Lightweight Backpacking Gear We Love

This is one of the most popular brands and their packs are fairly durable at moderate prices. Most are internal-frame packs such as the Redwing series, and they aren’t superlight but are generally fairly lightweight.

Despite the heavy-sounding name, they make some of the lightest frameless packs available. The lightest options are barely more than a giant stuff sack with straps, which saves considerable weight but some may find it less comfortable and more fatiguing compared to an internal frame pack with more rigidity.

Perhaps better know for their smaller daypacks, Osprey also makes larger backpacking packs that are high-quality and reasonably lightweight.

This is not a cheap tent, but it’s among the lightest 2-person tents available and has proven durable over many years of use. It sets up fast and the vestibule on each side is big enough to (barely) cover a backpack and keep it out of the rain. It’s snug but adequately-sized for 2 people.

Weight: 1550g / 55oz / 3.4lb

We’ll be honest, we haven’t used this one yet but it’s on our short list for the next upgrade. Yes it’s pricey but it’s amazingly light at 2.5 pounds for a 2-person tent. Even the 3-person model comes in at around 3 pounds, so having some extra space wouldn’t cost much extra weight. One feature we like is that you can set up just the frame and rain fly as a quick rain shelter, and then you can set up the rest of the tent underneath it while keeping relatively dry.

Weight (2-person): 1134g / 40 oz / 2.5lb

Having a tarp can be a luxury or a necessity depending on your sleeping setup. Even with a tent or a hammock that has its own tarp, we consider a separate tarp worth carrying because it’s no fun sitting in camp in the rain without some overhead protection. There are lots of options available but pay close attention to the weight.

Some ultra-light tarps are also ultra-expensive, but this is a more affordable option that still keeps the weight reasonable. It’s a hexagonal shape, which doesn’t give as much coverage as a full rectangle but also weighs less. It can be set up over a hammock or by itself, giving enough room for two people to sit comfortably with space to use a stove etc. The included guy lines are reflective so you can see them easily with a headlamp at night.

Weight: 547g / 19.3oz

This is rather heavy for solo backpacking and perhaps too much even for a couple, but it’s a reasonable option for a camp shelter if you’re sharing it with a larger group. It’s inexpensive and the rectangular shape can be set up in a variety of ways.

Weight: 975g / 34oz

This is among the most comfortable sleeping pads we’ve tried, and its insulation kept us warm underneath even in very cold weather with our tent pitched on frozen ground. It comes with a simple inflator sack that doubles as a water-resistant stuff sack, and inflates pretty fast. You can find many lighter pads, but this one isn’t very heavy and it’s worth the weight for its comfort and insulation value.

Weight (depends on size): 650g / 23oz

Down quilts aren’t cheap, but they’re one of the most versatile and lightweight options for sleeping warm in cold weather. Most of them can open fully as a blanket, or wrap around you like a mummy bag. Unlike a sleeping bag, they don’t go fully underneath you so you’ll also want an insulated sleeping pad if it’s really cold.

Enlightened Equipment sells a variety of stock models and sizes of quilts, and they’ll also customize them to your specifications so you can get one in the exact size and insulation level you prefer. Made in USA.

Weight (depends on the model and down filling level): 740g / 26oz

This is one of the lightest “sleeping bag” options available, and works okay all by itself in warm weather. It keeps us from sleeping directly on the sleeping pad, but packs down super small. It is easy to wash, and keeps our other sleeping gear from accumulating skin oils. Don’t expect much warmth from it though – it’s really just a barrier between us and the rest of our sleeping gear.

Weight: 140g / 4.9oz

These are rather pricey as pillows go, but they deliver a lot of comfort for very little weight.

Weight: 100g / 3.5oz

This is tough clear plastic that works well for making your own ground sheet to go under a tent. It weighs and costs practically nothing, far less than commercially-made ground sheets although it will need to be replaced from time to time. A ground sheet is not absolutely essential, but it can extend the lifetime of the tent’s floor and prevent moisture from moving up from the ground into the floor of the tent. It can also trap rainwater under a tent if you’re not careful to keep the edges tucked under, and to pitch your tent on a slight rise where there is natural drainage away from it.

