Lightweight Without Compromise: why less can mean more on the trail

By the end of a long day, you feel it. Not in one dramatic moment, just quietly, step after step. 

The extra weight you didn't need. The layers that earned their place and the ones that didn't. The small decisions that compound over distance. 

That’s why lightweight matters. Not for speed records or bragging rights but for comfort, and endurance. The XT series was built around that reality. 

Going lighter starts with better decisions, not fewer materials 

Reducing weight doesn’t mean removing protection. It means choosing materials more carefully, placing strength only where it’s needed, and avoiding anything that doesn’t earn its place. 

The XT Series was designed as Kathmandu’s lightest technical hiking system to date, without trading away durability, longevity, or confidence in conditions that don't stay predictable.  

Octa Fleece: Warmth that doesn’t weigh you down 

The best base layer is one you stop thinking about. Octa fleece used across XT base layers and hybrid mid layers does exactly that. It’s up to 50% lighter than traditional fleece, highly breathable, and quick‑drying offering warmth where required without bulk where it’s not. Close to the skin or layered mid‑system, it regulates temperature efficiently as pace and weather shift. 

Recycled Cordura: Strength precisely where the hike demands it 

Pack contact zones, wind‑exposed panels, high‑wear areas, these are places that end a jacket’s useful life early. the XT Series uses 100% recycled Cordura, custom developed for Kathmandu, in precisely those places Not everywhere. Just where it counts.  

Instead of reinforcing everything, strength is targeted. That keeps weight down while ensuring jackets, pants, and midlayers hold up to repeated use, pack pressure, and movement over time. 

Aluula: the material that makes you re think what a pack can weigh   

The XT Series Pack 40L, a 2025 ISPO Award winner is the clearest expression of what this philosophy looks like when pushed to its limit 

Built with Aluula composite fabric, the pack delivers exceptional strength‑to‑weight performance, resists UV damage, and won’t peel or delaminate over time. Its modular design allows the hip belt and frame to be removed, reducing trail weight to approximately 850g, depending on the trip. 

Lighter gear that lasts longer is also the more responsible choice 

As a B Corp, Kathmandu treats durability as an environmental decision, not just a product one. Gear you don't replace is gear that doesn't end up in landfill. The XT series sit within roughly 100g of the lightest comparable options on the market, while prioritising materials that last,  recycled Cordura, recycled Octa, RDS‑certified down, and repairable Aluula fabric. 

Light enough to stop noticing. Strong enough to keep going.  

The XT Series isn’t about stripping things back for the sake of it. It’s about refining what matters, so weight disappears, confidence stays high, and your focus stays where it should. 

Out there, where the day keeps unfolding. 

Explore the XT range