Confession time. As a longtime writer in the outdoor industry, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to lower my base weight to a ridiculously low number. If I wanted to, I could be a walking advertisement, the kind of person you see on the trail and know that Everything in Her Pack is DCF Including Her Pack. But I’m not, and I’ve had more than one trip with other ultralight backpackers where I felt clunky, goofy, and like I had to explain myself.
We get to camp, and they unfurl their translucent DCF tarps, slap their closed-cell foam pads on the ground, and shake out a feather-light quilt from their hip-belt-free 30L pack.
I drop my 55L pack (with an extra shoulder pocket!) with a thud and start extricating my two-person from the depths of the pack. I nearly pass out from the infinity breaths it takes to inflate my sleeping pad, and then shake out a 10-degree mummy bag so lofty I have to wrestle it into the tent. To the amusement of my ultralight companions, I whip out a camping pillow and inflate it to *just the right amount.* My campsite is now set up.
None of my gear is ridiculously heavy, but it’s also not trendy, and very little of it is lightest in its class. I’ve tried quilts (I sleep too cold), trekking pole tents (I find them a pain to set up), and closed-cell foam pads (ask me how that went). I’ve always gone back to the items that aren’t the newest, lightest, or coolest, but for me, they’re the most comfortable and functional, and I’m willing to carry a heavier pack to have a better experience each night. Here’s the gear I always carry and what the cooler options would be.
Big Three
Shelter
What I Use: Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2
What’s Cooler: One-person DCF tarp or trekking-pole-supported shelter single-wall shelter
Yes, I am one person, and yes, I carry a two-person freestanding tent. (or semi-freestanding, depending on how you describe this shelter). I love how easy it is to set up, how taut the pitch is with very little effort, how spacious the interior and dual vestibules are, and how well double-wall shelters handle condensation. I also use this with my partner, but I don’t think twice about carrying it on solo trips as well. This shelter weighs 2.5 pounds, which isn’t excessive in the grand scheme of things considering how well it accomplishes what I need it to.
Sleeping Bag
What I Use: Feathered Friends Petrel UL 10
What’s Cooler: Ultralight 30-degree quilt
I’ve tried the quilt life, and it didn’t work for me. I know there has been plenty written about how quilts are just as warm as mummy bags, but this isn’t the case for me. Having full coverage plus a hood isn’t comparable to the drafts I’ve experienced with a quilt. This sleeping bag is quite bulky, but I’ve never been cold in it, and the draft collar and treated down offers incredible protection.
Pack
What I Use: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Southwest
What’s Cooler: 30L pack with no hip belt or frame
This pack is made with DCF, and it’s also pretty pricey, but it has the capacity I need for carrying extra food, plus my gear to be comfortable at camp. I can fit my gear into a 45L if I’m going out for a few days, but an extended backpacking trip or thru-hike means I need at least 50 or 55 liters of capacity.
Extras:
Sleeping Pad
What I Use: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite
What’s Cooler: Z-fold closed-cell foam pad or cut-down torso-length back pad
The lightest of ultralight hikers use the back pad from their ultralight pack. I like to be able to sleep on my side and not care if there’s a rock or a root underneath my tent. This sleeping pad takes a lot of effort to blow up, and I may or may not have destroyed two of them this year on a cactus and a pair of tweezers (don’t ask), but I will forever remain loyal to the two inches of padding and 4.2 R-value.
What I Use: Wal-Mart Flip-Flops for camp shoes
What’s Cooler: not having camp shoes
These cost $4.99 and weigh 4 ounces. I’m never leaving them behind. The option to not slide into my crusty, stinky, probably wet shoes for a midnight bathroom break is way too appealing. I know the judgment that hikers get from Crocs or flip-flops dangling from the outside of a pack, but I shall choose to ignore it.
What I Use: Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow
What’s Cooler: rolled up fleece in a stuff sack
I know shockingly few hikers who use one of these ultralight pillows. Everyone else seems fine with balling up a greasy down jacket or shoving extra clothes into a stuff sack. That’s too lumpy for me. This weighs 2 oz (57 g) and inflates with four breaths. For me, it’s a no brainer.
