I was surfing YouTube today and happened upon this video detailing various ways to make DIY ultralight backpacking gear from stuff you probably already have around the house.  Check out the video below:

Ted over at the Daily Dirt reports on the CarboPouch, which boast such features as, well, BEING ABLE TO TRANSPORT BEER INTO THE WOODS!  Yah, I know…sweet.  A company appropriately named Beverage Pouch Group manufactures this wonderful product at, among other places, Germany.  Vince the ShamWow guy isn’t kidding when he says, “the Germans always make good stuff.”  Cheers, hikers!

Stay dry

Everyone and his brother has an opinion on how to choose the best rain gear for hikes both long and short.  Ignore everyone (and their brothers) and allow the experts below to guide you in the right direction. 

Test me for money

Backpacker Magazine editor Shannon Davis lives one of my dream lives–he’s a gear tester and writes about hiking for a living.  His engaging Diary of a Gear Tester post on today’s Daily Dirt gives us a good look into what a professional gear tester for a major publication goes through, and although it ain’t always pretty, it still seems better than most jobs.

Daily Dirt–Diary of a Gear Tester

Woot for Hikers?

If you’re not familiar with Woot.com, it’s a site that offers 1 deal on 1 item at a time, usually at a large discount and available until the limited supply runs out. It’s viral, addictive and generally awesome. Today I was searching for backpacking gear deals and stumbled upon SteepandCheap, which can best be described as “Woot for hikers.” One piece of gear at a time, one great discount, limited inventory and one helluva cool idea. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking for deals on hiking or backpacking gear.

One Killer Gear Deal, One Item At A Time Until It’s Gone – Steepandcheap.com

Backpackers and hikers are not the only ones who can benefit from traveling lighter and smarter.  OneBag.com is a fantastic resource for travelers of all types, and offers advice on what to pack, how to pack it, and what to pack it in.  Wish my wife had consulted this before making me drag what amounted to a small gypsy caravan through Italy during our honeymoon.  OneBag

There was a forum thread started over at Trail Forums in November of ’08 about what ultralight backpacking gear was best to take on a long trek.  I’ve summarized the responses below, but it looks like the original thread didn’t make it past page 1.  I’m interested to hear what Trailsauce readers consider must-have ultralight gear.   I’d like to compile a substantial go-to list, complete with specs and stuff,  to add to a new resources page.

Backpack:

• GoLite Breeze (discontinued)
• GoLite Speed Pack
• Gossamer Gear Murmur
• Gossamer Gear G-5 (discontinued)

Sleeping Bag:

• Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20
• Marmot Helium 15
• Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15
• Phantom 32 Degree Sleeping Bag – In Your Choice of Sizes 

Shelter:

• SixMoon Gatewood Cape 
• Hilleberg Rajd
• Hennessy Hammock
• Tarp tent

Add your picks for the “big three” (pack/bag/shelter) in the comments section!