10 More Ultralight Backpacking Gadgets: Is This UL Gear Worth the Weight or a Waste of Space?

Ultralight backpacking gadgets are a dime a dozen these days, with fun new doodads and knickknacks inviting you to spend more money on innovative new gear that promises to make every minute on trail more enjoyable. We, too, love seeing the unique and creative ways cottage brands are thinking outside the box and crafting clever items designed for thru hikers and weekend warriors alike. But are they all actually worth it? Especially if you’re an ultralight backpackers whose goal is to carry less?

We put 10 (more) ultralight backpacking gadgets to the test that we found on Garage Grown Gear, our favorite website for all things ultralight. (If you missed the first installment of this gadget series last season, check out what we thought of these 10 gadgets). All to see which ones are actually worth the weight, and which ones are a waste of space (and why we think so).

Naturally, backpacking is a personal experience and what we find valuable or useful may differ from your opinions and experience, so take each judgement with a grain of salt. Our actual goal is to help you save weight, save money, and save space in your gear closet––plus reduce waste. After all, gadgets can be fun, but sometimes DIY solutions are just as––if not more––functional.

It’s all in the name of sustainability and reducing unnecessary consumption.

The Criteria

It’s hard to rate gear as simply as “worth the weight” or “waste of space.” After all, different gear works differently for different backpackers. But there are a few things we took into consideration when making judgments:

• Is it multi-functional?
• Does it make the experience markedly better for the majority of backpackers?
• Is it worth the price tag?
• Is there a reasonable DIY solution that works as well or better?
• How sustainable is it?

Items that made the cut fulfilled at least a couple of these requirements.

Flat Cat Gear Ocelot 3.8 Mini: Worth the Weight

Weight: 27g

While this may be one of the heavier gadgets on this list, it’s an actually functional one, so it gets a thumbs up from us. Could you DIY a wind protection screen out of foil? Sure. But the Ocelot works perfectly with your specific stove (we tested the one that fits the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe), reduces fuel consumption in windy conditions, and helps keep your stove from overheating compared with DIY options, which can be a real risk with wind protectors.

Plus, it stashes in a pot, hugs the walls, and takes up almost no room, so there’s still space for a fuel canister and stove nestled inside.

Igneous Carbon Fiber Cord Spool: Depends

Weight: 6.3g (without cord)

A cord spool? Made of carbon fiber? This is some full-on ultralight backpacker candy, right here. Is it functional? Absolutely. Necessary? Well…debatable. Because you know what works just as well and weighs the same (give or take a couple grams)? An old credit card with V-notches cut in the sides.

That said, the tool is genuinely useful and truly ultralight, so if you’re a Type A backpacker who brings lots of extra cord, cannot abide by it just sitting wound up in a stuff sack, and is obsessed with keeping things organized and tidy, you may appreciate this. Us? It’s weight we don’t need to carry.

Deadwood Gear Co. Beehive Pot Lid: Waste of Space

Weight: 9.5g

There are very few times I would recommend buying a lid to replace the one that came with your pot. One is if the new lid was exceptionally more functional. The Beehive Pot Lid is not. In fact, it basically works the same as a Toaks pot lid, it’s just a little lighter (9.5g compared to 16.8g). The only real difference is that you can see when water boils––but you can generally tell that by the tell-tale pot shake.

For most backpackers, it’s likely a swap that doesn’t result in meaningful weight savings. One major exception: if you lost your pot lid and need a new one, this one is a solid replacement option.

Apex Giant Dogbone Bear Bag Toggle: Waste of Space

Weight: 5g

We will pass on the Dogbone Bear Bag Toggle for a few reasons. 1.) If you’re doing a PCT hang, you can use a sturdy stick or an extra tent stake to secure your bag in the air and it’s almost as easy. 2.) You need a really high branch to get your food bag hung high enough when hanging this way (it should be at least 12 feet of the ground). 3.) There are other methods for hanging a bear bag that require no extra tools.

So for true ultralighters who go backpacking a few times a year, it feels like unnecessary weight. That said, for thru hikers and folks who regularly do a PCT hang over and over again (like trail crews who work and sleep in the woods), it could certainly become a beloved part of a streamlined kit that makes the bear hang process just a touch simpler. Go with the large version of the toggle.

