Backpacking Light
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you are a committed ultralight backpacker who wants deep gear testing, expert forums, and courses in one membership.
New check
Comparison
Backpacking Light vs Andrewskurka
Backpacking Light and Andrewskurka both land on Depends.
Andrewskurka
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you are a fit hiker wanting elite-guided backpacking trips or a serious trip-planning course; testimonials are unusually strong.
| Compare | Backpacking Light | Andrewskurka |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Ultralight gear obsessives | Intermediate backpackers leveling up skills |
| Who it's not for | Casual hikers . free Reddit, YouTube, and guides suffice | Anyone expecting a software tool or app |
| Privacy | No known breaches or recent vulnerabilities; only dated forum reports (SSL lapse 2016, spam 2012) and no public security page.⁹ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | Reddit reports unanswered emails; status questioned | Guide team, FAQ videos, active AMA engagement |
| Public sentiment | Reddit sentiment is mixed: longtime ultralight hikers know and use the site, while recent threads question membership value and whether it is still operating.⁵ | Reddit and Medium reviewers describe positive guided-trip experiences in the Sierras and Rockies, with trip cost the main caveat.15 |
| Biggest gotcha | .au is a separate Australian retailer . verify the domain before buying or reading reviews.11 | Expect an extra 5% payment fee; deposits required before trips |
Pick Backpacking Light when
- Ultralight gear obsessives
- Backcountry skills learners
- Forum-first gear researchers
- Thru-hike planners
When Backpacking Light is not a fit
- Casual hikers . free Reddit, YouTube, and guides suffice
- Anyone expecting fast answers . emails reportedly go unanswered
- Day hikers and car campers needing only basics
- Shoppers wanting a store . this is a publisher, not a retailer
Pick Andrewskurka when
- Intermediate backpackers leveling up skills
- Ultralight gear obsessives
- Planners of big routes like the Wind River High Route
- Fit hikers wanting guided Sierra or Rockies trips
When Andrewskurka is not a fit
- Anyone expecting a software tool or app
- Beginners wanting cheap, casual weekend outings
- Hikers without fitness for demanding routes
- Companies shopping for vendor software . not applicable
Sources
- Backpacking Light homepagebackpackinglight.comofficial
- Membership pagebackpackinglight.comofficial
- Gear Reviews Archivesbackpackinglight.comofficial
- Publisher's Gear Guide (affiliate disclosure)backpackinglight.comofficial
review
- Reddit: Thoughts on BPLreddit.comreview
- Security page (none found)backpackinglight.comsecurity
- SSL certificate expired?? (forum, 2016)backpackinglight.comsecurity
- Being spammed via BPL (forum, 2012)backpackinglight.comsecurity
- Backpacking Light Australia (separate retailer)backpackinglight.com.auofficial
- Backpacking Light podcastbackpackinglight.comofficial
- Reviews & testimonialsandrewskurka.comofficial
- 262 testimonials about the 2022 guided tripsandrewskurka.comofficial
review