Exploring the wilderness with a pack on your back is an empowering experience, but carrying a heavy backpack is a humbling experience. The whole idea is to have fun and enjoy the wilderness, so why be burdened by a heavy backpack?

It’s easy to lighten your backpacking equipment substantially, down to a base weight under 20 pounds for lightweight backpacking, and under 10 pounds for ultralight backpacking – without sacrificing comfort or safety. With a lighter pack, you can hike farther, faster, longer, and easier, with less physical stress, fewer injuries, more safety and security, and far more satisfaction.

Plan to attend a Lightweight Backpacking Seminar sponsored by the San Juan Mountains Association. The presenters are Will Rietveld and Tom Galbraith, SJMA volunteers and avid ultralightt backpackers with over 70 years combined experience. Will is a gear tester and has published over 300 articles on lightweight backpacking gear and techniques for Backpacking Light Magazine and his own websites.