Its been about 5 months since my last ultralight budget gear was launched and over time I have found and replaced gear with some lighter and more efficient choices.
Today I’m going to cover the best budget hiking loadout for ultralight backpacking which will cover each item here and what the approximate cost would be at the end of the day to acquire them all, along with a LighterPack list that you can reference back to if you need it.
Our Best Budget Hiking Loadout
Most in the thru-hiking world online should know about LighterPack as a website that allows you to add your gear and weight to manage the overall performance metrics that matter to most of us.
When I make a list like these I will always link out to their site as it gives you a way to see the overall gear list and associated weights.
Ultralight Budget Tent
The goal for this is to have a tent that is under 3 pounds that is able to provide enough room for a hiker to take on a week-long hike at a minimum.
When you are trying to find tents in the budget area you will more than likely be sil-nylon and around the 2.5-3 pound range and about $150-$200, to drop lower will increase weight dramatically.
Best Choice – 3F UL Lanshan 2P
The 3F UL Lanshan 2P ultralight tent is my choice for a budget tent that provides you ample space to live from on the trail while coming in under 3 pounds. This is a crowd favorite overall online with hikers who don’t have the income for a Big Agnes, HMG, or Zpacks tent.
- Ultralight & Portable Tent---- Package weight is only 2.8lb and packed small with 16.9*5.5 inch, so you can carry it easily on backpacking or camping trips
- Waterproof Tent---- The tent fly is made of 15D silicon coated nylon which is waterproof and lightweight；water-repellant, seam-taped rainfly and bathtub floor
- 2 Doors with Vestibules---- Easy to get into the tent and plenty of space to keep your pack/shoes under the doors; YKK zippers; 2-person tent with 2 lamp hangers and 1 pocket inside
Runner Up – Naturehike Cloud-Up 2P
The Naturehike Cloud-Up is our choice as a runner up where it may win for many people is that it comes with poles and will not require trekking poles so it is a freestanding tent.
The only issue with the Naturehike is that it is 3.5 pounds so it is a little heavy but for its benefits is a good choice on a budget.
- SMALL and LIGHTWEIGHT: Naturehikes Mongar 3-season, 2-person backpacking tent is famous for its ultra-lightweight and space-saving design. Weighing only 4lbs for the whole set, the Mongar tents packing size is 19.6 x 5.9 x 5.9 in.
- HIGH-QUALITY MATERIAL: The Mongar tent is made of top-quality materials. The rainfly is 20D polyester with 4000mm waterproof index; The bottom of the tent is 20D polyester with 4000mm waterproof index; The poles are made of 7001 aluminum.
Ultralight Budget Sleep System
When it comes to an ultralight budget sleep system you need to look at the best warmth to weight ratio available at a good mix in price.
What I did was pair a solid ultralight quilt and a nice R-Value sleeping pad which should work for 3 seasons.
Best Choice – Featherstone Moondance 850FP Goose Down Sleeping Quilt
What else can you say about a sleeping bag which is rated for limit temperatures into the 25s for under $200? There aren’t many I have found with a decent ultralightweight along with a similar budget price!
- VERSATILE SLEEPING BAG ALTERNATIVE: Unlike any other outdoor blanket, this top quilt has the capability to match the warmth of a sleeping bag and doubles as a blanket or underquilt for a hammock
- LIGHTWEIGHT & PACKABLE: Made with DOWNTEK PFC-FREE Water Repellent 850 Fill Power Duck Down Insulation, the quilt provides superior loft, warmth to weigh ratio, and packs small and compact--great for outdoor travel
Runner Up – Paria Ultralight Quilt
With a quilt that can take you down to 30 degrees, the Paria is a perfect fit for a budget gear loadout that can take a 3 season hike. Definitely, a nice purchase for someone looking to give quilts a chance, those who like me is overly fidgety.
