Written by: Sarah (@adventures.of.blondie)
I am always looking for ways to lighten my backpacking pack so when Valhalla Pure Outfitters asked me to test out some of their ultralight gear, I jumped at the chance! Some of the heaviest items in your backpacking gear are your sleep system and shelter and Valhalla Pure has the ultimate gear to help you manage long days on the trail. On a recent trip to Floe Lake, I put the MSR Freelite 1, the Thermarest Neoair XLite NXT and the Thermarest Vesper 0c quilt to the test in some pretty wet and cold conditions.
All together this sleep and shelter system for solo backpacking comes in at 1.78kg! That is incredible light for some excellent quality gear, that will last you a lifetime if you take care of it.
These items pack so small and are so light, I’ve never had more space in my backpack! Picking up my pack no longer felt like a struggle which required both hands to navigate and the 1000m plus of elevation over 11km to reach my tent pad for the night, although tough, felt much easier with a lighter pack.
After years of backpacking in the Canadian Rockies, I’d seen people flying past me with their ultralight gear and slowly I’d started to make changes to my gear to lose a few grams here or there but after this last trip, I have to say, I’m never going back to my old gear. I’ve written a full review below on each of the three ultra light items, the good, the bad and the great all included. If you’ve been thinking of trying out ultralight gear but haven't made the leap, this is the review for you.
The Shelter - MSR Freelite 1
Quick Stats:
- Sleeps: 1 person (although does come in a two person version)
- Style: Semi Free Standing, double wall tent.
- Packed weight: 0.89kg/ 1lb 15oz
The MSR Freelite is a semi free standing tent, which means you need pegs to help set it up and not just poles. The poles that the MSR Freelite comes with are incredibly light, with one main centre pole and then a small cross pole. For this reason, it is easy and quick to set up. For the two corners at the end of the tent, these are pulled out and secured using pegs, to maximize the floor space.
The rain fly is made from 15D rip stop fabric, again, it is light and easy to pack, it is attached on the four corners and then pegs are needed to pull the rainfly taught, especially on the vestibule. Despite the lightweight nature of the MSR Freelite, it is a phenomenal waterproof tent. I set it up in a downpour and rain never came in, clearly beading off the fly.
What I particularly loved about the MSR Freelite 1 was the livability space, it easily fit the wide pad and I had space at the foot of my pad to store items I wanted to keep dry. The pockets on the inside of the mesh allow for smaller items to be stored which you want to grab quickly. The one vestibule is spacious and made storing my backpack and dirty hiking shoes easy.
I was blown away by this tent, how easily it fit in my pack, how lightweight it was and how it performed in less than optimal weather! That being said, it is worth putting this up a few times, for practice, before hitting the trail. Although not hard to put up, to get it right, it is worth practising so you don’t have a struggle in a downpour!
The Sleeping Pad - Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT
Quick Stats
- R-Value: 4.5
- Weight: 0.45kg/1lb (for the regular wide)
- Thickness: 3 inches
When I first unwrapped the pad, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be comfortable, my current Thermarest was rectangular and inflated to 4 inches. I was pleasantly surprised once I got to camp to test it out, just how comfortable it was! The regular wide was the perfect size for me, unlike my old regular width pad, I didn’t feel like I was going to roll off of it continually.
Even as a side sleeper, I found this pad more than thick enough that I never touched the ground. The winglock valve allowed for easy inflation and deflation, with the ability to let out a little air to make it a comfortable firmness. I particularly like that for such a small, packable pad, it had an r-value of 4.5, making it usable in a variety of seasons.
The best part about the Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT pad was how small it packed up! It was skinnier than my Nalgene once rolled up. Even with the included pump sack this pad disappeared into my pack without a thought about where or how I should pack it. A pleasant surprise for someone who previously had to meticulously pack everything to make sure it all fit in her pack.
While previous models got some complaints about how noisy the pad was, this one was quiet, honestly, quieter than my previous Thermarest and while I tossed and turned, I didn’t notice any great amount of noise coming from the pad.
The Quilt - Thermarest Vesper 32F/0C Quilt
Quick Stats
- Weight: 0.44kg/15oz
- Insulation: 900 fill down
I had never tried a quilt before and always had sleeping bags for my backpacking adventures but the Thermarest Vesper is incredible, basically weightless and packs down to almost nothing, while puffing back up once you take it out of your stuff sack.
There are a number of really well thought out features to this quilt, for the sealed in toe box to keep your feet warm, to the straps which can be added on to the quilt in two locations to help you secure it round your sleeping pad. The neck baffle is comfortable and has an elastic synch for cooler nights. The back is a popper to keep it closed or undo it for a warmer night when you want to spread out and have easier use of your arms.
On a wet and cool night in the mountains, I was a little worried I would get cold but paired with the Thermarest NeoAir XLIte NXT, I was comfortable all night.
You can definitely tell this is an ultralight quilt and the materials are lightweight but feel like they are good quality and therefore durable if treated with care. The 10D Nylon ripstop fabric also feels really soft and comfortable which I was surprised by.
For me the biggest benefit of this quilt is how small it packs down, once in its compression sack it was around a third of the size of my down sleeping bag and considerably lighter. If you are looking to cut down your backpacking weight, this would be a phenomenal option.
Final Thoughts
If you want to move through the mountains quickly and comfortably, you really can’t go wrong with this incredible ultralight set up. Easy to use, comfortable, warm and most importantly coming in at under 2 kg in total weight, this set up will be a real game changer.
I am looking forward to continuing to put it through its paces and most importantly enjoying being out on the trail without a heavy backpack holding me back. So here’s to longer days on the trail, carrying a comfortable and light backpack, while not compromising on comfort at camp.