What I Use: Tracksmith Harrier Long Sleeve and Isobaa Merino Tights for Camp Clothes
What’s Cooler: Not having camp clothes
I carry camp clothes, tucked away in the bottom of my pack. I might not use them for the first few nights on a backpacking trip, but once my hiking clothes get wet or rancid, you better believe I’m giddily donning my clean(ish), dry base layers to sleep in as soon as I get to camp.
Comfort, Safety, Enjoyment
Chances are, there’s something in your pack that isn’t the lightest (or even most effective) piece of gear possible, but it hits your budget and meets your needs. Maybe it’s just a sentimental item or something you can’t bring yourself to leave behind? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know!
Related Content
Essays
- What is ultralight backpacking? We hinted at it here, but this more comprehensive essay by Ryan Jordan will give you even more food for thought.
Columns
- Maggie writes BPL’s Learning Curve column. Check out her most recent piece!
Gear
- Are you a pillow user? Ryan Jordan wrote BPL’s Ultralight Inflatable Pillows Gear Guide. He had a lot of good things to say about Maggie’s choice of a Sea to Summit pillow.
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Discussion
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Chances are, you’ve got something in your pack that could be lighter, but it works for you. Maggie Slepian shares her heaviest items. What are yours?
What I use: Sweetwater water filter
What I could save ~10oz by using: a Steripen or Sawyer Squeeze or Aquamira drops
The Sweetwater has never ever failed me, even that time a deer chewed up the suction tube (which managed to stay functional using tape for the rest of that trip). I still have a spare cartridge too, so I will probably keep using it until it or I die.
I bring a kindle (6 oz) because I like to read and i also bring a deck of cards when my kids join.
Weight saving…less nightly cookies
I trust the first place all of us weight weenies should thoroughly investigate before cutting ounces from our packs is cutting ounces from our guts.
The real paradigm shift to ultralight is that my pack can be any weight I wan and that I have complete control. It’s a matter of acceptable compromises. It is an escape from the traditional “musts” of big boots, excessive durability, acceptable stove types and cooking techniques, etc. once you step out of that box, anything is possible.
It is an escape from dogma and I’m afraid not without creating its own. Past a basic curiosity, what I carry is none of anyone else’s business. It should be a spirit of sharing and celebration rather than judgement.
My point is that no confession is needed nor expected, in that “confession” implies you sinned. Guilt is pretty heavy!
I’m a cold sleeper. Previously I had to bring extra clothing that would just be worn at night to supplement what my lightweight 40 degree down quilt was taking away. Then I went to a 5 degree down 1/2 zip bag adding 7.5 oz but lowered my overall base weight well beyond that. Different climates for different primates
I switched from an Xlite large to an Ether Light XT Large (haven’t tried it yet) in hopes of getting better sleep instead of just a series of naps. It’s 6oz heavier, but if you’re not sleeping, what have you saved?
I envy those who can sleep on a torso length pad.
Great topic:
X2 on the scotch. I could easily do without it, but…why? Other heavy junk would be a comfy sleeping pad, a pillow, and a lightweight mug for the scotch. I could go without a proper receptacle for the scotch, but…why?
Agree 100%. In fact, I’m not even curious. Why would I care about someone’s personal decision to carry extra things?
Reactor on a Brunton remote? Very posh. I like.
As an aside: I wasn’t seeing this as a judgement-fest…or even the opportunity for it. It’s more of an opportunity to see what people like to spend their extra ounces on; to see what’s important enough to carry despite the weight. That’s just basic community-building.
Now, to yet again see if I can find someone selling a long-discontinued remote canister adapter; that’s definitely worth an ounce or two, to me!
I’m in the stable fast lane now, the reason for the Reactor :-)
There is no substitute for a good night’s sleep. I bring not one but two Exped Airpillow ULs size medium at 1.5 oz each. I also bring not one but two pads, a NeoAir supplmented by a torso length closed cell pad, the thickness of which varies depending on season and expected terrain.
For trips longer than one night, to wake up after the good night’s sleep, I bring Peets Major Dickasons coffee ground for French press and the MSR Mugmate coffee filter, < 1 oz without lid.
