What Weight Is Considered Ultralight Backpacking?

By Anna Duncan

Ultralight backpacking is a style of backpacking that has become increasingly popular in recent years. In ultralight backpacking, the goal is to reduce your pack weight as much as possible while still having the necessary gear to safely and comfortably enjoy the outdoors.

It requires careful gear selection and packing techniques, but it can make carrying a full load much easier. So what weight is considered ultralight backpacking?

The exact weight that constitutes ultralight backpacking varies from person to person, but generally speaking a backpacker’s total base weight should not exceed 10-15 pounds (including food and water) for a weekend trip and no more than 20-25 pounds for an extended trip. This includes your shelter, sleeping bag, clothing, cooking gear, and other necessary items. It also includes consumables such as food and water that will be used up over the course of your trip.

To achieve this level of lightness you must carefully select each item in your pack. Many experienced ultralight backpackers choose lightweight synthetic materials for their clothing and sleeping bags instead of traditional heavier materials like cotton or down.

They may also opt for a tarp or lightweight tent instead of a bulky traditional tent, or even go without one altogether if they are comfortable with hammocking or bivouacking under the stars. Ultralight backpackers also often leave luxuries at home in order to reduce their load – things like books, extra camping chairs, large cooking pots, and so on.

At first reducing your pack weight can seem daunting or even impossible – after all most people are used to carrying large amounts of gear on backcountry trips! But with careful selection and planning it is very possible to get your pack weight down below 10 pounds or even lower depending on how extreme you want to go.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, what weight is considered ultralight backpacking varies from person to person but generally speaking a total base weight should not exceed 10-15 pounds for weekend trips and no more than 20-25 pounds for extended trips. Ultralight backpackers must carefully select each item in their packs, choosing lightweight synthetic materials over traditional heavier materials like cotton or down, opting for tarps instead of bulky tents where possible and leaving luxuries at home in order to reduce their load.