There鈥檚 a common misconception that ultralight backpacking is only for experienced hikers. Maybe that鈥檚 because people assume lightweight gear is , with the potential to leave you hamstrung and cold. Maybe it鈥檚 due to the hefty price tags for some ultralight gear, which leads people to assume it鈥檚 only for obsessives. Or maybe it鈥檚 just that the discourse and culture around ultralight backpacking can be, well, a bit pompous and overbearing at times. But going ultralight isn鈥檛 just for those who have logged thousands of miles and climbed hundreds of peaks. It鈥檚 for everyone, including people who are just getting started backpacking. In fact, if you鈥檙e putting together your first backpacking gear list, there鈥檚 no better time to consider jumping in.
Firstly, and most importantly, backpacking gear can be expensive. If you鈥檙e outfitting yourself with big-ticket items like a tent, sleeping bag, and backpack, the combined price could easily land close to a thousand dollars. Those are likely purchases you鈥檒l only want to make once every decade or so, and if you鈥檙e interested in ultralight backpacking, you won鈥檛 be satisfied with heavier, more traditional gear for very long. Once you鈥檝e purchased said gear, it will become harder to convince yourself to swap out items for a lighter option. (You can, of course, always rent gear or buy used if you鈥檙e still not sure you鈥檝e got the backpacking bug). If you already have a perfectly serviceable sleeping bag that weighs four pounds, would you be willing to spend more for a two-pound replacement? It鈥檚 easier鈥攁nd cheaper鈥攖o buy the bag you really want in the first place.
Contrary to popular belief, ultralight backpacking isn鈥檛 all that difficult. Sure, more carefully if you鈥檙e carrying an ultralight load, like campsite selection and weather conditions, but ultralight hiking isn鈥檛 mountaineering or BASE jumping. Of course, you鈥檒l continue to learn best practices on every trip you take, but the basics of ultralight don鈥檛 take that long to master. If you鈥檙e planning to upgrade your kit once you get more hiking and camping experience, why wait? That day will probably arrive sooner than you think.
Lastly, ultralight gear is better and more capable than ever. Ten or twenty years ago, a ten-pound baseweight (often considered the cutoff for ultralight backpacking) required serious compromises, which left most backpackers uncomfortable. Today, it鈥檚 a different game. . Single-wall tents and tarps have long been the domain of ultralighters. These shelters are far and away the lightest available option, but require compromise when it comes to weather protection and condensation. But modern double-wall tents have changed the equation. The or might not be the lightest options out there, but both are very capable double-wall shelters that would easily qualify for an ultralight setup.
The same holds true for packs鈥攎odern internal-frame packs are so capable and well-engineered that even affordable options from big name brands, like the , are essentially ultralight. Sure, the Focal isn鈥檛 as svelte as offerings from ultralight cottage brands like Mountain Laurel Designs or LiteAF, but at 2.5 pounds, it鈥檚 no heavyweight either. The examples don鈥檛 end there either. From sleeping pads to water filters and beyond, there鈥檚 an ultralight choice to be had that functions well and requires little in the way of compromise.
The fact is, it鈥檚 never been easier to hit that 10-pound baseweight and go ultralight. In past decades, it took hours of research and surfing boutique online stores. Today, you can accomplish it in a single afternoon at REI. What鈥檚 more, a modern ultralight setup is more or less functionally identical to what everyone else is carrying. You鈥檒l still sleep warm and dry. You can still filter water and cook dinner in just a few minutes. You can still鈥攊f you wish to鈥攂ring along a camp chair. There are of those now, too. The main difference? Your pack will be lighter, your back will be happier, and the miles will feel easier. That鈥檚 no small thing.