Backpacking Light, Comfortably
Reflections on the balance between traveling light and staying comfortable while on the trail
Table of contents
A few summers ago, I hiked across Washington State via the Pacific Crest Trail. Ever since I started backpacking, I longed for the experience of traveling fast and light: logging high-mileage days with an ultralight load. After working in outdoor education for a decade, I felt equipped with the skills, knowledge, and experience I needed to complete a trip of this style. However, during the planning process, I chose to sacrifice some aspects of my normal backcountry routines and comfort to lighten my load. These decisions resulted in multiple restless, uncomfortable nights and many lessons learned. In hindsight, my decision to sacrifice comfort didn’t pan out the way I had hoped.
Below, I will highlight how choosing gear thoughtfully, improving your skills, and gaining knowledge and experience can help you go lighter and remain comfortable in the backcountry. Striking this balance for yourself can make for a more relaxed, organized, and enjoyable experience.
The Lightweight Mindset
Lightweight backpacking often involves evaluating what is necessary. To do this, you’ll need to understand how to best meet your basic needs, including safety, shelter, food, water, and sufficient rest. In cultivating a lightweight mindset, you’ll need to continually evaluate what you are carrying, reflecting on each item’s intended purpose and the value it brings to your experience.
What is "Comfort?"
In my experience, humans often avoid discomfort or inconvenience. “I’m cold—let’s turn the heat on;” “I don’t want to cook tonight—I’ll order takeout.” Backpacking can be uncomfortable and challenging, but one of its beautiful aspects is the opportunity to redefine what “comfort” means. Comfort becomes that fresh pair of sleeping socks you change into each night or a delicious evening meal after a long day of travel. As we transition toward a lighter pack, we must continually reflect on what “comfort” means for ourselves in the backcountry.
Key Gear Considerations
Below, I will outline six key gear considerations when developing lightweight backpacking systems. The journey into lightweight backpacking is extremely personal, and each hiker needs to make the best choices for themselves about what to carry to stay comfortable.
The Big 3 consists of your backpack, sleeping system, and shelter. These items make up the majority of your pack weight and are among the most important parts of your overall backpacking setup. Dropping the weight of these three items can help lighten your load considerably, but it can also come with major sacrifices if not done mindfully.
It’s important to consider your order of operations when making these changes. For example, you’ll want to lighten your sleeping and shelter system before switching to a lighter pack, given that ultralight packs are built to shoulder less weight than traditional backpacking packs. Over the years, my favorite frameless packs have included the affordable Gossamer Gear G4-20 Ultralight 42, the Dyneema Hyperlite Contour 35, and the Zpacks Nero Ultra 38, which is incredibly lightweight.
Getting good sleep in a reliable shelter may be one of the most important factors for a successful backcountry trip. Waking up multiple times in the night because of poor temperature management or a leaking shelter diminishes sleep quality. Many hikers have started using sleeping quilts—essentially, sleeping bags without a bottom or hood. The theory is that the bottom insulation of a full sleeping bag compresses under our body weight, so it doesn't provide enough extra warmth in that area to justify the weight. Each person has a different sleeping temperature; cold sleepers may want to think twice before switching to a lighter system. If you want to explore this setup, I’d recommend the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT sleeping pad and the Enlightened Equipment Revelation quilt, which offer the best bang for your buck in terms of warmth-to-weight.
There are many types of shelters—bivy sacks, tarps, single-wall shelters, and double-wall tents. Some of these shelters can weigh multiple pounds, while others weigh a pound or less. Considering the time of year, weather conditions, and your projected campsites will help you to decide what shelter best fits your needs. I have mostly stuck to tarps like the Mountain Laurel Designs Monk Tarp or Gossamer Gear Twinn Tarp, or floorless, pyramid shelters such as the Black Diamond Beta Light. For colder weather, I’d opt for a slightly heavier single-wall shelter like the Gossamer Gear Two or Zpacks Duplex.
As you can see, the combinations of items can be endless. Finding the best setup for you and the trip you are going on will likely take some trial and error.
Proper clothing layering is one of the most essential skills for outdoor survival. Similar to your choice of a sleeping system or shelter, your layering will depend on the time of year you intend to get out and your personal needs. For example, on late- or shoulder-season trips, my hiking partner will opt to bring puffy pants to stay warm in camp, while I’ll leave mine at home because I run warmer.
In general, I like to start with a lightweight base layer, which can be a long-sleeve shirt or a t-shirt. I’ll often bring along a fleece layer for hiking or use at camp (fleece is one of the most breathable insulators)—the Pa’lante Grid Fleece Hoody is one of my favorites. To stay warm in camp, I wear a synthetic or down jacket like the Enlightened Equipment Torrid and the Montbell EX Light Down Anorak. And in case of rain, I generally take along the uber-lightweight Outdoor Research Helium and Montbell Versalite pants.
