For Gram Geeks

So you are into lightweight backpacking?  Welcome, fellow counter of grams!  These posts might be up your alley.  If you are new to UL backpacking, you might what to start with checking out a full gear list I put together that only costs about 650 USD--and this includes fancy and durable gear!

A DIY guide to one of my favorite shelters

An update to the above guide with improvements to this kind of shelter


My First (official) SUL Trip


A lengthy reflection and discussion of SUL, including my updated 2013 SUL gear list, inspired by the popularity of the above SUL trip report.


A complete breakdown of one of my favorite combinations of UL gear of 2012-- Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

My First XUL Trip -- Part 1 and Part 2.

A complete breakdown of all the cooking kits I used exclusively for a few years.

A breakdown of my updated UL 1+ season gear list for 2013.

An update on a modification of a key piece of gear in the above gear list.  Looks like I started a small trend in UL bivy users :)

A double review of my two go-to backpacks, a long term reflection of my Zpacks Zero (1+ season pack), and a first impressions look at my Zpacks Arc Blast (3 season and winter pack).

My thoughts on Ultralight definitions and terms, and a call to the UL backpacking community to vote on a set that reflects a general consensus.

Reflections on my switch from wearing big, heavy, combat boots for backpacking/hiking to wearing barefoot/minimalist shoes year round

My complete breakdown of a lot of the gear intend to be used during 2014, in four different gear lists total; with an introduction, 4 season, 3 season

A review of the Borah Gear down vest--I was the first person to own this nice addition to my backpacking clothing, and have since gotten good use out of it.

My summer 2014 gear list plus my very first youtube video. 

A detailed analysis of all five of my UL backpacks (and the only backpacks I use for wilderness backpacking) as of summer 2014.

More DIY: Make your own Ultralight summer sleeping bag and/or extra warm winter bag liner for about 40 bucks.  

A double review (one long term, one first impressions) of my two Zpacks sleeping bags: an old 40 and a new 20 degree bag.

A report on my two go-to shelter systems for 2015, one for warm half of the year, one for colder half of the year.  More of a focus on my updated cold weather set up, and plenty of pictures of my new Zpacks Cuben flat tarp. 

My winter 2015 gear list, but note that it was a warmer winter than usual.

A flow chart for how I go about choosing a shelter for a given trip. 

Improved DIY/MYOG summer sleeping bag and colder weather overbag, and more in depth discussion of its benefits/uses, the Saco Verde

A full breakdown of all four of my UL shelters as of 2015.

A full breakdown of all of my UL sleep systems from 20 to -16C as of 2015. 

My summer 2015 full skin out gear breakdown. 

Five follow up reviews on five of my favorite pieces of new gear.

A first impressions review of a 2016 Zpacks Arc Haul backpack. 

Borah Gear Double Review: a long term review of the Cuben bivy, and my first impressions of the new Dimma bivy. 

A detailed overview and first impressions of my first packrafting kit. 

A full breakdown of all my sleeping mats as of 2016. 

My 2017 go-to, UL big three (pack, sleep system, shelter). 

A breakdown of my complete clothing choices for winter and spring/fall for 2018.

Follow up to the last breakdown, here's my 2018 summer clothing.

A long overdue breakdown of my five current gear lists for 2020.  These will likely be the same or nearly the same for the next few years or so. 

Big gear review: Best gear of the decade and reflections on UL backpacking

My first impressions review of a MLD Duomid

My sleepy-time gear reaches its final form?  At least as of 2021.  Here's a full breakdown of all my sleep systems.

Here's my current 3 season LP gear list for 2022-2023, and it's not likely to change much anytime soon. At this point I'm just looking to replace worn out or damaged gear and fine tune a few small things.