[Jannik]

Always a tricky one. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Leave out all the unnecessary and especially luxurious things but take everything you really want on the trail.

For packs: where is the advantage if your pack only weighs some grams but does not deliver any comfort at all? Same with sleeping mat/bag.

I really take care that my core equipment (backpack, tent, sleeping mat/bag) has the comfort I want and try to have it in the lightest version. The rest can always be minimalistic.

[Katie]

Hey @Jauer thanks for the feedback — that makes a lot of sense! I find myself bringing a lot of “what if” items and then never using them. Do you run into this problem? Or have you figured out a way to quiet those voices?!

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Katie.

[Jannik]

I feel you! 😀 and everytime I promise myself not to bring it again but it happens over and over again!

Another basic is: the bigger the pack the more you take with you. You will always end up filling up your pack to the maximum so also good to have that in mind and take a smaller pack.

I will be on a 4-day trip tomorrow and will share my latest learnings here!

[Katie]

Oooo this is too true, the bigger the pack, the more you bring 😝 always!! In Europe, I try to always bring 35L or smaller to try and keep it light…but sometimes even that doesn’t work.

Curious to hear about your setup for this weekend’s trek, it looked like a blast on IG!!

[Jannik]

It was a blast! Felt so good to be out for 4 days! I had a 58L pack with me (but 48L would have worked, too) and pack has never been so light before so it was really comfy to hike! I could not measure the exact weight as I lost my weight scale but I would guess it was around 10kg.

I do carry lots of water with me (4L), had a 2 person tent with me and some camera gear so I guess it was around 14/15 kg at the end which is still light for me 😀

[Katie]

14/15 is light for you?! Oh wow! That’s the heaviest I like to go 😂

For my upcoming trek in Jordan I think I’ll bring 38L and try to keep it under 12-13 with water and food. But that might be wishful thinking! Glad it was such a good weekend out. 🙂

[Jannik]

Yeah still room for improvement but I will figure that out trail by trail!

Have a nice time in Jordan and on your next adventure! 🙂 I saw you are pretty busy 😀

[Liz]

This is always a tough one, I want to bring all my gadgets but not ideal on a long trek. Investing in UL gear will save your back and shave off a few lbs off your pack. It really does help when your load is lighter.

Some of my favorites:

Tent: Big Agnes Copper Sur HV UL2 Tent, it fits me and my pack plus still has wiggle room. It hasn’t failed me yet even in a flash flood downpour last year in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. It’s now sadly starting to show some signs of wear and tear. I’ve used this tent on many adventures and will miss it when it’s time to replace.

Sleeping pad: Insulated Nemo Tensor for the back-country with the Switchback for emergencies and also works as a seat when you need to take a break (lol); or the Nemo Switchback alone for overnights and spring/summer trails in the US.

Packs: I’ve had a Deuter Aircontact Lite SL 60+10L pack as my start-off when I first starting backpacking. It was a great first pack although on the heavier side, very comfortable and adjustable. Unfortunately it took a dive to the dark side after many adventures. Then I switched to a UL NatureHike 60L pack which was really uncomfortable for me (it’s meant for men and not woman). I had to alter the chest strap, and torso wasn’t a fit too, and sadly not adjustable. That didn’t work out for me, but my brother now enjoys this pack and loves it. I’m excited to try out my new Gregory pack, which is a middle weight from the Deuter and UL NatureHike pack. Will report back once I test it out.

[Katie]

Liz, omg thank you so much for the detailed report! This helps a lot, especially as I’m in the US right now, so we have popular similar brands. I’m currently using a REI sleeping mat that I love, and I was thinking of adding a switchback to the setup…although then I’m definitely not shedding weight 😂😫

ah well. Please let us know how the Gregory pack works for you — they’ve been my favorite since I started using them last year! Curious how they’ll measure up against Deuter for fit and weight.

[Jannik]

So curious what you will say about the Gregory pack!! 🙂 Which one was it again? Maven, right? I can say that carry comfort is the most important aspect in building packs for Gregory 😉 If you want to go lightweight Paragon/Maven is a good choice but Focal/Facet might be even better as it only weighs around 1kg but still offers dynamic carry comfort!

[Evi]

Hii, I realise I might be a bit too late with my reply, but I made a list with all the gear I took on my Pacific Crest Trail thru hike last summer 😊 it took some time to figure out what I wanted but I was very happy with my gear (baseweight was about 5kg). If you’re interested, it’s on my website: http://www.setting-north.com

Very much like the Big Agnes tent as well but I personally chose the Zpacks because of the weight, however might be less reliable in heavy storms (so far been good). Also just found another tent which seems great: the MSR freelite 2! Not sure if anyone has experience with it?

setting-north.com

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[Lies]

Hi Evi, your website looks real nice! Looks like we were at the PCT at the same time, or at least we were at Trail Days at the same time. 😉 Don’t remember meeting you though, unfortunately.

