Ultralight Backpacking Gear Reviews

Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) specializes in making backpacks and shelters with Dyneema Composite Fabrics. Their distinctive white and black colored backpacks are quite popular and easy to spot in the backcountry. One of the things that sets Hyperlite apart from other cottage ultralight gear manufacturers is their multi-sport and multi-season …

Granite Gear backpacks are popular packs for long-distance backpacking in the United States and are a common sight on the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. I really like Granite Gear’s packs because I think they strike an excellent balance between weight and function, many have adjustable length frames and …

The Zpacks Duplex Tent is a single-wall 2 person tent made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics (formerly called cuben fiber) that weighs 19.4 oz. It has two doors, two vestibules, and requires two trekking poles to erect. Despite its high-tech construction, the Duplex is a remarkably simple tent to set up …

The NEMO Hornet 2P Tent is a two-person ultralight tent with two doors that weighs just 1 pound 14.3 ounces (on the SectionHiker scale), not including stuff sacks or tent stakes. Let that sink in for a moment. The NEMO Hornet 2P is lighter weight than many two-person ultralight silnylon …

The Granite Gear Virga 2 is a 54-liter ultralight backpack that is lightweight even by today’s standards. Weighing just 1 pound and 3 ounces (19 ounces) it is truly frameless, without even a foam back pad behind the shoulder straps. Despite its low weight, the Virga 2 is a fully-featured …

The CAMP-USA Corsa Ice Axe is quite possibly the lightest weight ice ax in the world, weighing just 8.8 oz (250 grams) in a size 60 cm length. Despite its lightweight, it is a fully functional UIAA-certified B ice ax capable of being used for self-rescue, glissading, and strong enough …

The Black Diamond Beta Light is a single wall, ultralight tarp shelter that weighs 19 oz. It’s also a very affordable ultralight shelter, with an MSRP of just $200, making it an excellent value if you’re trying to save money. The Beta Light has a single front zippered door and …

The LightHeart Gear Rain Jacket (MSRP $99) is a lightweight ripstop nylon waterproof rain jacket made the old-fashioned way, without any so-called breathable fabric. Coated on the outside with silicone and on the inside with polyurethane, this maintenance-free rain jacket won’t wet out like much more expensive waterproof breathable jackets that …

Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s small and large packing pods are the ultralight equivalent of the luggage packing cubes that people use to pack travel bags. They’re U-shaped to fit snugly into Hyperlite’s backpacks and can be used in place of a white plastic compactor bag to provide extra moisture protection for the …

The MassDrop Klymit Ultralight V Sleeping Pad is a lightweight insulated sleeping pad that’s the result of a special design collaboration between MassDrop and sleeping pad maker Klymit. With an R-Value of 4.4, the Ultralight V is ideal for spring or autumn backpacking and camping when the ground temperature is …

The NEMO Switchback is an accordion-style closed-cell foam sleeping pad that can be used as an ultralight pad by itself or to augment the warmth of a second sleeping pad when sleeping outdoors in colder weather. It’s quite similar to the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol sleeping pad, but made with …

The ULA Photon is a 35L frameless ultralight-style backpack that weighs between 22-27 ounces, depending on how the pack is configured and whether you keep all of the optional components.  It’s basically a lower volume version of ULA’s CDT ultralight backpack (54L) ideal for day hikes, short backpacking trips, hut-to-hut …

The NEMO GoGo Elite Inflatable Bivy Tent is a 1-person minimalist shelter that’s more spacious and comfortable than a bivy sack, but far more compact than most 1-person tents making it ideal for trips that require carrying a low volume load like adventure racing, fast and light backpacking, or bikepacking. …

Gossamer Gear’s “The One” ultralight 1-person tent ($299) is an ultralight, single-walled trekking-pole tent that weighs 20.6 oz. It has a spacious interior that’s a palace for one, with excellent ventilation to help prevent internal condensation. Factory seam-taped, there’s no need to seam seal The One which is made with …