maximpactphotography

ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING – revised Nov2022

For comparison, the above film poster shows me on the right in 2012 in Sequoia NP carrying close to 3 times the weight-

(base carried pack weight, minimum=approx 7.5 pounds) *= potential group gear

Default geographic region: Sierra Nevada, CA USA
Default seasons: 3+ seasons

Worn:
REI Sahara convertible pant-short combination or Marmot Scree SS pants w MTS boxers
MHW, REI, Arc’teryx or other synthetic shirt [Smartwool long sleeve 200 wt shirt in cooler weather]
Altra Lone Peak v3 running shoes (32  oz /pair, size 13 US), Darn Tough  socks or Smartwool UL PHD low cut socks
REI gaiters or MHW Seta/ OR Sparkplug strapless gaiters

Options for boots:

La Sportiva Baturas (integrated gaiters)/ Trangos  GTX size 47.5

Outdoor Research Helium 2020 rain jacket version (6 oz) and pants (5.4 oz)

Arc’teryx Cerium LT down Hoody

E2 Torrid Apex hoody/ Torrid pants

Equator sun hat with neck flap vs Outdoor Research Seattle Sombrero GTX
Sunglasses or polarized lenses over std prescription glasses/Croakies

Carried:
GU, carb Gel, Chomps chews, trash bag, TP

Western Mountaineering Flylite +34F down bag (15.5 oz w sack) vs
Enlightened Equipment Revelation +20F 850 down reg/wide quilt (21.1 oz)
Thermarest NeoAir XLite pad, size small (8 oz) vs NeoAir Uberlight size reg (8.8 oz),Gossamer Gear 1/8″ Thinlite foam pad (2 oz); Sea to Summit 20 L silnylon sack modified as inflator w TR Air Trap
Sea To Summit UL Air Pillow (2.1 oz)

Windshirt: choose from Tachyon Anorak by Montbell (2oz!!!!), GhostLite by MHW (~2.7 oz), or Houdini from Patagonia (3.8 oz); these can be worn as successive layers
Gossamer Gear large polycyro ground sheet (3.7 oz)*- divide in half for solo use vs MLD Solo cuben groundsheet (1.75 oz)

ZPacks Nero (10 oz stripped- many configuration options) vs
Gossamer Gear Murmur (8.5 oz  stripped), MLD Prophet (16 oz stripped), HMG Windrider 2400 (28 oz complete or 22 oz w/o stays) or Summit pack(12.7 oz complete)- w 2 mini-carabiners, used for PCT style bear bag hang and general anchors (in windy conditions, etc)

Zpacks Multi-pack (2.9 oz), usually used as either satchel or chest pack
Titanium Goat Ptarmigan biv sack, modified to ease tethering the netting from my face (7.2 oz)
MSR Carbon Core/ SUL titanium stakes depending on anticipated conditions*- usually 10-12 stakes; alternative: Easton stakes
Atwater-Carey Permethrin treated (factory) head mosquito net, 1 oz
BD  Ion  LED headlamp with 3 AAA batteries(2 oz)
Titanium Snowpeak 900 ml pot (4.6 oz), 1.5 L MSR Titan pot, (5.6 oz),or GSI Halulite alloy tea kettle (5.5 oz)*, MSR Pika tea kettle for wood stoves (4.x oz)
alcohol-based Zelph modified StarLite stove (0.5 oz!!!)*, version without pot support – with Trail Designs Caldera Cone Ti-Tri Sidewinder to fit Evernew 900 Ti short pot (3.75 oz!) alternative: Soto Microregulator canister stove (2.5 oz) or

MSR PRDeluxe w FlatCat Gear Ocelot windscreen vs Jetboil Stash (7.1 oz)

Trail Designs Ti-Tri caldera cone windscreens*: Classic for Snowpeak 900 pot [also fits MSR Titan adequately], Sidewinder for Evernew 900 ml pot or Sidewinder fitting inside 1.5L MSR Titan pot
Sea To Summit long titanium spork
Black Diamond carbon fiber, adjustable trekking poles
Food and drink for 1-2 nights and breakfast, in OP sack odor-proof bag within Ursack Minor or Major
Toiletries, small Packtowl, hand sanitizer*

ZPacks Altaplex solo DCF tent (15 oz) w Ruta Locura 600 series 53″ CF pole/extension vs

Hilleberg Soulo  4 season, double -wall freestanding tent (lightweight-not ultralight)
Mountain Laurel Designs cuben Duomid (14 oz) w optional Solo silnylon Innernet  (10 oz), silnylon Duomid (24 oz); Dual pole jacks kit (2.9 oz)

Hyperlite Mt Gear 8.5 ft square DCF flat tarp w custom Sterling Spectra guylines* (11 oz)

ZPacks Duplex (19.5 oz)-DCF, complete enclosed shelter with outstanding ventilation, 2 person livability; Flexpoles (for freestanding option)

HMG Ultramid 2 (19 oz)- DCF no floor; HMG Full and half DCF inserts; also  accepts MLD single an double inserts; 64 in adjustable CF Ruta Locura pole

