Ultralight Tramping Those who travel far must travel light. Tarns on the Hikurangi Range 2007
		Welcome to Bryan Dudley's ultralight tramping website. On these pages we look at enjoying the New Zealand wilderness without having to carry heavy loads. All you need to carry is 4.5 kg plus food. This includes camping gear and the pack itself.     The Links page gives links to other useful sites. This includes DIY sites so you can make your own gear. The Products button shows you Ultralight gear you can purchase from us. The Journeys button takes you on some of our journeys in the New Zealand Wilderness. Look for the More Journeys button if you enjoyed reading them. Latest news. More journeys and new Products. How to is about how to begin Ultralight tramping.  Believe it or not the gear can actually cost a fraction of conventional gear. What is Ultralight tramping about? Ultralight tramping is about access to the best of backcountry New Zealand for a lot more New Zealanders. Heavy packs have in the past limited the backcountry to fit young males. When I was fit and young it appeared a damn good idea, but I have revised my ideas a little since then. In general women are discriminated against with heavy packs. Not that women are any less fit or determined. But simply that women tend to be smaller than men and have been expected to carry the same huge loads. Older people too find it difficult to carry heavy packs. Many continue day walks but they have to give up overnight tramps. I feel this is unnecessary. I'm sure it is possible to go overnight with little more weight than is being carried on a day trip. Young teenagers are often asked to carry heavy loads on school camps and on outdoor courses. These are young people who have not got adult bodies and are asked to carry adult loads. I feel it does little to encourage young people to look to the outdoors for recreation. Contact You can contact me at, tramplight@paradise.net.nz or  Ultralight Tramping Shop P.O. Box 80209  Green Bay Auckland  New Zealand. Check out  a couple of new Links Zen stoves Edible Gear Find these on my links page  Xmas trips 2007-2008 Do you carry more than 11kg for a ten day Xmas trip. If you do you might find it interesting to note we did two nine to ten day trips and never carried more than 11kg. Our first long trip this summer was from The Red Hills  to Rocks Hut in the Richmond Ranges. Later in the summer we did the NW circuit  on Stewart Island. In 2008 we  have other  trips on our news and journeys pages. Contact You can contact me at, tramplight@paradise.net.nz or  Ultralight Tramping Shop P.O. Box 80209  Green Bay Auckland  New Zealand. Is 4.5 kg the lowest you can go? The figure of 4.5 is what is now possible, however I believe that going even lighter is an option. Even now with today's materials I believe it is possible to cut the weight below 4.5 kg In the United States they call it Super Ultralight and are talking about 2.5kg. Can this figure be reached and the load be considered safe and not too much comfort sacrificed? Well I haven't got there yet but again, I don't consider it impossible. Summer 2005 We did two trips with my pack weighting less than 2.5kg.  This included spare clothes and camping gear. I had to make a number of new items but it proved to me that very light weights are possible even in the NZ hills. Is Ultralight tramping safer?  I feel that many conventional trampers do not travel all that safely as they carry no shelter and rely on huts and carry down bags that are useless when wet. This is fine as long as you get to the hut. But getting caught out with no shelter and a down bag is not travelling safely. Travelling light means you travel fast. You are less likely to get caught on exposed tops or passes.