» What is ultralight?

‘Base weight’ is the combined weight of all items you carry that don’t change between a one-night tramp and a week-long tramp. A low base weight reduces stress on your body and makes tramping more enjoyable.

While not set in stone, ultralight trampers aim to have a base weight of 4.5kg or less. To find yours, calculate the total weight of your pack and gear. Don’t include consumables like food, fuel and  water, the items you hike in, or hiking poles.

Calculating base weight allows you to compare standard gear from trip to trip and provides a good metric to reduce pack weight.

Renske Bergman and Steve Willis

Renske ‘Dutchie’ Bergman from the Netherlands and Wellington-born Steve Willis met in Australia 13 years ago and regularly head to New Zealand for a tramping fix. A hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018 set Bergman on an ultralight journey that she now shares with Willis.

“My first overnight hike was in New Zealand and my pack probably weighed around 18kg or something ridiculous like that. I remember bringing jeans!” says Bergman. “I’d never do that now, but it’s a process. By the time I did the PCT I knew that the lighter you go the more enjoyable it is and the less chance of injury.”

Bergman wanted to have her base weight as light as possible and changed the Big 3 – tent, pack and sleeping equipment – for that trip.

Willis says that before he met Bergman, he had no idea. “I was tramping around New Zealand with big rectangular water bottles hanging off my pack and heavy leather shoes. I benefited from Dutchie’s experience and knowledge from her journey on the PCT,” he says. “I started to receive hand-me-downs as she got better gear, and then she was teaching me about cutting our toothbrush in half!”

The couple share some things like the tent and first aid kit, but like to be independent and so carry their own items such as cookers. Their main reasons for going ultralight are comfort and convenience. “Once we’re out there we realise how little we actually need,” says Willis. “We’re both efficient people who like to streamline things, so it’s a natural progression. It does feel like an obvious choice because we’re able to navigate better, it’s easier on our bodies and less bulky.”

Bergman agrees. “Everything becomes easier. You can go further for longer, need fewer breaks, and downhills, steps and uphills are all easier.”

“We get lots of comments from people wondering if we’re carrying everything in our backpacks, because they’re pretty small,” says Willis. “We really appreciate our home comforts, but we’re quite minimal when tramping. When we’re out there our mindset is to be safe and comfortable but not to bring more than we need.”

Bergman’s best advice to anyone thinking about going ultralight is to figure out what you don’t need. “For me, that came before spending money on ultralight gear,” she says. “When you eliminate the stuff you don’t need, your pack gets lighter anyway.”

Willis agrees: “It’s about understanding what it is you actually need and want. Different people hike in different ways, and choose to bring different comforts.”

Lou Child and Liz Pay

Lou Child and her partner Liz Pay are regular trampers. They do an overnighter at least every six weeks, and about 10 years ago made the move to lighten their loads.

“We were on a nine-day hike in St Arnaud with traditional gear,” says Child. “My pack was around 24kg and Liz’s around 17kg, and being female and both fairly small, we struggled.”

When Child realised her empty pack alone weighed 3kg, they decided to do something about it. “We realised that if we wanted to tramp for the rest of our lives we had to get rid of some weight.”

They started with the Big 3: “Our tent went from 2400g to 600g, which was a huge difference,” Child recalls. “I swapped my 1300g sleeping bag for a 500g quilt and paired it with a warmer liner and ultralight sleeping mat, and I bought a smaller pack that weighs about 800g.”

The couple are keen to shave weight off where they can. “Both Liz and I have replaced our water bladders with plastic bottles with a tube through the cap,” says Child. “We got a tiny burner that screws onto a gas canister, and ultralight pots and bowls. Some people abandon cooking altogether, but that’s not for us.”

The couple dehydrate their own food and wrap fresh food in newspaper that can then be used to light a fire in a hut.

Going lightweight doesn’t mean they do away with essentials or safety, and they always carry a personal locator beacon and an InReach. “We looked for the smallest and lightest of those,” says Child. “We pare our first aid kid down to what is essential, and we try to carry items that have more than one purpose so we don’t double up.”

Child says going ultralight has helped their tramping immensely. It’s no longer painful to carry a pack, they can walk for longer and find it more enjoyable. “We’ve also gone to trail shoes instead of heavy leather boots and notice a difference on our legs. It helps with endurance. We’re both close to 60 and don’t have the advantage of youth or a big strong bloke to carry stuff.”

Donna and Peter Broome

By Leigh Hopkinson

Timaru-based Donna and Peter Broome met at Woolshed Creek Hut in 2023 and have been adventuring together ever since – even spending their honeymoon tramping in Rakiura mud. They like doing all kinds of hikes, often in winter.

Donna is nearly 50 and Peter is in his sixties. They began the shift to ultralight gear 18 months ago.

Their first purchase was new Aarn packs: Donna’s weighs 1200g and Peter’s just 800g. The balance packs with front pockets have been gamechangers.

“There’s no sore shoulders or sore feet at the end of the day anymore,” says Peter.

They have since upgraded their sleep systems, tent, footwear and waterproof layers. Donna purchased a Kiwi Ultralight quilt (695g, rated to -5℃ ), while Peter has a Macpac Dusk 400 (900g) sleeping bag. They’ve replaced their leather boots with synthetic ones, and occasionally opt for trail runners.

They have each shaved about 3–4kg off their total pack weight. Donna’s is now 10–12kg and Peter averages 7–8kg.

“When I did the Heaphy Track, my pack was less than 8kg for six days and five nights,” says Peter.

Donna says the advantage of going ultralight as a couple is that they share the philosophy and the gear. “My pack is generally slightly heavier as I’m taller than Pete, and being younger I can carry a bit more. I take more clothing too, as I feel the cold. But essentially, we work as a team.”

“We can go for longer trips, longer daily distances, higher elevation and more technical terrain,” says Peter.

The couple split the cost and weight of key items, such as their tent – a Big Agnes Copper Spur Ultralight Platinum (1100g). They also divide up the first aid kit and food. They now use a Trangia with 90ml of methylated spirits a day, which works above the snowline and means they don’t have to carry gas canisters.

They have saved weight on smaller items too, by using a water filter instead of carrying 2l of water each, and opting for head torches with lithium batteries and titanium cutlery.

Peter makes a list of the gear he takes on trips and notes afterwards the things he didn’t use. This has enabled the couple to whittle away unnecessary items.

“We tramp year-round. Ultralight doesn’t mean cold, as long as you’re mindful of your R rating,” says Donna.

The Old Ghost Road is next, with Tūātapere Hump Ridge Track planned for later this year.

“Going ultralight opened up doors and possibilities that wouldn’t have been possible if we were still carrying 14kg-plus packs,” says Donna.