3-Day Ultralight Backpacking Gear List

Dear fellow backpacker,

I’m on the sunset side of 60, but even when I was in my teens and twenties I had fun reducing the weight of my pack.

When I was young, strong, and full of energy I still couldn’t understand carrying a heavy pack. Backpacking is infinitely more enjoyable when you’re carrying a light load and getting closer to nature. Hiking should be closer to walking than hauling.

So, for over 40 years I’ve been working on ways to lighten my pack — without sacrificing comfort.

I get lots of catalog requests that say things like "I have knee problems and need to get my pack down to 35 pounds." Ouch!! Why not get under 20 pounds so you can float along and really have fun!

Much of a heavy pack comes from the overkill of carrying winter items. If your biggest weather threat is a summer shower, backpacking should be simple. For starters, most people use a sleeping bag that makes them sweat in summer. It’s easier to use one of the Western Mountaineering bags — then if you go on a trip that’s going to be a little cooler, just add a silk liner. It’s just 4.7 ounces, and the liner keeps you another 9 ½ degrees warmer.

Once you commit to a light pack, you can save a lot of weight on the pack itself. Many packs weigh 7 pounds or more. And the manufacturers have the nerve to say how "comfortable" they are. Your knees and ankles know the total weight you’re carrying.

Notice how these products are as comfortable to use as heavier ones, and in most cases more convenient because they’re small and simple.

People have asked me for a specific list of how I can get my pack weight down to 15 pounds. Here it is -- including clothing and food. You can modify it with a tent instead of a bivy sack and so on. Put the pencil to it. It works!

Add up your heaviest items, the pack, sleeping bag, bivy, pad, rain gear, stove, and fuel and you’re still under 7 pounds — the weight of many packs alone! Choose the larger pack and the tent, and you’re still under 8 pounds. Then see how light your total can be, including food and water.

Your 3-day pack can be only 7 lbs. 12.7 oz. plus water. No smoke. No mirrors. These are the real weights of each item and the real total. You can switch to the larger Six Moon Designs Starlite pack, the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo tent, and an Insul™ Mat air mattress and still be at only 11 lbs 5.5 oz.

Have fun,

Steve Green

3-Day Lightweight Backpacking Gear List

The clothing items above are your extras. Of course, you can reduce overall carrying weight by wearing lightweight clothes to begin with, too.

Food* for 3 days

The following weights are achieved by removing packaging from the MountainHouse freeze dry products and placing them in sandwich-size ziplock bags.

Total food weight = 27.9 oz.

Optional Items

Total weight before water: 7 lbs. 12.7 oz.

The larger Six Moon Designs Starlite pack, the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo tent (w/ poles), and an Insul™ Mat air mattress is still only 11lbs. 5.5 oz.

There you have it. A checklist of where you can make the most weight savings to lighten up and have more fun. Happy camping!

This chart is figured for solo camping. When hiking as a pair, you can make some other small weight savings.

Clothing

Here’s a sample of the gear I’d be wearing:

* These are the only items not found in the catalog

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