How Gossamer Gear Started me on my Ultralight Backpacking Journey
Back in 2023, I met Glen Van Peski, the founder of Gossamer Gear. I was hosting our annual Paria Canyon Trek, and we were camped in Buckskin Gulch on the last night of our trip. In total, this trek is 5 days/4 nights and requires walking in the river and through many muddy sections. You can imagine the state of us when we arrived at camp—dirty but very happy.
I have to admit that at the time, I had never heard of Gossamer Gear. As we were setting up camp, one of our guests came to let me know that Glen and a group were camped just below us, and she could hardly contain her excitement. She had already started her ultralight backpacking journey, while I hadn’t even started thinking about ultralight yet.
I introduced myself to Glen, and we chatted about our adventure and how his group was just starting theirs. He also does an annual trip in Paria Canyon and had been doing it for much longer than us. After chatting for a bit, I asked if I could get in touch. I didn’t know how ultralight gear would fit in with Women Who Explore, but when you meet Glen, you immediately know he’s a kind soul—someone you don’t walk away from easily. In true Glen fashion, he gave me the tiniest business card. Leave it to Glen to have ultralight cards while backpacking!
We did keep in touch. He’s taught an online class for us and supported our local Oregon chapters at various events and with gear testing. Glen also wrote a book called Take Less, Do More, and I’m even featured at the beginning as an endorsement (alongside Matthew McConaughey, no less!).
Earlier this year, Glen reached out with an idea to support more women getting into backpacking. It was an incredibly generous offer—and wow, did Gossamer Gear deliver. So far, more than half our ambassadors (over 100!) have switched to lightweight Gossamer Gear packs. We’ve shared packs with various non-profits that promote women and minorities in the outdoors. We’ve also stocked gear libraries for our ambassadors, so they can loan gear to attendees who don’t have their own. The feedback we keep getting is that people had no idea how much easier trekking could be just by going lighter.
In March, I broke my foot. Recovery, surgery, and trying to get back to my old backpacking self hasn’t been easy. One of the biggest things that helped me get back out there? My ultralight Gossamer Gear pack.
Ultralight gear can be more expensive than its heavier counterparts, but these days, the gap isn’t as big as you’d think. The average 60L backpack you’ll find at REI ranges from $200–$300. The ultralight Mariposa 60L from Gossamer Gear is currently $315. One caveat is how much weight these packs can carry. I feel like people usually weight their 60L packs around 40 pounds, while the Mariposa shouldn't be loaded with more than 30—and thus begins your ultralight journey.
The Mariposa (small) weighs just over 2 pounds. My medium 70L Gregory? Over 5 pounds. Shaving off 3 pounds just in the pack alone was a revelation! After that, I started weighing everything. It’s shocking how heavy gear can be. I don’t tend to overpack for backpacking trips and have no problem wearing the same thing for 5 days straight, so I thought I was already doing well keeping my weight down to about 38 pounds. But that weight, especially while trying to rebuild strength after my injury? No good.
So, with a nudge from Gossamer Gear, I’m finally reducing my pack weight—without feeling like I’m compromising comfort. I love Glen, but I will never be able to use what he calls a sleeping pad. That said, I have switched mine out. I replaced my nearly 2-pound pad with the Nemo Tensor Ultralight, which is just over 10 ounces. My former 3-pound sleeping bag is now a 1 lb 4 oz quilt. My REI Quarter Dome 2-person tent is 2 lbs 8 oz and was purchased before I even switched packs. Since I usually split the weight with my partner, I don’t feel the need to upgrade until it’s worn out. I love buying new gear, but I also want to be as sustainable as possible and use what I already have when I can. For reference, my old tent was nearly 5 pounds.
In total, I’ve managed to save around 8 pounds in base weight. There are other small changes that helped too—like learning to not pack my fears. Who else brings more layers than they need because they’re terrified of being cold? Or thinks they’ll eat double on the trail and ends up with extra, unnecessary snacks? This part comes with experience, so don’t feel bad if you still need to pack that one extra layer to feel secure. You’ll learn what you actually need as you backpack more consistently.
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Post by Melissa Wright | Co-Owner Women Who Explore
When Melissa isn’t planning adventures for women across the world, she’s outside as much as possible! She’s up for just about any adventure in the outdoors, but most likely you’ll find her backpacking, climbing or mountain biking. She calls Arizona home with her partner Adam.
