Lightweight Hiking
Carry less weight, go farther, feel better. It's the essence of a new philosophy, sometimes referred to as "ultralight" or "fast and light," that's sweeping through the world of outdoor recreation.
Interested in discovering the joys of this "enlightened" style of wilderness travel? The following clinic will help you get started.
- Focus on simplicity, not luxury.
- Choosing a new featherweight pack, tent and sleeping bag could reduce your load by up to 10 pounds.
- Lower-volume packs (2,500-3,500 cubic inches) weigh less than big models and ensure you bring only essentials.
- Trade hiking boots for trail shoes to significantly reduce the weight you haul with each step.
- Make sure your fitness level and outdoor skills can meet the increased challenges of ultralight travel.
What's Lightweight Hiking?
Advocates of light hiking emphasize the philosophical element of the approach: It's about reducing the barriers between the hiker and the outdoors.
There is also a quantitative side to the story.
Distance backpackers have traditionally hauled loads weighing roughly one-third of their body weight. For the average man, that would mean approximately 50 to 60 pounds.
Lightweight hikers, however, tote packs weighing less than 30 pounds (excluding food and water). Masters of the method can whittle the weight to less than 20 pounds.
A few of the perks:
- Less stress on your lower back, hips, knees and feet.
- The ability to cover ground more quickly and comfortably.
- Fewer gear-related issues to occupy your mind and more time to ponder the splendor of nature.
Reevaluate Your Gear
When going fast and light, you'll need to leave behind luxuries such as pillows and espresso makers.
You'll also want to weed out redundant and unnecessary items. Don't take two fuel bottles when one will do. If your tent came with 12 stakes, will you need them all?
Get creative when shaving ounces. Some ultralight hikers trim their gear with scissors before a trip, removing manufacturer's labels and extra material from gear and clothing.
Tip—Share gear with your trail partners to reduce weight. For example: Do you both need to bring multi-tools when one will do the trick?
Selecting New Gear
Pay particular attention to the three heaviest items you carry: pack, tent and sleeping bag. Choosing the lightest gear options in these categories can reduce a typical load by nearly ten pounds. In addition, consider what you wear on your feet.
Packs
Opt for a lightweight, internal-frame pack with a capacity in the 2,500- to 3,500-cubic-inch range.
By traditional measures, that's a small pack for anything more than a short trip. (Standard backpacking wisdom calls for packs with volumes of 4,000 to 6,000-plus cubic inches for multi-day excursions.)
Ultralight specialists, however, take on even the longest-distance routes (Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail) with low-volume packs.
The ultralight rationale: A smaller pack not only weighs less than a typical long-haul pack, but its limited space forces you to pare the items you bring down to the essentials.
Tents
Next consider your shelter. At the spartan end of the spectrum, you'll find tarps and bivy sacks. These options offer maximum weight savings but minimal comfort.
Don't worry if you'd rather not go to those extremes. Manufacturers now offer a number of exceptionally light 3-season tents: one-person models weighing 2-3 pounds and two-person models in the 3-5-pound range.
Sleeping Bags
These days you can choose from a number highly compressible 3-season down- and synthetic-fill bags weighing in the 2-3-pound range. Remember to match your bag's temperature rating to the coldest conditions you expect to encounter.
Footwear
Many ultralight hikers have made the switch from hiking boots to the mid- and low-cut trail shoes now available on the market. This change can reduce the amount of weight on each foot by a pound or more. Multiply that reduction by the number of steps taken per day and you end up hauling literally tons less weight.
Keep in mind that fast-and-light hikers can do with less ankle support because they carry light loads. Hitting the trail with light shoes and a heavy pack could lead to an injury.
Safety
Make sure that your outdoor skills and fitness levels are up to the increased challenges of lightweight backpacking. If you choose lighter shoes, your legs and ankles will need to be conditioned to handle the extra stress. If you bring a tarp instead of a tent, you'll need to know more advanced campsite-selecting techniques.
A few additonal safety tips:
- Take a wilderness first-aid class before you go.
- Bring the correct maps and brush up on your map and compass skills.
- Hike with a friend.
- Try out ultralight hiking in familiar areas before tackling new terrain.
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