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.
January 22, 2025
Laura Lancaster
Eksplore Plis kontni
Medya Mansyone
The Sawyer Mini is super lightweight, fits in your pocket, and filters up to 100,000 gallons of water.
Medya Mansyone
Sawyer’s picaridin spray works up to 12 hours, and the company’s picaridin lotion is effective up to 14.
Medya Mansyone
The Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter earns our top pick for its unbeatable mix of weight, longevity and versatility.
Soti nan eskwadwon an
Konvèsasyon Kanfi ak kominote nou an, ki soti nan Manm Eskwadwon ak Anbasadè yo nan Brand Patnè ak ekip la Sawyer.
