Ultralight Backpacking Gear Reviews

Ultralight backpacking tents and shelters come in all shapes and sizes, but each type has advantages and disadvantages for different camping conditions. It’s best to understand these before you waste money on a tent or shelter that doesn’t suit your needs or comfort preferences. There are six basic types of …

The Tarptent Bowfin ($309) is a 1 person double-walled tent with two large, well-ventilated vestibules that weighs 37 ounces. It requires a long but lightweight center pole to pitch, making it remarkably fast and easy to set up. It comes with a mesh inner tent that has plenty of interior space for …

The Osprey Packs Talon 44 Backpack is a lightweight pack with an adjustable torso length that’s good for weekend backpacking trips, technical day hikes, and peakbagging. Weighing 2 pounds 7 ounces, it can carry a remarkable amount of gear and has a body hugging fit that provides excellent load control for …

A lot of hikers ask me which backpacks I think are the best for multi-day hikes and long distance backpacking, and time and again, I recommend the packs listed below. Why? I think they’re large enough to fit all of the gear and food you need for a backpacking trip …

The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2 is the latest generation in the ultralight Copper Spur line of tents, boasting increased interior volume and livability by integrating steeper sides walls into the inner tent. The result is an outstanding balance of comfort and function in what I consider one of …

The ULA Ohm 2.0 is a high-capacity 63L ultralight style backpack that’s durable enough for rough and tough adventures. It’s also available with the same male and female shoulder straps and hip belt (available in multiple lengths) offered with ULA’s other lightweight backpacks, so you get a pack that fits you and …

The Gossamer Gear Silverback 50 Backpack ($260) is an ultralight style backpack made with heavy duty fabrics for off-trail and wilderness trips that rip up packs made with lighter weight fabrics and external mesh pockets. Weighing 37.4 ounces, the Silverback 50 may be the heaviest backpack Gossamer Gear has ever made, …

The NEMO Tensor Insulated Mummy Sleeping Pad is a short (48″) and ultralight inflatable sleeping pad, only weighing 10.1 ounces (286 grams) on the SectionHiker digital scale (0.6 oz over mfg’s published weight.) Insulated with Primaloft, NEMO rates its comfort zone from 15F to 25F /-9 to -4C. Why sleep …

The Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 is the latest generation of ultralight Fly Creek line of tents, boasting increased interior volume by using a steeper door and side walls. How significant is the change and what other improvements have been made to this backpacker favorite? Gear Weight vs …

Superior Wilderness Designs is a Michigan-based ultralight gear manufacturer that has just introduced a backpack designed for thru-hiking called the 50L Long Haul. Weighing 29 ounces, it’s made with X-Pac, an ultralight waterproof laminate like cuben fiber, but less expensive and more durable. While less well-known, X-Pac is a tried …