What is fastpacking? Starting weight, pack, gear list, food, training and safety: a practical guide to fast multi-day trips with a light pack.

How to make an ultralight tent footprint yourself: cut the film, reinforce the corners and hook it onto the poles with shock cord. With photos of every step.

A tent footprint protects your tent floor from abrasion and moisture. When it is worth it, how big it should be, what it weighs and which mistakes to avoid.

Cowboy camping means sleeping without a tent or tarp. What gear you need, how to predict dew, how to pick your spot and what to do if it rains at night.

Tyvek or XFOIL under your tent? DuPont and XFOIL datasheet figures compared: weight, packed size, waterproofness and strength – and which material suits which kind of trip.

Ultralight tent footprint for fastpacking: when it belongs under the tent floor, when under your mat and bivy sack – and how to cut it to size correctly.

Tensile strength, tear strength, and puncture resistance under ASTM D882, DIN EN ISO 13937-2 and ASTM F1306 explained – and what that means for comparing window films, brand footprints, and XFOIL in practice.

Numbers like "20 microns", "0.8 mil", or "18 g/m²" look precise but are easy to misread. Here's how the units convert, why the same thickness can weigh very differently depending on the material, and how to check a manufacturer's numbers yourself.

Many ultralight hikers want to not only roll up their foam sleeping mat, but also pack it compactly in their backpack – for example, in a Z-fold, as is common with folding mats. With a targeted Z-shaped embossing, you can transform a flat, closed-cell foam mat into a comfortably foldable sleeping mat without weakening the material through cuts. Goal of Z-embossing: Turning a rolled foam mat into a folding mat In Z-embossing, the mat is compressed along specific lines. These c

Those working with ultralight films like xfoil face the challenge of safely transferring forces into the material. Since tear resistance under point loads is rather low, mechanical solutions like eyelets are unsuitable. A stable solution is offered by combining full-surface bonding with 3D-printed reinforcements. The mounting principle: gluing on the underside A crucial factor for durability is positioning: the hardware is always glued to the underside of the film. When the g

Anyone who's ever slept in a tent (or even under a tarp) knows the phenomenon: you wake up and your sleeping bag/quilt is damp inside. It hasn't rained – it's condensation. In the ultralight realm, this is primarily one thing: annoying. This problem – trapped moisture – is universal. It doesn't just occur in bivouac sacks, but also with temperature fluctuations in transport packaging or during the storage of goods. There, it can be more than just a nuisance and can lead to mo

Your ultralight tent is a valuable investment. To maximize its lifespan and protect it from ground moisture and abrasion, a suitable groundsheet is essential. But which one fits your specific tent model? That's where XFOIL comes in – your ultralight, tough and fully waterproof groundsheet.

At a time when our oceans are suffocating in microplastics, our soil is contaminated with them, and they have even been detected in our blood, this is a contradiction that preoccupies us every day. The world is drowning in plastic. And we are part of it. So why do we do it? Because there is currently no practical alternative for ultra-light, reliable, and completely weatherproof equipment that protects you from wet and cold conditions on a week-long hike. No one carries a she

You're in a hurry and want to know which tape is suitable for your xfoil project? Here's the quick version: Checklist: What your tape needs to be able to do: LSE Suitability: The adhesive must be optimized for low surface energy (LSE) surfaces. Look for indications such as "LSE-compatible," "for PE/PP," "for hard-to-bond plastics," "for low surface energy surfaces," or "for plastics with low surface energy." Stable Carrier: Choose tape with a firm carrier material (PET, PP, o

I would like to recommend a great tutorial from wilbo (who also makes fantastic hand-sewn tarps) on how to build a Penta-Mid tarp from XFOIL that is not only light and compact, but also accessible to anyone - no sewing skills required! The material costs around €30 and including cords etc. it weighs 175 g. You can find the detailed step-by-step instructions here in the Ultralight Forum . Advantages of the Penta-Mid Tarp: Wilbo's instructions make it possible for anyone to mak

Attaching guy points Guy points are crucial for the stability of tarps or tents, but some people also want to use them to attach the groundsheet. There are many options, this one is just an example: A tried and tested method of creating these guy points uses a combination of fabric tape and rigid plastic sheets of polycarbonate (PC) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This construction prevents the guy line from slipping through, secured by a stopper knot like the figure-of-

The tarp for all occasions! Whether 2.4 m or 3 m long, you stay under 100 g total weight and are still protected from wind and weather. You finish your XFOIL with 4-6 guy points (see chapter guy points), appropriate lines and pegs, and are prepared for most situations. Whether 2.4 m or 3 m, the length depends on your expected use. For ground sleepers as well as for short hammocks (Brazilian), a shorter one may already be sufficient if you want to use it as an A-frame or asymm

Some people place the highest value on absolute waterproofness and therefore choose films like XFOIL made from cross-linked polyolefin, while others focus more on durability and opt for materials like Tyvek or Cuben Fiber (DCF). Yet others might look for a lightweight and compact groundsheet and are willing to inspect their campsite for potential hazards like thorns instead of choosing the most robust material.

Polycro is not a material specification. Compare cross-linked polyolefin, window insulation and packaging films using documented thickness, tensile strength, elongation and puncture resistance.