"You need not sacrifice comfort to enter the world of ultralight backpacking, but you do need to change the way you think about gear, pack loads, and planning. Preservation of comfort is the guiding principle of this book ... Longtime professional outdoor-skills instructor Richard Light teaches field-tested, proven strategies for: planning a modular packing system; creating gear lists that work; navigating the steps required to seriously lighten up; understanding the differences in conventional and ultralight thinking; dealing with winter conditions; packing to minimize frustration; assessingrisk in the backcountry; effective trip planning ... helps beginners as well as advanced backpackers pack efficiently, carry less weight, while still being fully prepared"--Publisher's description.