- ►WARM - Stay toasty warm due to the large baffled construction and 16 oz. of high loft 700-fill power down (17 oz. for Long size) which provides a temperature rating down to 30F (0C).
- ►LIGHTWEIGHT - No need to compromise on size and weight. The quilt comes in at only 2 lb. 1 oz. (2 lb. 3 oz. for the Long size) and the included compression sack cinches down to just 9 x 6.5 inches. Use the included sleeping pad strap to secure your quilt to an insulated sleeping pad for a lightweight and compact sleeping system.
Best Choice – Paria Recharge UL Sleeping Pad
The Paria Recharge UL has an awesome R-Value of 3.5 while being very lightweight and this helps to keep it small and easy to carry while at the same time keeping you warm.
- ►WARM - Weve stuffed our pad full of high-loft synthetic micro-fiber insulation, providing a true 3-season pad with an estimated R-value of 3.5. Youll stay nice and warm during those early spring and late season trips.
- ►LIGHTWEIGHT - No need to compromise on size and weight in your pack! The pad comes in at only 20 oz. and easily packs down to just 7 x 4 inches in the included stuff sack.
Runner Up – KLYMIT INSULATED STATIC V
This pad is easy to fill and very comfortable in my hikes and I can’t argue at the cost to performance value which is pretty awesome! This pad features an awesome R-Value of 4.4 which will help you through the colder nights.
- 4 season backcountry camping pad: Lightweight insulated air mattress with Klymalite insulation to keep you warm when its cold out; R-Value of 4. 4
- Sleep comfortably all night long: Features an innovative v-chamber design and synthetic insulation which limits air movement and heat loss
- Incredibly lightweight (25 ounces) and packs small to 5 x 8 inches
Ultralight Budget Backpack
When you want to look at ultralight backpacking while staying in a budget mindset you will need to know your backpack will be at least 2.5 pounds in most cases or much heavier.
This is due to them not being made with dyneema or other similar super lightweight materials.
Best Choice – NEVO RHINO 45L / 50L Internal Frame Backpack
This is the first backpack I purchased and it has been a strong and adaptable backpack for me starting to gear out and to move slowly over time to ultralight, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good simple backpack.
- 45L Hiking Backpack: The most popular Internal-frame backpack with 40 L capacity（UPDATED:45L Capacity); made of durable waterproof Nylon material; Lightweight and enough space is suitable for 2 to 3 days of backpacking,hiking or camping .
Runner Up – OneTigris LITE Roamer 40L Backpack
This was recently revamped and in its current form is a very nice backpack on a budget, 40L may be too small for some if they are going 4+ days or for winter.
- Ultralight Hiking Backpack: Weighs only 2lb/930g, plaid 420D ripstop nylon construction for an ultralight and durable outdoor backpack, lighter than most 50-60L Hiking Backpack on the market, best choice for the price and size．Dimensions: 11”(L)*7.8”(W)*23.6”-29.5”(H)/28cm*20cm*60-75cm | Net Weight: 2lb/930g
Ultralight Budget Gear – Clothing
When looking into clothing this becomes very personal choice but these are the options I chose due to their lightweight and durability along with not being a name brand like Nike, Under Armour, and others so the prices are dramatically lower.
TSLA Compression Gear
I have used TSLA gear for work for quite a long time as it is inexpensive and works just as well as the name brands. If you cant tell I love Tron and these are a very awesome replica look that I rock on the trail!
ExOfficio Men’s Underwear
These are loved by many on the big 3 for thru-hiking, they are durable and are perfectly built for long-distance hiking. Along with their ability to combat smell and the fight off the grossness of your hike I wouldn’t go anywhere without them.
Trail Runner Shoes
The Altras of all models they make win hands down, I love the Lone Peak 4 and I would recommend them for anyone looking for good shoes with a quality toe box and long term durability.
