Ultralight Backpacking

What do alcohol stove boil time test videos done in peoples’ kitchens, basements, and backyards tell you about the real world performance of your alcohol stove? PRECIOUS LITTLE You can’t measure stove performance indoors unless you take into account all of the …

Alcohol backpacking stoves are popular with long distance hikers and with good reason. Here are the 7 reasons why they’re a good option for backcountry cooking, especially if you’re a beginner, looking to soften the up front expense of buying backpacking gear. 1. …

The problem with many pyramid-style shelters (such as the MLD Duomid, the Solomid, and the Trailstar to name a few) is that they suffer from low angled walls which reduce the amount of usable interior space inside. Granted, all lightweight backpacking shelters …

This article’s focus is on helping you further reduce your pack weight by eliminating non-essential items including extra clothing or extra supplies that might be a convenience, but that you really don’t need to bring with you. This phase will require some …

If you’re starting to think about camping under a tarp, you will probably come across references to something called a Ray Way tarp. This refers to a shaped tarp design developed by Ray Jardine, one of the early proponents of modern ultralight …

What is a flat tarp? A flat tarp is square or rectangular in shape, has flat edges, and 90 degree angles in the corners. They are wonderfully versatile and can be set up in all sorts of different shapes depending on weather …

One of the downsides of carrying an ultralight or lightweight backpacking load (20 pounds or less) is that it makes you weak. If you’re not used to carrying a 40 or 50 pound load, including food, fuel and water, you’ll run out …

I like my creature comforts when I’m out backpacking. I like to bring a comfortable air mattress, some extra camera gear, a good paperback, a plush animal friend and good food to eat. I can get away with bringing these little extras, …