Ultralight Backpacks

After you have selected one of our ultralight tents, and ultralight sleeping bags, it is time to look at ultralight backpacks. ProLite Gear offers a great selection of Ultralight Backpacks from top brands like GoLite, Six Moon Designs, Gossamer Gear, Osprey, Black Diamond, Granite Gear, Vaude, Montbell, and more.

There are numerous ways to carry less weight while backpacking. A great place to start is with the "Big 3": backpack, shelter, and sleeping bag.

For this article we will focus on ultralight backpacks. You should also read our Backpack Buying Guide. That article covers backpack types, sizing, and buying tips.

Reducing your total pack weight has numerous benefits. It reduces the impact on your body. It allows you to go further each day with less effort, or go the same distance each day and enjoy it more. If you keep your total pack weight (backpack + gear carried) to less than 20 pounds you may be able to get rid of your heavy hiking boots and replace them with some lightweight hikers or trail running shoes.

A traditional backpack may weigh over 7 pounds empty while an ultralight backpack will probably weigh less than 2 pounds. However, you can't go out and purchase a lightweight backpack and try to carry 60 pounds of gear in it. It isn't just a factor of the total weight of the gear you are carrying. It is also the volume of gear you are carrying.

Ultralight backpacks are smaller in volume, and are designed to carry less weight than a traditional backpack. They are typically made out of a lighter weight fabric that may not be as strong as the material used in a pack weighing over 7 pounds.

Also, their suspension system is best suited for lighter loads. The lightest packs do not utilize a suspension system.

That is why you must also get an ultralight shelter and a ultralight sleeping bag if you want to use one of these lighter weight, smaller volume backpacks.

We suggest that your backpack is the last of the "Big 3" items you purchase. You should select a pack based on the gear you need to put in it. Once you know the gear you need to carry in the pack, you will know the volume and weight the pack will need to carry.

Ultralight Backpacks