Lose 15 Pounds In One Blog Post!

Intro to Ultralight Series – Part 5

 

Contents:

I. Removing Items
II. Swapping Items
III. Final Numbers
IV. Conclusion
V. Notes
VI. Gear List Links

 

There are two ways you can shed weight from your pack: remove items, or find a lighter alternative.

 

*At the end of this article there are links to more visual versions of the gear lists I’ve included. There are versions in the form of both spreadsheets (which you can copy and edit) and ones on GearGrams.com (which you can play with and change the weight units of). You can click on “Gear List Links” above to jump to the gear lists.

 

Let’s get going.

Below is a mockup gear list. It has all the typical gear a lightweight backpacker might carry on a thru hike. This gear list is best suited toward an Appalachian Trail thru hike. It would work for the Pacific Crest Trail (and many others) but in that case, I’d carry more sun protection, less rain gear, and make some other small tweaks. I’ve included mainly pieces of gear I saw on the Appalachian Trail, and I tried to include the most popular brands or styles of gear.

That’s not a bad gear list by any means! It’s pretty light, and has all high-quality gear, but we can do better.

 

Removing items

Now, let’s remove some non-essential items:

 

Big 4

Sleeping bag liner – Sleeping bag liners are used to either keep your sleeping bag clean, or to add extra warmth. I stopped carrying a sleeping bag liner because I normally don’t wear my insulation layers while I’m hiking. I typically save them for when I am taking a break or I’m in camp. This keeps them nice and clean so I can wear them in my sleeping bag. While liners add some warmth for their weight, it’s more economical (in cost and weight) to get a sleeping bag with extra down.

Stuff sacks – Once you have a more minimalist setup—with fewer pieces of gear—you won’t have any trouble fitting your gear in your pack. Later, I’ll show you how to pack a pack (which should be a speedy process). You’ll no longer have trouble finding a place for everything, and you can ditch the dead weight of stuff sacks. If you’re concerned with waterproofing, I’ve got you covered there too; just take a look at your fancy new pack and pack liner.

 

Weight Savings: 224g

 

Clothing

Baselayer (bottom) – Typically, your legs feel warmer—and lose less body heat—than your torso. Even if your skin feels cold, your body temperature is not necessarily low. Lightweight baselayers let air through their fabric, allowing you to lose body heat. Wool baselayers work well, but they are heavy. Wind pants solve both of these problems by trapping a warm pocket of air around your legs, while still breathing well. As an added bonus, they are somewhat water resistant and dry very quickly. Plus, you can ditch your regular hiking pants, while still having something to wear in towns and to cover your lower legs while hiking.

Camp shoes – These are one of those single purpose items you carry all day, just to use for a small amount of time in camp. You won’t need camp shoes when you have ultra-comfortable trail runners! On a thru hike you won’t be spending too much time walking around camp. Your trail runners will dry out quickly and your wool socks will keep you warm, even if they are wet. If you wanted them for shower shoes, you won’t need those either. Hang tight and I’ll take care of that too.

Gaiters – These are usually used for protection from dirt, rocks, sticks and rain. I’m not sure how other people hike, but I’ve never had my shoes full of rocks by the end of the day. Occasionally a pebble or stick will find its way into your shoe. Just take it out. Really. It’s that simple. As for water and rain, good luck. Just enjoy splashing through puddles and let your trail runners dry out later. Gaiters seem like a great idea, but most hikers seem to ditch them along the way.

Midlayer – You can ditch this. Once you learn how to dress yourself (which I will discuss later), you will be plenty warm with what you have while you are hiking. In camp, you are going to get an even warmer puffy jacket. It feels good dropping weight and being more comfortable!

Shirt (spare) – If you wear a minimalist quick-dry running singlet while you hike, it won’t be wet when you get to camp. Plus, it has no pits to get stinky. If you’re into modesty, you’ll have an extra long sleeve baselayer for camp! You lose nothing here in functionality and you get to drop some dead weight simply from good gear selection.

Socks (warm) – I always bring extra socks. You are on your feet all day and you want them to be dry and warm. Cold feet is a good way to lose body heat quickly. But you don’t need 3 pairs of socks, and you don’t need huge wool ones. An extra dry pair is plenty to keep you warm in a cozy sleeping bag.

