Is ultralight really taking over? What thru-hiker survey data shows
It often feels like everyone on the trail has a quilt, a trekking-pole tent and a DCF pack, so I found it interesting that The Trek looked at its own survey numbers to ask whether ultralight is really taking over thru-hiking.
The usual definition of ultralight is a base weight under 10 pounds. In The Trek's 2025 Appalachian Trail survey, with 279 respondents, only a small fraction fell in that range. The average hiker started with a 20 pound base weight and finished with 18. When the survey first collected this data in 2016, the typical figure was 19 pounds, so basically nothing has changed. The PCT shows a similar picture: Halfway Anywhere's 2025 survey reported an average starting base weight of 17.8 pounds and an ending one of 15.
The author offers a few explanations. The survey data does not go back far enough to capture the big gear innovations, and a lot of people buy lighter gear to make room for comforts like a wider sleeping pad, extra socks or a paperback. Gear may be becoming mainstream more than the minimalist philosophy behind it. Tent choices tell the same story: the Zpacks Duplex and Durston X-Mid were first and second, but the not-ultralight Big Agnes Copper Spur was third. Light-but-not-ultralight packs like the Osprey Exos and the ULA Circuit dominated, and the average pack capacity was 53 liters.
What I took away is that ultralight is a spectrum. Most hikers mix a few light pieces with normal gear, and many are happy at around 18 pounds. The writer also asks how light is too light, since saving weight is not worth waking up sore. If sub-10 pounds is your goal, today's market makes it easier than ever, but the data says most people do not share it.
Source: The Trek
The usual definition of ultralight is a base weight under 10 pounds. In The Trek's 2025 Appalachian Trail survey, with 279 respondents, only a small fraction fell in that range. The average hiker started with a 20 pound base weight and finished with 18. When the survey first collected this data in 2016, the typical figure was 19 pounds, so basically nothing has changed. The PCT shows a similar picture: Halfway Anywhere's 2025 survey reported an average starting base weight of 17.8 pounds and an ending one of 15.
The author offers a few explanations. The survey data does not go back far enough to capture the big gear innovations, and a lot of people buy lighter gear to make room for comforts like a wider sleeping pad, extra socks or a paperback. Gear may be becoming mainstream more than the minimalist philosophy behind it. Tent choices tell the same story: the Zpacks Duplex and Durston X-Mid were first and second, but the not-ultralight Big Agnes Copper Spur was third. Light-but-not-ultralight packs like the Osprey Exos and the ULA Circuit dominated, and the average pack capacity was 53 liters.
What I took away is that ultralight is a spectrum. Most hikers mix a few light pieces with normal gear, and many are happy at around 18 pounds. The writer also asks how light is too light, since saving weight is not worth waking up sore. If sub-10 pounds is your goal, today's market makes it easier than ever, but the data says most people do not share it.
Source: The Trek
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