Backpacking Light - Reduce Your Shelter Weight

Backpacking light has become one of the fastest growing trend. It seems that the less you carry without sacrificing the essentials, the more you enjoy backpacking. You feel free, unburdened, and close to nature. Your tent or shelter is the best place to start if you want to reduce your pack weight.

There have been some good lightweight shelter options for many years, especially if you backpack with a partner. The weight of the tent can be split between the two of you. One carry some some parts and the other carry the rest.. But the options have increased in recent years and a two-person tent that weighs four pounds isn’t even considered ultralight.

Tents that are too heavy are still produced even today. Cheap and heavy material are still used today to make these tents. If you take care of your tent well it can last you for many years of use. Mainstream tent makers are still outperformed by specialty tent makers in the ultralight field.

With the introduction of ultralight silicone-imbed nylon, 2 person tents are now weighing less than 3 pounds. One person tents are even lighter, obviously. Fabrics aren’t the only thing that’s gotten lighter. Poles went from aluminum to ultralight carbon fiber. A 45″ tent pole can now weigh less than two ounces. Many new tents are designed to use a hiking pole as the tent pole. This means that you don’t need to even carry tent poles anymore. The use of titanium rather than aluminum reduce the weight of the tent even further.

If you want to really go ultralight why not take a tarp instead and save a lot more weight. It protects you from light rain if you set it up correctly but it’s also a good way to feel closer to nature. Poncho tarps double as rain gear if you want to go a bit further. Using gear that serves multiple purposes is one of the core principles of ultralight backpacking. If you like sleeping under a tarp, but want some extra rain protection, a lightweight bivy sack or sleeping bag cover can be as light as six to seven ounces. Use a ground cloth to protect yourself from getting wet as a result of rain water on the ground.

For protection against insects use an insect repellent or mosquito net. If you want something less confining, use just enough no-see-um netting so that the netting stays away from your face.

If insects are just about the only concern you have, use a bug bivy. It’s a really doesn’t weigh very much.

Most lightweight tents are not freestanding like your old cabin dome tent. But they’re fast and easy to set with parts not included like a fly sheet. Instead the tents rely on well-designed ventilation on all sides.

If you sometimes hike solo, consider the advantages of having a separate ultralight one-person shelter for those times you go alone. Your tent should be as light as possible becaue there won’t be anyone to share the burden with. A two-person shelter is flexible because you can also use it for solo hiking for extra space and comfort.

Look closely at all the new options for ultralight shelters. See which ones have the features to fit your needs.

The tent is usually of the heavier and bulkier things you have with you on a camping trip so if you take the lightweight option it will really save your back and the need to use bigger backpacks.