Lightweight Backpacking - Alumni

Have you been telling your friends and family that you are working on lightening up your pack for years? Always trying to trim a few ounces here or there but hesitant to drop those few sacred items that are a bit heavier than you wish they were? Trying to find that perfect balance between a light pack and your backcountry comfort? This is the trip for you.

This playful trip will be focused on experimenting with different food systems, introducing you to different gear choices, and outfitting you for future adventures. You will enjoy spending time with our lightweight guru's learning philosophies but not dogma around lightening your pack.

The trip will start off with a new pile of gear just for you. We will supply you with a new pack, tarp, sleeping bag, pad, trekking poles, and stove system. These pieces of gear are yours to keep and we hope that they set you up for a lifetime of light packing. These things are all included in the tuition and yours to keep.

Our goal for this trip is not to have the lightest packs ever, it isn't "ultralight". The goal is to find that perfect blend between comfort while hiking and comfort in the backcountry while providing options and ideas for other types of trips you might embark on. This is a great trip for anyone who is trying to keep themselves in the bacountry for longer in life by being a bit more kind to their knees and back.

The trip will be based out of our Tucson campus and spend time in the Galiuro Wilderness area. This area can have cold evenings but is an incredible desert getaway during the North American winter. It provides the trip with miles of incredible and remote hiking to test out new systems and explore the mountains!

Join us on this adventure and leave prepared for many more trips to come.

*This trip is not designed to be a great physical challenge, but the hiking will certainly have challenging elements.