Fastpacking: a clear guide to moving lightly in the mountains

There is a way to go through the mountains in which weight is no longer the protagonist.
It does not disappear completely, but it ceases to command.

A way in which movement is continuous, decisions are simplified and the day moves forward without the constant feeling of carrying something unnecessary. It is not running. Nor is it slow walking. It is something in between, more discreet, more functional.

We call that fastpacking.

Not as a label.
Like how to be on the road.

This guide is a starting point. Not to do it all at once, not to radically change the way you go out in the mountains, but to understand what lies behind the fastpacking and decide, calmly, if it fits you.

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What you will find here

This is not a closed or definitive guide.
It is a map.

Here you will find:

• what we really mean by fastpacking
• how it differs from trekking and trail running
• what are its fundamental pillars
• where to start without rushing
• links to specific guides when you want to go deeper

The idea is not that you leave here with a «master's degree», but that you leave with a taste for something new.

What is (and what is not) fastpacking?

The fastpacking is to walk single or multi-day routes while moving lightly, combining fast walking, brisk walking and sometimes running. But that definition falls short if you don't understand the context.

Fastpacking is not:

• going fast for the sake of going fast
• running all the time
• compete
• suffer more

Fastpacking is:

• reduce weight to gain continuity
• minimising friction
• simplifying decisions
• maintain a sustainable pace for hours and days

It is not measured in kilometres per hour.
It is measured in fluency.

That's why there is no one right way to do it. There is fastpacking with shelters, with bivouacs, with backpacks or waistcoats, on wild routes or with infrastructure. What is common is not the style, but the intention, move better with less.

A well-understood middle ground

Fastpacking is often described as a middle ground between trekking and trail running. This is true, but it should be qualified.

From trekking it takes autonomy and duration.
From trail running it takes lightness and efficiency.
And leave out what gets in the way of both.

If you are coming from trekking and you are interested in this transition, here is a specific guide that explains it step by step:
https://travesiapirenaica.com/trekking-a-fastpacking/

The pillars of fastpacking

Fastpacking does not rely on a single decision, but on a set of coherent choices. When one fails, the whole system suffers.

Equipment: carry just enough

It is not about carrying less as a matter of principle.
It is about do not wear what you do not bring.

Every gram too much drags on for hours, but too little also has consequences. The balance lies in light, reliable and proven equipment.

Key guides for further study:

• Backpack: https://travesiapirenaica.com/mochila-fastpacking/
• Trainers: https://travesiapirenaica.com/zapatillas-fastpacking/
• Clothing: https://travesiapirenaica.com/ropa-ultraligera-fastpacking/
• Sleeping en route: https://travesiapirenaica.com/dormir-fastpacking/
• Sack and mat: https://travesiapirenaica.com/saco-esterilla-fastpacking/

Movement: technique before form

Most people get tired earlier because of how it moves than a lack of physical preparation.

Learning to walk fast without burning out, managing your pace and adapting your pace to the terrain makes much more of a difference than training harder.

Here you can go deeper:

• Technique and cadence: https://travesiapirenaica.com/caminar-rapido-fastpacking
• Real rhythms and times: https://travesiapirenaica.com/ritmo-fastpacking

Planning: freedom in a good way

Going light does not mean improvising.
In fact, in fastpacking, good planning is what allows you to improvise with leeway.

Thinking through the route, timing, water, navigation and alternatives makes the experience smooth rather than tense.

Essential guides:

• Planning routes: https://travesiapirenaica.com/planificar-ruta-fastpacking/
• Water management: https://travesiapirenaica.com/agua-fastpacking/
• Offline navigation: https://travesiapirenaica.com/navegacion-fastpacking/

Security: criteria before material

Fastpacking is not inherently more dangerous than trekking, but it does require more attention to decisions.

Safety is not about carrying more stuff, it's about:

• read the environment well
• managing fatigue
• knowing when to adjust the plan

Here are two key readings:

• Essential security: https://travesiapirenaica.com/seguridad-fastpacking/
• Common mistakes: https://travesiapirenaica.com/errores-fastpacking/

Does fastpacking suit you?

It tends to fit with people who:

• enjoy continuous movement
• value simplicity
• prefer experience to accumulation
• do not seek to compete

And not so much with whom:

• need a lot of static comfort
• enjoy the camp more than the tour
• prefer to slow down

No one option is better than the other.
Only other.

A simple way to get started (Fastpacking Quick Guide, Free)

If this guide has piqued your curiosity but you don't know where to start, the next logical step is something more concrete and practical.

The guide is designed to give you a start without chaos, without doubts and without buying things you don't need.

It includes:

• What to check before leaving
• How to choose your first route
• Which material matters (and which doesn't)
• Typical 90% errors on start-up
• How to move lightly without losing safety

It's free... but it's part of something bigger.

The guide is just the beginning, within the trial you also have the checklist, recommended equipment, resources and the challenge modules to get you up to speed quickly.

📥 Download it here (access with the free trial):
👉 https://www.skool.com/outsiders/about

⭐Outsiders: accompanied learning

Outsiders is the community where all this is put into practice. No unnecessary epics and no dogmas. Real people, real routes, real decisions.

Inside we share real configurations, real questions and real solutions.

No theory.
Just distilled experience.