HMG Ultramid 4 (23 oz)-DCF w HMG Full and Half DCF inserts, Ruta Locura 75″ adj CF pole and 75+” aluminum cam-adj pole

REI Quarter Dome SL 1 (31 oz)- full coverage/ peak vent

Trekking poles: Orca 246 (L) boompole hard case for air travel w poles

sleeping socks
Sawyer Squeeze water filter (2 oz)* w rig for gravity feed/ Tedco Tornado Tube
Platypus 1L collapsible bottle or 1L Smartwater bottle (0.8 oz); 2L Platypus for more storage vs CNOC Vecto 2L w std, 42mm options for openings, optional BeFree filter for 2L bag
Panasonic Lumix ZS-70 4K digital camera
MSR Ignitor piezo (0.5 oz), Light My Fire v2 firesteel (1 oz)vs Soto Pocket Torch*
First aid set (2 oz)*
Swiss Army Victorinox Classic SD knife ( 0.8 oz )*
Compass= Silva Ranger Type 15 (2 ¾ oz)*, map*, permit*
Pepper hard eyeglass case (3 oz)

Options/substitutions:
Steripen UV system vs Katadyn 6L Gravity Camp or Platypus Gravityworks v2 filters* , mostly for groups; UV system also for some winter use

HMG Windrider 3400 pack (L), 32 oz with 2 stays Southwest 3400 pack (M); HMG Southwest 4400 pack (M) w frame sheet

various sleeping bags from Marmot, WM

Arc’teryx Venta gloves

Windstopper/ Polarplus insulation- neck gaiter, hat, gloves, balaclava (combined: 5 oz)

Ultralight Adventures (ULA) Catalyst pack, (M) 4600 cu in or 75 L, 39 oz stripped

ULA Circuit pack (M), 68 L, 33oz stripped

Gossamer Gear Chrome UL umbrella

MSR Windburner integrated canister stove (15.5 oz)

Antigravity Gear rain kilt (2 oz)
MHW P5 synthetic jacket or Primaloft Arc’teryx Fission LT with waterproof compression stuff sack

Montbell SuperiorDown Parka (9 oz), Pants (8.4 oz)

WM Windstopper Vapor down jacket or Flash down jacket
Icebreaker or Patagonia leggings and spare shirt for sleep
Esbit solid-fuel UL stove system; Colibri windproof butane lighter
MHW UL fabric snow anchors or MSR Blizzard snow stakes*
Gerber Basic knife (3.8 oz) vs LMF Fireknife (2.6 oz incl firestarter), Exotac Nano XL striker firestarter-replaceable ferro rods (0.95 oz)
Digital scales- 50 pound max(Rapala), 44 pound max /decimal display (Quarrow), 11 pound max /English display( Salter)*
UL DIY bear hang setup *; bear bells*; BD Voyager lantern* (4.7 oz with batteries)
BearVault bear canister BV 450 solo or 21 oz Lighten 1 small canister *(21 oz)- where required by regulations
Insulated cozy items*
WagBag,u-reservoir (3.2 oz)

Hults-Bruks Almike Hatchet (28 oz)
Granfors-Bruks Mini-Hatchet (12 oz), M Tech Survivor hatchet (18 oz)or Coghlan pack axe ( oz)*; Petzl leather belay/rappel gloves; True Temper axe sharpener; Hults-Bruk sharpening puck
Emberlit Titanium UL wood stove (5.4 oz) or Solo steel wood stove (9 oz) w dedicated SP Ti 900 ml pot (creosote blackened bottom)*, stored in sack to isolate soot
Walrus Bug Hut 1 (12 oz)-summer only
Camelbak Antidote 70 oz hydration system
Adv Med SOL WP Thermal Biv sack, 8.9 oz/ REI Minimalist biv sack, long 88 in (17 oz)
For shoulder seasons or high fire hazard areas: Soto or Snowpeak UL canister stoves w canisters*, up to 2 oz
For winter /melting snow: MSR Windpro II , XGK-II EX, Windburner,or Reactor stove*
Arc’teryx Squamish hooded SS jacket/ Atom LT Coreloft synthetic hooded jacket (L)
Canon DSLR system (for car)
Small duffel for travel items and clothing; sleeping socks
BD Orbit or Voyager lantern (AAA batteries)*
REI MTS bag liner,11 oz

Climbing

wire gate/ Lowe UL biners
lithium batteries
BD Raven/Raven Pro ice axes
Stubai UL, aluminum 10pt crampons
The North Face one-piece climbing suit; BD Couloir harness
MSR Reactor stove*, hanging set*, and canister fuel*

thinner ropes and other cordage/slings
micropulleys; Microscender; Tibloc
MSR titanium cookware/ Jetboil
Munter hitch or Reverso (as belay-rappel device)
Abalakov-Lowe ice threads
Wild Things Freney/Arc’teryx Cierzo 35/ Black Diamond Quantum 65 packs
Passive rock protection

XC Skiing
BD floorless tent w snow pit
snow shelter
Thermarest specialized winter inflatable sleeping pad (XTherm),15 oz

Cycling
BD Superlight shelter of choice, depending on number of persons
no panniers if possible