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Why "ultralight backpacking?" You may think it's more dangerous to go light. This is one of the many misconceptions about going lightweight. I'll get to those in a moment, but first:
Backpacking is about enjoying yourself in the wilderness. Challenges may add to the experience, but does suffering? Why suffer more than is necessary? Look at the disadvantages of backpacking with too much weight on your back:
It's A Hassle: Putting on and taking off a heavy pack quickly becomes tedious. You may start leaving it on during rest stops, just so you don't have to deal with it.
It's Tiring: Backpacking is more tiring with a heavy pack. Do you enjoy yourself as much when you are tired?
Lack Of Freedom: You can't easily run up that hill, just to see what is there. And if you do it without your pack, you have to go back the same way to get your pack.
More Injuries: Twisted ankles, blistered feet, sore muscles, and back and knee problems are just some of the consequences of too much weight on your back.
Slowness: Slower progress means less access to wild places, since you can't go as far on your four-day trip. It can also mean less time to swim in a mountain lake, or relax in camp.
Dangerous: The inability to move fast when a storm is coming or when you need to get to a road, means backpacking can be more dangerous with a heavy load. Add to that bad decisions due to tiredness.
Lightweight Backpacking Is Less Comfortable. Less comfortable to have 18 pounds on your back instead of 50? Is an ultralight sleeping bag less comfortable if it keeps warm? My blisters stopped when I put on running shoes instead of hiking boots. There's no real sacrifice here. Cut the weight on your back by twenty pounds, and you can add back what you need to be comfortable.
Lightweight Backpacking Is Expensive. Ultralight sleeping bags are expensive. Almost everything else needed can be found for the same price or cheaper than traditional gear. A 20-ounce GoLite Gust Backpack, for example, is less than a hundred dollars.
Lighweight Means Sacrifice. Not so. Bring your camera! A lighter load means you can stop to use it more easily. If you leave behind things you don't need, and use a lighter backpack, tent, and sleeping bag, you can bring that telephoto lense or whatever is really important to you.
Lighweight Backpacking Is Less Safe. The opposite! Bring the safety items; a sleeping bag, first aid kit, shelter, water purification - just bring lighter versions. A lighter load makes you less likely to lose your balance and fall. It also means a faster response to iffy situations.
A note about safety: It 's mostly about knowledge and experience. A trained survivalist would be safer backpacking with no shelter than a neophyte with the best tent. Learn how to use you gear properly, and how to read the sky for coming storms; then you can go lighter and safer.
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gear and clothing at the best prices: Backcountry |
Done right, ultralight backpacking gives you more freedom, comfort, safety, enjoyment and less suffering than traditional backpacking. It allows you to go faster, but doesn't require it. It gives you the option. That's more freedom.
I haven't met a person yet who has tried lightweight backpacking, and then returned to a heavy load. I'm not saying it 's for everyone. Bad ankles might require heavy hiking boots, and bad habits may require a big pack to satisfy them, but even if you need a pillow and big rectangular sleeping bag, you can find lighter versions.
It's tough to understand the sense of liberation felt by a convert to ultralight backpacking, until you try it yourself. When I walk, with my eleven-pound pack, past poor overloaded backpackers struggling up steep hills, I remember being in their place. I am enjoying myself more now.
Note: If you want to try going light, visit the page, "How To Become An Ultralight Backpacker" on my other site, The Ultralight Backpacking Site. Along with some good suggestions, there is a discussion of the limitations of ultralight backpacking.