The Ultralight Backpacker : The Complete Guide to Simplicity and Comfort on the Trail [Paperback]

Ryel Kestenbaum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 26, 2001

Developed primarily for long-distance treks, the ultralight method is considered by many traditional backpackers as too austere. Author Ryel Kestenbaum shows that thanks to recent improvements in equipment design and manufacture, as well as in food processing, ultralight backpacking now offers a safe and comfortable alternative to traditional backpacking methods. In The Ultralight Backpacker, he dispels the myths surrounding this rapidly growing trend. Kestenbaum acquaints readers with the ultralight philosophy and shows how backpackers can once and for all do away with heavy packs and move quickly and comfortably on the trail, whether on a day-trip or season-long trek. He also provides the most complete survey available of ultralight equipment, clothing, and footwear, along with tips on how to select the right gear for each reader’s unique interests, needs, and personality.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Head out lighter, farther, freer--welcome to the world of ultralight

Backpacking has always been one of the best ways to experience nature up close, with much of traditional backpacking based on the idea that the more your campsite feels like home, the happier you'll be. By contrast, ultralight backpacking pares equipment, food, and clothing to the essentials, giving it the undeserved reputation of sacrificing comfort for utility.

However, with recent advancements in equipment manufacture and design--lighter pack frames, sleeker tents and sleeping bags, multipurpose fabrics--you can now be both comfortable and practical. The Ultralight Backpacker is the first book to offer a complete survey of this new generation of gear and show how the ultralight method works for any backpacker or hiker looking for a less stressful trip, whether it's for a night, a weekend, or several months on the trail. By emphasizing self-reliance over gear reliance and by adhering to the maxim "less is more," the ultralight backpacking philosophy is inspiring beginners and converting traditionalists. The Ultralight Backpacker shows you how to combine proper planning and the right attitude to create a less complicated and more rewarding backpacking experience--safely, comfortably, effortlessly.

• Thorough, up-to-date surveys on the newest ultralight equipment, clothing, and footwear
• Tips on modifying gear to make it "ultralight"
• How to develop the "ultralight state of mind"

About the Author

Ryel Kestenbaum is a writer and all-around outdoor enthusiast. He has taught skiing, climbing, and backpacking in Colorado and California. Since succumbing to the lure of ultralight backpacking, he has logged hundreds of ultralight miles throughout the United States and Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 139 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (June 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071368280
• ISBN-13: 978-0071368285
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Better said elsewhere, June 6, 2002

By 

Jim Morrison (Hansville, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultralight Backpacker : The Complete Guide to Simplicity and Comfort on the Trail (Paperback)

I thought this was mostly a rehash of what has been said better elsewhere. It is not as complete as Ray Jardine's Beyond Backpacking. Not as well researched as Colin Fletchers Complete Walker. I thought Kestenbaum didn't have much to add and his opinions were just that, his opinions. Chris Townsend's book, The Advanced Backpacker, (oddly by the same publisher)is much better and seems to come from someone who benefited much more from his experiences. There were some nice pictures and descriptions of gear, but then I can find that in my REI catalog!
I also liked the picture on the cover. Save your money and purchase Jardine's book for ultralight, or Chris Townsend's book on long-distance hiking. If you are interested in Mountaineering get Mountaineering:Freedom of the Hills. I don't recommend this book.

75 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A new religion, March 25, 2004

By 

Bluestem - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultralight Backpacker : The Complete Guide to Simplicity and Comfort on the Trail (Paperback)

Although not extensive, there's a fair amount of good information in here for people who want to lighten their load. But the annoying thing about the book is the pretentious religiosity. Evidently carrying a lighter pack into the woods automatically means you have to become a yoga master and hike 21 miles per day. Only if you do that will you become "at one" with nature. I don't know if it gets more pathetic than that. Lighten your load so you can hike 21 miles per day so you can get in touch with nature? Somehow it all makes sense in Kestenbaum's mind. Don't take any field guides, camera, binoculars, or a hand lens or spend time loafing on the trail or enjoying a luxurious meal or god forbid, reading a book. No sireee. The "answer" lies in controlling your breathing and logging miles and miles and mind-numbing bragging-rights miles. If this is truly the ultralight state of mind, it's a sad one and I personally find it arrogant for a mile-logging automaton to tell me what my relationship with wilderness is or should be. Get off the treadmill and stop and smell the roses Ryel. At the very least, take a hand lens and take a close look at the nature you've been trail-running by. There are a lot of different ways to go ultralight in the backcountry and find your relationship with wilderness. It's sheer arrogance to assume otherwise.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introduction for Novice Backpackers, May 7, 2003

By 

Ed Winters (Stowe, Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultralight Backpacker : The Complete Guide to Simplicity and Comfort on the Trail (Paperback)

I think that some of the reviews here are from folks who were expecting an encyclopedia to ultralight backpacking, and were therefore disappointed. This book serves as an excellent introduction, covering all the topics relating to ultralight backpacking, but not going too deeply into any one topic.

There's info on everything from cutting your toothbrush in half to getting rid of excess food packaging to getting fit for the trail to buying the right pair of shoes. If you're just getting into backpacking, and would like to see if ultralight backpacking is right for you, I can't imagine a better resource than The Ultralight Backpacker. I've been doing the ultralight thing for over ten years now, and I'm glad that now there's a way for others to see the benefits of going light.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people eager to get into the backcountry but without the know-how.