Thank you so much Maggie! It’s so easy to fall into a rabbit hole of lightweight. Remember the online shopping days comparing weight of tents and sleeping quilts ended up buying something light but not really comfortable. Thank you to be you and share with/guide us!
Yeah for sure this is all about community-building, not shaming. I’m the one who used the word “confession” in the article title (I’m the managing editor round here) because it’s short and snappy! I think it’s way more fun to know what people’s luxury items are than it is to know which tent model they own – that’s why I asked Maggie to write this piece. :-)
Two thumbs up on the Peet’s Major Dickasons coffee – that’s our home brew. We usually suffer with Via on the trail though.
Adding to the gear confessions – we bring a HUGE shelter for 2 if significant rain is in the forecast – a Big Agnes Yahmonite 5 Pyramid (a re-labeled Go-Lite Shangri-La 5 – also bought off of gear swap). The tent body weighs 32 oz and we combine it with an MLD supermid bathtub floor which, with stakes, which also totals 32 oz – a good two-way split for a HUGE shelter. You can’t beat a big shelter in the rain. We call it the “Tent Mahol”.
Re pillows
The Klymit extra large x pillow is my choice. The shape and size works and the fabric has the right amount of stretch, making it feel more like a regular pillow. So many air pillows are hard and slip away.
None of the things she mentions seem outrageous to me. I’m still reconsidering my ultralight tent and thinking about small freestanding ones, just for the ease of setup. My only goal with reducing pack weight has been to get light enough to enjoy the trek, rather than suffer through it, not to compete with anyone for the best or lightest. I don’t really get the gear competition thing. I think most BPLers don’t either; they’re just exploring options. There are always a few who take it all personally, too bad for them.
It is interesting how our choices come with religious language – “confession.” Even though I wasn’t brought up in a religion, I’m part of the culture, the language, and the baggage comes along for the ride, lightweight or no.
I really, really like having a collapsible bucket for a longer trek. It just makes life so much easier. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I don’t. But when I do, I really like having it!
I think it’s understood that “confession” is being used in an ironic, analogical way. I don’t think shaming was ever intended. I think we’re being invited to share our luxury items. The Church doesn’t shame people for bringing an umbrella on a backpacking trip.
My luxury item is boots. Real boots. Well, Keen high tops. I get a lot of grief for this–on BPL, not in my Church. My feet stay dry and blister free, and my foot anatomy is such that I need the support.
I like my skottle. Ain’t leaving it behind. Cook real meals on it.
X2 on some legit boots, as well. I use trail runners on light trails when I’m dayhiking, but once I have a few pounds on my back I swap over to some old-school Tyrolean boots and I never feel bad about doing it. My feet and ankles need the support, and they feel so good. An unintended 2020 bonus is that people look at all-leather boots with outright scorn, anymore, so now even my footwear is an incentive for other to keep themselves pleasantly and socially distant! Ha! Who needs a mask when you have a Goodyear welt!!
On another note, another total luxury item would be a paperback book. I’ve also been known to carry a small saw for collecting deadwood and rendering it into campfire-shaped pieces. There’s little that cannot be improved by a good fire, a good book, and a good nip of scotch… especially when you’re a good distance from the rest of civilization.
What Dale said! No sinning.
A lighter pack is nicer than a heavier pack, all else being equal.
Of course, all else is most decidedly NOT equal.
The only objective measure of ‘the right gear’ is whether it allows you to achieve your objectives in the best possible way. Oftentimes that means (slightly) heavier gear. Very often it even means ‘suboptimallly functioning gear’ , since continuously optimizing gear for every situation is too expensive, and not morally responsible. (I need to tell myself this more often)
I always have a book, sometimes two, and a journal, which I assume is less cool than the absence thereof.
Kindle time. A Paperwhite with backlight has to be a tent reader’s dream.
With journals, use the same philosophy as other consumables: take only what you need for the trip. Moleskine, Rite in the Rain and others make thin soft cover journals, often sold in small sets.
Unless you just happen to like heavy, archaic, fragile sheets of paper. ;)
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