Backpacks
Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 Backpack- As we make the switch from our regular backpacking gear to ultralight equipment, Justin opted for the Mariposa 60, an award winning backpack from Gossamer Gear that weighs in at just around 2 lbs. One of the reasons Justin chose this backpack as opposed to other ultralight packs was the fact that it still has a lot of pockets. Seven pockets in fact, two of which are easy to reach for water and one on the front that’s mesh for carrying wet stuff. He’s tested it out backpacking the John Muir Trail and shorter distance trips in Tahoe and Yosemite and absolutely loves it. His other packs are a Kelty and a Mountainsmith and he’s found the Gossamer Gear pack to be much more comfortable with absolutely no hot spots. The only negative he’s found is that the ventilation is not quite as good as other packs he’s had so his back gets a little hotter and sweatier, but he’d already read about that in the reviews and feels that it’s a really minimal issue compared to the level of comfort this pack provides.
That’s our Big Agnes Fly Creek tent in the side pocket
Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 Backpack - After six years of using a Deuter ACT Zero backpack, I finally got a truly ultralight backpack in preparation for the John Muir Trail, which I’ll be doing with Justin this July. Since I have a total hip replacement, it’s important for me to get my gear down to the lowest possible weight so that I can keep enjoying backpacking without it hastening a second replacement. At just 28.2 oz (for the small), this backpack still boasts a lot of features like multiple pockets and a removable SitLight pad. I’ll update you with a lot more details and my thoughts after putting it to the test on the JMT!
(Since I used the Deuter ACT Zero 45 + 15 SL for such a long time, I’m going to keep my thoughts about it here as an alternative for someone not quite ready to go to an ultralight pack. I was generally pretty happy with this 45L pack despite the fact that it’s not really an ultralight backpack. The main reason I liked it was because it’s a women-specific design with narrow, short shoulder straps and a short torso length as I’m quite petite (5’2”). I had a Gregory pack before this one and found the hip belt to be a bit stiff, so have been happy with the level of flexibility and padding on the ACT Zero’s hip belt. Other features include a cushioned, breathable back panel with hollow-chamber foam, a removable lid closure and an extension collar that adds 15 liters of space, five exterior pockets, gear loops, and the ability to adjust to various torso lengths with the Variquick system. It distributes weight well and I found it to be very comfortable until my last two backpacking trips when part of the torso length adjustment system started to feel like it was digging into my back right between my shoulder blades. Since that wasn’t an issue for me in the past, I probably just needed to do some adjustments and am still going to give this backpack an overall thumbs up. My only other complaint aside from the digging into my back issue is that I found the hip belt pocket to be a bit small and also sometimes wished there were two. Weighs 3 lb 5 oz)
Cooking
Zelph’s Fancee Feest Alcohol Stove - Crafted from a Fancy Feast cat food tin, this little alcohol stove weighs in at just 0.8 oz and is our current stove of choice for backpacking when we’re really trying to cut weight and aren’t going on a really long trip. Features include an integrated stainless steel pot support, fiberglass wicking material, and 2.5 oz fuel capacity. We’ve been burning HEET (the yellow one) which is mainly methanol and it’s been burning well/clean but there are a ton of options out there like ethanol and methyl hydrate. The biggest downside in our opinion is that unless you want to carry a big heavy bottle of fuel and therefore negate one of the main reasons you’d get a stove like this, you have to figure out how long your stove burns on different quantities of alcohol and how long it takes you to cook the different foods you’re planning to take so you can measure out what you need and transfer it to a smaller container. For example, on our last trip we had to figure out how many cooked meals we were going to have, approximate how many minutes cook time it was going to take for each of those meals, calculate how many ounces of fuel it would take to burn for that many minutes, and then transfer that amount (plus a little extra just in case) into a small bottle. Another downside to using an alcohol stove like this is that it takes longer to cook things. For example, it took us about 8 minutes to bring 900 ml to a rolling boil which could have been done in half that time with our MSR stove. The final downside is if you’re more of a gourmet backpacker the inability to adjust the flame could be an issue. With all that said though, we still love our alcohol stove because it’s hard to beat when it comes to weight and size.
