How to pack ultralight for a long-distance walk
This August I will attempt to complete the National Three Peaks on foot, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – and walking every mile in-between them – in this self-supported, solo adventure. It’ll involve 777km of fast-hiking (almost 500 miles) and 14,509m of ascent (the equivalent of 15 ascents of Scafell Pike). My goal is to walk 17 marathons in 17 days to set a new record. I am aiming to be as light, fast and agile as possible on the trail - and therefore have packed as minimalist as possible. Here is my full kitlist:
Camping
Backpack: Zpacks Nero 38L + hipbelt - 375g
Drybags: Exped fold UL x 7 - 195g
Tent: Gossamer Gear The One (trekking pole tent) - 505g
Pegs: Sea to Summit tent pegs x 11 - 99g
Sleeping mat: Thermarest NeoAir Uberlite (small) - 168g
Sleeping bag: PHD M.Degree 300 K Down - 424g
Clothing
Spare underwear: Saxx Merino Boxer Brief x 1 - 95g
Spare socks: Darn Tough x 2 - 95g
Thermal baselayer: inov-8 Technical Mid Layer (small) - 156g
Thermal trousers: Helly Hansen LIFA pant - 130g
Insulated jacket: Haglofs LIM Essens Down - 156g
Waterproof jacket: inov-8 Ultrashell Pro - 107g
Waterproof trousers: inov-8 Ultrapant - 78g
Cap: inov-8 Race Elite 2.0 - 36g
Miscellaneous
Toiletries bag + first aid - 679g (toothpaste, toothbrush, paracetamol, ibuprofen, immodium, plasters, blister plasters, toe caps, sun cream, earplugs, water filtration tablets, vaseline, tick tweezers, canesten, scissors, wet wipes, opsite, E45, talc, foot tape, sleeping mat repair kit, doxycycline)
Plastic Spoon - 9g
Toilet roll + hand sanitiser + trowel + ziplock bags - 97g
Water bottles: 1L Vapur Anti-bottle x 2 - 86g
Powerbanks x 2 (1 x 20,000mah, 1 x 10,000mah) - 556g
Plug, charging cables, Jaybird Vista 2.0 earphones - 218g
Headtorch: Petzl Bindi - 35g
Tracker device - 75g
Waterproof phone cover: Aquapac - 37g
Phone - 190g
Bank cards + house key - 15g
Total Base Weight
My total base weight is 4,616g.
Including food for 1.5 days (1,297g) and water (1L at 1,000g), my overall pack weight is 6,913g.
What will I be wearing?
The following items are not included in my base weight, as I will be wearing them at all times:
Boots: inov-8 non-GTX prototype boots (coming soon) - 800g (pair)
Socks: Injinji 2.0 Liner Crew Toe Socks / inov-8 Speed Sock - 69g
Underwear: Saxx Merino Boxer Brief - 95g
Shorts: inov-8 Race Elite 6” Short 2.0 - 115g
T-shirt: inov-8 Base Elite Short Sleeve Base Layer - 79g
Mid-layer: inov-8 Base Elite Long Sleeve Base Layer - 96g
Smartwatch: Garmin Solar Instinct - 54g
Trekking poles: Gossamer Gear LT5 Carbon - 278g
Buff: inov-8 buff/running wrag - 33g