Ultralight Backpacking: 10 Tips for Shaving Weight Without Sacrificing Comfort

Backpacking is one of the best ways of travelling. You explore new places and get to know a destination more closely because you end up living like a local.

But as a backpacker, especially on a trek, one needs to walk a lot of distances. For this, a trekker must make sure that his backpack is not too heavy. Yes, you are going to be out on the trail for a long time and you need to carry a lot of essentials. But this is where smart packing comes into play.

Here are a few tips you can follow to keep your backpack light:

1. Carry the right pack

Thirty-liter packs will be enough for anything lasting a weekend or less. Fifty-liter packs are the minimum size for anything longer than five or six days, but keep it below seventy liters. Seventy-liter-plus packs need only be used for expeditions lasting longer than a week.

2. Choose an ultralight tent

Just like backpacks, tents come in ultralight, weatherproof varieties. Current designs keep getting lighter and smaller, and it’s now possible to find a fully enclosed tent for well under 2 pounds. If weatherproofing is not imperative where you are headed, the next option will be the best for you.

3. Go for ultralight sleeping bags

Down-filled bags are the way to go – they are comfortable, compressible, and affordable. Go for outer linings versatile enough to reuse on multiple trips, such as hydrophobic or tear-resistant.

4. Repackage food and personal care items

Who uses an entire tube of sunscreen or toothpaste on a three-day trip? Squirting a little into a smaller container will save weight and space, so you might even be able to get away with a smaller, lighter pack. The same goes for food. Even tiny things like pouring your trail mix into a resealable bag so you can burp its air out will save much-needed space.

5. Limit your wardrobe.

Most backpacking pros know it’s not worth worrying much about body odor. Odor happens—plain and simple. So, unless you’re going on a trip so long you foresee washing one set of clothes—and you can’t just wear your rain gear or outer layers while you do it—or you’ll need a dry set of clothes to swap into to stay warm, you can probably skip carrying an entire extra change of clothes.

6. Never pack books

Not even guidebooks. Instead, snap photos of the relevant pages with your phone and refer to them when necessary—you can always zoom in on the screen. And if you like to read in your sleeping bag at night, use the Kindle app instead of toting a paperback. You can carry a whole library on your tiny device that you’d probably be carrying with you anyway. If you’re worried about battery life, make sure to turn your phone on “airplane mode” or just keep your phone off unless you absolutely need it—and then, also keep it on airplane mode—and pack a small battery pack or recharger. It will still take up less weight and space than a guidebook or novel.

7. Plan ahead and ration your water carrying

If you’re headed somewhere with abundant streams, or if there’s a reliable spring along the way, plan out how much water you’ll need to get there, and then use a purifier instead of just carrying all the water you’ll need for the entire trip. A little research might set you at ease knowing you can go from stream to stream, carrying relatively little water in between. If it’s a short trip, making sure you’re super hydrated to start will also make a difference.

8. Eat out of your pot

Dishes and cups are sure nice in camp, but if they only serve as something to move the food onto before it goes into your mouth, consider eating right out of pot when you’re backpacking and just leave the dishware for car camping. Plus you’ll have just one dish to clean.

9. Seek for multipurpose items

The more items that you can use for two or more functions, the fewer items you need to carry. Think of your gear as a system that works together.

Many separate items can have dual use by themselves or can be paired with other items to provide a new use. This not only helps reduce your backpack load but also helps simplify your approach to lightweight backpacking.

10. Don’t Go “Silly Light”

Going ultralight can be exciting and fun. Even addictive for some. But the second you decide to leave your map and compass behind because you have a GPS app on your phone…YOU might be going “silly light”. Don’t learn the hard way here. Always bring the essentials. Remember – the number one goal with any trip is to make sure you make it on another.

So, what do You Think? Have you tried any of these ultralight backpacking tips before? Maybe you have a favorite not listed above? We would love to hear from you. Drop a line below and let us know what you think.