What We Look For In An Ultralight Backpack

Ultralight backpacks are constructed from lightweight materials and forego bells and whistles to shave grams. They’re also usually smaller in volume to encourage hikers to carry less (and more compact) gear.

Most 40–55-liter ultralight backpacks weigh between 1.5 and 2.5lbs. Those among us who crush 30+ miles a day sometimes even gravitate towards 20–30-liter fastpacks with running vest-style harnesses that minimize jostling when jogging or scrambling.

When using ultralight packs we sometimes have to give up features we are familiar with such as load lifters and adjustable torsos, but those features lost will be miles gained as we are able to move more quickly without feeling loaded down.

Remember, going ultralight is less about the gear and more about our approach to packing, how we use our gear, and what we leave behind. Even if we use a 70 liter pack, for example, we can apply an ultralight ethos and fit more inside it so that we can spend more time out there.

Looking for more of an all-around pack? Consult our Backpacking Guide.

How We Choose Our Ultralight Sleeping Bag

We choose ultralight sleeping bags based primarily on their warmth-to-weight ratios. Because sleeping bag temperature ratings sometimes refer to survival, we recommend relying instead on fill weights when comparing sleeping bags. A 32-degree bag with 6.3oz of 900-fill down (like our top pick, the Mythic Ultra 180 below) will be warmer than a 32-degree bag with 5oz of 900-fill down, for example. Check fill weights!

20- or 15-degree ultralight bags are what we choose for all-around three-season use. 30-degree bags are great for summer, and some of us can even get away with 45 degree bags if we’re clever. Using the ultralight ethos, we can integrate our daytime clothes as part as our sleep system to make sure we’re warm enough each night.

We recommend bags stuffed with high fill power down for ultralight backpacking. Look for bags with fill ratings of 850 or higher for ultralight backpacking—they pack smallest and offer the very best warmth-to-rate ratios. Many ultralight sleeping bags use light and thin shell materials and need to be treated with care.

How We Choose Our Ultralight Sleeping Pad

When choosing an ultralight sleeping pad, we consider comfort and warmth, but always with an eye on weight. R-values indicate a pad’s warmth. We pick pads with higher numbers when we know the ground is going to be cold, but warmer pads are often heavier, so we have to check the specs. For example, the NeoAir XLite NXT is our top pick because it has an R-value of 4.5 while only weighing 13oz. Now that’s what we call a sweet spot.

The two main types of sleeping pads are foam and inflatable. Foam pads are durable, light, and inexpensive, so they are often a top choice of budget-conscious ultralight backpackers. We opt for ultralight inflatable pads like our top pick when we want more comfort and warmth. They tend to be pricier than foam pads, however. We gravitate towards inflatable pads weighing between 8 and 16oz for ultralight backpacking because they will usually give us ample warmth at a low weight. Often the lighter the pad, the more fragile the fabric, so make sure to brush the Russian thistle off your clothes before bed and keep sharp dog claws outside or at the foot of the tent.

What We Look For In Ultralight Shelters


Most ultralight 2-person hub and pole tents weigh between 1.75 and 4lbs. Hub and pole tents have a body and rain fly that are supported by a dedicated poleset. This sort of tent is partly or fully freestanding and easy to pitch. Our top pick, the Samaya Samaya 2.0 Tent, is an example of a hub and pole tent made with high-end ultralight materials and simplified features to save weight while offering actual 4-season protection. Yup, you can be ultralight in the early spring and winter, too. Ultralight tents can be made with ultralight (and thus thin) materials and should be treated with care.

Here at Backcountry, we love ultralight non-freestanding shelters. They rely on trekking poles for pitching, and due to the lack of poles and features, these shelters can be less than 2lbs. Some categories of non-freestanding shelters are flat tarps, shaped tarps, and pyramid tarps. Flat tarps are simple rectangles that can be fashioned into various shelter shapes but require a lot skill to pitch well. Shaped tarps can only be pitched in one shape, and often offer 3-sided protection. Pyramid tarps are easy to pitch and offer 4-sided protection. The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 4 is an example of a popular non-freestanding pyramid shelter. We like the modularity of non-freestanding shelters. For example, we can save weight by carrying only the tarp when bugs aren’t a concern.

