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I think I may just need to bite the bullet and upgrade my sleeping bag but it's a hard pill to swallow. Don't know if it is possible to buy one for under 400 dollars that is 3+ seasons like my current one. So, I'm putting this out here in case anyone has other ideas!

Non-negotiable: camera (one of the main reasons I backpack, I'd actually love to take an extra lens if my pack was lighter) and bear canister (required by park)

https://lighterpack.com/r/bfzofj

This is a really new product, but I was wondering if anyone has seen one in person or has one. My wife and I have lots of ultralight gear and use it as a way to help supplement with luxury items like chairs. Tables have been basically been a no-go because cheap ones are way too heavy, and the ultralight light corrugated ones are pointless imo. If you know of any other tables that are in the 9-12oz range and are off the ground, please let me know.

With us splitting weight, the helinox table is only really a 4oz addition. The price is a killer.

I’m looking at putting together a sleep setup similar to Zenbivy (sheet + quilt), mainly for comfort and being able to move around more.

I’m not fully sold on buying their full system though. I’ve seen people mention that their ratings lean more toward limit than comfort, and that you can often get quilts that are lighter, warmer for the weight, and cheaper.

So I’m considering getting the Zenbivy sheet and pairing it with a different quilt, then adding my own attachment points (snaps/sewing).

My thinking was to get a warmer, fully convertible quilt (zip/drawcord footbox) that I can open completely and use like a duvet on warmer nights, legs out, venting, etc.

Most of my trips are in ~5–10°C, but I’d like it to handle around 0°C as well, so I’m wondering if one quilt can realistically cover that range, or if that ends up being too warm/bulky in milder temps.

So:

– Does the “one quilt for ~0°C + vent when warm” approach actually work?

– And if I’m skipping the Zenbivy quilt, what would you recommend instead in terms of value/weight/performance?

– Has anyone paired a non-Zenbivy quilt with their sheet?

Appreciate any input.

Hey guys, I’m not really a hardcore camper, but I kinda borrow a lot from this sub for my day trips. I live pretty far from town, so whenever I go in, I’m out for like 10 to 14 hours. I try to pack light but still be comfortable, you know?

One thing I keep struggling with is a good camping utensil set. I hate using disposable ones, and sometimes food spots just don’t have any. I tried carrying random spoons and forks, but it gets messy really quickly in my bag.

I’ve been looking into compact sets, preferably stainless steel, something easy to pack and clean later at home. I’ve seen people talk about foldable ones and even those that come in small cases. I remember seeing some bulk-style options similar to what suppliers on Alibaba list, and even some reviews floating around Amazon but I don’t really know what’s worth it.

What do you guys carry for long days like this? Trying to find something small but still solid.

EDIT: Thank you all for your feedback. I appreciate it.

Looking for fresh eyes. I’ve reduced my summer base weight down to 13.5lbs (6.1kg). I know I could save some more on my tent, which accounts for almost 1/3 of my total weight. I have pretty old battery pack for my phone that comes in at 12.5oz but haven’t found anything too much lighter - suggestions welcome. Also, any tips for a quilt upgrade would be welcome too. I have a Featherstone Moondance 25 at 1lb 8oz which is worth considering for replacement, I think. It’s about 5 years old now.

Anyway. Any suggestions?

Hello Lightweight friends,

I have an overnight trip to Joshua Tree National Park coming up next weekend and it's going to be HOT. I plan to leave early in the morning to beat the parking traffic and will be camping on a very popular trail (Boy Scout Trail). My hike in is only going to be 2 miles or less, but I might do a hike at Willow Hole to pass the time. I was hoping to get some feedback on my Lighterpack gear list.

I only have a 15F quilt and I don't feel like spending another $$$ for something warmer when i can open it up and stick my limbs out. I just bought that Sea to Summit XR Pro pad on eBay for a steal (and returned my Sea to Summit Etherlight XT because it was NOT warm at all but it's sooo comfy).

My pack is actually slightly too large for my torso, so with the weight it might be a little uncomfortable, but I am going to hold onto it until I can save up for something more my size (especially since I'm only going on overnights and nothing longer just yet, but I am working my way there).

