The Rise of Ultralight Gear: What This Means for the Future of Backpacking Ultralight gear has become a mainstream phenomenon in the backpacking community, but its roots date back to the 1960s when lightweight enthusiasts like Ray Jardine and Tom Hillebrand began experimenting with minimalist designs.
Today, manufacturers are competing to produce the lightest, most feature packed gear on the market.
The History of Ultralight Gear: From Concept to Reality The concept of lightweight backpacking was born in the 1960s, when Henry David Thoreau and John Muir advocated for simplicity and self sufficiency.