Soto Amicus Stove- For longer backpacking trips we really like this compact stove, which weighs just 2.9 oz and is compatible with any standard isobutane canister (like the ones they make for Jetboil and Primus stoves). A raised ledge at the crown of the burner increases performance in windy conditions and the stove has a built in ignitor so you don’t need matches or a lighter, which is pretty handy. Justin used this on the John Muir Trail without any issues or complaints and we’ve noticed that it’s very well reviewed by other users, so most people seem to be having a great experience with it. Another pro is the price, as it’s more affordable than most other stoves in it’s category.
TOAKS Titanium Pots - We have the 1100ml and 750ml pots that nest one inside the other. Both have folding handles for compact storage, lids with lockable grips, and mesh storage sacks. We usually take both of them backpacking so we can start one thing and be cooking a second thing while we eat the first. We eat straight from the pots, no need for the added weight of bowls or plates. If we were to take just one pot, we’d pick the 1100ml for two people. For example, it just perfectly fits two packs of instant noodles. The only downside to these pots, in our opinion, is the price. Being titanium though, we feel that it’s an investment that will last a long time. The 1100ml pot with lid weighs 4.8 oz and the 750ml pot with lid weighs 3.6 oz.
Light My Fire Sporks - We may not take dishes backpacking, but we do take eating utensils: two lightweight BPA free plastic sporks from Light My Fire. We’ve been using them for six years now and the only sign of wear is the tip of one of the tines snapped off one of the sporks. Weighs 0.8 oz for two.
BearVault Canister - We backpack in a lot of national parks where bear canisters are required, so ended up purchasing the BV500 canister from BearVault. This canister (and the smaller version of it) are approved for use in all national park and they are currently the lightest plastic bear canisters on the market. The BV500 weighs 2lbs 9oz, which still seems pretty heavy but is better than the alternative canisters! At just over 12” tall (700 cubic inches of space), BearVault states that the BV500 can accommodate 7 days of food for one person. Justin used it when he did the John Muir Trail and was actually able to pack a little over 10 days worth of food into it by carefully picking non-bulky items that packed together well (like couscous in ziplock bags). On trips together we’ve been able to carry 3 days worth of food for both of us in a single canister without difficulty, including bulkier foods like packs of Ramen noodles.
Water
Platypus Hoser Hydration System - This collapsible hydration system is one of the lightest on the market at just 4 oz for the 3L reservoir with drinking tube assembly, which is what we are currently using. It features a carry/hanging loop on the top and fits perfectly into the water compartment in my backpack. The drinking tube is long enough to run up the length of my backpack and out to a hydration securement area on the shoulder strap with extra length to spare. A simple one-piece, self-sealing bite valve makes it quick and easy to drink hands-free and Platypus says their design provides a 30% increased flow rate. I don’t know what that flow rate is in comparison to, but it does have a really nice fast flow unlike some of those bite and seal valves that seem to hardly open when you bite them so you have to spend forever trying to get a drink. Because we always backpack places with plenty of water for filtering, we only carry this one water bladder and both of us drink/cook from it. There’s nothing particularly fancy about it, but it’s light and it works without any problems so we’re fans.
MSR HyperFlow Microfilter - This hollow fiber technology filter meets NSF protocol P231 for removal of bacteria (99.9999%) and protozoa (99.9%) from beginning to end of filter life in “worst-case” water. It’s got a pretty fast flow rate at 3 liters per minute (or about 1 liter every 20 strokes) and comes with a handy quick connect bottle adapter that lets you filter water directly into a variety of containers. We’ve been using this filter for around eight years and like the fact that it’s pretty small and allows us to filter water quickly. One thing that may be a con for some folks is that this filter can’t be allowed to freeze because it can damage the cartridge. When we backpack in freezing temps we usually keep it at the bottom of one of our sleeping bags. Another thing that people don’t like about this filter, which we get if you’re using it alone, is that the pre-filter end that goes in the water constantly wants to flip upside down for some reason. That wouldn’t matter except it floats really well so tends to hover right at the surface, which means that when it flips upside down it’s usually no longer in the water so you have to stop filtering and get it repositioned. If you have two people though, it’s plenty easy to just have one person hold the pre-filter end down in the water while the other person pumps. The final thing that a lot of people mention in reviews is that they feel that it’s hard to pump and that after awhile it freezes up and they can’t use it. We’ve never had either issue, so don’t know if we’ve just been lucky? Anyways, because of the issues mentioned above it doesn’t have super good consumer reviews, but it has won a Backpacker Magazine Editors’ Choice Award, so make of that what you will. Weighs 7.8 oz.
