Ultralight Backpacking

Some paragraphs will appear with borders like this one. While the information in these paragraphs is still valid it has been supplanted by more recent ideas. Typically, you will see this only when I am discussing specific items of gear like backpacks or sleeping bags.

Choosing the right clohting to wear and carry has a tremendous impact on the weight of your pack. You need to consider several factors in making clothing choices. Just a few questions you will be asking yourself include:

If you do most of your hiking in temperate climates where the chance of rain is slight you are going to make different clothing choices than will someone who hikes in places where temperatures are much warmer and the chance of rain is high (to say nothing of colder and wet).

The environment isn't the only thing that will determine what you choose to take. How your body reacts to that environment is crucial too. Do you heat up or cool down quickly? Are you unwilling to get even a little wet in a warm rain? Do you sweat a lot when your are exerting yourself? The answers to these, and other, questions affect your clothing choices too.

For these reasons I cannot tell you that you will wear such and so in a given climate and be happy. I can only tell you what I choose to wear, carry and why. I do make the distinction between worn clothing and carried clothing. While the clothing you wear does have mass, and therefore weight, it is distributed over your body and you don't notice it. The clothing you carry in your backpack is stuffed in that pack increasing the weight of the backpack itself and that has a greater effect than increasing the weight of the carried clothing. I will not suggest you wear all the clothing you have since that is rather inpractical and potentially dangerous, but you will notice that my clothing choice now sometimes have me actually wearing more than I did when I carried a heavier, more "normal", backpack.

Three season backpacking is backpacking in conditions above freezing. The definition is arbitrary, but I think most people would agree with it. If I am going on a trip where I expect the temperatures to hover around freezing, say 35°F (2°C), I'll probably pack for a three season trip with just a little extra insulation (the extra 3°F is a safety margin of sorts). If I expect temperatures would never dip below say 70°F (21°C) I would probably take a little less insulation and consider that a summer trip. However, in general the clothing I'll discuss here is what would almost always go on a trip.

The following table gives you an idea of what I used to carry and wear and what I now carry and wear. Imagine temperatures during the day in the 50s°F rising in time to the 60s°F with reasonable chances for rain.(low to mid teens°C). Nightime temperatures would be considerably cooler. Imagine spring or fall weather in Michigan or the mountains of the east coast.

In my case I was nearing the light status as far as clothing worn even when carrying a heavy load. But, often times, this is not the case. Usually people will be wearing less and carrying more when "heavy packing" following the idea that it is best to wear as little as possible in a given circumstance, but carry everything you might need for any circumstance. A person going ultralight flips this around a bit and will wear heavier clothing and carry less. He or she may loose some flexibility doing this, but if clothing is chosen carefullly that need not be the case. For example, the Paramo Mountain Shirt can be worn comfortably over an enormous temperature range even when hiking.

The best way I think to reduce the weight of clothing you need to carry and/or wear is to find clothing that works well under a wide variety of conditions. If you can wear one or two garments for all the conditions you are expecting you are much better off than if you have to bring along many pieces of clothing. Finding the right clothing though is tough since it is usually not possible to test things out (and then return them) without actually subjecting them to real world use.

Let me try to explain my rationale for wearing and carrying what I do now. Keep in mind that a lot of the hiking I do is either on the east coast or in Michigan. This means that summer temperatures do often rise well above 85°F (29°C). But, if hiking in the northern parts of the east coast or Michigan that isn't necessarily the case. In spring and fall temperatures are markedly cooler. Rain is always a possibility if not a daily occurance. In summer conditions I would either leave the Paramo home or it would be carried much of the time (it blocks insects quite well).

