Start Ultra Light Backpacking

If you have found yourself in the middle of the wilderness, there is nothing more annoying than being tied down with tons of equipment. In fact having a lot of equipment can really reduce the freedom that comes with being out in nature. If you want to run up a ridge just to see what is happening on the other side, you will not be able to lug that big backpack all the way up there. Lightening you load allows you to not feel horrible at the end of a twenty mile day. If this sounds appealing to you then it is time for you to lighten your load.

How to get started with ultra light backpacking

1. Buy a light back pack

A good ultra light backpack will weigh in less than two pounds. You will mostly find them weighing around 14 ounces. The size of the backpacks will be a little smaller than, your heavier backpack. However, it is possible to go out for over a week at a time when your back pack weighs under two pounds.

2. Get A Light Sleeping Bag

Light sleeping bags are amazing technological achievements; you will feel the same way when you finish a twenty mile day not being completely drained. Having a sleeping bag that weighs in less than three pounds will be perfect for a serious ultra light back packer.

3. Shelter

You have a couple of choices when it comes to ultra light shelter. For one, there are tarps that are ultra light but don't exactly provide the most comfort. On the other hand you can purchase an ultra light weight tent that will be a little better but add some weight. For a tarp you can often get on that will weight around 16 ounces. When buying a tent make sure that you keep it to less than three pounds for the best possible ultra light backpacking experience.

Money will always help to reduce the weight of your equipment. Some more expensive equipment will weigh drastically less than other equipment because of the special materials that the equipment is made out of. If you don't have a lot of money to throw around on equipment one way that you can reduce the amount of cash that you spend is by buying a decent rain jacket. This will save you a lot of money over the more expensive ultra light jackets. Source
http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/ , The Ultra Light Site