9. The Ultralight Backpacker: Christian Handtke

This month, I interviewed ultralight backpacker and storeowner Christian Handtke from chrispacks, who has spend most of his lifetime in the outdoors. We talked about his experience hiking the pacific crest trail, ultralight gear and the material it is made of. This episode was moderated and produced by Leon Hidalgo.lllightness is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The following article is meant as an informational extension of the podcast episode:Chris hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017 and spent six months living in a tent. The experience showed him how important it is to keep pack weight low. After returning home, he opened a small outdoor shop in southern Germany specializing in ultralight gear.Lightness¹ the quality of having little weightChris thinks most people take too many things on their hikes. Going lighter and lighter demands risk-taking and lowering your comfort, while at the same time easing movement.Chris doesnt mind. Especially on long hikes reducing weight makes it easier to hike and brings him closer to the beauty of the surrounding landscape. For weight reduction, an easy place to start is a lightweight backpack, with less complexity and just the necessary features. Bringing water on a hike is a must, but when hiking in areas with a lot of running water, bringing a water filter can be an easy way to save weight.Shelters range from single person pyramid tents under 500g, supported by hiking poles, to heavier Mountaineering tents with many poles forming a small geodesic dome. In High Altitude Climbing reducing weight shouldn’t be the main priority. But even there a lot of weight could be saved when buckminster fuller in 1975 designed the oval intention tent for The North Face. It is the structural origin of most of the black and yellow tents we find nowadays at the Mount Everest Base Camp.Reducing the amount of pockets or thinning the material are ways to minimize weight but a thinner material always comes with the risk of damage by abrasion. Fabrics, that have been successful in the compromise of thinness and stability are silnylons on the cheaper end and dyneema for the higher budget tents. For kitchen products Titanium is the go-to material, as it is ultralight and has a good thermal conductivity.The main idea is use less equipment and use it for more opportunities 15 kilos are a maximum for Chris, while he usually goes hiking with much less weight. His lightest setup for day-hikes in his area is around 1,5kilos. Sleeping outside without a tent is also a good option for saving weight but sadly it is illegal in most countries.lightness² the state of being light in color or shadeChris likes to sleep just using the inner mesh of the tent to immerse himself into the rythm of the sunlight but once the sun is really up UV Protection can be an important aspect on long hikes. Instead of relying on endless amounts of sunscreen he prefers to use a sunhoodie made from uv-protective fabric. Mobile PV modules are a good option for people who bring drones and other tech with them, although they’re quite inefficient at charging while hiking. Chris prefers to use his devices as little as possible and to carry a small power bank, which is usually enough for up to six days of phone use.lightness³ being carefree or feeling without burdenFor him, feeling light - both physically and mentally, is closely connected to the six months he spent hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Over time, he felt himself becoming one with his surroundings and the rhythms of nature, disconnected from the pressures of everyday city life. The constantly changing landscapes reinforced that feeling, just as he grew used to one environment, the trail would shift into another.After six months on the trail, Chris, like many others, enjoyed returning to his routine and the luxuries of supermarket food, hot baths, and a comfortable bed. But the comfort didn’t last long before he began longing for life on the trail again.Chris has always been fascinated by gear. Long before opening a store, he was sewing backpacks for friends and experimenting with lighter designs. After returning from the trail and missing the hiking life, turning that passion into a business felt like a natural next step.Opening his shop created new opportunities. Testing products became a reason to head back outside, and conversations with customers gradually built a network of ultralight enthusiasts. The broader philosophy behind ultralight backpacking, reducing gear to the absolute essentials, can be traced back to Ray Jardine, an aviation engineer and professional climber. His 2009 book Trail Life has become something of a bible for many ultralight hikers.Chris has read it too, and in many ways his store carries that same energy and philosophy. So if you ever find yourself in Lenggries, south of Munich, and need stellar advice on your gear, stop by chrispacks, you’ll likely walk out lighter. Get full access to lllightness at lllightness.substack.com/subscribe