These days it can be understood why it’s so tough to find trustworthy outdoor gear advice. This very reason is why brands like CleverHiker were built. Striving for outside adventure and trips with loved ones is why we take our ultralight backpacking accessories very seriously. We treat our recommendations as if they were being considered for family and friends. Hopefully, you find this best ultralight backpacking accessories list helpful and informative. Below are the top 10 products in the industry today.
Table of Contents
- 1 Top 10 Best Ultralight Backpacking Accessories
- 1.1 1. Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow
- 1.2 2. Sea to Summit Ultra-SIL Stuff Sack Bag
- 1.3 3. Black Diamond Spot 325 Headlamp
- 1.4 4. Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
- 1.5 5. Gregory Mountain Products 3D Hydro Reservoir 3 Liter
- 1.6 6. Cevapro Winter Gloves Touch Screen Gloves Winter Warm Gloves for Hiking, Running
- 1.7 7. Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves
- 1.8 8. Victorinox Swiss Army Knife
- 1.9 9. Leatherman Wave Plus Multitool
- 1.10 10. Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System bottle
- 2 Conclusion
Top 10 Best Ultralight Backpacking Accessories
| Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Victorinox Swiss Army Spartan Pocket Knife |
| Check On Amazon |
 | LEATHERMAN Wave Plus Multitool |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Katadyn BeFree 0.6L Water Filter |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Black Diamond Spot 325 Headlamp |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Gregory Mountain Products 3D Hydro Reservoir 2 Liter |
| Check On Amazon |
 | SEA TO SUMMIT Ultra-SIL Stuff Sack Bag |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Zune Lotoo |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Cevapro Winter Gloves Touch Screen Gloves Winter Warm Gloves for Hiking |
| Check On Amazon |
 | Black Diamond Mont Blanc Glove |
| Check On Amazon |
1. Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow
It may seem obvious, but inflatable pillows can go a long way in terms of head support when trying to gain precious hours of sleep in the outdoors. The importance of bringing inflatable pillows into your pack on all camping trips cannot be overstated enough. One of the best parts is that these lightweight and compact models can help you sleep better at a very small cost in terms of weight and bulk. The quality of each individual pillow is what makes it one of the best ultralight backpacking accessories you can have.
The best pillow that was tested has been the Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow, mostly because of its size of the cushion and soft fabric, and it can be contracted down small enough to be compared to the size of a fist. Another viable option would be the much larger Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Deluxe Pillow, coming close to imitating a typical pillow at home vehicle still being able to pack down to slightly larger than a smartphone.
2. Sea to Summit Ultra-SIL Stuff Sack Bag
Stuff sacks are primarily used to protect clothing and gear from any kind of water that penetrates a backpack. It also can be used to make organizing and loading a pack easier and more time-efficient by separating clothing and smaller gear items, which gives you fewer things to move in and out of a pack. Stuff sacks also provide a more effective way of keeping items dry inside your pack than a rain cover would since it doesn’t fully cover a pack, it can blow away and will wet itself in a downpour.
As of right now, the best inflatable pillow you can find is the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sacks. These sacks are surprisingly light, waterproof, and tough enough to withstand just about any kind of abuse you’ll encounter on a trip. They are not intended to be used as dry bags because they’re not submersible, however, they have the ability to keep clothing and gear dry through wet conditions.
3. Black Diamond Spot 325 Headlamp
It’s always a good idea to keep a well-lit headlamp around as a backpacking accessory because you never know when you’ll be in a tough situation that requires a light brighter than a flashlight to carry around. Another advantage a headlamp has over a flashlight is that it constantly rests on your head and frees up both of your arms to be used during an activity or game.
This specific headlamp model is called the Black Diamond Spot 325. It has the three modes that every advanced camping headlamp should have: whitebeam, white peripheral, and a bright red light that has a max brightness of up to 325 lumens.
This high number of lumens means that it will project a beam at least 200 feet, while still having dimming options in all modes. One more benefit to the Spot 325 is its new PowerTap technology that allows the user to tap the right side of the headlamp to cycle between brightness levels you’ve already previously set, along with a lockout mode to stop the user from accidentally turning on a pack.
Finally, it’s also waterproof up to 3 feet underwater for about 30 minutes. Although the unit is not rechargeable, the value of the Spot 325 may be today’s best when comparing it to other backpacking headlamps today.
4. Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .5 Medical First Aid Kit
A first-aid kit can appear to some people like something that just takes up space and adds extra weight to a pack because you think it may not be used. However, when you really do need one by your side, you never want to be in a situation without it. This compact and sleek designed Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight Watertight .9 Medical Kit helps solve the old divide between utility versus weight.
The product comes covered in two layers of waterproof packaging. Inside the kit itself there are various wraps and bandages, a trauma pad and wide elastic wraps, blister treatment, an irrigation syringe, and wound closure strips, medications for diarrhea, stomach issues, pain, and inflammation, and last but not least a small roll of duct tape.
I personally would recommend adding any kind of small tube of antibiotic ointment. Although if you can’t, this product is an overall complete first-aid kit that doesn’t take up excessive space in any given pack. The health of the entire group is essential, making this one of the more important best ultralight backpacking accessories.
5. Gregory Mountain Products 3D Hydro Reservoir 3 Liter
Hydration bladders can have quite different features in terms of capacity and durability across different brands. One common trend is the shared trait of being inconvenient to clean. The Gregory 3D Hydro hydration bladder fixes that problem while continuing to stand out for being designed with ease of use as a priority one.
