Light gear, thick preparation: what a 2.8 kg base weight list teaches
I read a mountaineering gear list with a 2.8 kg base weight published by ULコンパス (UL Compass), updated in February 2026. It is written by Karu-kichi, who has nine years of ultralight experience, and the weights are measured on an electronic scale rather than taken from catalogue figures. The assumptions are a non-snow season, altitude around 2,000 m, two nights and three days, about 20 km of walking a day, and night temperatures down to 1°C.
The total is 2,863 g. It is split into carry 486 g, sleep 651 g, wear 818 g, eat 259 g and support 649 g. The pack is a Yamato MINI2 (448 g), the shelter a Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp (142 g), the quilt a CUMULUS X-LITE200 (297 g), and the pad 75 g. The numbers alone are instructive.
The author says his approach rests on four ideas: a frameless pack, a floorless shelter, a 900-fill down quilt, and a titanium pot with an alcohol stove. Meals are mostly freeze-dried, so the cooking gear is focused on boiling water.
What stayed with me most is the phrase "light gear, thick preparation". Cutting preparedness to get light is not the same as ultralight, and the parts that affect safety are kept fully covered. Rather than competing on the base weight figure, it is more important to think about why you choose each item. I was also glad that the list is honest about its definitions: it leaves out the smartphone and spare clothes but includes trekking poles. When comparing with someone else's list, that is the part to line up first.
Source: ULコンパス
The total is 2,863 g. It is split into carry 486 g, sleep 651 g, wear 818 g, eat 259 g and support 649 g. The pack is a Yamato MINI2 (448 g), the shelter a Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp (142 g), the quilt a CUMULUS X-LITE200 (297 g), and the pad 75 g. The numbers alone are instructive.
The author says his approach rests on four ideas: a frameless pack, a floorless shelter, a 900-fill down quilt, and a titanium pot with an alcohol stove. Meals are mostly freeze-dried, so the cooking gear is focused on boiling water.
What stayed with me most is the phrase "light gear, thick preparation". Cutting preparedness to get light is not the same as ultralight, and the parts that affect safety are kept fully covered. Rather than competing on the base weight figure, it is more important to think about why you choose each item. I was also glad that the list is honest about its definitions: it leaves out the smartphone and spare clothes but includes trekking poles. When comparing with someone else's list, that is the part to line up first.
Source: ULコンパス
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