Ultralight backpacking

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Ultralight backpacking is a style of backpacking that emphasizes the use of the lightest-weight equipment available. Ultralight backpackers strive to reduce their base pack weight (the weight of the pack and the gear that it holds, but not of any food or water) as much as possible, ideally below ten pounds (4-5 kilograms). This allows the hiker's full load to be kept below twenty pounds or ten kilograms, in contrast to traditional-weight backpacking gear, which generally results in loads at least twice that heavy. By carrying very light loads, ultralight backpackers are frequently able to cover longer distances per day than traditional-weight backpackers, in greater comfort. The ability to hike longer distances per unit of time is particularly useful when thru-hiking a long-distance trail.

The term "ultralight" generally applies to backpackers and gear who achieve a base pack weight of ten to twelve pounds or less. Extreme enthusiasts of ultralight backpacking sometimes attempt super-ultralight backpacking, a term coined by Ryan Jordan, in which the base pack weight is driven down below five pounds (2.3 kilograms). More commonly, lightweight backpacking techniques in which the pack weight is kept under twenty pounds (9.2 kilograms) have become common even among backpackers who do not subscribe to the ultralight philosophy.

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[edit] History

Ultralight backpacking was popularized in the 1990s by Ray Jardine, whose book Beyond Backpacking laid the foundations for many techniques that ultralight backpackers use today. An early pioneer was Emma "Grandma" Gatewood, who famously thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in the 1960s with only a simple duffel bag containing an army blanket, a plastic sheet, and other very simple gear much lighter than the heavy equipment common among backpackers in those days. After Ray Jardine's interests in publishing information about ultralight backpacking waned in the early 2000s, Ryan Jordan (Hiker) of Bozeman, Montana took the torch and founded Backpacking Light Magazine. Jordan brought new insights into this movement with his scientific insights into how ultralight gear designed and performed under environmental stress. Jordan is largely credited for providing balanced, thoughtful, insightful, and practical education about ultralight backpacking to the masses, a paradigm reflected in his book Lightweight Backpacking and Camping, now recognized as the Bible of Ultralight Backpacking.

[edit] Equipment

Ultralight backpackers achieve lower pack weights through

  • careful attention to the precise weight of each item carried,
  • selection of versatile items that can perform multiple functions (and therefore replace several other pieces of gear),
  • the elimination of nonessential items from the pack, and
  • the selection of the lightest available alternatives for each piece of gear that must be carried that will adequately support the backpacker in the conditions likely to be encountered on the hike.

Ultralight backpackers generally plan their equipment loads carefully, often making a spreadsheet that lists every item carried and the precise amount that it weighs, measured on a postal scale or similar scale capable of measuring weights in grams or fractions of an ounce. Many ultralight backpackers (or "ultralighters") modify their gear to reduce its weight, drilling holes in toothbrush handles, cutting tags and decorative patches off articles of clothing, and so forth. Some ultralighters make their own gear, using materials such as silicone-impregnated nylon ("silnylon"), producing customized equipment of lighter weight than many commercial products. In recent years, several equipment suppliers catering to ultralight backpackers have gotten their start as individual hikers reselling additional copies of homemade items of backpacking gear that they developed for their own use.

[edit] The "Three Heavies"

Three items found in any well-prepared backpacker's gear load usually account for the largest share of the pack weight: the tent or other shelter, the sleeping bag, and the backpack itself.

Instead of a full-sized tent and its heavy poles, stakes, and "footprint" (ground cloth), most ultralighters carry a simple tarp made of silnylon, with a lightweight ground cloth made of Tyvek. A tarp. properly pitched, can keep a hiker just as dry as a tent can, yet weighs less than half as much. Particularly aggressive ultralighters sometimes carry rain ponchos that convert into tarps, saving the weight of dedicated rain gear as well. A growing minority carry a camping hammock, which includes a rain fly and generally an insect screen as well, in place of the tarp. A hammock has the advantage that it can be pitched anywhere that suitable trees can be found, even in soggy areas or on steep slopes. In treeless regions, the rain fly of a hammock can be pitched like a tarp.

Standard backpacking sleeping bags are generally filled with synthetic material, and weigh several pounds. Ultralight backpackers save weight by substituting bags filled with down, which are lighter. A minority carry quilts in place of sleeping bags; with adequate insulation from a sleeping pad underneath, a quilt can weigh half as much as an equivalent sleeping bag. Ultralighters also tend to carry bags rated for warmer temperatures than traditional-weight backpackers, and make up the difference on cold nights by wearing every layer of clothing inside the bag, even rain gear (which can serve as a vapor barrier).

By substituting a tarp or hammock for a tent, and carrying a warmer-rated down bag rather than a heavy synthetic one, an ultralighter will generally save several pounds compared to a conventional backpacker, and this weight savings can permit the ultralighter to carry a much lighter backpack as a result. Instead of an internal-frame pack capable of supporting fifty pounds or more, an ultralighter will generally carry a frameless haversack made of ripstop or silnylon, with a weight limit of twenty or twenty-five pounds. An internal-frame pack can weigh upwards of five pounds; ultralight frameless packs are commercially available in weights ranging from eight to fourteen ounces.

[edit] Other Gear

The remaining gear (see ten essentials for some of the other items) carried by an ultralight backpacker generally follows a similar philosophy. Very light weight alcohol or Esbit stoves, such as a beverage can stove, can be substituted for much heavier gas stoves, and a single titanium pot with just a titanium spoon or spork can be carried instead of a full-fledged mess kit and utensils. Trail running shoes can be substituted for heavy hiking boots because an ultralight backpacker doesn't carry a heavy load that requires extra ankle support. An ultralighter's first-aid kit and repair kit tend to be stored in plastic or silnylon bags instead of the conventional packaging that a conventional backpacker might carry. A quarter-ounce LED light can substitute for a heavy flashlight or headlamp. In place of a set of camp shoes, an ultralighter might carry a pair of silnylon vapor barrier booties, or an improvised set of sandals made from a pair of shoe liners and some cord. Even a toothbrush can be adapted for the ultralight philosophy -- an infant's toothbrush with holes drilled through the handle will clean teeth as effectively as a full-sized one weighing an ounce or two more.

[edit] Food and Water

Water weighs one kilogram per litre, regardless of the hiker carrying it, and most hikers require two pounds of food and related consumables per day, whether travelling ultralight or carrying a traditional pack. While the weight per unit of food and water remains constant, ultralight backpackers can save some weight by carrying less of it, and resupplying more frequently. When travelling through an area with many springs and streams, an ultralighter can carry as little as a single litre of water with no ill effects, and on long-distance trails with multiple access points, ultralighters can choose to place food caches or stop at stores to resupply with food at more frequent intervals, allowing just two or three days' worth of food to be carried in place of a larger load.

[edit] External links

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