Ultralight Backpacking Hacks You Can Find at a Gas Station

Sure, it’s expensive to achieve that elusive sub-10 pound base weight. But trimming a few pounds off your kit is shockingly affordable. You can spend less than $20 at your local gas station and trim more weight off your backpack than spending hundreds of dollars on a Dyneema ultralight tent. Here are the top ultralight backpacking hacks for saving weight while saving your wallet.

Smartwater Bottle
For years, there was an obvious tell for the likes of ultralight thru-hikers versus traditional weekend warriors. One group was carrying a trusty Nalgene (or two) in their backpack’s side pockets. The other had bedraggled smartwater bottles. Occasionally, it’d be a Vitamin water or Gatorade, but the slim profile — often with a Sawyer mini sticking out the top — of the Smartwater bottle was the most ubiquitous.

Continue reading to learn more, written by Laura Lancaster.

Mwandishi wa Blogu ya Picha
Writer and Editor
Laura Lancaster

Hi, I‘m Laura. I’ve been editing and writing for nearly twenty years, covering everything from developing a seismologist’s first book to telling the story of my first deer hunt. While the first half of my career was spent learning the ropes of publishing in New York City, for the second I’ve been in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, working on projects for clients in the outdoor space. Most recently, I’ve been working as a senior staff writer at Outdoor Life. When I’m not at home with my husband and daughter, you can find me camping, backpacking, and running in the foothills of the Cascades.

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

Clothing and gear can be treated with a 0.5% permethrin spray, sold under names including Sawyer, Insect Shield and Ranger Ready.

Bay Area News Group
News Group

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

Sawyer’s picaridin lotion offers the longest protection windows on test — up to 14 hours against mosquitoes and ticks — and its creamy, low-odor formula goes on smooth and dries quickly.

Rachel Cavanaugh
Mwandishi

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

The Sawyer Squeeze and Cnoc Vecto made hydration easy.

Josh King
Mwandishi wa Kuchangia