Lightweight Backpacking & Camping

Ultralight backpacking done well can be safe and comfortable. Get tips on lightening up your Big Four items, plus water and food strategies.
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But carrying a bunch of unnecessary weight can quickly dampen spirits on backpacking trips, so a little experience and pre-trip calorie calculation will go a long way. High-fat foods like olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, and chocolate tend to have high calorie-per-ounce ratios. On the other hand, fresh fruits and vegetables tend to have low calorie-per-ounce ratios. The ideal range is around calories-per-ounce total. Also, we always load up on fresh, healthy foods the moment we're back in town.

Nor will you want to clean up a bunch of dirty dishes when you're done eating.

2018 9 lbs ultralight backpacking thru hike gear list

So we recommend keeping it simple. Plan out how many times you'll need to cook including coffee and tea to calculate how much fuel to bring. Fuel usage rates vary depending on the stove model, pot size, elevation, and temperature, so knowing exactly how much fuel to bring will take some experience. On an average 5-day, two-person backpacking trip, we usually boil water about 10 times once for morning coffee and once for dinner , and one small gm isobutane fuel canister is usually more than enough.

If you can't close a food package securely, chances are it will explode in your pack and make a big mess. Small packets of salt, pepper, olive oil, hot sauce, and fast food condiment packets mayo, mustard, relish, etc can really elevate your backcountry grub. And if you want to get super fancy, you can even get a GSI Spice Missile to carry up to 6 spices for less than 2 oz. A quality food dehydrator will quickly zap the water out of fruits, veggies, and meats for some awesome DIY trail grub.

We like to sip on tea, cider, and hot cocoa around camp when the temperature dips. Not only can it disrupt your sleep cycle, but you may also have to use the bathroom more during the night. That said, whiskey and wine tend to make our pack lists on most trips, especially on casual treks with friends. We almost always start our trail mornings off with a warm cup of coffee.

After testing many coffee powders, cubes, bags, and brew styles, our favorite option for taste and convenience is Starbucks Via. We usually have a quick, cold breakfast with our coffee and break camp to hit the trail early - mornings in the wilderness are so peaceful, and one of our favorite times to hike.

ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING FOOD VIDEO

Pairing coffee with a calorically-dense bar or two is a good way to get some quick energy in the morning. For additional calories, we may munch on some trail mix or mow a packet of almond butter. On casual, low-mileage trips, we like to enjoy warm breakfasts with friends. Here's a list of our go-to breakfast choices with links to our favorites:. We almost always have a cold lunch on the trail to avoid the time, effort, and fuel required for cooking.

We commonly make tortilla or bagel sandwiches with hard meats and cheeses. Bagels and tortillas tend to hold up well on the trail and provide relatively dense calories. Peanut butter, jelly, honey, and foil packages of tuna or chicken are also good sandwich fillers. With foil packages, we'll mix up tuna or chicken with fast food condiment packs mayo, mustard, etc.

Here's a list of our go-to lunch choices with links to our favorites:. The main downside with freeze dried meals is they tend to be much more expensive than DIY options.

CRITICAL BACKPACK CONSIDERATIONS

Here's a list of our go-to dinner choices with links to our favorites:. Snacks are a critical part of any good trail diet. We always keep a few snacks in our hip belt pockets while we hike for easy access. In hot weather, we try to avoid things that melt, like granola bars with an outer layer of chocolate. Trader Joe's has some delicious and relatively affordable options for backpacking snacks.

Here's a list of our go-to trail snacks with links to our favorites:.

Best Lightweight Backpacking Food — CleverHiker

When we head out on backcountry trips, these are the items usually found in our packs. We hope this guide helps you with backcountry meal planning. If you found this guide helpful, please share it with your friends and click the little heart button below to give us a digital high five! Lightweight backpacking video guides and reviews of the best ultralight tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, stoves, and more. We love backpacking, international travel, useful gear, and all things nature. Keep up with our latest tutorials and gear reviews on YouTube. Best Lightweight Backpacking Food Meal planning is one of the most important considerations for any backpacking trip.

Here's a list of our go-to breakfast choices with links to our favorites: Here's a list of our go-to lunch choices with links to our favorites: But switching to a lighter setup can be daunting, and commercially made ultralight gear is not cheap. After years honing my kit, I have a few ideas on what to bring and what to leave behind before hitting the trail.

Eat cold food, including reconstituted meals like oatmeal or simpler items including summer sausage, hard cheese, nuts, and even packed sandwiches. Not ready to leave fire and warmth behind? Search the recycling bin for another option and turn a soda can or cat food can into a mini stove.

How to go ultralight camping

See instructions to make ultralight alcohol stoves at pages like thesodacanstove. Add a few ounces but a lot of convenience with a made-for-backpacking ultralight stove. You need to bring a fuel canister and a small pot, but these setups get your food warm fast without much of a weight penalty.


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Heating or boiling water does not necessitate a traditional cooking pot. I put my ml Snow Peak mug , which is made of titanium, right onto the stove flame. I then can heat water and drink or eat from the same small vessel. Though standard on many trails, a 1-liter Nalgene bottle weighs 6. A lighter option is ml plastic bottle from your local gas station; it weighs a mere 1. Powerade or Gatorade bottles work great, too; they have wider mouths and are a bit sturdier but also a bit heavier.

Upgrade to a Platy Bottle for the commercial option — these 2-liter soft bottles have a threaded cap and weigh almost nothing in a pack. My two favorite options for getting water outdoors include the Sawyer Squeeze , which gives immediate access to drinkable water either straight from the Sawyer or as an in-line to a bladder , and Aquamira tablets , which require a brief wait time, but no squeezing. Potable Aqua is another good option. If you choose the Sawyer Squeeze, get rid of the pouches hard to fill and tear easily and replace with a light plastic bottle for straight-from-the-bottle drinking.

Extra clothing weighs many backpackers down. Include a mid-layer, rain layers, and a light down jacket for a three-season kit. Add a light fleece hat or Buff , too, to keep your head warm at night. Two pairs should do the trick. I like merino wool. A pack cover is not necessary to keep my gear dry. Instead, I use a trash-compactor bag , which cost just a couple dollars per box. Cheap, waterproof, and durable. Tyvek, a thin industrial tarp material obtainable on Amazon , makes for a great barrier between you and the ground for sleeping tent or bivy or simply sitting.

Strong, lightweight, and cheap. A cheap waterproof option? Grab a Ziploc bag and head to the pharmacy section.