What Is Fastpacking? All the Gear You Need to Get Started

Fastpacking is a hiking trend that’s slowly going mainstream. As with other adventures, you must bring proper gear when taking this path to explore the wildness safely. Learn why you should consider this style of backcountry travel on your next trip and what equipment you need.

What Is Fastpacking?

Fastpacking is a cross between ultralight backpacking and trail running. Although there are no hard and fast rules, it usually involves hiking uphills, jogging flat terrain, and running downhills.

The goal is to cover as much ground and take in as much of the great outdoors as possible. While this aerobic activity may imply nonstop movement, you can take scheduled breaks. When spending more than one day in the woods, set up camp once darkness falls and resume your journey the following morning.

Trekking is generally taxing enough. Taking the difficulty level up a notch by embracing constant motion when conquering the unknown is worth the trouble. This cardiovascular exercise pushes you further out of your comfort zone and helps build resilience, testing the limits of your physical and mental abilities. Moving faster than the average hiker means you can cross greater distances more quickly, allowing you to discover places most don’t reach.

Bringing less stuff comes with the territory because you must be light on your feet and protect yourself from blisters. The extra challenge of having fewer items for survival forces you to be self-sufficient and resourceful. Discerning fastpackers plan routes ahead, focus on coordination and mindfulness, are conscious of nutrition and listen to their bodies to avoid injuries and ailments.

There’s safety in numbers — going with a partner or in groups can neutralize the dangers of spending time in the woods. The socialization factor can remedy boredom and allow time to pass more quickly.

Companionship has drawbacks, so fly solo if you yearn for solitude. Fastpacking alone means you have to rely on yourself more and control the flow of your day.

Basic Fastpacking Gear List

Being a fastpacker means bringing the fewest items possible to minimize deadweight, which can slow you down and drain your energy more quickly. However, you shouldn’t embark on your journey without these essentials.

Navigation Tool

Mobile devices have navigation functionality, but you shouldn’t exclusively depend on electronics when traversing the wild. Use traditional and unorthodox navigation methods to conserve your phone battery and find your way if it dies.

Fastpacking is a form of orienteering, so bring a local map and a compass. These tools can help you find desirable routes, plan your stops and stay on trail. Knowing where you are in the middle of nowhere allows you to familiarize yourself with environmental hazards, like gorges, and minimize the traces you leave behind.

Moreover, learn to use circumpolar constellations and the sun to determine which direction is which at any time of day. Knowing how to locate a body of water is a vital survival skill — it can help you rehydrate, forage food and find other people for assistance in your hour of need.

Headlamp

This device is a good source of light in the woods after dark because it leaves both your hands free and illuminates the direction you face. The brighter, the better — consider brightness, light output, angle, beam distance, power source and battery life when comparing headlamps.

Furthermore, think about weight, comfort, durability and water resistance. A good headlamp has adjustable straps to make securing it painless.

Trekking Poles

Many fastpackers find trekking poles useful when moving upward and downward on sloped, rough terrain. Bring one or a pair when these sticks help reduce strain on your joints and maintain your stability when hiking.

Filtered Water Bottle

A water bottle with a compatible squeeze-based filter is one of every experienced outdoorsman’s fastpacking gear list. It spares you from carrying hefty gallons of potable water. You can replenish your supply with it from nearby bodies of water without starting a fire and boiling it first.

Garbage Bag

Proper waste disposal is crucial because litter endangers and attracts wildlife. After finishing your trail mix — the best rations to meet your calorie and nutritional needs in the wild — put your clear zipper pouches into a dedicated plastic bag.

Clothes

Wear garments with wicking fabric to keep your skin dry, staying warm and comfortable throughout your multiday fastpacking journey. Limit your extra outfits, for their weight adds up and will burden you when climbing long inclines. Clean yourself at water sources to reduce the stench.

Sleep System

Many fastpackers prefer a quilt and a tarp shelter over a sleeping bag and a traditional tent. Quilts and tarp shelters are more compact and lightweight, although they provide less insulation and protection.

Pocketknife

While a Swiss Army knife is handy in many situations, it can be challenging to open, especially with short nails. A reliable pocketknife has a fixed blade that’s at least four inches long and has more user-friendly mechanics.

Basic Firecraft Tools

Cooking must be low on your agenda when packing light as much as possible. However, a Ferro rod, magnifying lens and waterproof matches can save your life when you get lost. Firecraft is helpful for staying warm at night, purifying contaminated water, cooking food and keeping wildlife at bay.

First Aid Kit

Your ability to treat yourself when far away from civilization is just as good as your first aid kit. It should include:

• Adhesive bandages
• Antibacterial ointment
• Antihistamine tablets
• Antiseptic wipes
• Anti-itch ointment
• Blister plasters
• Closure strips
• Floss
• Gauze pads
• Hand sanitizer
• Ibuprofen tablets
• Medical tape
• Nitrile gloves
• Tweezers
• Sewing needle

Satellite Phone

Thousands of people get lost in the American wildness yearly — including experienced hikers. Stopping and waiting for help is wise when others know about your trip and pinpoint your whereabouts. However, there’s no guarantee that a soul will find you soon enough. Even a large search party may fail to find traces of you when you’re deep in the woods.

A phone that doesn’t rely on a network can be your lifeline. The downside is that satellite phones tend to be heavy and bulky.

Weapon

A pocketknife may not suffice when dealing with a massive backcountry predator weighing more than 200 pounds, like a black bear or panther. Consider bringing a gun with enough ammo to reload to fire warning shots or use lethal force if need be.

Backpack

The best fastpacking packs are capacious, waterproof, durable and hydration-compatible. More importantly, they should be ultralight to help keep the load from exceeding 10% of your body weight. 

These backpacks typically have an ergonomic vest style to distribute weight across the body. They also have wide straps with multiple pockets to move some of the load to the front and provide easy access to critical essentials. Some of the top brands are Gregory, Everfun, Naturehike, Aonijie and N NEVO RHINO. 

Take It Slow When You Begin Fastpacking

Hiking on steroids is demanding, so improve your fitness and practice on mountainous trails first. The more your body can take a beating, the less you have to compromise on equipment to lighten your load.