Weight for a typical 2-person tent ground sheet cut from this: 57g / 2oz

We’ve tried a lot of lightweight seating options and this is one of the more comfortable ones. We think it’s worth carrying a pound of extra weight to have a comfortable place to sit, but comfort is very subjective so try one first if possible. It sets up fast so it’s nice even for a quick stop along the trail, especially if you want to take your boots off. The biggest drawback to this chair is that it’s a bit tippy side-to-side, especially on soft ground where the legs tend to sink in. But that’s a tradeoff of keeping the weight down.

Weight: 485g / 17.1oz

This packs down inside its own pocket and is small enough that we can stuff one inside a backpack just in case things get cold. The synthetic insulation isn’t quite as warm as down, ounce-for-ounce, but it far outperforms down if it happens to get wet. The outer shell is somewhat water-repellent but not sufficient for wearing in serious rain so you’d also want a poncho.

We would recommend this for cool weather in spring and fall, but not for seriously cold conditions. It’s nice to have as an extra layer when the temperature drops at night or when getting up early in the morning.

Weight: 520g / 18oz

These go with the puffy jacket above, and they have similar insulation and are similarly packable and water-repellent. One really convenient feature is that they have side zippers that open completely so that you can put them on around whatever you’re wearing without having to take your boots off. That does take a bit of practice though, as it’s easy to get them inside-out or backwards, so practice putting them on at home first.

Weight: 520g / 18oz

This is an inexpensive rain poncho that has worked well for us. It packs small and is light enough that we carry it even on day hikes when rain is not expected, just in case. It’s big enough to go over a backpack so it keeps the pack relatively dry too. It snaps down each side, meaning that it can be unsnapped into a more-or-less square shape that could be rigged up as a tarp if necessary. In a pinch, donning a poncho also gives quite a bit of wind protection and can keep you much warmer in windy conditions so it serves multiple purposes.

Weight: 315g / 11oz

These socks are made in Vermont and are among our favorites. Most them are 100% merino wool or a blend. They wear really well and the wool retains some insulation value even if it gets wet. They also don’t seem overly hot in the summer. Made in USA.

These thin liners are a great way to prevent blisters! By wearing them under your main socks, they let your foot move around a bit without rubbing the skin. They also capture some of the sweat from your feet to keep the main socks cleaner, and they can be hand-washed and dried much more quickly than heavier socks.

So you didn’t take our advice and wear sock liners (above), or maybe you did and got a blister anyway? It happens. The best thing is to address the irritation as soon as you notice it, not later when you get to camp and it’s become a bigger problem. This stuff sticks well and prevents friction from making things worse. It comes in a pretty big roll, so we cut it down ahead of time and carry a few smaller pieces.

These are our choice for the occasional water crossing where we choose to keep our boots dry. And because they don’t absorb water, you can get them wet and dry them off quickly. They also work well as a camp shoe when worn with socks.

Typical weight per pair (varies with size): 454g / 16oz

Replacing the factory insoles in a pair of hiking shoes or boots can make a big improvement, and Superfeet makes a wide range of them. The Trailblazer model is specifically designed for hiking, with an extra-deep heel cup that stabilizes the heel. They’re pricey but they work, and last a long time. Once you find what works best for you, putting the same kind of insole in different pairs of footwear tends to make them feel similar.

This is the lightest water filter option we’ve found, and it has worked great for us. It’s a little slower than using a pump, but far lighter and it filters quickly enough. Sometimes we scoop water from the source using our titanium pot and pour it into the water bag, especially if the water source is shallow or slow-moving, because otherwise the bag can be difficult to fill by itself. The filter can be back-flushed to remove clogging sediment, which we typically do after returning home from a trip, and because the filter can be flushed it’s rated for an amazing 100,000 liters. Made in USA.

Weight including one pouch: 50g / 1.8oz

We got these extra pouches for the micro squeeze filter (it comes with one pouch), and each pouch weighs next to nothing so we usually we carry two pouches with us just in case one fails. That also lets us fill pouches at a water source and carry them to either filter or boil later. They look totally different from our sanitary water containers so there’s no chance of confusion.

Weight per pouch: 30g / 1.1oz

Here’s another very lightweight option, a water bottle and filter combined. The included cartridge filters up to 1,000 liters, and replacement cartridges are available but there’s no back-flushing capability. It’s a bit more expensive than the Sawyer Micro, especially considering the lower capacity of the cartridges, but it’s compact and convenient.

Pump filters like this one are a lot larger and heaver than the options above but they can be faster, and having an intake tube makes it easer to get water from a shallow source. We’d recommend a lighter-weight filter for one or two hikers, and this would be a better choice for sharing one filter among a larger group. Made in USA.