Water Bottle Sport Cap: Waste of Space

Weight: 4g

People who like these caps cite a good flow rate and easy one-handed use when drinking on the go. But bottom line: these water bottle sport caps are free with any sport bottle purchase at your local gas station or grocery store. If you really want a cap like this and never buy bottled drinks, sure, add it to your cart if you’re buying other things. It’s inexpensive, after all (but it’s also cheap plastic and won’t last long on the trail). But may Mother Gaia haunt your dreams if you order just a plastic bottle cap shipped to your front door.

Frankly, there are more clever, hands-free and durable hydration options out there, like the CNOC QuickConnect Cap and QuickStraw or the One Bottle Hydration hose and bottle adapter.

humangear GoBite Spin Spoon & Fork: Waste of Space

Weight: 14g

First, let me just say that I actually like a lot of products from humangear. Their pee funnel, for example, is the best ever designed. But we don’t need another unusable spork.

Sure, it’s compact and lightweight, but it’s a.) too short to use with bagged dehydrated meals, b.) mechanical parts are more likely to break than a solid handle, and c.) you’re putting your dirty hands all over the spoon and fork end that, presumably, you’ll be eating off of later. No thanks. Get a long-handled spoon and save yourself the frustration (and potential E.Coli).

SOTO Outdoors Refillable Lighter: Depends

Weight: 14g (empty), 17g (full)

If you are a die-hard lighter-over-matches fan, then the SOTO Outdoors Refillable Lighter is a solid option. After all, it’s refillable, which means it’s less wasteful than the disposables from the gas station, plus it’s much lighter than refillable metal lighters. The adjustable flame is large enough to be useful.

But also: matches. They’re fully compostable, come in weatherproof varieties, are ultralight and never need refilled (just repurchased). Frankly, they make way more sense to me than carrying a lighter, but you do you.

Brautigam Expedition Works Titanium SporkSpat: Waste of Space

Weight: 23g

Yes, it’s a spork-spatula in one. As in, a spork on one end and a titanium flipper on the other. I already hate sporks (they are somehow less functional than a fork or a spoon) and have never thought I needed a flipper on the other end. This may be a case of a designer who wanted this for themselves so decided to go ahead and market it to others, too.

But not only did the flipper part make the spork difficult to eat with, I’m fairly confident if you’re bringing a pan to cook actual food with as well as pancake mix and fixings (what else do you need a flipper for?), you’re probably not all that concerned about weight and can probably just bring a separate lightweight flipper. It’s also a somewhat ridiculous $30.

Pot Protector by Jereko Gear: Waste of Space

Weight: 12.5g

There’s one type of backpacker a Pot Protector maybe makes sense for: folks with cookware with non-stick coatings. Because this pot protector pops on the bottom of your fuel canister before you nestle it in your cook pot to keep the inside blemish-free, less dirty, and from rattling around as much.

But titanium and aluminum uncoated pots aren’t in danger of getting scratched and dirt and germs aren’t a concern because you’re probably boiling water in the pot later. And if rattling canisters inside your pot annoy you or if you do have a non-stick pot, you can throw in a multi-fuctional ultralight towel instead of a single-use piece of plastic.

Pond’s Edge Pot Stuff Sacks: Depends

Weight: 3g

Ultralighters love a good stuff sack. I can attest. And I rarely pass on the chance to organize gear in a UL sack. But I’m on the fence about a dedicated pot stuff sack because I’ve found them only moderately useful and only because the lid on my Toaks pot doesn’t stay on by itself, which means anything I store inside it is definitely going to fall out.

But I found a solution that’s exactly the same weight as an ultralight pot sack and less fiddly: a heavy duty rubber band. I just snap it over the top and bottom of my pot and lid and everything stays on. Plus, I can pop it on my wrist while I’m cooking and not have to worry about an empty stuff sack blowing away on me. Also: the rubber band was free (and ultralight stuff sacks are expensive). This sack is stupendously light, though, and is as multifunctional as any small stuff sack, so if you have the cash and also suffer from wayward lids, go for it.

Bottom Line: Ultralight Backpacking Gadgets

Frankly, most ultralight backpacking gadgets aren’t worth the weight or the space for most ultralight backpackers. In many cases, there are better DIY solutions and gear that’s more functional as-is and doesn’t require you to purchase another gadget that’s just going to add weight to your pack.

But every backpacker is different, and just because we find something lacking doesn’t mean it’s universally un-useful. On the contrary, one little tool might change your outdoor experience forever. We just want you to think twice about gear before you buy. After all, overconsumption is out; sustainability is in.

Now get out there and wander on (and let us know what you think of these gadgets in the comments)!