Underwear (spare) – Your hiking pair of underwear is going to be dank. This will never get better. If you don’t want to be stuck in them while you sleep, or you prefer an extra pair, you’ll have brand new shorts with a liner in them, so they will act as an alternate pair. This one is pretty personal, so do as you will; just pay attention to how much you actually use any piece of gear and if it would make more sense to ditch it.

 

Weight Saving: 1192g

 

Electronics

Camera – At this point, your phone’s camera is more than good enough. No need to carry the extra weight. Plus, power outlets are usually scarce. I upload my photos to the cloud directly from my phone each time I hit a town so I don’t lose them, and my family and friends can follow me on my hike.

 

Weight Savings: 117

 

Navigation

Compass – A compass is very useful if you are out in the sticks. On the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trails though, you won’t need one. Get a good guide book. If your phone is charged and in tact, it’s a great backup.

Guide book – There’s no need to carry 5-6 months worth of pages. You will probably swap some gear out for the summer anyway. Carry a section worth of pages at a time. The pages you’ve already used are great as backup fire starter. I like to keep a PDF version of the guidebook on my phone as a backup. There are also some guidebook apps, and it’s nice to have two different guides if one is confusing or missing info.

Maps – On a thru hike, a guidebook is plenty. You can get backup maps on your phone if you like to get a better lay of the land.

Notebook/paper – Again, for journaling, use your phone. It’s a a great tool for so many different things! If it dies or breaks, it’s still easy to be self-sufficient with just a section of your favorite guide book.

Pen – See above.

 

Weight Savings: 395g

 

Toiletries

Pain killer – Ultralight will save you from many injuries and a lot of daily pain. I always say that, even if going lighter were more expensive, it would still cheaper than knee surgery. However, I suffer migraines, and I understand everyone has their own shit. So, just ditch the heavy bottle, and bring a few pills in a ziplock bag. Also, be safe and please mark any medication not in its bottle.

Mirror – Cut it in half. I don’t normally go to extremes by cutting pieces off all of my gear items, but you really don’t need the whole mirror, and I like to keep all of my small pieces of gear neatly in one ziplock bag for convenience and style points.

Pack towel – A bandana is one of the most multiuse tools you can carry, and I prefer it over a pack towel. A bandana is plenty big for drying condensation off your gear. Pack towels stretch, so they aren’t as good for first aid or tying things. Plus, those small disposable pack towels tear easily and aren’t good for much more than drying things. I’d say a cotton bandana is one of the single best items you can carry in your pack.

Soap – Even if you feel dirty, the outdoors is very clean. I did not get sick once on my Appalachian Trail thru hike. It’s still a great idea to rinse off if you find a good water source. You won’t need to clean your cookpot with your new cooking setup. And if you are using soap for toothpaste you are being a crazy person. Even with ultralight you don’t need to make that trade-off.

 

Weight Savings: 159g

 

Tools

Batteries – You should swap to a headlamp with a longer-lasting battery, so spares aren’t needed. Ultralight is great, not just for weight savings, but for simplicity.

 

Weight Savings: 23g

 

That leaves us with the following gear list:

Total “Removed” Weight Savings: 2110g

 

That’s over 4 pounds gone no problem.

 

Swapping items

Now here’s the good part. You don’t want to just focus on better gear, but also how you use it. You can do a lot with your gear if you choose the right items.

Let’s see what we can swap out:

 

Big 4

Groundsheet/footprint – By switching to a tarp, you ditch the footprint for your tent, but we need to replace it with a groundsheet. I chose a lightweight polycryo (polycro) one which is your best choice for a groundsheet.

Pack – With light compact gear, you can ditch a heavy pack with a frame. You don’t even need a padded hip belt. A Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) pack is much lighter and way more versatile. It’s important to have a pack made out of a waterproof material, especially when it is even lighter to do so. In a later article I’ll explain why this is so important. I chose one of the lightest options on the market right now, but you can go even lighter if you make your own pack. I included 2 water bottle pockets, since manufacturers don’t seem to throw side pockets on their lightweight packs anymore.

Pack cover/pack liner – A pack liner is a much better option for waterproofing gear; it just so happens to be lighter.

Sleeping bag/quilt – There are tons of great sleeping bags to choose from. This is a tough item to replace because lighter bags are almost always more expensive. However, it’s one of the best gear swaps you can make for weight savings and overall comfort. Better quality down is warmer and goes well with a lighter fabric. I chose a more expensive bag for this gear list, but you will see more cost savings in the other gear choices.

