ultralight
A fastpacking circuit in the Cairngorms
51km through the Cairngorms with running shoes, a lightweight pack, and a mindset that wasn't quite hiking and wasn't quite running but something distinct from both.
Lessons learned in the search for the perfect backpacking camera
It’s fair to say that, over the last few years, I’ve tried out a few different camera systems. Here’s what I’ve learned. A quick note: this is about my own personal needs, and a few lessons learned in finding them out. Your own requirements may differ.
The Cape Wrath Trail in winter: seeking silence in the Scottish Highlands
Time to announce my big winter project for early 2019. More: * Gear list on Lighterpack * Why go offline – and how? * Resupply plan It’s time to talk about a project I’ve been planning for a while. You may have seen hints on social media or in my newsletter about
Field notes: Hiking the Jotunheimstien, Norway
A long walk in the woods In July 2017, I stepped outside the train station in Oslo city centre and directly onto a long-distance trail. 205 miles later, I stepped off the trail again at Gjendesheim, an outpost on the edge of the Jotunheimen National Park surrounded by Norway’s
Lightweight backpacking in the Scottish Highlands: a mini-guide
If you’re used to lightweight or ultralight backpacking in the sunny mountains of the USA, the prospect of applying the same philosophy to the Scottish Highlands can be bewildering. Here’s how to do it safely.
One-year review: As Tucas Sestrals Quilt
A wonderfully simple and effective piece of ultralight gear ‘Sleep outdoors, comfortably,’ is the tagline for the Sestrals Quilt by As Tucas – a simple, ultralight, synthetic quilt optimised for three-season conditions. As Tucas gear is made by hand in the Pyrenees by an experienced long-distance walker who knows a lot
The ultralight experiment of 2017
This year, for the first time, I have completed a long-distance hike with an ultralight pack. Here’s how I did it, and why for me it’s only one tool in the toolbox, not the only way to enjoy the wild. I started cutting pack weight in 2014. Before
14 months with the MLD Trailstar
Much has been written about the Trailstar, and at several points over the last year I’ve asked myself if the world really needs another Trailstar review. It’s a known quantity now. Some in the backpacking world have already moved beyond the Trailstar to other shelters entirely. But my
→ New feature: Lightweight Backpacking for Beginners
I’ve just published a new feature on UKHillwalking, intended to help UK backpackers take first steps towards reducing pack weight. This isn’t aimed at the cuben fibre and rain kilt crowd – it’s an article for people who have been lugging around massive packs and want to make
Hands-on: Trailpix ultralight tripod
Important update: please read my follow-up review. Lightweight backpackers who are serious about photography face a dilemma: tripods are heavy. I’ve tried various solutions over the last couple of years, but I think with the Trailpix I may be on to a winner. The problem There’s no getting