Cheap Ultralight Backpacking Gear
It can be expensive to buy the best ultralight backpacking gear. My seventeen-ounce down sleeping bag, for example, cost me over $200. But there are ways to keep the weight and the cost down. Here are two examples.
1. Skip the expensive clothing. Cheap t-shirts are fine for most backpacking. You can buy cotton/polyester blend t-shirts for a few dollars each. I use cheap nylon socks as well, and I have even gone 110 miles through mountains in a week in $7 running shoes (they were starting to wear out by the end).
2. Titanium isn’t necessary. Titanium is light, and yet the thick pans made of it for backpackers are still heavier than a cheap aluminum pan - and much more expensive. Buy a regular inexpensive aluminum pan and remove the handle for easier packing.