Update: We just switched this system out for smartwater bottles paired with a Sawyer Squeeze Filter, which weighs just 2.5 oz and removes bacteria, protozoa, cysts, sediment, and 100% of microplastics. We’ll give you all the details after using it for the first time on our John Muir Trail trip this summer.
Sleeping
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3- This award winning ultralight three season tent from Big Agnes has a trail weight of just 2lbs 15oz and has been our go to tent for the last 5 years, so we’ve really put it to the test across three seasons and for the entire John Muir Trail and found it quite satisfactory. Even though Big Agnes says this is a three person tent (if those three people alternate sleeping directions according to their diagram), it’s definitely at tight squeeze for three people (we’ve done it once) and feels more like a two person tent if you don’t want your sleeping bag pressed up against the walls. It features a steep pitch design for more head space, a 12 sq ft vestibule, five interior mesh pockets, gear loft option, and super light aluminum J stakes. The thing that we love most about this tent is how quick and easy it is to set up utilizing a design where the tent body is attached to the pole frame via clips. We were recently forced to set it up in a hail storm and were super glad it only takes about 3 minutes to set up. The second thing we really like about it is that it actually fits back in it’s bag without difficulty! Half the time you take a tent out of it’s bag and then it’s practically impossible to roll it back up as tightly as the manufacturers and so you end up struggling every time. Not so with this tent. The only thing that’s gone wrong with it after 5 years of use is that one of the seams at the top of the tent where the fabric pulls really tight to clip to the pole frame is starting to tear. We’ll try to repair it at some point but in the meantime have started just not clipping that part and don’t have any problems with leaking since it’s in the main tent and not the rain fly. Just as an FYI, the footprint for this tent is sold separately. We didn’t want to spend an extra $80 for the footprint so we just bought some Tyvek super cheap from Home Depot and cut it to size.
Feathered Friends Flicker UL Quilt - Justin has just started using the 20 degree version of this ultralight 950 fill goose down quilt (the down is ethically sourced) as a lighter option than a conventional sleeping bag (26.2oz for the 20F long down to just 18.3oz for the 40F regular). Quilts recently became a thing when people thought through the fact that down that is compressed doesn’t really do anything, thus making the down that’s compressed under your body in a sleeping bag unnecessary. Quilts basically just provide the top half of a sleeping bag thus cutting down on weight. Although most quilts come with some sort of system that allows you to pull it snug around your sleeping pad to eliminate drafts, it seems that they are often drafty all the same. The Flicker deals with this issue by kind of being a hybrid between a sleeping bag and a quilt with it’s square shape and ability to unzip fully into a quilt or be zipped back up and the end cinched closed to make a hoodless sleeping bag. For that reason, it’s won a lot of accolades as one of the most flexible sleeping systems out there. Justin has used it for some short distance backpacking trips and on the entire John Muir Trail and he really likes it. The lowest temperature he’s used it in is low 30s and he slept nice and warm, so we’re interested to see how it will perform around the 20 degree mark. From what I’ve read, Feathered Friends temperature ratings are conservative so it should be good to what it says. Some things Justin really likes about it so far is the super soft fabric, incredible loft, draft collar, stiff fabric along the zipper so it doesn’t get caught, fact that it packs into an 8L compression sack, and great length. He’s 6’2” so I bought him a long and if he slides all the way to the end he’s actually able to pull the top of the quilt up around his head like a hood. Something else that is a plus is that the end really cinches tight so that you don’t get any draft around your feet. That was a problem with some of the other quilts I looked at where people had to stuff things into the hole at the end because it didn’t cinch tight enough. The other bonus with having a “sleeping bag” with an end you can open and close is if you’re the kind of person who hates having your feet enclosed or whose feet get really hot at night, you can have the whole thing zipped up and snuggled around you but still have your feet poking out the end. Like I said earlier, it really is super versatile. The one thing Justin doesn't like about it, but we reckon is just the nature of quilts, is that when it’s zipped up, it’s pretty narrow so not great for a side sleeper.
