The Two Biggest Ultralight Gear Trends of 2024
With most of 2024 in the rear view mirror, we note that two major ultralight gear trends stole a lion’s share of Cottage Industry limelight this year. Despite many exciting and coverage-worthy product launches, the most important category-level stories are as follows:
- Sturdy Ultralight Freestanding Tents
- Proliferation of the Vestpack
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Cover Photo: Zpacks Free Zip 2P
The Growth of Vestpacks & Sturdy UL Freestanding Tents
The growth of these two categories each has its own raison d’etre. Demand for vestpacks parallels the explosive rise of trail and ultra running, catering to a new breed of endurance-athlete-fastpackers, and those aspiring to be one. To meet this demand, the two largest ultralight brands (HMG and Zpacks) both launched their own new vestpack, an important milestone for any backpack sub-genre.
Meanwhile the marketplace for traditional freestanding tents, largely dominated by mainstream outdoor brands, has stagnated for years and continues to do so – the 2025 Big Ages Copper Spur appears largely unchanged from its predecessor. This left a ripe opportunity for disruption.
While the big brands rested on their laurels, focusing on incremental gains to sustainability (which is admirable and appreciated), the small nimble brands designed entirely new tent concepts, offering significant and highly perceptible boosts to backcountry performance. Three new game-changing sturdy ultralight freestanding tents were released in 2024: Zpacks Free Zip 2 &3, Durston X-Dome 1+, and TarpTent ArcDome 2 Ultra.
We keep a close eye on ultralight gear trends, and it’s rare to define a year by emerging categories. More frequently, the biggest stories pertain to textile and/or materials innovation, and 2024 was not lacking in that regard either. We saw the first uses of ALUULA Graflyte, extensive use of recycled nylon/polyester, a near-universal swap out to C0 DWR, and even mainstream Outdoor Industry use of Challenge ULTRA via the Black Diamond Beta Light fastpack.
Keep tabs on the latest and greatest with our new ultralight gear log.
L to R: Zpacks Free Zip 2P, TarpTent ArcDome 2, Durston X-Dome 1+
Sturdy Ultralight Freestanding Tents
On weight alone, lightweight and ultralight freestanding tents have existed for some time – Take Big Agnes Copper Spur and Tiger Wall, or NEMO Dragonfly and Hornet for example. There are even Platinum Tiger Walls and Platinum Copper Spurs that use lighter materials, dropping the weight down from 2.5 lbs to ~2.0 lbs.
However, all of these tents are designed with a traditional arrangement of poles-in-between-canopy-and-fly, and make some potentially major concessions to durability, weight, interior volume, and/or sturdiness. While there have been some minor improvements with regard to sustainability and livability, these are largely the same tents as we were using ten years ago.
But the next generation of ultralight freestanding tents, represented by Zpacks Free Zip, Durston X-Dome, and TarpTent ArcDome mix things up with the combination of superior fly fabrics, and exterior placement carbon fiber tent poles. Compare any three of these tents to the aforementioned NEMOs and Big Agnes’s, and you’ll probably be convinced that this is how tents should have been designed all along.
In manufacturer-provided videos, Zpacks shows their Free Zip in what appears to be a hurricane, while Dan Durston places three times as much weight on his X-Dome as what it takes to collapse a MSR Hubba Hubba. And did we mention that TarpTent’s Arc-Dome is a literal 4-season tent, despite weighing only 3.5 pounds?
Discover more options in our guide to ultralight freestanding tents.
Unifying Characteristics of Sturdy Ultralight Freestanding Tents
- Carbon fiber poles positioned outside of and above the fly
- Fully freestanding, but still benefits from stakes
- Very sturdy, very wind stable
- Does not use traditional sil-nylon fly fabric
- Fly first pitching
- Explores atypical interior/pole geometry
- 3 season versions weighs ~2 lbs
Zpacks Free Zip 2P
31.6 oz | $899
In Zpacks Free Zip we have an obvious contender for best-in-class freestanding ultralight tent; only the Durston offers a similar degree of low weight, storm-worthiness, and freestanding-ness. Compared to most top models in the fully freestanding class, the Zpacks Free Zip is significantly lighter weight, is built with durable 100%, waterproof and sag-proof Dyneema, and is much sturdier in wind. On the flip side, it’s also much more expensive; has a smaller-than-average interior area, and much smaller than average vestibules.
All said and done, the Zpacks Free Zip is a very compelling ultralight performance option in a category previously dominated by lightweight-not-ultralight tents. We’re stoked to see Zpacks combining external 6.3mm Easton Carbon poles with DCF single-wall construction to innovate and optimize within the freestanding category. Because this tent is smaller than average, we recommend sizing up one capacity notch: Free Zip 2P sleeps one, Free Zip 3P sleeps two. Its only real competitor in the 3-season genre is the Durston X-Dome.
