Experienced backpackers know that weight matters, but trimming down your backpacking gear checklist to the ultralight necessities can take some ingenuity. You can get crazy counting grams, shaving the plastic off your toothbrush, or you can make smart upgrades to your existing setup. Make it easy with this ultralight backpacking gear checklist.

The Ultralight Backpacking Gear Checklist

1. Lightweight pack with a hip belt
2. Raincover for your pack
3. Sleeping shelter (tent, tarp, bivy, etc)
4. Ground cover (tent footprint, Tyvek Wrap, etc)
5. Sleeping pad
6. Sleeping bag
7. Waterproof compression sack for your sleeping bag (waterproof strongly recommended for down bags)
8. Stove
9. Cook pot
10. Lightweight spoon or spork
11. Lighter with waterproof matches or small magnesium and flint block backup
12. Food and meals
13. Odor-proof food storage (requirements differ based on where you are backpacking)
14. Odor-proof trash storage
15. Waterproof hang sack for your food
16. Paracord for hanging, repairing, or other useful needs
17. Water bottle/water bladder
18. Water filtration method
19. Small pocket knife
20. Tent/sleep system repair kit (DIY: Nylon tape, duct tape, needle, thread, gorilla glue)
21. First aid kit
22. Prescription medications
23. Toothbrush
24. Toothpaste (dry out dabs of traditional toothpaste to save weight)
25. Hairbrush and hair ties (optional)
26. Feminine hygiene products (as needed; menstrual cup is the lightest and most LNT-friendly)
27. Toilet kit (lightweight shovel, TP, hand sanitizer)
28. Headlamp
29. Extra batteries
30. Clothing as needed (one shirt and pair of bottoms will last around 5 days)
31. Essential layers (compressible puffy jacket, long-sleeve top baselayer, baselayer bottoms, fleece layer, gloves, beanie, pants). These items are weather-dependent, but always pack at least one set of clothing for cooler-than-anticipated weather.
32. Rain gear (lightweight, breathable rain jacket, rain/wind pants)
33. Sun protection (sunscreen, sunhat, SPF lip balm, sunglasses)
34. Extra socks for camp
35. Trekking poles
36. GPS device or phone with GPS map
37. Map and compass backup
38. Ultralight camping pillow (optional; a stuff sack filled with clothing works too)
39. Camera (optional)
40. Wireless charging bank (optional, recommended for longer journeys)
41. Pee funnel with pee cloth (optional)

Starting an Ultralight Backpacking Gear Checklist

Square one is to consider your backpacking adventure. Is it appropriate to actually go full-on ultralight? Winter backpacking in the mountains doesn’t really lend itself to "true" ultralight backpacking as you’ll need extra gear to stay warm. However, a desert jaunt down your favorite long-distance trail is a great place to lighten the load. Once you know where you are going and roughly what to expect, it’s important to put together a list of things you actually need. Think necessities, not wants. Sure, it’s nice to have a backpacking chair—it's probably good for your posture—but it is not a necessity. You’ll always need the Ten Essentials, no matter where your adventure takes you. Skimping on food, ample water, and inadequate clothing can cost you dearly. Instead, opt to cut weight from gear categories, such as your sleep system, shelter and pack.

Choosing an Ultralight Backpacking Pack Without Sacrificing Comfort

Backpacking packs weigh anywhere from a pound to over five pounds. A general rule is the heavier the pack, the more comfortable it tends to be. If you’re willing to sacrifice some comfort, you can easily upgrade to an ultralight backpack that feels as light as air. Many people experience shoulder, knee and hip pain while backpacking. Often this is a result of heavy loads and packs that are poorly fitted. This brings us to rule number 1 of selecting a pack: pick one that fits! A pack that fits will bear weight more comfortably. Even an ultralight load can wear on your body as the miles build up, so your pack needs to fit.