A comparison of clothing carried and worn when heavy packing versus ultralight packing. Weights are in ounces. The big change is a substantial weight reduction in **carried** clothing.
Heavy Load	Lighter Load Circa 2000	Lighter Load Circa 2002
Item	Carried	Worn	Item	Carried	Worn	Item	Carried	Worn
Columbia long sleeve nylon shirt¹	8.60		Paramo Mountain Shirt²		14.00	Paramo Mountain Shirt⁶		14.00
Capilene silkweight t-shirt		5.50	Capilene silkweight t-shirt	5.50		Capilene silkweight t-shirt	5.50
Capilene silkweight t-shirt	5.50
Capilene underwear		1.75	Capilene underwear		1.75	Capilene underwear		1.75
Hiking socks		2.00	Hiking socks		2.00	Hiking socks		2.00
Hiking socks	2.00		Hiking socks	2.00		Hiking socks	2.00
Liner socks	0.50
Vasque Sundowners		48.00	Saloman Raid Winds		33.75	Lowa Tempest⁷		36.54
Sandals	20.00
REI Supplex Convertible pants		12.40	REI Supplex Convertible pants³		12.40	REI Supplex Convertible pants³		12.40
nylon shorts	5.00
Rain coat	24.00		Stephenson Rain Poncho	7.25		Stephenson Rain Poncho	7.25
Sierra Designs rain pants	7.85		Moonbow Gear Rain Chaps	2.20		Moonbow Gear Rain Chaps	2.20
heavyweight Coolmax longsleeve shirt	9.75
Polartec 100 weight vest⁴	10.60		Patagonia R1 vest⁵	6.70		Ibex Icefall jacket⁸	14.80
Total	(5.01lb.) 80.2	(4.35lb.)69.65	Total	(1.45lb.) 22.95	(3.99lb.) 63.9	Total	(1.98lb.) 31.75	(4.16lb.) 66.69
Worn when temperature drops below say 60°F. Can be worn hiking into the low 60°F range. Replaced with MEC Ferrata pants (14.25oz) or, more likely, Ibex Guide Pants (14.81oz) when temperatures get consistently cooler say in the low 40s. Worn probably when temperatures dropped into upper 40°F range. If it got much colder a Patagonia Puffball pullover was added. Probably not carried unless I was expecting temperatures significantly closer to 50°F. If I was expecting colder I would have to add another insulation layer. Could be replaced with Smartwool longsleeve zip-neck top (10.51oz - M). The Paramo shirt can be worn in warmer conditions; the Smartwool in cooler. In both cases one or the other item is probably only brought if I anticipate allot of camp/low-activity time like I had during my fall 2002 trip to Grand Teton National Park. If I don't expect plenty of low activity time the Ibex Icefall and a shell is enough. Another option for extended inactive time is to replace the Icefall-shirt combination with a light down jacket like the PHD Minimus. Given the proper trail conditions these could be replaced with a train running shoe like the New Balance 804, Tecnica Shandal, or Adidas Banshee. In my opinion this jacket is far more versatile than the Patagonia R1 vest or Patagonia Puffball. It is worth the weight gain for its extra warmth, wind, and wet weather protection. It is not a substitute for a rain jacket or poncho.

If I were going on a trip where temperatures could be relied up to be considerably warmer and chances of rain substantially less my clothing list would change considerably. For example, if I were hiking in the southwest during the "summer" season where temepratures even at thier coolest would not likely dip below 60°F I'd definitely leave insulating layers behind and perhaps even leave the rain gear behind. A recent example of this can be seeen in the gear I took on my July 2002 trip to Zion National Park and Paria Canyon.

I suppose my general 3 season clothing follows pretty classic layering lines. A base layer does move water away from my skin and a shell layer keeps wind and rain out. In my case the base layer is also my primary insulation in the form of the Paramo Mountain Shirt. As long as I can keep the inner layer dry and the wind off my skin I can be quite happy hiking with the clothing listed above. Other people have different ideas on what to wear and I encourage you to visit their web sites which you can find on the Additional Information page.

TORSO: I used to carry and/or wear a couple Capilene t-shirts, a Columbia long sleeve button down shirt, a insulation layer like my REI Polartec 100 vest or Patagonia Puffball pullover, and shell rain jacket and pants. I would pick the clothing I would wear as the weather changed during the day. This meant I could always be comfortable no matter the conditions but that I was having to fiddle around with lots more clothing.

Today I carry considerably less clothing. I have chosen clothing that works well over a wider range of weather conditions. Admittedly it doesn't work as well in hot weather which is why I still carry, and sometimes wear, a silkweight Capilene t-shirt. But, I can wear the Paramo Mountain Shirt over a broad range of temperatures and even in wind and light rain. Since the Paramo works well over a broader range of temperatures I can cut down considerably on insulation layers and still be comfortable. SInce the insulation layers most of us tend to carry are both bulky and heavy cutting back in this area is very useful to the ultralight backpacker.

LEGS: In both systems I carry and wear much the same stuff. I find the convertible zip-off hiking pants very useful. Even if I do not remove the legs completely I can get superb venting by unzipping the legs about two-thirds the way around. However, now I do not carry an extra pair of shorts or any insulation layer unless I expect camp time temperatures to be at or below freezing (in which case I'm likely using a different type of hiking pants: my MEC Ferrata Schoeller Dryskin pants).

