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Ultralight backpacking is no longer an eccentric, Spartan way to hit the trail. The Ultralight Backpacker is the first book to show how to do it comfortably. With recent improvements in equipment manufacture and design (lighter pack frames, sleeker tents, special sleeping bags, multipurpose fabrics, for example), and in food processing, the ultralight method doesn't sacrifice comfort for utility, and The Ultralight Backpacker makes this abundantly clear. Devotees of backpacking's traditional "bring everything but the kitchen sink" school set out on an overnight hike with a pack that could weigh as much as 50 or 60 pounds. The ultralight hiker, in contrast, pares equipment, food, and clothing to a minimum to go faster and cover more distance. Assume an ultralight hiker and her traditional counterpart arrive at the trailhead at the same time. The ultralight hiker carries a 20-pound pack and heads off, hiking briskly and comfortably in running shoes. The traditional backpacker hefts a 50-pound pack and treks in heavy hiking boots. At the end of the day, the ultralight hiker is seven miles farther along the trail, relaxed, refreshed. The traditionalist is tired, nursing blisters, and so annoyed because of shoulder pain that he's missed the beauty of the last portion of the hike. The Ultralight Backpacker works for any hiker looking for a less-stressful trip--whether it's for a night, a weekend or several months on the trail. It shows how proper planning and the right attitude blend to create a backpacking philosophy that will attract beginners and convert traditionalists. The Ultralight Backpacker also presents the most thorough survey of new equipment, clothing, and footwear available.