Skills & Techniques

Learn the "howto" of lightweight backpacking with these tips, tricks, gear lists, and comprehensive skill guides.

Get up to speed quickly and enroll in our online course Ultralight Backpacking Boot Camp!

Podcast 006 | Backcountry Filmmaking and Photography

Nov 15, 2018 by Backpacking Light

Backcountry filmmaking and photography used to required thirty or more pounds of gear. Here’s how to produce great media at minimum weight!

Resources, Tools, and Processes for Planning Nontechnical, Off-Trail Backpacking Routes

Nov 14, 2018 by Ryan Jordan

The purpose of this article is to document the process I often use to plan and execute off-trail trips in the mountains using digital mapping and navigation tools.

Navigating Without a Compass, Map, or GPS

Sep 14, 2018 by Kenneth Posner

This article describes natural navigator techniques I’ve found helpful while bushwhacking – navigating without a compass, map, or GPS.

MYOG: Seam Construction and Taping of New Dimension-Polyant Fabrics

Jul 1, 2018 by Roger Caffin

This article presents the results of some cursory material construction tests using the newer Dimension-Polyant (DP) fabrics from the LS, VX, and WX families, as well as seam-taping using DP-supplied seam tapes. The context here is MYOG/DIY backpack construction.

Case Studies: Using Google Earth to Plan Wilderness Trips

Jun 3, 2018 by Luke Schmidt

This article presents some case studies of using Google Earth for wilderness trip planning, with a presentation of my process and lessons learned.