RAIN WEAR: It is important to keep the clothing I am wearing dry. This is perhaps even more important now than it once was since I carry fewer replacement items. Choosing rain wear that works over a wide range of temperatures is difficult. I discovered, .like many before (and since), that my Gore-Tex rain jacket just wasn't really working when put to the test. If it was chilly out it kept the rain at bay and I stayed dry on the inside. But, if it was not that chilly or I was really exerting myself I would get soaked from the inside out from my own sweat. This would happen no matter how much venting I provided from the jacket's pit zips. The problem here is that the jacket doesn't work well when there isn't a steep temperature gradiant.

My solution was to forget the old, heavy, rain jacket completely. I switched to a poncho. A silnylon poncho, like my Stephenson Warmlite model, is completely waterproof. It is not waterproof/breathable. But, then the classic rain jacket I was using is barely breathable when the temperatures aren't chilly. The poncho gives its wearer superior ventilation so you are not likely to soak yourself with sweat. Ponchos provide excellent wind protection which is also important. Finally, the poncho can be used for other things if the need arises. For me that main extra use is as a backpack cover against inclement weather. I no longer need to carry a half pound backpack cover because the poncho performs the same function. I can, and have, wear the poncho in the rain, take the pack off, get something out, futz around a bit, and then get moving again and keep everything in the pack dry. I couldn't do that if I were using a backpacker cover. Nor could I keep myself dry if I wanted to change clothing during a rain storm. The poncho can act as a temporary shelter.

Ponchos are not perfect. In high winds they billow and that can be quite irritating. You can cinch a poncho down with a simple belt, but they will still billow more than a rain jacket. A rain jacket will provide some insulation as well as providng a barrier against the wind and rain. A poncho serves only as a barrier although that barrier is, in my view, more important than the small extra insulation the old rain jacket provided. However, if I was going to be hiking in conditions where a billowing poncho could be a problem (hgih winds, lots of brush) I would probably choose a rain jacket of some sort. What that jacket might be is still up for debate. The Frogg Toggs jacket while somewhat flimsy has worked well for me in the past. And although I have never tried the Buffalo Teclite Shirt I would consider it in certain cases especially if cold rainy weather was the norm. A silnylon rain jacket, like the Stephenson model, could also be an option in such conditions although its limited venting options could be a severe drawback.

I generally don't mind if my legs get wet. I have found that my legs easily overheat and therefore unless it is cold and raining out I am not inclined to put any kind of rain/wind barrier against my legs. I used to carry Sierra Designs Microlight Rain Pants. They were rarely used. I found them hard to get on and off and I would overheat. Now if I am going to carry anything I carry my Moonbow Gear rain chaps. These are made of silnylon so they are completely waterproof, very wind resistent, and very light. Chaps do not completely cover the legs. They stop around the crotch. Therefore you need to be wearing a torso shell layer that extends below that point if you want to keep the elements at bay. Since I use a poncho that is not a problem. My Frogg Toggs jacket is also sufficiently long (barely) that I can keep dry everywhere. The chaps are also vastly easier to put on and take off than normal rain pants.

SOCKS & UNDERWEAR: I use Patagonia Capilene briefs that weigh very little and serve me just fine for underwear. They seem to wick moisture away reasonably well and that is important in that part of the body where you are most likely to develop chaffing. Still, I do sometimes chaf and if I find something that works better I will switch even if it is a bit heavier.

Socks, like shoes, are a very individual thing. Some people swear by good quality wool socks while others swear at them. I want a sock that will let my foot breathe but keep it protected and warm at the same time. I've found that Smartwool, Bridgedale, and Thorlo, all work for me. I probably use Bridgedale AT Hiking socks most these days unless I am going on a trip where I know it is going to be cold and then I switch to a wool sock for extra warmth. I used to carry liner socks, but since switching to a lighter hiking shoe I have generally found that they are not necessary. I carry one pair of socks. Whichever pair is being carried, assuiming it is dry already, I do my best to ensure it stays dry. If a pair of socks has gotten wet from either sweat or rain I will change pairs. Keeping my feet as dry as I generally can manage is important since it substantially reduces the chances of a hot spot and/or blister developing.

INSULATION: When the temperature begins to drop I do add some insulation to what I take. These days this has taken the form of a Patagonia R1 Vest worn over the Paramo Mountain Shirt. Depending on what the weather is doing I'll either wear a poncho or more close fitting rain/wind jacket like my Frogg Togg jacket (in winter my MEC Ferrata Jacket). I may modify this system if I ever purchase a Buffalot Teclite Activity Shirt or Jacket.