We don’t prefer these as our primary means of purifying water, as they add chlorine to the water and take 4 hours to work. But unlike most filters they have the advantage of working on viruses so it’s a viable option in areas where water sources may have human contamination. It’s also a good option to carry as a backup purification method. One tablet treats one liter of water so you can add a tablet to a 1L bottle and let it work while you hike.

Flexible water bottles are much lighter than rigid ones, and have the added advantage that they pack flat when empty. We’ve never had one leak, though it’s certainly possible if exposed to sharp objects. You can get them in a range of sizes, and we like the 1-liter size because it lets us spread the load around in our packs. A larger bottle is fine too, but then you’ve got more weight in one spot so it can sometimes be harder to get your pack balanced.

Weight per bag: 30g / 1.1oz

We prefer the flexible water bottles because they’re even lighter, but if you want a rigid bottle this one works well and doesn’t weigh much more than a flexible one. It’s not as sexy-looking as the polycarbonate bottles but it weighs less. The large mouth is a plus for cleaning, but it can be a little harder to drink directly from it without getting a wet face.

Hydration bladders make it convenient to drink while hiking, but they have the notable disadvantage that they’re hard to refill without at least partially emptying your pack. That matters more on an extended backpacking trip than on a day-hike. If you choose to use one, we suggest getting the largest capacity that your pack will accommodate, even if you decide to only fill it partway.

This particular water bladder has a rigid back panel that keeps it from collapsing down into your pack. It also has a magnetic catch that attaches to a strap on your pack, and keeps the hose from flopping about. This works great but you need to remember to hold your compass well away from the magnet when using it.

These are indispensable for cleaning water bottles and hydration bladders. If a bottle has any off odor or shows any discoloration, these will usually clean it. You just dissolve in warm water and soak the bottle for an hour or more, then rinse really well. We don’t carry these on the trail but we use them often at home.

To clean a hydration bladder, we empty it and put in 1L of warm water and a Bottle Bright tablet, and squeeze out all the air at the top before sealing it. We wait about 15 minutes for it to dissolve fully, and then run some of the liquid out the drinking tube. Then we let it sit a few hours or overnight before flushing it thoroughly with several changes of fresh water, and running clean water through the drinking tube.

This has served us well, both on a cannister stove and over a campfire. The bail makes it easy to hang it from a stick or cord and the 750ml pot is big enough to hold a fuel canister plus a compact stove inside. It will boil enough for 2 hot beverages or meals. The fold-out handles mean you can use it as a mug, which we have tried and it works okay but usually we just boil water in the pot and use separate mugs for beverages.

Weight with storage sack: 122g / 4.3oz

This compact stove has the convenience of a built-in igniter and a regulator that keeps a more even flame as the fuel pressure varies. It’s a bit more pricey than other ultralight stoves but it’s also higher-quality and has worked flawlessly for us.

Weight: 104g / 3.7oz

JetBoil’s main line of stoves include their FluxRing pots that have fins on the bottom and neoprene insulation, both of which greatly increase the fuel efficiency (about double that of a typical stove). The Zip model is the smallest in this series and weighs only a bit more than the minimalist stove plus titanium pot above.

The increased fuel efficiency matters more on longer trips. For one or two nights your total weight may be lighter with an ultralight stove and pot, but on longer trips you can carry significantly less fuel weight that offsets the slightly heavier stove and pot. One down side of this system, aside from its higher cost, is that the pot can’t be used on a campfire without possibly damaging it.

Weight: 340g / 12oz

While not as light and compact as the Jetboil MightyMo, this stove has the advantage of using multiple fuels including canister fuel, white gas, kerosene and unleaded gasoline. The liquid fuels work better in cold conditions, when fuel cannisters suffer from low vapor pressure. If you’re only camping in warm weather then a cannister stove like the MightyMo or Zip might be a better choice, but this is a lightweight option if you also need cold-weather performance. Made in USA.

Weight: 318g / 11.2oz

Completely revised and updated, this all-in-one food guide builds on the format pioneered by the original, providing clear and thorough at-home and on-trail preparation directions, nutrition and serving information, and the weight of each recipe, while adding a wealth of reference information, instructional material, and all-new illustrations throughout.

Inspired by foods from all over the world and the guiding principle of “if you wouldn’t eat it at home, why eat it in the backcountry,” Laurie Ann March has created over 200 lightweight, taste-tested recipes to turn an ordinary backcountry outing into a gourmet adventure.