Ultralight Budget Gear – Equipment
There is a lot of miscellaneous specific gear within the Equipment section that shouldn’t need too much explanation as to the purpose and need. I did want to ensure a call out to the trekking poles and water filtration as there are many options available.
Trekking Poles
I chose Foxelli Trekking Poles due to reading reviews from others from multiple sources and they were all very positive.
I can say that in the 4 months I have used them I am very pleased with their performance and that I can’t stress how much you want to get a pair that have cork handles to keep your hands less sweaty and gross.
Water Filtration
There is only one big player that has lived up to expectations of all the thru-hikers I read and watched videos on. This is the Sawyer Squeeze, not the mini or other models.
At first I didn’t get why you would want the heavier option but over time I moved over to the Squeeze as it moves water much faster and the time savings is better than a slight weight win.
Ultralight Budget Gear – Cook System
I am a large proponent of cold-soaking foods while on the trail and having warm foods when in a town. I did want to provide some seriously nice options which will help you if you would like to eat warm foods for your meals.
BRS Ultralight Stove
BRS has a little powerhouse of a stove called the BRS-3000T Ultra-Light Titanium Alloy Stove for a hiker who loves hot food this is a no brainer as it adds almost zero weight to your pack.
Toaks Cook and Spork
Toaks makes some super nice quality, light, and inexpensive gear like the TOAKS Titanium Ultralight Spork which is perfect for long distance thru-hiking.
If you like to cold soak then I would suggest either getting a screw top container like the Vargo BOT – 700 or similar where it is an increased cost but in weight savings and utilization will pay for itself.
Ultralight Budget Gear – First Aid
You should keep a decently stocked first aid kit but not overly filled with questionable use items. Definitely good to have some bandaids, leukotape and similar items in the kit.
Ultralight Budget Gear – Electronics
What you need in today’s world is a portable wall charger that can charge things super fast along with a quality size and weight battery to recharge on the trail.
Since we derive so much functionality from our phones this is now on my “have to” list for my gear load out.
Fast Wall Charger
I am a firm believer in the quality of Anker products and this Anker Elite Dual Port 24W Wall Charger is a super-fast charger.
Since you will only have limited time in the hotel or wherever you find the power you want as much juice added to your phone and battery pack as you can achieve.
This charger is able to charge 2 devices fast and efficiently to maximize the value of your stop.
High Capacity Low Weight Battery
While on the trail you won’t have access to power outlets to recharge your devices and while running your phone for map apps like Gut Hooks and music you may use more than you want to.
This PowerCore Lite 20000mAh Portable Charger from Anker provides 5 full charges to an Apple iPhone X or 8 charges to an Apple iPhone 8!
Optional Gear – Camera & Video
If you want to VLOG and Blog your trip then you may want to carry the extra weight to have a quality camera and some video recording ability.
You can get away with using just your phone in many cases but you will want to watch the battery life use as many will use this for the Gut Hooks app and music or audio.
For a camera and short videos there are many cameras which will fit the bill, what I have purchased was a Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera and stock lenses for now.
As for video recording, I went with the GoPro HERO7 Black with the additional battery which allows me to record a nice chunk of video with normal charging between resupply points. Also can be charged via USB so welcome Anker battery!
Total Cost For Our Best Budget Hiking Loadout For 2019
The approximate cost of our list on the best budget hiking loadout for 2019 listed above, if you need to purchase everything, will come in around $5-700 depending on the extras like the battery and charger.
Most of the gear is perfectly suitable to a thru-hike for most during the normal non-winter months, some things though may need to be changed out if you will be in the snow or run colder in temperature.
Final Thoughts on Best Budget Hiking Loadout
This list will ensure you get quality gear setup for ultralight hiking on a super legit budget approach. From this setup of gear, you can start to add on more expensive lighter weight gear as you move towards hiking more often.
I love hiking and would love to hear if this list has helped you gear up, please let me know in the comments if these style posts help you make decisions and I will continue to make them as new and exciting gear choices become available in the budget realm.