In 2001 I purchased an Ibex Icefall jacket and Guide pants. These are both made of Schoeller skifans fabric. This fabric has an outer shell of Schoeller Dynamic which is considerably more breathable and therefore somewhat less weather resistant than the Dryskin fabric that the MEC Ferrata pants and jacket fabric. The inner lining of the skifan fabric is a thin lining of fine merion wool. The wool adds considerably to the fabric's ability to keep you warm and dry. If the temperatures are dropping but generally are still above freezing (I've used the Ibex products in below freezing conditions too) I find the pants and especially the jacket tremendously useful pieces of clothing.

Unless the temperature is going to be hovering around freezing all the time or I expect that sub-freezing conditions are a real possibility over the course of a trip I probably won't carry any long johns. I will change to my warmer MEC Ferrata pants as the temperature drops.

FOOTWEAR: I used to wear Vasque Sundowners. These are great boots and will suffer all sorts of abuse with little complaint. My feet would generally stay warm and dry in whatever conditions I wore the shoes until water managed to get in over the top. WHen that would happen the boots would take a very long time to dry. The Sundowners do provide a lot of support in the hell and around the ankle. But, as my pack weight diminished I discovered that that support wasn't as necessary as I used to believe.

I now wear a far lighter lower cut hiking boot like the Vasque Exodus or Raid WInd from Salomon. I've not yet gone to the trail runner as many people have done. The lighter shoe does allow my foot to breathe better and does really degrade my foot's protection which I still consider important since I'm always stubbing my toes or twisting my ankle. However, I believe that the high cut boot is not necessary since I carry a much lighter load. It's extra ankle support is also not really needed for the same reason (it is also debatable how much extra support is given).

Wearing a lighter shoe does impact how you will feel over the course of a day. Reducing the weight you have to lift and set back down each time you take a step will have a profound impact on how tired your feet become over several hours of walking. While I am not willing to quantify the improvement I can attest that it is significant (some people will suggest that a 1 pound reduction in weight on your feet is equivalent to a 5 pound reduction in your backpack).

What I have described is not perfect. The clothing choices have some limitations. For example, if I were going to be hiking in conditions where daytime highs were in the mid 50s with night temperatures a bit below freezing what I have described would be fine. But, if plenty of cold freezing rain and high winds were added to that mix I would be somewhat concerned about my overall comfort level given the clothing I currently own and tend to choose.

Backpacking in the winter is a wholly different experience from three season backpcking. If I had a choice of hiking in weather that featured precipitation in the form of freezing rain or snow I would choose snow fall. Dealing with the extra cold that winter brings along with the inevitable snow fall requires different clothing than you would normally carry. But, in some ways dealing with snow is easier than dealing with rain.

Snow, even if it is wet, doesn't soak clothing quite as quickly as rain does. This is an important differnce. If I can brush the snow off my clothing I know that it will stay fairly dry as long as the snow hasn't had a chance to really melt on the clothing. I can ensure that doesn't happen too quickly with good insulation under the outer shell. Under these conditions I feel comfortable using the Ferrata Jacket as my sole outer shell even if it is snowing (I'd not feel nearly as comfortable using it alone in a long lasting decent rain storm). I may still carry an addtional shell to wear over the jacket, but its main function would be as a wind proof layer.

Keeping warm is, of course, important. I add insulation layers to the typical three season clothing I would carry. I change to my Ferrata pants which shed snow and are a bit warmer than my convertible nylon pants. I may add a pair of long joohns to be worn at least when sleeping and perhaps during the day. The Patagonia R1 vest goes along too. I have found that this combination of clothing works for me certainly down to temperatures close to 0°F during the daytime (generally warming to around 20-25°F). If I am moving through a winter wonderland I am generating more than enough heat to stay warm. If I am at camp and it is windy a windproof outer shell is toss on and perhaps even a bit more insulation in the form of a Marmot down vest.

I have come to the conclusion that for the type of winter hiking I have done, and will likely continue to do, that vests are generally more than enough to keep me warm. A vest keeps my torso, the body's core, warm and that has proved to be plenty even if I am in camp not doing that much. If things were to get really cold I could always retreat to my sleeping bag. If I was planning a long winter backpacking trip I might carry a insulating pullover or parka instead of the vest for extra security, but for short trips or ones where even the in-camp temperature isn't going to go below 0°F until well after sndown and I crawl into my sleeping bag I will stick with what I have described so far.

