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Backpacker: This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

Finally an ultralight kit that won't turn your savings into dust. Here's where to start.

Backpacker: This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

Last updated:
August 14, 2025
|  5 min read

Backpacker: This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

Backpacker: This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

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Finally an ultralight kit that won't turn your savings into dust. Here's where to start.

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Backpacker: This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

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This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

Between inflation and rising tariffs, prices for gear have gone up noticeably over the past few years. Ultralight gear—even American-made ultralight gear—isn’t immune: Between 2023 and 2024, the total cost of one popular budget ultralight kit we published on Backpacker rose $52, and it has continued to go up since.

If you’re an aspiring ultralight backpacker on a budget, that extra cost can be hard to swallow. But if you know where to look, you can still snag deals on quality gear. Here, we’ve built a Backpacker-tested ultralight kit aimed at budget-minded backpackers who don’t want to waste their money: The four main items in this kit—tent, pack, sleeping pad, and quilt—will cost you $550 and weigh just 5 pounds, 12 ounces combined. (You can add on our picks for a headlamp, jacket, filter, and poles for an additional 1 pounds, 12.8 ounces and $192, leaving plenty of room for clothes and other necessities while still staying below a 10-pound baseweight).

Continue reading to learn more about this budget ultralight backpacking kit, written by Adam Roy.

Backpacker: This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

Between inflation and rising tariffs, prices for gear have gone up noticeably over the past few years. Ultralight gear—even American-made ultralight gear—isn’t immune: Between 2023 and 2024, the total cost of one popular budget ultralight kit we published on Backpacker rose $52, and it has continued to go up since.

If you’re an aspiring ultralight backpacker on a budget, that extra cost can be hard to swallow. But if you know where to look, you can still snag deals on quality gear. Here, we’ve built a Backpacker-tested ultralight kit aimed at budget-minded backpackers who don’t want to waste their money: The four main items in this kit—tent, pack, sleeping pad, and quilt—will cost you $550 and weigh just 5 pounds, 12 ounces combined. (You can add on our picks for a headlamp, jacket, filter, and poles for an additional 1 pounds, 12.8 ounces and $192, leaving plenty of room for clothes and other necessities while still staying below a 10-pound baseweight).

Continue reading to learn more about this budget ultralight backpacking kit, written by Adam Roy.

Miniatura da fotografia Autor do blogue
Escritor
Adam Roy
In his time with Backpacker, Editor in Chief Adam Roy has hiked or skied in and reported from five different continents and is still dreaming about hitting the other two.
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Backpacker: This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

This Budget Ultralight Backpacking Kit Costs Just $550

Between inflation and rising tariffs, prices for gear have gone up noticeably over the past few years. Ultralight gear—even American-made ultralight gear—isn’t immune: Between 2023 and 2024, the total cost of one popular budget ultralight kit we published on Backpacker rose $52, and it has continued to go up since.

If you’re an aspiring ultralight backpacker on a budget, that extra cost can be hard to swallow. But if you know where to look, you can still snag deals on quality gear. Here, we’ve built a Backpacker-tested ultralight kit aimed at budget-minded backpackers who don’t want to waste their money: The four main items in this kit—tent, pack, sleeping pad, and quilt—will cost you $550 and weigh just 5 pounds, 12 ounces combined. (You can add on our picks for a headlamp, jacket, filter, and poles for an additional 1 pounds, 12.8 ounces and $192, leaving plenty of room for clothes and other necessities while still staying below a 10-pound baseweight).

Continue reading to learn more about this budget ultralight backpacking kit, written by Adam Roy.

Miniatura da fotografia Autor do blogue
Escritor
Adam Roy
In his time with Backpacker, Editor in Chief Adam Roy has hiked or skied in and reported from five different continents and is still dreaming about hitting the other two.
Menções nos meios de comunicação social
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