I own four stoves and just saw three more showcased in the August Backpacker Magazine I would love to have. If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it now: you can never have too much equipment. Especially if you’re a lightweight gear head. I’m one…and proud of it. Sure, you can buy just one [...]
My first rule of shopping for a lightweight backpack is to eliminate all of those 3 pounds or heavier. However, if you’re really serious about being lightweight, you should probably set you upper limit at 2 pounds. There are many, many choices out there in this range, including the GoLite Race Pack. Don't be put [...]
Backpacker Magazine in its August 2006 ultralight gear guide calls the Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad, “fanatically light”, a 1/8-inch thick pad of closed cell foam that tips the scale at a mere 2 ounces. About the only thing you could find thinner would be a pad made of dragon fly wings. Ultimate Pack Think about [...]
There are some people who deserve to succeed. Because they are friendly, nice, honest, ethical. And Glen Van Peski is one of those people. His love of the outdoors led him to establish GVP Gear, a home grown business, which Glen and his family ran, sewing ultralight packs while he worked as an engineer to [...]
You can never be too lightweight. As a result, my quest for newer, lighter solutions to lighting my way at night, cooking after dark or reading in my tent never seems to end. My latest find is the Princeton Tec Impulse, at just .49 ounces (14 g) it is about at light as you’re going [...]
Hopefully my headline using "wing" and "feather" won't make you groan too much. I couldn't resist. Over at BackpackingLight.com, I logged into The G Spot forum discussion on the lightest stoves and came across the recommendation for the Titanium Esbit Wing Stove, a mere .046 ounces. Like its giant cousin (the 3 ounce Esbit Pocket [...]
The Petzl Zipka headlamp, while at 2.29 ounces (with AAA/R3 batteries) is not the lightest of the lights, it is certainly one of the most compact. The retractable headband is very clever and one reason I like it so much. You can pull out the band a full 12 inches, for any size head, or [...]
At 1.25 ounces, the two-LED Black Diamond – Ion Micro Headlamp, is everything a lightweight backpacker needs: the LEDs never need replacement (according to the manufacturer), are very bright, and the battery is likely to last for many seasons. A positron switch prevents accidental turn on and the adjustable, tilt housing lets you direct light [...]
Whether you’re a backpacking pro just beginning your quest to be lightweight or a beginner, every year presents a whole new set of innovations. If you’re like me, you won’t be able to resist getting the latest and the lightest—no matter how many of a thing you already own. Cost be dammed! (my wife just [...]
At 3.5 ounces and only $9.95, the Esbit Pocket Stove is a great lightweight stove. The stove is fueled by non-toxic odorless, smokeless, non-explosive Esbit tablets that burn for 12 minutes, weigh a half ounce and cost about 75 cents each. They come 12 to a package. The solid fuel and stove has been around [...]