The hydration bladder is made with flexible and light metallocene PE, with an inside divider that stands up once the unit is empty. This allows the bladder to have the ability to be left uncapped to dry out like a water bottle after use.
A method like this is the best way to prevent the growth of newly formed bacteria that can quickly ruin a bladder. It has a magnetic bite valve that comes with a magnetized mating clip that mounts to the sternum strap of just about any pack. The mount helps hold the hose in place when hiking, even though the magnet doesn’t hold when hiking hard or running at top speeds. The valve also has a sliding lock in place to prevent leakage and dripping. Another advantage is that the lightweight, plastic frame at the top end of the bladder gives support to a handle for easily refilling it.
In the beginning, it can be tricky to top off because it has a rectangular slot big enough to clip a bladder inside a pack’s sleeve very quickly. Finally, the bladder comes with a plastic hangar at the top of the point where the hose attaches near the bottom of the bladder where it rotates outward for hanging in order to dry it. Overall the Gregory 3D Hydro hydration bladder is a very smart reinvention of a standard hiking tool. It can be a great option when considering the best ultralight backpacking accessories.
6. Cevapro Winter Gloves Touch Screen Gloves Winter Warm Gloves for Hiking, Running
Even during hot summer days in the mountains, when you’re camping you will often need a pair of light gloves to protect yourself against cold temperatures, wind, and rain. One particular pair of gloves that can allow you to do so is the Cevapro winter gloves.
These gloves are proven to be able to withstand cold temperatures on backpacking trips from late climates such as Utah’s Dark Canyon Wilderness in May to the Wind River Range in September. The ability to withstand temperatures makes them a useful and beneficial backpacking accessory.
The gloves still have the ability to comfort and keep your hands warm on chilly trail runs. The new innovative WindStopper fabric used in the hand section of the glove is waterproof, which most lightweight gloves these days are not. Along with the waterproof feature, the forefinger of the glove has touchscreen sensitivity while the conductive fabric adds durability.
7. Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves
If you know for certain you’re going to be camping or doing outdoor activities at colder temperatures exclusively, another glove option for you would be the Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves.
When you’re hiking or running through temperatures from close to freezing up to into the 40s, the Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves hits the sweet spot for high breathability with still allowing some weather resistance. The new weather-resistant shell fabric on the back of the hand has technology that sheds light on precipitation and can still block some wind, all while the stretch palm and cuff release perspiration to let the gloves dry quickly and the cuff fits comfortably around the wrist.
8. Victorinox Swiss Army Knife
The Victorinox Swiss Army Hiker knife gives a wide range of up to thirteen tools which includes two steel blades, three screwdrivers, bottle and can openers, and tweezers. Then there are harder to find items like a small wood saw. You can buy different variations of the hiking knife depending on how many components you would like to add as additional attachments. Some products on amazon range from about twenty-five to sixty dollars depending on the modifications to the multi-tool knife.
9. Leatherman Wave Plus Multitool
If you’re looking for the most pristine ultimate multi-tool, you should consider the Leatherman Wave. This is also a great alternative to the Victorinox swiss army knife. The hiking knife is at a steeper price starting at $100. Its steep price justifies it being one of the best hiking knives and best ultralight backpacking accessories to add to your list.
The entire multi-tool kit is just four inches long when closed, making this updated version of the traditional tool kit. It has an astonishing set of 18 tools that can interchange with each other and lock quickly into many different positions. Most of the eighteen tools should see a rate in usage because of the frequent use of sharp and precision tools needed for higher-end backpacking and camping activities.
The kit as a whole comes with two knives which can be found serrated and straight, a saw, razor-sharp scissors, can / bottle openers, a standard Phillips screwdriver, pliers, and wire cutters just to name a few. The value for the leatherman Wave, as opposed to the Victorinox, depends on the type of activities you plan on doing along with your total budget. Its versatility alone makes it one of the best ultralight backpacking accessories.
If you need just a simpler, much lighter, and less expensive tool, you should probably go with the Victorinox Swiss Army knife. If you are a more experienced camper with more intensive needs with a bigger budget to spend, then you can’t go wrong with the Leatherman Wave.
10. Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System bottle
One of the most prolific water filters in terms of speed, convenience, and packability is definitely the Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System bottle. It is compact and small measuring just 9x3x3 inches and surprisingly light weighing under three ounces in total. It’s built to filter up to two liters per minute just easily while only needing you to squeeze the collapsible BPA-free flask which delivers a strong stream of water.
It even has the ability to pour through the mouthpiece, although it may be more slowly than squeezing, by tilting it upside down, even if the bottle is almost empty. The microfilter built into the filter protects against harmful organisms like bacteria and cysts and guarantees a long projected life of up to 1,000 liters. Replacing the filter is easier than ever since all you have to do is pop it out and a new one pops in.
No backflushing or tools are necessary to complete the process. You’ll need to clean it occasionally by using the EZ-Clean Membrane around in the water. In terms of long-term storage, clean the filter by squeezing a flask of clean water containing four drops of bleach through the filter. Its ease of use makes it one of the best ultralight backpacking accessories.
Conclusion
Overall these are some of the best ultralight backpacking accessories that can be used to enhance your overall experience and performance with doing various activities in the outdoors. Most of the items shown above vary in terms of necessity depending on your budget as well as your backpacking experience level. While this may be true you can’t go wrong with improving on your existing set of accessories for veterans or starting fresh with some item for new beginners. From the complexity of multi-tools to the simplicity of a simple headlamp, all of these accessories can play a major role in aiding the consumer at any level of backpacking.
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