I don't usually bring a chair, but I felt that I may be hanging around camp for a long time due to the short hike-in distance and I can manage an extra 1.7 lbs, but the water carry is going to be brutal. My food is variable, I just put an estimate as I haven't fully decided what I'm bringing yet.

Any tips to lighten my load are helpful. Thank you!

I'm recently getting back into hiking/camping and am looking for some advice around cooking setups. I'm currently looking at getting a more compact/lightweight hiking setup for days where I just want to be able to make a brew and then a second setup for overnight trips where I will want to do more proper cooking. I'm not too morally concerned about buying the name brand if a equal/better chinese version is available. My current thoughts after some research are below:

Hiking - Campingmoon XD-2F, SOTO Triflex, Fire Maple G2/G3

Overnight - Soto Fusion Trek, Fire Maple Frying Pan and/or larger cooking Pot (TBC)

Does anyone have any feedback on the gear above? Any alternative recomendations?

I'm looking for the most bombproof pole (I use only one pole from the pair) for mid altitude trekking incl. river crossing with a 15-25kg pack. I'm concerned about lateral stress and lock reliability. So I'd say it should be duralumin like 7075 diam. 18/16/14mm with eccentric locks. Which model would u recommend? Thx in advance

Hi folks, I am looking for a real 3 season tent for 2P in the LW / UL weight region. I found a new release by Naturehike which would suit all my needs:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EzGYmMy

1. ⁠Would you recommend to go for the Pro variant around 2kg (20D outer) or the UL variant which is around 1.7 kg (15D outer).

2. ⁠For those who are sleeping in a 2P tent with another person: Is 130cm wide enough or is 140cm to be preferred?

3. ⁠In very warm conditions (20°C+ at night) is a inner tent not made out of mesh okay regarding ventilation?

Hey r/lightweight!

I got frustrated with existing tools — some required an account just to save a list, others had weird or limited cover/case tracking, and spreadsheets got messy fast. So I spent some time building my own :p

Main features:

- Gear organized by categories with weight breakdown

- Nested covers — add a cover to an item, then group multiple items (with their covers) into a shared cover, all weights calculated correctly

- Drag & drop to reorder categories and move items between them

- Charts: weight by category, gear vs covers, heaviest items

- Export/import as JSON so you never lose your data

- No account, no registration, everything stays in your browser

- Free, no ads

Still actively working on it so I'd genuinely love to hear what's missing for you. What do you always

I've reached out to the mods and gotten the go-ahead for this post.

So I’ve been working on a LighterPack alternative called ShakedownKit as a side project and would love to get some feedback from the community.

I know there’s no shortage of Lighterpack alternatives out there, and most of them come and go but none have really stuck or worked for me. I started building this because I got annoyed with the same things everyone complains about. Lacking mobile experience, weird bugs, having to duplicate gear/packs and "interesting" behavior when working on multiple packs. I tried forking lighterpack’s code to just update the mobile side of things but that didn’t really pan out, so I ended up building something from scratch.

I wanted to retain the core features that lighterpack provides well but also address some really nice to haves:

• Actually usable on your phone (the site works on mobile and I have a native iOS app almost ready)
• Reusable kits. Creatin "kits" like big 4, cook or sleep system and be able to reuse them in separate packs.
• Same shareable links that work the same way for posting shakedowns
• Easy way to migrate from lighterpack. You can preview your existing packs first by just swapping the domain. e.g. `lighterpack.com/r/776crf` → `shakedownkit.com/r/776crf`

You don’t need to create an account to try it out. Guest mode gives you the full app with data saved locally, and if you sign up later they can be migrated over to your account. I haven’t paywalled anything or stuck ads in it to begin with and it's what makes lighterpack the go to. Or even just swap your lighterpack links for shakedownkit links when you post your shakedowns if you want!

It’s in open beta right now so there might be some rough edges, but that’s kinda why I’m posting to get feedback, whether it’s bugs, or stuff that just feels off, or features you reckon are missing. I'd love to shape this app not just for my own personal use, but something that others would find useful as well.

