging terrain with confidence.
- Faster to Pack and Unpack – Fewer things in your backpack means fewer things to pack and unpack every day. You can get to your snacks quickly and pack up camp in less time.
Downfalls of Going Ultralight
Going ultralight isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer the comforts of having extra gear. Others might not go backpacking often enough to justify going through the effort and investment of becoming an ultralight backpacker. Either way, there are some reasons why more hikers don’t go ultralight.
- Costly – Being an ultralight backpacker is an investment. This gear can be a lot more expensive, mainly due to the premium materials needed to make lightweight and durable gear. It might also come at a markup because manufacturers know their target customers are serious about backpacking and are willing to spend more for the sport.
- A Lot of Effort – Backpacking can take a lot of planning and preparation. Maintaining a packing list, keeping your gear in good shape, and prepping food takes effort. This goes double if you are an ultralight backpacker. It takes quite a bit of work to become an ultralight backpacker. It will get easier with practice, though!
- Misconceptions – When people learn what ultralight backpacking is, they often jump to the assumption that going ultralight means sacrificing comfort. That’s not entirely true. Ultralight packers have a comfortable shelter, plenty of food, the necessities. The thing is – they put a lot more thought into how to limit the weight of those items.
Tips For Going Ultralight
Now that you know what ultralight backpacking is, you might want to give it a go! If you’re serious about going ultralight, check out these tips below. If you’re just looking to lower backpack weight, check out this article first.
- Invest in Light Gear – If you’re serious about backpacking and going ultralight, it is worth it to spend a premium to have the lightest gear available. This is especially true when it comes to your big 3 items. Having the lightest tent or hammock you can find means you have more ounces to spare on other items.
- Measure Everything– Being ultralight means being meticulous with weight. You should know the weight of every item you plan to pack and have those weights recorded. A spreadsheet can be handy for this!
- Ration – Consumables aren’t counted in your base weight, but that doesn’t mean their weight doesn’t count. You want your pack weight as low as possible which means bringing the minimal amount of food, fuel, and hygiene essentials. Opt for nutrient dense foods that fill you up without weighing you down and limit your toiletries.
- Be Creative– Sometimes you need to think outside the box in order to reduce pack weight. Creativity will come in handy when it comes to finding multiple uses for your gear or shaving down weight. For example, some people shave down the handle of a toothbrush or cut off excess strap length.
- Be Efficient With Clothes – Clothing is a common item for backpackers – or any packers, for that matter – to overpack. It’s easy to get carried away with “what ifs” when it comes to your attire. If you’re serious about cutting weight, you need to be as efficient as possible with your clothing.
- Trust The Process – Ultralight backpacking is not something you want to do all at once. It takes practice and trial and error to become an ultralight backpacker. There are skills and lessons you need to learn along the way. Trust the process.
Conclusion
What is ultralight backpacking? It’s a community of backpackers who are ambitious, passionate, and competitive about keeping their backpack weight as low as possible. It takes practice and discipline to get into this style of hiking. It also takes investment. If you’re interested in joining the under-ten-pounds-club, these tips are a good place to start!
Cover photo by Sébastien Goldberg on Unsplash