Nemo Viola 20 Sleeping Bag - Unfortunately, I don’t currently have an ultralight sleeping bag or quilt so I’m using the Nemo Viola 20 women’s sleeping bag that Justin picked up for me for a steal from an REI garage sale. It weighs 3 lb 8 oz with an approximate compressed volume of 13L. I’ve been using this sleeping bag for a little over a year so have used it on a number of trips but haven’t quite put it through the ringer. So far I like it though. It’s got silky soft fabric, super fluffy draft collar, a pillow pocket, and extra space for side sleepers. No issues with construction quality to date. I’m currently planning to switch to a quilt and will most likely go with a Hammock Gear Premium Burrow. I’ll post an update when I make that switch.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad - This is Justin’s current sleeping pad and according to Therm-a-Rest, it’s made with a patent-pending reflective layer that returns heat back to your body and creates air pockets that conserve warmth, all without the bulk and weight of down and synthetic fills. The regular weighs just 12 oz and packs down to about the size of a 1 liter water bottle. It’s 2.5 inches thick when inflated, so pretty comfy, and has an R-value of 3.2. The one downside is that the patent-pending reflective layer makes a pretty loud crackly sound when you move around on the pad, so light sleepers may not like it so much.
Nemo Astro Lite Sleeping Pad - My current sleeping pad. Features 3.5” thickness, lateral baffles, and weighs just 14 oz. Nemo offers an insulated and non-insulated version of this pad and I have the non-insulated one, not by choice, but because I found it for a killer deal at an REI garage sale. As such, the non-insulated version is only rated down to 35 degrees (Nemo chooses not to rate their sleeping pads with R-values) so I will probably switch to a different sleeping pad at some point. However, it’s been working fine for me for the last couple of years and is definitely very plush and comfy. I also like that it packs down really small, to about 8” X 3” or the size of a water bottle. The one thing I can see some folks not liking is the width. I’m pretty petite and even I find it a bit narrow. If that’s really an issue for someone though, they do offer a long/wide version.
Miscellaneous
Outdoor Research Ultralight 15L Compression Sack - This is the compression sack I use for my sleeping bag and our winter sleeping bags. We’ve been using it for about five years and it’s really a great compression sack with no signs of wear yet. It weighs 3.4 oz and features a four strap design, water resistant fabric, and end cap pockets to store small items. It feels less flimsy than the Granite Gear sack but does weigh a little more, though not by much - the 8L version weighs 2.3 oz versus Granite Gear’s 1.8 oz.
Granite Gear Air Compressor 8L Compression Sack - This is the compression sack Justin uses for his quilt. It weighs just 1.8 oz and features ultralight micro-cord drawstring and lighter hypalon grommets. The body of the sack is made from 30-denier nylon with a 210-denier nylon reinforced lid. Because it’s so light weight it feels a bit flimsy, but generally has good reviews and so far so good for us as well.
Justin’s Flicker quilt packed into the Granite Gear 8L compression sack
Exped Air Pillow - This is purely a luxury item, but at a mere 2.5 oz it’s something Justin frequently chooses to bring when we backpack. I have one too but can’t remember the last time I used it since I’m not really a pillow person. Even at home I often choose to sleep flat on the mattress without a pillow. If you do like pillows though, this is a good choice for backpacking in our opinion. It features a soft polyester tricot fabric, an indent in the middle to better fit the contours of your head, and two low profile valves - one for inflating the pillow (a handy one way valve) and one for deflating the pillow. Comes with it’s own adorably tiny stuff sack. We’ve had these pillows for six years now and they show no signs of wear, so the quality seems to be pretty top notch.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Mini Pump - This is also a purely luxury item, but it sure is nice tossing our sleeping pads into the tent and letting this little pump inflate them while we set up the rest of camp instead of having to blow them up ourselves, especially at high altitudes. Runs off of two AAA batteries, weighs 2.3 oz, and is approximately the size of a couple boxes of matches. Fits any NeoAir mattress valve, but since so many sleeping pad valves are similar, it fits others too including my Nemo sleeping pad. We’ve been using this pump for a little over a year and haven’t had any problems so far.
Altogether, the weight of all the items listed in this post is 17 lbs 14 oz including our backpacks. That does not include water, food, or clothes as we don’t consider that part of our base gear weight as it changes trip to trip/by season. We try to divvy our gear weight pretty evenly, so each of us carries about 9 lbs of gear and are planning to get that weight down even a bit more once I switch out my sleeping bag for a quilt.
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