What does "ultralight" mean?Updated 6 months ago

"Ultralight" is a philosophy and a goal of having a backpacking base weight that is approximately 11 pounds or lighter. The main thought is that a lighter pack is easier on your body, allows you to travel further more easily, and could allow you to hike later into life as you reduce the strain on your body compared to carrying a heavier pack. 

Base weight is generally defined as the total weight of all the gear in your backpack and on your body, including the backpack itself, but excluding the weight of your food and water.

For some, ultralight is an obsession over each fraction of an ounce, and for others ultralight is more of a philosophy of simplicity and doing without in order to enjoy their time outdoors even more. 

We have a ton of articles about going ultralight in our online Magazine, like this introductory article: How to Go Ultralight Backpacking. 

At Garage Grown Gear, we strive to offer a vast array of gear options for you to choose from to assemble a backpacking kit that best suits your needs, goals, and the terrain and weather you're headed out into. Note that sometimes when a fabric or item is geared towards being ultralight, some durability has to be sacrificed to get the product to be that light. This is important to know when selecting ultralight gear. 

Going ultralight isn't for everyone, and not all ultralight gear is for everyone, but we believe everyone can benefit from gear that happens to be lighter! 

Ultimately with everything involving backpacking gear, it's all personal. So make your best judgements and enjoy!