I have also carried a Stephenson's Warmlite vapor barrier shirt. When a vapor barrier (VB) garment is worn next to the skin it greatly increases your ability to tolerate cold. The vapor barrier keeps you warm by preventing rapid cooling that can occur when sweat is wicked away from your skin. The vapor barrier holds the moisture against your skin, which is acceptable, and actually acts a little like a wet suit since it keep a warm layer of moist air near your skin (which is preferable to excedingly dry air which is common in winter). The downside to a vapor barrier is that it does hold in moisture. If you sweat a lot it is easy to feel clammy and uncomfortable. You'll notice this pretty quickly and it is a sign that you are overheating. If you can properly vent your clothing this doesn't have to be a problem, but I have found that wearing a full vapor barrier shirt like the Stephenson model is overkill when hiking in temperatures much above 15°F (maybe I was just too slow to remove some insulation). While I did not have any problems with the rapid cooling (called "flash off") that can happen when you take a rest break and your sweat starts to evaporate from your skin I did sweat too much and I couldn't vent sufficiently to be really comfortable.

If you go to sleep wearing a VB sirt you will limit the amount of moisture that evoprates from your skin into your sleeping bag. Remember that the air in winter is often very dry and that means the water in your sweat will evoprate and in so doing enter your sleeping bag damping its insulation. Damp insulation looses its effectiveness and that is something you do not want to happen. Furthermore, if you can keep the moisture close to your skin you will dehydrate somewhat less while you are asleep. Finally, the vapor barrier will increase the effective temperature rating of your bag. You will find you can sleep comfortably in temperatures that are a good deal colder than you could have done if you were not wearing a VB shirt to sleep.

Some people have experimented with partial vapor barriers as a base layer. While I have not tried this myself this approoach may be a good compromise between a full vapor barrier and none at all when winter conditions are not exceedingly cold.

I have also experimented with vapor barrier socks under my typical winter socks. The jury is still out on their effectiveness. While they should work as well as a vapor barrier shirt getting a sock that fits well can be tricky. However, I have found that vapor barrier socks like the ones sold be Stephenson Warmlite do seem to work. Perhaps the biggest advantage they have is they make it much less likely your feet will soak your socks with sweat and shortly thereafter your shoes (if I had been wearing them on a recent trip I doubt my shoes would have gotten wet from the inside out and then froze over night).

Wearing a snug fitting vapor barrier (or psuedo vapor barrier) against your skin followed by close fitting insulation layers can greatly extend the warmth of your clothing. I realize that the idea behind vapor barriers sounds odd, but it does work. You can control evaporative cooling, prevent your skin from drying out, and keep insulation dry, with proper use of vapor barrier clothing. I have included some useful links on the Additional Information page.

Keeping my feet and hands warm is important. I have found that Smartwool or other wool type socks are my favorites for keeping the feet comfortable. I have worn vapor barrier socks with them (see above) and been comfortable. Keeping the feet warm and dry (not so dry that they chap) is important. You can loose a lot of heat through your feet since they aare far from our body core and are in close contact with the cold ground.

Keping your socks dry is important. If your socks are wet they'll loose effectiveness, you will run the risk of blisters which no one likes, and your shoes will soak through from the inside out. In order to keep your socks dry you need to keep your shoes dry and block moisture from your feet as best as you can (vapor barrier socks will block moisture from the inside; make sure they fit well). You also need to keep the socks from getting wet from the outside. The best way to do this is to wear good insulated waterproof boots. While I would not mind owning a pair of boots like the Stieger Mukluks I have heard so much about I don't have a pair and don't expect to get a set anytime soon. However, it is crucial that your boots keep your feet warm and so this is an area you should pay attention too.

Most people will suggest a boot with a removable closed cell insulating liner. I agree with this. However, I have found that the following solution seems to work for me. I wear my normal three season hiking shoe and over that I wear an insulated overboot. The NEOS Explorer (41.83oz.) has worked quite well so far. It is a bit bulky and that can make sliding it into a snowshoe binding tough, but I think it is probably considerably warmer than over boots you can find from places like Outdoor Research though I did consider their products at one time.

I have yet to find a solution that I really like for keeping my hands warm. I either end up with hands that are too hot or too cold. Currently I take a couple pairs of light fleece gloves. They add some warmth and block the wind. But, this is an area that needs improvement. I've not tried vapor barrier gloves and don't know if I ever will.

Keping your head protected and insulated is important. Your loose a vast amount of heat through your head so holding it in is important (the old aphorism that states, "if your feet are cold; wear a hat" is true). I do not like wearing really heavy hats if I can avoid it. I have found that a hat such as the Cornice hat sold by Outdoor Research is usually more than enough. I have a balaclava that I will carry if I expect really serious cold, but I actually prefer taking a simple fleece neck gaitor. I just find it more comfortable.