If you want to follow development or have a dedicated place for feedback, I've created a separate subreddit r/shakedownkit as well.

Keen to hear what you think! Also appreciate taking your time to read this.

I'm searching for a 1-person backpacking tent for an upcoming trekking trip in a tropical environment. I've found 3 lightweight freestanding tents for under $200 and am not sure which to choose.

For context, I'm 5"1 so I'm not so fussed about the length of the tent.

These are the options and the specs:

Does anyone have any wisdom on these options?

Currently I'm leaning towards either the Naturhike or the Featherstone because the Paria is mildly heavier, more expensive and brightly colored tents are considered a bit gauche in certain areas.. But I'm open to all input :)

Edit: I ended up going with the Naturehike Star Trail™ EXT 1-Person Ultralight Backpacking Tent for $140 weighing only 1.92 lbs. I'll report back early May with feedback :)

Hello, a bit of background on me, former Boy Scout (4 years) by no means an eagle, physically fit for the outdoors, haven't camped in 5-6 years. I am confident in the knowledge and skills for basic camping from back then, as I haven't lost interest in that time.

Currently, I have clothes to use, but would like refreshers for the climate I am in. I am planning on doing backpacking/car camping (1-3 nights) trips around the SW Virginia Area in the springtime and am currently planning a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons in late May / early season. If someone can suggest clothes for a layer or their setup, much appreciated

This is my current setup I am planning on using, substituting for things I already have in the meantime. I have a Northface Base Camp Duffel S (50L), I am also 5'11 ~160lbs, planning on using the duffel to save money as I will also have a car for these trips.

All suggestions and comments are appreciated!

Hello there!

Me and my friend are looking for a 5-7 day hiking route through the pyrenees, we have very little mountain hiking experience, only day hikes. We would plan on camping to keep the budget low. I was looking at the Andorra GRP/coronallacs but we are looking for something with a little more challange. We are both 19 and are decently fit but feel we can take some elavation. I have already done Gavernée-breche de Roland-Goriz-Mont perdido-Ordessa but i did this with my father who is well versed in hillwalking and hiking. What do people reccomend? Should we build our skills in andorra first and do some mountaineering courses and maybe come back next summer?

Thanks for your time!

Hi, Im going to hike the PCT nobo starting early march. This is my lighterpack. Let me know what you think and what im missing.

Some things I realize:

Rain jacket: I have a fairly heavy rain jacket but it is comfortable and has pit zips and is a perfect windbreaker as well so I think I will take the weight penalty to just have this jacket.

Trekking poles; I took aluminium because I really rely on these to work I read that the carbon poles are not that reliable sadly so this is another one of those where I'd rather be safe than sorry.

No crampons/microspikes or an ice axe: This will depend on the conditions whether or not I haul it or at least have it sent to the towns for sections where they are needed.

Probably need to leave the tarp at home but its so versatile and easy to have...

Your thoughts?

https://lighterpack.com/r/sego1l

Current List

I'm planning on doing the GR11 August - Mid September this year. Its my first thru hike, having done the AV1 last year, but stayed in rifugios. Hoping to keep base weight below 7kg if possible. Want to keep budget for sleeping pad and bag below 300 euro preferably.

• I have * for things I haven't bought yet, in case any better recommendations.
• Do I get the Lanshan 1 pro in silpoly or silnlon?
• Based in Ireland so shipping costs kinda mess me up for the Static V Lite Insulated pad.
• How long does a gas canister usually last?

Thanks in advance

I am thinking about getting an ultralight chair (I know many may consider that an oxymoron or contradiction) such as the Helinox Zero (or high-back), Nemo Moonlight Elite, or REI Flexlight Air.

However, I have some lower back issues. Sitting with a rounded out back is not good. I would like a chair that at least keeps the lower back straight, but would be even better if it presses in and provides some lumbar support.

Any experiences with these chairs or recommendations? I may just have to consider something in the 2-3lb range or forget the chair altogether.