122. Becoming Ultralight: A Long Distance Backpacker's Lessons in Gear with Sarah Berkeley

In episode 122 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re going ultralight. We haven’t explored ultralight backpacking on this show for several reasons before, and one of those reasons is that I don’t know much about it!

It is a topic that many listeners are interested in learning more about, so I was excited to invite an experienced ultralight hiker and entrepreneur onto the show to share about her journey to becoming an ultralight, long-distance hiker.

Sarah Berkeley started Symbiosis Gear in 2022 to meet the gear needs of women backpackers, especially in the ultralight space. While hiking the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail in 2019, she bought and used three different backpacks while on the PCT, and none fit well.

She doesn’t want other women backpackers to experience the discomfort, extra expense, and discrimination that she did, so she started Symbiosis Gear to cater to the needs of women backpackers. She knows that providing high-quality gear that fits well makes backpacking more accessible and enjoyable for women, thus building more diversity in the backpacking world.

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Symbiosis Gear

Website: https://www.symbiosisgear.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/symbiosisgear/

EXCLUSIVE Gear List: https://www.symbiosisgear.com/minimalist

UL Gear Trade Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ULgeartrade/

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Related Episodes

37. Tips for a Low-Waste Thru-Hike with Ana Lucia Valencia

62. In Field Gear Repair Tips You Need to Know with Whitney "Allgood" La Ruffa

82. Creating a More Adaptive Hiking Space with Tish Scolnik

98. How Not to Die in the Wilderness with Andrea Lankford

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Original music by Alex Carney and Ethan Wiese