Light Hiking Gear

Light Hiking Gear — Aarn Balance Packs, Ultralight Architecture

Light Hiking Gear is run by Rich and Genie Murphy out of Whidbey Island, Washington — devoted users of lightweight, comfortable packs who built a business around the gear they'd want on their own trails. They carry Aarn balance packs, Couloir ski and alpine packs, and Conifer trekking packs.

Why balance packs

Aarn's signature is the balance pack — front-side compartments that distribute weight forward, balancing the rear load and eliminating the spinal-compression that traditional packs cause. Combined with unisex sizing by body measurement (not gender), the result is ultralight architecture that performs better than heavier conventional packs. See the Backpacks collection for traditional pack options.

Beyond hiking — alpine and ski

Couloir packs handle ski touring and alpine objectives. Conifer trekking packs cover multi-day hiking. Bear canister holders, pack protectors for air travel, and X Flow chest straps round out the modular ecosystem. See Pack Accessories for compatible add-ons.

Pair with the long-distance hiking kit

Balance packs work with ultralight shelter systems, lightweight cutting tools, filtration, and freeze-dried food. The ultralight philosophy applies across the kit — every piece chosen for weight-to-function ratio.

If you've never tried a balance pack, the learning curve is mild but the comfort improvement on multi-day trips is significant. Start with one of the smaller Aarn day packs to test the architecture before committing to a full expedition setup.