Many people associate backpacking with wearing hiking boots, which provide ample support, especially with a heavy pack. They also keep water out and protect ankles and feet from rocks, roots, and other hazards along the trail. However, boots are heavy and bulky and generally take longer to dry once wet. If we lighten our packs, we may want to shift toward lighter footwear, such as lightweight hiking shoes or trail runners. The Brooks Cascadia 19 and Hoka Speedgoat 6 are two very popular shoes that cross over between the trail running and hiking worlds. You do sacrifice a bit of support, but a lighter shoe will ultimately help you move faster and with less effort on the trail.
For many, food is one of the biggest sources of comfort in the backcountry. It’s easy to spend all day on the trail looking forward to eating a filling, hot meal in the evening. Especially after exerting so much energy, the body needs ample fuel to recover properly.
Backpackers have various approaches to cooking on their backcountry trips. Some people decide to forgo cooking altogether, leaving the stove and pot at home and opting for cold meals and snacks. This saves weight and time during their trip. However, it can be incredibly unsatisfying. I really appreciate a hot meal at the end of the day and a hot cup of coffee in the morning. Consider trying both strategies to see which you prefer.
My guidelines for planning meals on trips involve picking food that is simple, easy to clean, and will satiate me at the end of the day. I usually choose comfort foods like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and stuffing, or ramen. While not the focus of this article, there are lots of ways to take your favorite meals and turn them into backpacking dishes. Exploring this topic for yourself can be a great way to maximize comfort while keeping your backpack light!
Aim to pack items that serve multiple purposes, so you have more functionality with the resources you carry. One example is a half-liter Nalgene bottle. For me, this acts as my hot drink mug in the morning (so I don’t have to worry about spilling my coffee!) and an extra half-liter of water for dry stretches of hiking during the day. Plus, I can pour hot water into the bottle at night and put it in my quilt to serve as a mini heater.
Everything Weighs Something
Countless gear combinations can hit the sweet spot between comfort and light weight. But a good phrase to remember is, “Everything weighs something.” I have been there, telling myself: “This small roll of paracord doesn’t weigh that much…” Then, after saying that about the paracord, the hip new travel mug, the blow-up pillow, and that cool camp chair I just bought, my backpack suddenly weighs another 2 pounds. Focusing on minimalism, even with small details, can help you keep your setup light and efficient.
Lighten Your Mental Load
Planning and executing a backpacking trip can be challenging. It might involve a new environment or a logistically technical route. Often, there are many moving parts, and little things, like a toothbrush, can be forgotten. Sometimes, the hardest part of the trip is just getting to the trailhead. One strategy to lighten the mental load is to develop a packing list and keep it up to date as you refine your game. Regardless of how involved the logistics of your backpacking trip are, the act of backpacking is generally the same—hike, eat, sleep, repeat.
A Few Backpacking Skills (Among Many Others!)
Campcraft
Things like knot tying, creating wind barriers for cooking or sleeping, or knowing effective ways to build fires (when permitted) can help you simplify what you carry and enhance your experience.
Navigation
Many of us use mapping apps like Gaia, CalTopo, OnX, or similar apps to assist with navigation. All of these apps are great for finding our location while in the backcountry. However, it can create a problematic reliance on technology. If a phone dies or technology fails, having a toolbox full of other navigation skills becomes increasingly important. Working to develop an awareness and attentiveness to the terrain around you, having a “travel story” in your head for the day, and taking moments to look at a paper map can reduce any subtle stress you might be experiencing about the trip you are on and where exactly you are.
Think of Your Future Self
Often, situations in which we find ourselves in extreme discomfort could have been mitigated by stopping and making a change sooner. For example, I faced an exceptionally stormy night while on-trail for six days in Michigan. I started hiking early the following morning, and the bushes surrounding the trail were thigh-high and wet. As I walked through the bushes, my legs, shorts, and shoes got soaked. I kept pushing, getting wetter and wetter. Eventually, I was very cold since the sun had not come out. If I had stopped and taken 30 seconds to put on my rain pants at the start of the day, I could have avoided being wet for so long and been better off in the long run.
Lightweight Doesn’t Happen Overnight
In my time as an outdoor educator, I learned the following equation:
Experience + Reflection = Learning
Making the move toward a lightweight backpacking setup that prioritizes comfort will take time. Consider starting slowly and incorporating just a few new items on each trip rather than overhauling your entire setup at once. Mistakes will be made, often making for good stories. As you gain skills and comfort outside, you might be willing to risk going without an item you typically bring, solely to learn from what happens.
Your packing list will evolve, hopefully forever. Take time before and after each trip to reflect on what you brought, the decisions you made along the way, and how that affected your experience. Note what you can change for next time, whether it’s a mindset, a warmer down jacket, or brushing up on a valuable skill.
The Joy of Going Light
For me, backpacking is an experience of connecting with myself, other people, and the natural world. It’s also incredibly fun. Backpacking might be about these things or something else for you. Ultimately, you are the one who will be carrying your pack, using the resources you have, and making decisions related to your comfort along the way.
Rather than a prescription, this article is meant to help you think through the style of backpacker you’d like to be. Being mindful of the gear I carry, focusing on skill-building, and continuing to practice my systems support a more positive and comfortable experience outside.
I encourage you to find your own balance between carrying what you need and what you want on each trip. Be curious about where you draw that line, and be open to learning new things about your approach and mindset along the way.
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