take less. do more.

Glen Van Peski

The Godfather of ultralight backpacking

LATEST BOOK

TAKE LESS. DO MORE.

Glen’s new book translates his numerous and varied adventure stories into day-to-day wisdom, offering incredible insight amid heart-thumping expedition tales, and providing practical tips and advice, not just for those wanting to lower their pack weight for their wilderness or overseas adventures, but also for those wanting to move more lightly through life.

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Welcome

Hello, I’m Glen Van Peski, and I’m glad you landed here. I’ve worked hard over the last forty years to move towards humility, generosity, service and gratitude, a little bit every week. Along the way, I’ve had a varied career in civil engineering and ended up accidentally founding a backpacking gear company, Gossamer Gear. As an engineer, I’m always looking for better ways to do things. I’ve figured out a few things over the years, in ultralight backpacking, and life in general, that people have found helpful. I’m a lifelong learner and eternally curious, so I invite you to hike alongside for a while and chat about what matters.

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Glens gear list

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  • Multi Day Hikes
  • Day Hikes
  • Solo Adventurer
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In Their Words

For the last twenty years, I’ve studied people who live longer and more fulfilling lives than the rest of the world. Having hiked with Glen, it’s no surprise to me that take less. do more. contains many tips on the practices evidenced by people in the Blue Zones for a longer and more satisfying life.
Dan Buettner
National Geographic Explorer and #1 New York Times Bestselling author/Founder of the Blue Zones
I met Glen deep in Buckskin Gulch, and loved his unique concept of The List for getting people out into the Wilderness. As we connected outside of the canyon, I grew to appreciate his passion for applying his wilderness learnings to all of life. take less. do more. shares the stories of how the wilderness taught him lessons in generosity, balance, curiosity and the importance of relationships.
Melissa Wright
co-owner Women Who Explore
Glen epitomizes what it means to “leave it better than you found it”. In take less. do more. you see how he incorporates this in every aspect of his life. In a world where we often don’t see nor hear enough about kindness and decency, Glen personifies this and is someone who people of all ages and backgrounds can learn from.
Matt Abrams
The Abrams Group, Advisor, Investor, Co-Founder, Board Member
If Glen Van Peski is talking about hiking … or business … or life, I’m a listener. take less. do more. gives everyone the chance to walk alongside one of the most insightful people I’ve ever known. His combination of knowledge and experience make him an expert guide on the most challenging trail of all: Life.
Alexander Green
New York Times Bestselling Author, Chief Investment Strategist of The Oxford Group
As a backpacker, I mark my years as “BG” and “AG.” Before Glen, I thought a boyhood in the woods and a career filming hikes on every continent had given me decent skills, but then came one epic trip with this thru-hiking legend and After Glen, I have a whole new philosophy around wants and needs. His book take less. do more. will change the way you think about backpacking, and life.
Bill Weir
CNN Correspondent, host of The Wonder List and author of Life As We Know It (Can Be)
By mastering the art of minimalism, Glen Van Peski wound up with all the things money can’t buy: a loving spouse, happiness, deep friendships, an open mind, contentment, calmness, generosity, kindness, legacy, health, and true freedom. This book helps you stop to consider what constitutes a well lived life, and how you can actually have one. It’s simpler than you think.
David McLain
National Geographic Photographer
With humility and humor, Glen distills wisdom earned from hard nights on the trail and from his extraordinary life. Keeping with his ultralight ethos, his writing is concise, yet chock full of lessons applicable for everyday life, even for folks who never intend to backpack. For thru-hikers, Glen is one of the fathers of ultralight backpacking and a legend. This book and his life story are a testament to the fact that legends are not born, but built through deliberate thought and persistent practice. Through his storytelling and well-chosen anecdotes, I hope for the world that his life philosophy will become as widespread as his ultralight message has become in backpacking today.
Liz ‘Snorkel’ Thomas
Award-winning author, writer and speaker, long distance hiker
“I’ve known Glen since the dawn of the modern-day ultralight backpacking movement. take less. do more. details his journey and inspires us to move forward in our own journeys. Glen’s generosity and thoughtfulness has had a profound impact on my personal and professional life.
Ryan Jordan
Founder, Backpacking Light
Glen has walked a different path than I have, but take less. do more. reveals a similar passion to mine for getting everyone outdoors, especially underrepresented groups (and with lighter loads). I have been the personal recipient of Glen’s generosity, curiosity and creative problem-solving, and recommend this book as a way to walk alongside Glen and learn some of the lessons he’s absorbed.
Crystal Gail
Welcome, writer and backpacker
I’ve hiked with Glen deep into Buckskin Gulch, and can attest that he knows more about taking less and doing more than anyone I know. He shares my passion for getting people into the wilderness and removing barriers to make the experiences more accessible. His book take less. do more. can certainly help you get out into the wilderness with a lighter load, but also contains many life lessons applicable beyond backpacking.
Kathleen Schneeman
CEO, Explore Austin
This book will inspire you to scale back and live big! With humor and heart, innovator Van Peski shares how his passion for featherlight backpacking accidentally unlocked the surprising blueprint for living a soaring, unencumbered life beyond the trail. Spinning enlightening wilderness adventures into actionable life lessons, Take Less, Do More is a fresh perspective on what it takes to realize life’s greatest meaning.
Henna Pryor
2x TEDx and Global Keynote Speaker and author of Good Awkward
Take Less. Do More. is not just for the Ultralight set. It is a MUST read for anyone who is looking to expand their capacity to love and give back to others. Although Glen is a legend in the Ultralight community, he is so much more than that as a human being. He truly lives by his own philosophy and actually does and gives more than he takes. His words are an antidote and a salve that is critical for our times and will help readers to live fuller and richer lives by taking less.
Dr. Ben Michaelis
Psychologist, coach, CEO of thegroup.io and author of Your Next Big Thing: 10 Small Steps to Get Moving and Get Happy
I’ve known Glen for years, not as an ultralight backpacking legend, but as a down-to-earth engineer and thoughtful business leader. When you dive into take less. do more., you get a view into the Glen I’ve come to know. His quiet humility, unwavering dedication to his team, and his generosity shine through the stories, offering meaningful lessons for all of us trying to build lives that truly matter.
Jennifer Coyle
CEO of North Star Consulting, Executive Coach, Speaker
Some authors use research and theories to write books. The principles in this book have been tested and consistently lived by my friend Glen Van Peski.
Dan Rockwell
Leadership Freak, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker
My epiphany started with a garage filled with possessions, Glen’s was prompted by a backpack that was too heavy. His book take less. do more. details his journey to lighten his backpacking load, and his realizations along the way of the greater applications to all of life. In it, you will find inspiration to shed stuff, not so you can simply own less, but to help create a life filled with more of what matters.
Joshua Becker
Minimalist, Speaker, Best-selling author of Things that Matter
Glen Van Peski’s life spent on the hiking trails of the world taught him to put one foot in front of the other, over and over; never carry unnecessary baggage; remain curious, adventurous, and open; and always know a good water source. But take less. do more. ascends to a transformative guide of life, philosophy, and psychology that promises to lighten our load, keep us steady on the path of life, and help us find our purpose.
Ali Selim
Director Marvel’s Secret Invasion and the Spirit Award-winning film, Sweet Land