Sleeping pad – A difficult, and very personal gear choice, there are so many different options for sleeping pads out there. I’ve chosen a very versatile and minimalist setup that’s actually two sleeping pads. One inflatable one for comfort, and one foam one for warmth. This is a warmer version of my personal sleeping pad setup.

Stakes – Let’s swap these with a lighter, stronger stake. Unless you like midnight paragliding.

Tent/tarp – Let’s ditch the tent. While we’re at it, let’s go all out and grab a minimalist tarp. Going ultralight is a process, but if you are willing to learn, you can skip buying better and better shelters and just start out with the best. I swapped out the tent for a shaped tarp, which is even easier and faster to set up. The great thing about this tarp is it’s one of the lightest options and also cheaper than most tents! There are many great tent/tarp options out there. If you want a more versatile flat tarp you can learn how to set up a tarp and be on your way to a very minimalist setup!

 

Weight Savings: 3268g

 

Clothing

Baselayer (top) – A thick baselayer isn’t needed. You want something you won’t sweat through while hiking, that can also provide sun protection. Your real warmth will come from your insulation layer, and this baselayer will keep it dry and clean. Synthetic is the lightest option. You won’t miss your thicker baselayer once you build a strategy for when to wear your warm clothes.

Hat – Nothing too special here. I don’t always carry a hat, but I also still have my hair (for now). I swapped yours out for a lighter one that will dry quicker.

Watch cap/beanie – We spent a dollar to save 2g here. Nothing huge.

Mittens/gloves – Mittens are warmer than gloves because they keep all your fingers snug in one compartment. You can pull back the top of these mittens to make them into gloves. You get gloves and mittens at a considerable weight savings and at the same price.

Pants/wind pants – For many reasons, I don’t wear pants when I hike. Head over to Hiking Pants to learn more. Here I’ve swapped them for lightweight wind pants, which are lighter and much more versatile. They provide incredible warmth, pack well, dry quickly, and still look nice for when you hit the town.

Puffy jacket – Down is much lighter than synthetic insulation as long as it’s dry and you Take Care of Your Gear. You’ll spend some money here for significant weight savings, plus added warmth. I threw in a hood, too, for some extra overkill.

Rain jacket – This is one of your most important pieces of gear. It is also one of the hardest ones to get right. Unfortunately, the best rain jacket I’ve found is discontinued, and the only equivalents are very expensive. For now, we’ll settle for something light and cheap that gets the job done. Breathability isn’t as much of a concern for an ultralighter who knows how to dress themself.

Rain pants/rain skirt – Rain pants are cool and all, but have you ever felt the breathability of a rain skirt—*cough* kilt? Let’s see who really wears the pants when you make the swap over. A kilt won’t leave you sweaty, and that goes a long way for staying dry and avoiding chafing. Plus, you remove a ton of fabric and seams, which leaves you with a lighter, cheaper alternative. Rain skirts are very versatile as a multiuse gear item. I use mine to cover the foot of my sleeping bag if it’s raining hard enough to start splashing. I also use it as a floor mat when I take showers, in lieu of shower shoes.

Shirt (worn) – You want a cool shirt that dries quickly; a running singlet is your best choice. You can wear it in the rain and ring it out later, or wear it under your rain jacket without sweating through the pits. This leaves you with a cleaner, lighter option. If you need sun protection or warmth, you have your baselayer. Short sleeves on a garment are just dead weight. SUB weight doesn’t include worn clothes in our calculations, but it is still more functional to have a lighter, quick drying piece of gear.

Shoes (worn) – Boots are crazy. I could rant about this all day, but I’ll do it in a separate article. Here, I’ve swapped a popular option for some lighter ones with better tread.

Shorts (worn) – You want your shorts to be similar to your shirt: light and quick drying. We started with some pretty decent shorts. They are good because they are synthetic and have a liner, but you can go with a shorter, lighter pair, which will dry more efficiently and are great for hot weather.

 

Weight Savings: 1393g

 

Cooking

Cook kit (pot, lids, stove, windscreen, fuel/bottle/measuring cup, cozy, spoon) – Here I’ve swapped out a bunch of gear pieces for a complete cooking system. That’s what ultralight is all about: systems. This way is much lighter, much cheaper, and much more compact. Alcohol stoves create ultimate efficiency, if all you need to do is boil water. Later, I’ll discuss “freezer bag cooking” for more weight savings and an easier cooking/cleaning experience.

