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Backpacking Light

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You are here: Home / Archives for Skills & Techniques

Skills & Techniques

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

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MYOG Ultralight Fastpacking ‘Tivy’

Mar 3, 2019 by Ellen J

Step by step instructions on how to construct my MYOG tivy model and videos and pictures of it in use.

bivy sacks, DIY / MYOG, MYOG

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.

apps, caltopo, gaia, google earth, gps, hillmap, navigation

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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.

Catskill Mountains, map & compass, navigation

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.

backpacks, dimension-polyant, DIY / MYOG, MYOG

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.

British Columbia, bushwhacking, Canada, google earth, hamber provincial park, Jarvis creek, jasper national park, kakwa lake, Monkman Provincial Park, moose river, packrafting, planning, wood river

Wet, Cold Feet When Backpacking: How To Keep Your Feet Dry(er) and Warm(er) in Inclement Weather

Sep 29, 2017 by Ryan Jordan

Keep feet warm and dry by using a carefully designed system that involves different types of socks, shoes, and gaiters.

altra, cold, Darn Tough, footwear, gaiters, Goosefeet Gear, hoka, inclement weather, Rocky, salomon, shoes, Smartwool, socks, trail running shoes, zpacks

MYOG Synthetic Fill Vest (Make Your Own Gear)

Jul 9, 2017 by Jerry Adams

Step by step guide on how to MYOG synthetic fill vest. This is an easy first project if you are interested in making synthetic clothing.

DIY / MYOG, insulated clothing, MYOG, Sythetic Vest

How to Keep Fuel Warm During Canister Stove Operation

Mar 25, 2017 by Gary Dunckel

Various techniques for keeping fuel warm during canister stove operation are described, in order to optimize fuel vaporization.

canister stoves, cold, lightweight cooking system, winter backpacking

Ultralight Video Gear (According To Chris)

Mar 24, 2017 by chris smead

Chris Smead, who produces Backpackinglight.com’s “According to Chris” video series, goes through his ultralight video gear.

according to chris, backcountry photography, photography, video

Lightweight Backpacking in the Winter: Gear and Techniques from the Arctic

Feb 24, 2017 by Jörgen Johansson

Lightweight backpacking in the winter requires more intentionality with respect to gear selection and skill set, but with great rewards.

backcountry skiing, cold, europe, insulated clothing, snow, snowshoeing, Sweden, traction systems, trekking clothing, ultralight sleep systems, winter backpacking

Vacuum-Sealed Recycled Mylar Bags for Backpacking Food Packaging: Better than ZipLocs

Jan 10, 2017 by Rosaleen Sullivan

Mylar bags for backpacking food keep food fresh and protected from moisture. How about vacuum sealing reusable (e.g., snack chip) bags?

Backpacking Food, food packaging

How to Buy Outdoor Gear – Functional Analysis

Oct 23, 2016 by Jörgen Johansson

The outdoor market is ripe with marketing ploys and distractions. Jorgen shares the tool he uses to buy outdoor gear – functional analysis.

Gear Selection

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