In Their Words

  • Reno Gazette Journal

    A Reno Gazette reporter tags along on a trip, and is intrigued by a prison toothbrush.

  • Liberty Through Wealth

    A conversation walking along a dusty road in Tuscany gives renowned investment advisor Alexander Green a different way to think about retirement.

  • NY Times

    The New York Times looks at ultralight backpacking.

SEE MORE
Entrepreneur/engineer, Author/Speaker, Philanthropist/Dishwasher

Glen Van Peski

“Work hard and be nice.”–Michael Frant

Glen Van Peski is known by the trail name “Legend” for his legendary contributions to the backpacking community. A native Californian, Van Peski grew up in the western outdoors, and when his oldest son joined Scouts, he led the Troop’s backpacking program. Through those experiences, he became intrigued by lightweight backpacking. He started sewing his own gear and eventually started his own company, manufacturing ultralight backpacking equipment. Glen and his company have been featured in Backpacker, Outside, and National Geographic Adventure magazines, and the New York Times.

Van Peski is an internationally sought-after speaker known for his inspiring, humorous, information-packed presentations. He has hiked most of the Pacific Crest Trail, has wandered the backcountry in Japan and Europe, and bike packed on the Great Divide. He lives in Bend, Oregon with Francie, his wife of over forty years, and is the father to two grown sons.


I’m a husband, father, Christian and tinkerer.

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“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

– Antoine de Saint Exupéry

take less. do more…

Resources

Tips & Advice

Videos

Gear Lists

Latest

Events

Here’s where you can catch Glen, in person or online, and hear some great stories, and get some tips for lightening your load!

  • March 7, 2025

    While he’s in the area, Glen will be presenting How to Go Lighter at the Northridge REI from 6:30 – 8:00. He’ll be signing books, and raffling off some fun prizes.

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  • March 7, 2025

    The Intersections of Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Backpacking

    Join Glen at his alma mater California State University Northridge (CSUN) as he talks about the intersection of engineering and business, entrepreneurship and the wilderness.

    READ MORE →
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