Hiking with light luggage - sounds promising? Learn more about ultralight trekking and what you need to consider!
Ultralight Trekking: Great adventures with light luggage
Do you love being outdoors and prefer hiking with light luggage instead of carrying a heavy backpack through nature? Then ultralight trekking is perfect for you! With less weight on your back, you can enjoy the beauty of nature on the trail more - we explain everything important about so-called ultralight hiking and give you practical tips and tricks so you're prepared for your first Ultralight hiking tour. Let's go!
What is ultralight trekking
In ultralight trekking or ultralight hiking, the goal is to travel with as little equipment in the backpack as possible, following the motto: Carry less, experience more. Ultralight traveling offers the following advantages for you:
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Joint protection
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More energy for long distances
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Fast progress
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More joy in nature
In ultralight hiking, there is a so-called Base weight, i.e., the weight of your backpack without water, food, and fuel. For ultralight hiking, the base weight is considered to be a maximum of 5 kg. If the weight of your backpack is between 5 and 9 kg, this is also referred to as Light-Trekking and at over 9 kg as normal Trekking.
Proper equipment for Ultralight Trekking: What to consider?
5 kg as a base weight is not much, but it's definitely achievable with the right equipment . When packing the backpack, it's all about the "Big Four", namely the following four big items: backpack, tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad.
1. Backpack
Your backpack for an Ultralight hike should primarily be light and functional. As a rough guideline: backpacks with a volume between 30 and 60 liters can be planned for your Ultralight hike. Moreover, you should avoid unnecessary extras, such as thick padding or frame constructions, to keep the backpack's weight - under 1 kg is advisable - low.
2. Tent
As sleeping accommodation, the classic tent is just one of many options for ultralight trekking:
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Tent: Modern ultralight tents offer the usual comfort of classic tents - with significantly less weight thanks to light materials and a lightweight frame
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Tarp: A tarp is essentially a robust, flexibly deployable tarpaulin that weighs even less than a tent.
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Bivouac sack: The lightest option is a bivouac sack, which protects you as a waterproof shell from wind and wetness and can be used alone or in addition to the tarp.
Whether it's a tarp, tent, the combination of tent and tarp (Tarptent) or a bivouac sack: The choice of your sleeping accommodation should always be based on your preference, your personal need for safety and the weather conditions depend. Because especially tarps and bivy sacks are weather or season dependent, but of course are particularly suitable during the warm months to save weight.
3. Sleeping Bag
In ultralight trekking, down sleeping bags are the first choice. Because they offer an unbeatable warmth-to-weight ratio and can be extremely small compressed. However, they are sensitive to moisture. Alternatively, there are synthetic fiber sleeping bags, which are more robust and easier to care for, but usually heavier and bulkier. Also popular in ultralight hiking are so-called Quilts – sleeping bags in blanket form, which are lighter than traditional sleeping bags, but offer the same warmth performance.
To protect your down sleeping bag from moisture, ultralight, waterproof stuff sacks are recommended: To the stuff sacks
4. Sleeping Pad
Sleeping pads are essential for ultralight trekking, as they insulate against ground cold and ensure a restful sleep in your sleeping bag or Quilt. An important aspect is the so-called R-value, which indicates how well the sleeping pad insulates heat. Especially popular are inflatable models with high R-value, but also foldable plastic mats with foam structure and low packing size are widespread. The right compromise between weight and insulation value is crucial – because poor sleep deprives you of strength while hiking.
Packing List for Ultralight Trekking
So that you have everything important with you on your first Ultralight hike, we have created a packing list for you as a guide. However, what you pack is naturally dependent on your personal Preferences as well as the weather conditions dependant.
To the checklist as a PDF file
Thanks to the packing list, you now know what belongs in your backpack for the tour, but are wondering how to best pack your outdoor equipment? In our article “Pack your backpack correctly” we provide you with concrete tips for an optimal weight distribution of your luggage.
5 Pro Tips for Ultralight Hiking
Before you embark on your first ultralight adventure, we offer you some practical tips and tricks to take along:
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Think multifunctionally: Less is more, because your buff can be a scarf, hat, pot holder, and blindfold all at once.
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Ultralight does not mean ultranaive: Safety comes first. Make sure to bring important equipment, such as a first aid kit as well as maps and sufficient provisions.
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Weigh your equipment precisely: When packing your backpack, you should weigh everything you pack precisely to avoid excess weight. A digital kitchen scale is suitable for this purpose.
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Unnecessary unpacking: Even though having a Plan B is always advisable, you should ask yourself for every item if you really need it and perhaps decide against packing the second down jacket.
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Water filter instead of bottle: With this trick, you save a significant amount of weight, as you only take as much water as you need.
Conclusion: Ultralight trekking is more than just a hiking style. It is rather a conscious step towards simplicity and connection with nature while hiking. Because you will quickly realize that you can indeed manage with fewer things on the go. And reducing backpack weight also quickly shows: It lightens the mind as well, allowing you to free your mind for the beauty around you. Now it's time to pack your backpack, eliminate unnecessary items, lace up your trail runners – and hit the trail.