Water bottles – I swapped the flat bottle for an Evernew brand one, which fits this water filter better, saving some frustration. I also threw in a disposable plastic bottle to use as a “clean” bottle that only holds filtered water. You can filter water from the flat “dirty” bottle into the clean bottle (which can also be used for drink mixes).

Water treatment – All I did here is swap a great filter for the mini version. I find the mini version works fine and is more compact for those who like filtering water straight into their mouth. The flow is a bit slower, but for the weight savings (and compact design) I find it’s worth it. Plus, they are super cheap to replace.

Rope/cord – For a bear bag line, it’s best to have something reflective and slick. You want it reflective so you can find it for early morning hiking or midnight hunger pangs. Thin paracord can dig into tree branches and get stuck—as well as damage the tree. An extra dollar here can save you weight and provide you with a ton of added convenience. It’s good to have a thin cord not only for weight savings, but also for its multiuse properties. It’s great for gear repair, shoe laces and many other applications.

Lighter/fire starter – You are already carrying a lighter. If this is lost or wet for some reason, you didn’t need it for survival anyway (if we’re talking about a thru hike). On an Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail thru hike, survival is fairly easy. However, for other trips it is still best to be safe, especially when the cost is only a few grams. Instead of flint and steel, I like to carry stormproof matches or an extra lighter in a ziplock. Tinder (the app included) can be useful, and can be had at only a few grams. I swapped a normal sized Bic lighter for a mini one, which lasted me half the trail. I stopped cooking after that, but I’m sure it could have been used much longer.

 

Weight Savings: 574g

 

Toiletries

First aid kit – While I did recently become certified as an EMT, I’m not a doctor, so you’re going to have to make your own decisions here; but I just don’t see a lot of use for Neosporin or Band-Aids on the trail. I’m more concerned with emergencies. If it’s bleeding badly you’ve got super glue* and duct tape. A liquid adhesive can seal a wound in the backcountry, while duct tape keeps germs out and blood in. We’ve also got a needle and thread. For anything broken, trekking poles can make a splint with a bandana and clothing. This is where being ultralight is crucial. You can’t keep your gear with you—or hike out quickly—on a broken leg if you’ve got a 60 pound pack. I once hiked 18 miles with a sprained ankle, swollen to the size of a baseball, over Blood Mountain on the Appalachian Trail. I was able to get care when I got to town without having to spend the night in pain, off somewhere in the woods. We’ll learn more about ultralight first aid later on. There are also a lot of multiuse gear pieces we can use for first aid.

*It’s preferable to use a medical grade liquid adhesive over super glue, but you will have to do your own research there. Super glue can irritate the skin, but it will keep you alive. Anyway, all we want here is the weight.

Tick tool – There are no real weight or cost savings here, but this tick tool works much better for tiny deer ticks in my experience. This piece of gear alone would be worth a pound of weight on the Appalachian Trail, as Lyme disease is prevalent.

Trowel – I don’t carry a trowel because it only has one use. I can use a tent stake, combined with the heel of my shoe, to dig a cathole. However, it is a Leave No Trace principle to bury waste properly, so I’ve included a trowel to make sure you have the means to do it properly. Plus, it’s a lot harder to dig holes during desert trips.

 

Weight Savings: 139g

 

Tools

Carabiners – You aren’t going climbing, so all you need carabiners for is hanging gear off of things. The smallest carabiners are great for bear bagging and drying gear on your pack. Long gone are the days of hanging aluminum mugs from our packs (with 4-inch tactical carabiners clanking around like cows).

Headlamp – You need a headlamp, mostly for moving around camp or finding gear at night, and sometimes for night hikes when you’re feeling ambitious. You don’t need anything crazy bright, so I’ve chosen a lightweight, compact model. This one uses a smaller watch battery which lasts plenty long, so no need for spare batteries. Also, it’s got a red light for use at night.

Knife/razor – Since you’ll be getting your food in grocery stores, there’s no need to carry butchers’ equipment. The most cutting we’ll need to do is slicing up gear (for repair or first aid), cutting cord or thread, and opening food packages. This can all be done with out handy dandy box cutter. At a whopping 5 grams it’s an awesome tool. I’ve carried the same one for over 2,500 miles. If you need to cut any cheese, you’ll find dental floss or thread works great!