Durston X-Dome 1+
34.7 oz | $369
Durston X-Dome 1+ is lighter, stronger, larger, and theoretically superior to all other double wall free standing tents in virtually every way, and its only equal on the market is Zpacks Free Zip. Like its cousin the X-Mid, X-Dome’s quadrilateral interior is placed into a rectangular fly to optimize head room and vestibule space. Just grok the line drawings to excite your inner gear geek. Thanks to its majority 3.9mm Easton Carbon Fiber poles (with reinforced 6.3mm over center), which are far lighter and stronger than classic DAC aluminum of similar size, X-Dome boasts a wind resistance several times higher than traditional freestanding double wall models. Dan Durston famously demonstrates that its 3X sturdier than MSR Hubba Hubba, and it can even be reinforced with trekking poles off the ends of the ceiling spreader bar, a la SlingFin style. Amenities include a larger than average 1P interior, dual peak vents, two mesh pockets, and a generously sized vestibule.
TarpTent ArcDome 2 Ultra
57.8 oz | $569
The Tarptent ArcDome Ultra represents serious innovation in the 4-season tent genre. For starters, this is a freestanding dome made with UltraTNT fly fabric, an exciting new composite material alternative to Dyneema. The poles situate in a truss system above the exterior of the fly, with an offset parallelogram interior most similar in concept to what we’ve seen from Durston’s X-Mid series, but also Tarptent’s own Stratospire line. We’re very pleased to see more tents exploring this design concept, and it makes a lot of sense for a wind-stability-focused use-case, since the vestibules do not protrude. And lastly, weighing in at just 3.5 lbs, it’s lighter than average for the 4-season genre, albeit not directly comparable to the 2 lb designs from Zpacks and Durston.
Proliferation of the Vestpack
The archetypal vestpack is a frameless, low volume (~30-40L), ultralight backpack with a running vest harness instead of traditional shoulder straps. Vest harness straps are wider than normal, connect with multiple sternum straps, wrap around the side of the rib cage, and are decked out in exterior storage pockets. They are beneficial because of how the sportier torso-hugging fit reduces bounce and sway as you jog or shuffle on the trail.
This style of pack is currently very trendy, and most backpack designers now offer at least one model with a vest harness. Demand for vestpacks has increased significantly, likely due to the increasing participation of trail runners who want to integrate backcountry camping into their multi-day endurance adventures. But also for the plebes like me who want to feel fast but shuffle jog infrequently at best. As a reminder, if you’re just walking and never jogging, classic shoulder straps with aftermarket bottle sleeves and/or strap pockets serve best.
Vestpacks have long been available from smaller Cottage Industry brands like Nashville Packs and Pa’lante. But 2024 feels like the year of the vestpack because two ultralight juggernauts, Hyperlite Mountain Gear and Zpacks, both released their flagship vestpack in Q3. We will continue tracking this trend, and can’t help but wonder if we have reached peak-vestpack, or if they will continue to grow in popularity.
Compare the Zpacks and HMG to more options in our guide to the best fastpacks.
Unifying Vestpack Characteristics
- Vest harness shoulder straps reduce bounce and sway
- Straps decked out with built-in pockets
- 30-40L total volume, roll top closure
- Frameless, but with thin foam or sit pad back panel
- Traditional front mesh and two side bottle pockets
- Weighs 1.0-1.5 lbs
Zpacks Nero Ultra 38
18.8 oz | $425
The Zpacks Nero Ultra series, comprised of the Nero Ultra 38L, Super Nero Ultra 50L, and Sub Nero Ultra 30L are our editor’s choice fastpacking backpacks! They’re most notable for a best-in-class vest harness design with best-in-class built-in pockets, customizable features, high performance waterproof durable UltraX fabric, and the ability to swap between standard straps and vest straps. Read more in our full length Zpacks Super Nero Ultra 50L review.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Aero 28
7.8 oz | $349
Aero 28 is a high performance vestpack version of the iconic HMG roll-top design, complete with premium Dyneema fabric, adorned with large exterior pockets, and unfortunately, slightly too small of vest pockets. Read more in our full-length Hyperlite Mountain Gear Aero 28 review.
Concluding Ultralight Gear Trends 2024
2024 was a big year with exciting new releases from almost every ultralight brand. But the biggest developments pertained to sturdy ultralight freestanding tents and demand for vestpacks. Without diminishing the importance of other new releases and optimizations, these two categories wowed us most.
So thank you for reading our commentary on ultralight gear trends! Are you obsessed with hiking gear? What trends did you notice in 2024? We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line in the comments and share your thoughts. Happy trails!
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