Ultralight Backpacking
There is no universal blueprint as to how you should backpack. We all have our own motivations, needs, and levels of experience. That being said, one thing upon which everyone can agree is that hiking is substantially easier and more Read More …
I’ve never considered myself to be a gearhead. I use gear to hike, not the other way around. That said, if you spend enough time backpacking over enough years, chances are you’ll accumulate the type of equipment necessary to help Read More …
The Swift X is a highly customizable lightweight backpack from Six Moon Designs. Made with either Liteskin or X-Pac material, it has a maximum volume of 56 L and tips the scales anywhere between 27 oz (0.8 kg) and 40 Read More …
(Note: This year’s list contains many of your old favourites, along with 20 new additions. I realize that December 24 is very late for a Christmas gift post, but what the hey, this article has never really been about the Read More …
Updated and expanded since the last edition in 2019, “Books for Hikers and Backpackers” now includes more than 70 works separated into eight categories: 1. Educational; 2. Guidebooks; 3. Humour; 4. Inspirational; 5. Literature; 6. Memoirs; 7. Philosophy, and; 8. Read More …
A couple of years ago I published an article titled 30 Signs You May Have Taken Ultralight Backpacking too Far. It was a (mostly) tongue-in-cheek take on those that may have imbibed a little too much on the UL Kool-Aid. Read More …
From the late 1980s through to the end of the 1990s, I exclusively used hiking boots on all of my backpacking trips. They were waterproof, durable, grippy on slippery surfaces, and provided protection and stability for my feet and ankles. Read More …
Since the early 2000s, I’ve applied ultralight principles to all of my backpacking trips around the globe. From deserts to jungles and from alpine regions to arctic tundra, lightening and simplifying my load has made a significant difference to the Read More …
Earlier this year I wrote an article titled 14 Signs You are Carrying too Much Stuff in your Backpack. This time around I thought I’d address the other end of the load-carrying spectrum, and list some of the red flags Read More …
There is no universal blueprint as to how you should backpack. We all have our own motivations, needs and levels of experience. That being said, one thing upon which everyone can agree is that hiking is substantially easier and more Read More …
For hikers that enjoy tarping and cowboy camping, ultralight bivy sacks represent an excellent supplementary option for your sleeping system. Weighing in at between 4.5 and 7.5 oz (0.13 – 0.21 kg), they add approximately four to eight degrees of Read More …
“If you can’t ride two horses at once you shouldn’t be in the circus.” ~ James Maxton (1885-1946) One of the principal ways in which a hiker can lower his or her pack weight is by using multipurpose gear. A Read More …
Every year I receive a handful of emails about poncho tarps. In particular, whether or not I think they represent a viable shelter and rain gear option for thru-hiking. The short answer is yes, but with some fairly large caveats. Read More …
From the 1980s through to 2003, I exclusively used sleeping bags. From 2003 to 2011, I tried a couple of different types of quilts, but being a side sleeper who occasionally tosses and turns, I was never entirely satisfied with Read More …
There is no universal blueprint as to how you should backpack. We all have our own motivations, needs, and levels of experience. That said, one thing upon which everyone can agree is that hiking is substantially easier and more enjoyable, Read More …
For lightweight and ultralightweight backpackers, the combined weight of food and water will regularly exceed that of all the gear they are carrying. For example, five days food equates to approximately 10 lbs (4.5 kg). Half a gallon of water Read More …
Thinking about reducing your pack weight, but not exactly sure where to begin? Before you start cutting the labels off your clothes, the edges off your maps and the end off your toothbrush, it’s worth noting that the most significant Read More …