Repair kit – I’ve combined the repair kit with the first aid kit. What’s the difference between fixing gear or your body anyway? Feel free to throw in repair patches or DCF tape depending on your specific gear. (We’ve got room.) Otherwise, be sure to care for your gear, and get creative if you need to repair or replace something.

Trekking poles – You can go without trekking poles no problem, but I find they are invaluable. They add efficiency to your hiking, and they are incredibly multiuse. You don’t have to carry tent poles if you have them, so their weight is made up for anyway. They can be used for first-aid, gravity filtering your water, and they are great for snow fields or slippery conditions. I don’t include trekking poles in SUB weight, but it’s still better to have lighter, better quality ones. I find metal ones can bend permanently, instead of flexing like carbon fiber ones. You don’t want that, so I threw in some fancy new ones that happen to be cheaper.

 

Weight Savings: 428g

 

Here’s the result:

Total “Swapped” Weight Savings: 5802g

Final Numbers

 

Total Cost Savings: $425.78

 

Total FSO Weight Savings: 17.44lbs

Total SUB Weight Savings: 16.17lbs

 

Final FSO Weight: 8.91lbs

Final SUB Weight: 6.75lbs

Conclusion

 

I promised you would lose 15 pounds, and it looks like we’ve dropped well over 16 pounds of gear, whether you are using a FSO or the SUB metric. You’ve also saved well over $400! Who said ultralight is more expensive? Once you make your gear simple enough, it ends up being cheaper, even when it is made with high quality materials.

We’ve cut out a ton of weight without using too much imagination. You didn’t have to use baby spoons or cut toothbrushes in half. It’s possible to go much lighter than this, or much cheaper, depending on your priorities. We’ll explore these options and build useful systems as you delve into more topics in future articles. You’ll find changing your mindset is an invaluable tool for comfort and safety as well.

 

Notes

 

In addition to weight and cost savings, we cut out 17 pieces of gear! That’s a lot fewer things to lose or break. Plus, it helps save on volume.

I did my best not to choose overly expensive or heavy items on the original lightweight gear list. I chose items I see the majority of thru hikers carrying.

I left out the cost of electronics, as not everyone carries them, and they are technically non-essential; however, it is extremely efficient to carry a smartphone. I included electronics in the gear weights, even though many backpackers omit them from their gear lists. That’s just another added bonus.

In order to avoid skewing the numbers awkwardly, I left out the cost of a few items with variable prices, or ones that aren’t carried by every hiker.

All prices are MSRP. I didn’t put any clearance prices, since those won’t always be available, but you can usually find a lot of your gear on sale or closeout. Also, check out the gear swap sections on backpacking forums for used gear.

I don’t carry a cook kit anymore because I just don’t want chores to do when I get into camp, but many hikers still love a hot meal at the end of the day, so I’ve included a full cook-kit, which happens to be close to my old personal cooking setup. If you ditch the full cook kit, you will lose another 6oz (182g).

Almost all weights are the advertised weights from the manufacturers. A few I measured myself, and a few had to be found on forums or gear reviews. However, everything should be pretty accurate, and that’s good enough for the purpose of this post.

GearGrams.com is an invaluable resource for building gear lists. You can create your own mockup gear list to see what it comes out to before buying any of your gear! It’s easy to move gear around or swap items out. Then, you can tweak it as you do more research and test your gear out.

I already spoke about taking care of your gear. I’ve carried quite a few pieces from the final gear list, and they have lasted me an entire Appalachian Trail thru hike, plus hundreds of miles afterward. DCF holds up really well as long as you don’t puncture it. My pack has holes on the bottom after putting over 2,500 miles on it, but it still works, and I could patch it if it was a problem for me. Plus, it’s a cheap piece of gear to replace. My DCF tarp is still in perfect condition after a thru hike.

At the time of writing this post I am not affiliated or endorsed by any of the gear manufacturers mentioned. I do carry a lot of these gear pieces though, and all the manufacturers I’ve included in the final gear list are reputable and make quality gear.

Gear List Links

 

Here are all of the links to each gear list from this article, including versions from GearGrams.com and spreadsheet versions you can play around with:

Lightweight Backpacking Mockup Gear List [GG] [Spreadsheet]
Stripped Lightweight Backpacking Mockup Gear List [GG] [Spreadsheet]
Ultralight Backpacking Mockup Gear List [GG] [Spreadsheet]