“An excellent cookbook, with a huge range of flavors. You’ll find recipes like shiitake rice balls, Dutch oven sticky buns, lentil farro salad, hot chocolate oatmeal, buffalo cauliflower wraps and pecan praline fondue. Perusing this book is sure to give you ideas for your next trip—and make you hungry.” —Washington Trails Magazine

Like butter powder it goes great in instant oatmeal, and also works well for making instant cream soups and desserts. It has the highest specific energy (Calories per gram) of any ingredient we’ve found except for oil.

Calories per gram: 7.5

This is great for adding to instant oatmeal and other recipes to increase the calorie content and flavor.

Calories per gram: 6.7

These eggs are pasteurized before drying and powdering, but we’d still recommend using them in recipes that require cooking. They cook up more or less like regular eggs and can be used to make instant omelettes, and pretty much any recipe that calls for eggs.

Calories per gram: 6

You can find skim milk powder at any grocery store, but whole milk powder is harder to find. It’s richer and higher in calories, and makes a great addition to instant oatmeal and cold cereal as well as any recipe that calls for milk.

Calories per gram: 5

This stuff has a great cheese flavor and works well in any recipes needing cheese. It’s good for making instant omelettes for example.

Calories per gram: 5

This is essentially pure whey protein, and can be added to any recipe that needs a protein boost. We like it in oatmeal, where it also gives a creamier consistency. It also works okay in hot beverages like hot chocolate, but it does tend to clump a bit so it needs lots of stirring to get it dissolved. There are many varieties available, and we recommend unflavored plain whey powder with no additives.

Calories per gram: 3.8

You can dry tomatoes at home but they contain a lot of water so it takes awhile, and buying tomato flakes is an easy way to add tomato goodness to soups, stews, pasta, rice etc. The flavor is good and they rehydrate into little tomato bits, not quite a smooth sauce consistency.

Calories per gram: 3

We use these large bags to organize a day’s worth of food, and also for waterproofing electronics, maps etc. The slider works a lot better for repeated opening and closing than a simple zip-lock bag, and makes it far easier to open and close when wearing gloves.

These work well for holding thick liquid foods like butter and honey. They aren’t prone to leaking as long as they’re not overfilled (halfway is about right), but we carry them in a zip-lock bag just in case.

Weight per tube: 28g / 1oz

We once left a food bag unsupervised in our tent for just a short time, and returned to find that a chipmunk had chewed through the tent’s screen to get our packets of instant hot chocolate, which it then spread all over our down quilts! We now carry our food in one of these bags.

It is NOT bear-proof, or even anything remotely close to bear-proof, but it will stop determined mice and chipmunks from making a mess. Unless we’re in an area with lots of bear activity, we feel safe enough leaving this unattended during the day, such as when we ditch our packs to climb a hilltop for example. At night we can hang it out of reach of bears, but it’s only effective if it’s truly out of their reach.

Weight: 250g / 8.8oz

These are cheap and work great for lining the inside of a backpack to keep the contents dry. It’s more practical than trying to waterproof the outside of the pack so we’d recommend one of these instead of using a rainfly over the pack.

We love this little flashlight as a backup illumination source, because it’s very small and takes a regular AAA battery. It has 3 levels of brightness, including a “firefly” mode that’s just barely bright enough to see with but extends the battery life tremendously.

Weight: 24g / 0.8oz

This is not a lightweight flashlight but it’s amazingly bright, and the zoom capability means it can cover a wide area or focus down to a narrow spot that’s super-bright. For most backpacking we’d use a headlamp or lighter-weight flashlight but this is a good option if you expect to be out at night a lot.

Weight: 238g / 8.4oz

Binoculars are certainly not a necessity but they can add to your enjoyment of the outdoors. You can find a lot of lighter and cheaper ones but their image quality is typically so low that they’re not worth carrying. These Bushnell binocs are reasonably priced and among the lightest ones that have decent optical quality.

Weight: 342g / 12.1oz

This GPS has all of the typical handheld GPS navigation features plus satellite communications that let us send and receive texts, get weather reports, and trigger an interactive SOS if needed.

Garmin offers several subscription plans with varying levels of included messages per month, and you can switch from one level to the next at any time. So we keep ours activated with the least-expensive plan at around $10 per month, and switch to a higher-usage plan temporarily during an expedition when we expect to send more texts and get more weather reports.

