Whether you're snowshoeing or skiing, winter camping or tracing a hut-to-hut system in the backcountry, ultralight gear lessens the load and allows you to get farther off the beaten path.

The PLATYPUS Platy Bottle is collapsible, holds up to two liters of water, and weighs a mere 1.3 ounces. Plus, it's BPA-free and compatible with Platy drink tubes. But take note: Water in the tubes tends to freeze in very cold weather, so consider toting along an insulating kit. $12.95, cascadedesigns.com/platypus

Designed to hold up against vicious winds and heavy snowfall, and accommodate extra cold-weather layers, some winter tents weigh close to 10 pounds. Not MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR's EV2. This tent is built for high-altitude mountaineering; it weighs in at just over five pounds and still has room for in-tent cooking and gear. $700, mountainhardwear.com

Winter weather calls for layers—a base layer, a mid layer, and pack outerwear. A "better than fleece" mid layer, PATAGONIA's Nano-Air Hoody is warm for its weight (13.6 ounces) but breathes well, minimizing sweat. Meaning you won't freeze once you stop moving. $299, patagonia.com

The daypack version (40 liters) of HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR's Ice Pack weighs just 2.11 pounds, while the expedition-worthy size (70 liters) is 2.56 pounds. Slinging on either pack offers a truly weightless sensation. Plus, they come with lots of storage to suit backpacking and alpine-climbing adventures and can be customized to carry skis. $290 to $365, hyperlitemountaingear.com

Many sleeping bags designed for glacier-adjacent or ski-hut snoozing run heavy and bulky, especially synthetic ones that fare well in wet conditions. Enter MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR’s Lamina Z Flame 22°. At 2 pounds, 11 ounces, this cozy, synthetic bag is as light as comparatively expensive down varieties and compacts well—it won’t take up half your pack. $179, mountainhardwear.com

This article appeared in the January/February 2017 edition with the headline "Ultralight Baggage."