Maybe next thru… 🙂

[Evi]

Hi Lies, thank you!! So nice to hear from you, just sent you a message on your site 😊 We must have missed each other since I also was on the legendary PCT days 😄 Hope we will run into each other on a trail someday!

[Katie]

Oooo thanks for including your list! I’ve recently trekked with the MSR Freelight and really loved it 😍 it’s perfect and so much lighter than the REI quarter dome I was carrying before. Thank goodness!!

But wow… a 5kg pack?! Was that sustainable for you?

[Evi]

Hi Katie, love to hear you liked the MSR freelite, I know, it looks like it is even lighter than the Big agnes tiger wall!!

I loved my minimal set up for the PCT but I know it is not for everyone, I personally enjoy the simplicity of going ultralight. Less risks of getting injuries, you make better progress and since I cold soaked, I didnt have to worry about running out of gas. Ofc with water and food my backpack was also around 10kg or more. My zpacks tent (560gr) did collapse twice in the desert because of the crazy wind storms but other from that it went fine! However would prob not trust it on mountaineering trips or in heavy hail storms so am looking into buying the MSR for that.

[Katie]

Yesss I really liked the freelight but think I like the Hubba a bit more because of the set up/poles actually! Freelight was a little more difficult to pitch, I thought.

As for the PCT: hot damn! I’ve been curious about the ZPacks but haven’t tried one yet. I think they’d probably be great for UL, but how did it do in the Sierras? Not too cold? 🥶

• This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by  Katie.

[Evi]

Zpacks worked great in the Sierras! I was scared of the cold bc I always am 😅 but turned out fine with my enlightment equipment quilt 10°F and thermarest xtherm mattrass, on freezing nights I did use an emercency blanket a few times on top op my quilt which worked like magic!

[Katie]

Wow! That’s a great review for the gear 🤩 I’ll definitely be bumping them up on my gear wishlist after hearing that 🙂

[Lies]

Yep,also hiked the PCT with a Duplex, and switched to a Durston Xmid Pro 2 in Washington. The Duplex was great for the entire hike, apart from, indeed, high winds, which happened once at the base of the San Jacintos for me. Spent the entire night trying to get the stakes to stay in, and then finally gave up and held the poles upright by hand until I was mentally ready to start packing up, haha.

Can’t testify to the rain- and storm-worthiness of the Duplex, I would guess not too great. It only rained 3 times, and the only real rainstorm came in Washington, with my Xmid, which performed great then.

I wrote some articles about this, my gear and gear lists on the PCT and other hikes on my own site as well.

https://sixmillionsteps.eu/en/gear-lists/

https://sixmillionsteps.eu/en/how-to-lighten-your-load

And of course, in my article here on site: https://thru-hiking.com/planning-for-the-pacific-crest-trail/

sixmillionsteps.eu

My gear lists for long hikes - Six million steps

Curious about the things I bring on my long (thru-)hikes? In this article, I'm sharing my gear lists for hikes such as the Pacific Crest Trail, the Dutch Mountain Trail and the Fishermen's Trail. Of course, every trip requires its … Continue reading

[Jannik]

Wow! So inspirational to read about your trail adventures. It seems you have found the perfect setup for your needs!

Coming back on the tent topic: I really love the tents from MSR. Perfect mix of weight, durability and user friendliness – at least for my needs. I just got the “new” Freelite 1 which is 240 g lighter than prevoius model but have not tested it yet. Next big trip will be Lofoten in August, perfect setting for testing! I will let you know how it performed!

[Lies]

❤️ Yes, curious to hear how it performed, I do still need a proper tent for cold/stormy areas, as I hear tales of people with Dyneema tents that got torn apart by hailstorms and the like.

I just downsized my collection from four to two tents, so ehm…time to get another tent, perhaps? Although I would lean heavily towards the ‘regular’ double wall tents, perhaps in a 1P version, as I love my Xmid Pro so much…🙈

[Genevieve]

Hi friends! Has anyone found a good ultralight sleeping bag? I’m looking at ways to lighten my set up and I currently have the Sea to Summit Trek II which weighs about 1kg but doesn’t pack down as small as I would like. Curious if anyone has a recommendation for a light bag that’s still has warmth. Happy trails!

[Lies]

Hi Genevieve,

What kind of warmth are you looking for? Or what kind of circumstances would you want to use it in? Winter camping? Spring? Summer? Also, what kind of sleeping mat do you use, as this could influence the warmth of your bag.

I’ve got three sleeping bags, ranging in weight from 1 kg to 500 grams or so, but each one has its different uses, depending on where and when I go.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by  Lies.