Ultralight Kitchen

Cold-soaking all your meals? Keep scrolling. But if you like to enjoy a hot meal at the end of the day and a cup of coffee in the vestibule, bring along an ultralight stove. We’ve sorted through all our best stoves to bring you our top canister fuel stoves.

How We Choose An Ultralight Stove

Canister fuel stoves are the most popular type of stove for ultralight backpacking because they require no maintenance and are extremely easy to use. Easy-to-use items save much needed time in the morning and evenings that you need to crush miles. Ultralight is not always all about saving weight, it's also about becoming more efficient—and simplifying your tools is a great way of doing that.

There are two main categories of canister stoves: integrated and non-integrated. Integrated stoves, like the Jetboil Flash Stove, snap right onto the pot and are often very light. Heat exchange fins or flux rings surrounding the burner block wind and capture and transfer heat into the pot, making these stoves impressively efficient. Remember, efficiency can translate to weight savings because you don’t have to carry as much fuel.

Most integrated stoves can only boil water, while non-integrated stoves have the ability to simmer. An example of a versatile and ultralight backpacking stove that will give you the ability to make a slow-cooked wildermeal is our top pick, the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove. Paired with an ultralight titanium pot, you’re only looking at about 8oz for your entire wilderkitchen. That’s impressive.

How We Choose An Ultralight Water Purifier

We always purify all water when ultralight backpacking to stave off protozoa, bacteria, and other nasty water-borne pathogens. There are three main types of water purification systems commonly used for ultralight backpacking: gravity and bottle filters and purification drops or tablets.

Gravity systems are ideal for groups trips when you have to purify large amounts of water at once. Simply fill a large bag from a creek or lake, hang it from a branch, and let gravity pull the water through a filter and into your containers. Gravity systems can weigh between 4 and 12oz.

We love bottle filters because they are light, reliable, long-lasting, and inexpensive. Scoop water into the integrated bottle, screw on the filter lid, and drink as you walk! Bottle systems like the much-loved Katadyn BeFree 1L Tactical Microfilter can weigh as little as 2.6oz.

Purification drops or tablets are also a great option for ultralight backpacking because they are extremely light. A 30 pack of Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets, for example, will weigh about the same as 30 ibuprofen.

Footwear

Most UL hikers here at Backcountry prefer light, low-top trail running shoes. Our top picks have soft foam, grippy outsoles, durable, and well-draining uppers to keep you... ahem treading lightly.

How We Choose Ultralight Backpacking Footwear

We often choose ultralight backpacking footwear based on weight but we also always consider the particular needs of our feet, the amount of weight we’ll be carrying, and the types of terrain through which we will be walking.

If our pack is light enough that we can move swiftly down the trail, we often reach for lightweight, low top footwear such as trail runners.

For most three-season ultralight backpacking we look for non-waterproof footwear that will drain well and dry quickly. We choose light waterproof footwear when we’re pushing our trips late into the fall, starting early in the spring, or expect the weather to be particularly cold.

Your footwear is where the rubber hits the trail, so it’s got to be comfortable. If you are near one of our stores, please stop by! Our Gearheads would love to help you fit your perfect ultralight backpacking shoe.

Emergency layers

Smart ultralight layering means finding multiple uses for every part of your system. Your sunshirt might become your baselayer. Your puffy might become a part of your sleep system. Check our top layering picks for ultralight backpacking here.

Learn The Ultralight Layering System

Even ultralight folks agree that rain jackets are essential for safety. Fortunately rain jackets these days weigh as little as two protein bars and pack down just as small. We choose rain jackets between about 5 and 12oz for ultralight backpacking.

We wear 5–10oz fleece or synthetic puffies when we need a little extra warmth when hiking. These midlayers keep our body temp regulated even when we’re cranking over the tenth and final pass of the day in a cold drizzle.

We usually pack a down puffy jacket on ultralight backpacking trips. At 5–12oz, these ultralight insulation layers will do more than just warm you in camp. They can also supplement your sleep system, boosting the warmth of your 45 degree bag so you can push it beyond its comfort rating.