America’s Best Backpacking and Outdoor Adventures
By Michael Lanza
What do you need to pack for a three-season backpacking trip? While the specific items depend in part on factors like the precise time of year, your companions and backpacking style, and the trip’s length and weather forecast, this story provides a core checklist of essential gear to help you organize and efficiently pack—and avoid overpacking—for virtually any backpacking trip.
By Michael Lanza
What if you could do one thing to make every backpacking trip more enjoyable? Three decades of backpacking have taught me what that one thing is: keeping my pack light. All of the superfluous ounces removed from my pack add up to fewer pounds on my back, and that makes each trip better. And a smart approach to ultralight and lightweight backpacking does not compromise safety or comfort—the point is to increase comfort and safety. If you’re not accomplishing both objectives, you need a new strategy.
In this article, I’ll share my tips—learned over the course of many thousands of trail miles—for minimizing pack weight while staying safe and comfortable on every trip.