An ultralight pack setup can still be comfortable! Instead of cutting weight out of the frame and support structure, look for a pack that has fewer bells and whistles. Items like multiple-access zippers, additional storage compartments, and other handy features add quite a bit of weight to your pack. You can get by with single-access to your main compartment and perhaps a hip belt pocket for quick storage. Use what you have by removing your pack’s brain/lid (the top part), to save some weight without sacrificing comfort.

The Right Ultralight Sleep System

One of the major players in pack weight is your sleep system. Down is always going to weigh less than synthetic insulation. Although it costs more, upgrading to a down sleeping bag—like the Parsec™—can keep your sleeping bag weight at or under the 2lb mark. An even lighter, and still warm and functional, option is a backcountry quilt like the Vesper™. It can be daunting switching to a quilt-based sleep system, but at a paltry 1lb 3oz (regular size), the Vesper radically reduces the weight and packed size of your sleep system. When ultralight is the objective, that’s hard to argue with.

 Sleeping pads can also be a quick and easy way to save weight. The tried-and-true indestructible Z-Lite Sol™ weighs just 10 oz and still provides plenty of summertime warmth with an R-value of 2.0. For additional cushion and warmth, go for an air-filled sleeping pad like the NeoAir® XLite™ NXT, which utilizes reflective ThermaCapture™ technology to achieve an R-value of 4.5 without the weight or bulk. Upgrading both your sleeping pad and bag can quickly drop pounds from your pack weight. 

Tent or Tarp?

Aside from food and water, your tent is likely the heaviest item in your pack. Upgrading to an ultralight tent can be expensive, especially if you usually backpack with a partner. For fair-weather backpacking and desert adventures, consider using a tarp or just a ground cover. These budget-friendly ultralight backpacking gear checklist essentials weigh next to nothing. You can simply use your existing tent footprint (be sure to stake it down so it doesn’t blow away) or purchase a simple tarp system. Practice in a park or your backyard before relying on your tarp in the wild. Setup is simple but takes a few tries to nail down. Typically, you’ll use a trekking pole or two to prop everything up. If the weather is clear and warm, try what's known as 'cowboy camping': simply lay down a ground cover and get some Z’s.

Cooking Ultralight Style

One simple way to shed a few extra ounces is to use an ultralight stove. Not only do you save weight, but compared to a standard backpacking stove, the ultra-lightweight varieties take up substantially less room. Less room means a smaller pack, which is ultimately lighter.

Titanium is the cookware (and utensil) material of choice for most ultralighters. Choose your pot size based on your specific needs and group size. Most of our Titan titanium collection nests together and with a PocketRocket stove as well, to take up the minimum amount of space in your pack.   

Water Filtration

If you use a bulky pump filter or other heavy water purification method, consider upgrading to something smaller. A personal fill-and-squeeze filter trims a lot of weight without sacrificing performance. These filters ]typically don’t take up much room, weigh next to nothing and are affordable. It’s a cost-effective way to reduce just a little more weight in your backpacking gear system.

Clothing and More

Clothing does a lot to keep you cozy while you backpack. Skimping on necessary layers like a hat, beanie, gloves, puffy jacket, and the right pair of hiking socks often leads to the wrong kind of misadventure. Always pack the essential layers and a coveted pair of fresh camp socks after a long day on the trail. Natural materials like merino wool and down tend to be more lightweight than their synthetic counterparts, but keep in mind they cost more too. You shouldn’t head out without a first aid kit and any prescription medication. However, you can save weight on your personal essentials with a few handy hacks:

• Dehydrate your toothpaste in bite-sized bits or opt for chewable toothpaste tablets.
• Only take extra shirts and bottoms for exceptionally long journeys (think greater than 5 days).

Overall, you can trim plenty of weight with this ultralight backpacking gear checklist. The result is a streamlined pack that often weighs far less than your starter kit. You’ll be well on your way to hiking further this backpacking season with a few simple gear upgrades that really shed the pounds.

Related Posts:

• How To Build a First Aid and Gear Repair Kit for Ultralight Backpacking
• Ultralight Backpacking 101: Learning On The Wonderland Trail
• 10 Ways to Lighten Your Backpacking Pack Weight

Updated. Originally published August 1, 2020.