Weight: 275g / 9.7oz

This is a lighter and smaller alternative to devices like the GPSMAP 66i, and it has the same satellite communication features but without the handheld navigation capability. It’s a good choice if you want to stay in touch and have SOS capability but don’t need handheld GPS navigation.

Weight: 99g / 3.5oz

We use GoPro cameras to capture many of our hiking and overlanding adventures. The slightly older Hero 10 is almost as good and a little less expensive.

This is a great option for backpacking because it’s compact and lightweight, and waterproof like the GoPro so we don’t have to worry about rain, dust etc. It has an 8x optical zoom and takes pretty good still photos and 4K video, considering its compact size. Don’t expect the image quality level you can get from a much larger and heavier camera/lens combination, but it’s our favorite lightweight option. It also has a “microscope” mode that does a pretty decent job shooting macro images and video.

Weight: 325g / 11.5oz

Taking 360-degree photos and video lets us capture all of our surroundings and then reframe them later at home, where we often see things we missed at the time. It’s like having a GoPro that’s pointed in all directions at once, although the resulting resolution is a bit lower. Of the Insta360 models available, we like this one because it’s fully waterproof so we don’t have to worry about rain. One battery gives roughly an hour of video shooting, depending on which mode you choose, and you can get extra batteries to carry on an extended trip.

This trekking pole has one noteworthy feature that most don’t – removing the top knob reveals a 1/4-20 stud where you can attach a GoPro mount, compact ballhead, or Insta360 invisible selfie stick to mount any lightweight camera like the ones listed above. When used with the Insta360 selfie stick, the trekking pole is narrow enough that it becomes invisible in the shot and extending both of them to maximum length gives a 2.74 meter / 9 foot long pole.

Weight: 312g / 11oz

Let’s face it, head nets are annoying to wear. But if the bugs are really thick then repellent alone may not be enough. These are lightweight and come in a nice little stuff sack that takes up little space.

Weight: 20g / 0.7oz

These picaridin wipes work well, and come in a convenient packet that takes little space. There’s very little odor but they do a good job of keeping the critters from biting. We typically wipe exposed areas first and then finish with our socks and pant legs. One packet contains one wipe, which is usually enough for two people if you don’t have a lot of exposed skin.

Weight per packet: 5g / 0.2oz

While not as compact as the Natrapel wipes, this holds a lot more product and is enough for an extended hiking trip. It’s still a fairly compact and lightweight package. As far as we can tell, all the picaridin products work about equally well.

We use permethrin to treat our socks, pants and shirts before. Once they’re dry there is no odor, and the repellent bonds with the fabric so it’s good for many washings before losing its effectiveness.

On one occasion we went hiking with another person who didn’t have permethrin-treated clothing, and they found over a dozen ticks on them in a single 3-hour hike while we had ZERO. We are sold on it. This container treats quite a few sets of clothing but see below for a more economical option.

If you want to treat a LOT of clothing with permethrin, it’s more economical to buy a gallon-size container. As far as we can determine it’s essentially the same stuff as that sold by Sawyer but a bit less expensive. The hose and lightweight spray head mean it’s less fatiguing to use compared to a handheld spray bottle.

If you follow the advice given in our article What You Need to Know About Bears, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have a bear encounter where bear spray would make a difference. But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen, and bear spray has proven an effective deterrent when used at close range. Even if you never actually need to use it, carrying bear spray may give you a measure of comfort and there’s nothing wrong with packing a little nonlethal heat if it improves your enjoyment of the outdoors.

Weight: 365g / 13oz

This is a very inexpensive trowel that works well, and the orange color makes it hard to lose. We’ve tried more expensive thin aluminum backpacker’s trowels and they save a tiny bit of weight but don’t work as well. This does a decent job even in soils with some stones and roots, and weighs so little that it’s not worth spending more for a lighter and flimsier one.

Weight: 55g / 2oz

These are a great option for getting clean without needing extra water, soap etc. One wipe is enough for a whole-body cleaning if you do it sensibly. We start with our face and cleaner areas, and work toward the nether regions. These are NOT biodegradable so you need to pack them out with your trash, but they don’t take up much space. We carry one per person per day, plus a few extras “just in case”.

Weight per wipe: 12g / 0.4oz

While not a necessity, these can give women a bit more privacy and also a lot less exposure to biting insects and old weather. It takes a bit of practice so try it at home first.

Weight with included pouch: 75g / 2.6oz