This Is Why You Should Try Ultralight Backpacking (2025)
Scott Gilbertson explains how ultralight backpacking—originally popularized by Mark Jenkins’ 1994 piece in [[Backpacker magazine]]—is less about gear and more a mindset of bringing only what keeps you warm, safe, comfortable, and fed. He recommends trimming excess by asking whether items like a [[Moka pot]] or extra stuff-sacks are truly necessary, and highlights the “big three” weight contributors: your [[backpack]], sleeping system (sleeping bags or [[quilts]]), and shelter (tents or a [[tarp]]). Early DIY tactics—making [[alcohol stoves]] from [[tuna cans]] or pot cozies from [[Reflectix]]—gave way to lighter commercial gear, but the biggest gains come from leaving things behind. Gilbertson suggests experimenting—cowboy camping, trying quilts, shifting when you eat—to learn what you can do without and thereby make trips easier, faster, and more enjoyable.