Anyone ever experience "ultralite remorse"?

[crazypete]

After a knee/ankle/second ankle injury debacle last year, I spent much time downsizing, minimizing and lightening individual pieces of gear. I optimized everything for weight and went to all the usual suspects:

1. aquamira
2. Bottles instead of camelback
3. ultralight shelter -> gatewood cape
4. ultralight pack -> mariposa/G5
5. Alky stove
6. ultralight rain gear (helium and reed)
7. torso length zrest pad
8. minimized clothing, dropping things like waterproof gloves
9. Quilt

Everything got lighter and flimsier and more minimal until finally, my g5 arrived and I loaded everything into a glorified, rather ugly stuffsack with shoulder straps . Then I think I snapped. I further snapped when the crappy addon cargo pockets for my mariposa opened on their own and dribbled my possessions unknown to me down the side of the mountain as I hiked up. Cooking takes forever, I cant drink on the move easily, purifying water with eyedroppers and a bandanna and waiting 10 minutes is a major PITA and takes forever, my raingear will shred at the first branch...etc etc.

I find myself a month later, back with my camelback and pump filter, cannister stove, heavier raingear and some clothing added back in. I am even eyeing my osprey pack. I've kept a few things like the torso pad, quilt and gatewood and the flight jacket for quite a few pounds.

Anyone else yo-yo'ed?

[Moose2001]

YES! My first hike in 2001 ended with major knee problems. My second hike in 2003 almost ended the same way. I've tried to get a lot lighter but found that I'm not comfortable going ultralight. Works for a lot of people but just not me. My total pack weight (food, water, tent, sleeping bag, thermarest, etc) is usually around 42 pounds.

What I found was I had a problem with my left quad. It wasn't strong enough to hold my knee cap in place correctly when I walked. Started having left knee problems. Compensated by putting more pressure on the right and it started hurting. Spent time with a physical therapist who correctly diagnosed the problem. Got my legs stronger, and equal, and now I'm mostly pain free.

[10-K]

Pretty good topic - I noticed you were getting rid of all your spinnaker gear.

I haven't experienced UL remorse because I haven't went to those extremes yet.

I'm getting lighter a little at a time rather than in one fell swoop. I started out at close to 40 lbs. I'm down to 20ish now for a 3 day hike and I consider that great progress.

[grayfox]

crazypete, I hear you. But I have learned a lot in the process. My pack full of bombproof gear was about 45lbs. Now it is closer to 35 and I do not feel at risk or inconvienced. I can go with 25 on some hikes and 12 when I feel the hike will be comfortable at that weight. I have changed the way I think about the risk factors involved on any given trip. It is kind of like the ratings given to whitewater trips--how close is help, how hard is it to get up out of the river, what are the consequences of a bad day...

I have learned to like silnylon, frogg toggs, esbit--and have learned that I still dislike some thngs about silnylon, frogg toggs, and esbit.

Without reservation, I love my tarps, my light packs that have hip belts, and my neoair.

I also like that I am able to think differently about the gear that I use. My pack was heavy because my fear was great--now my pack is lighter because it carries only what I really need and I travel more confidently. I don't complain about carrying something 'heavy' because I know it is the best choice for the hike.

grayfox

[Rick500]

Happy with my Aquamira, alcohol stove and Tarptent Moment, but wouldn't trade my Camelbak and full-length Big Agnes sleeping pad. (In fact, I did have a lighter sleeping pad, but I couldn't sleep on it, so ultralight or not, it kinda defeated the purpose.)

[Odd Man Out]

I'm looking to buy some UL stuff, not so much to shed weight and be a gram weenie, but so that I can afford to bring some luxury stuff too. So I would ask, where is the best place to cut weight without giving up too much convenience/comfort?

[mweinstone]

stopped carrying booze and chocolate for magic. made me light,...but i miss it. been out without my kite and string a couple times too. not fun. light maby. but boreing. kites and booze and chocolate and jesters moms cakes straped on top of your pack are what life is about when its not all concerned with not haveing kites and booze and chocolate and jesters moms cakes straped on top of your pack.but im just messin with ya. i wouldnt hike without kites and booze and chocolate and jesters moms cakes straped on top of my pack. that would be like, or akin to no bacon signs being posted at trail heads. it would be like, or akin to,...liveing in some kind of chocolatless,kiteless,bozeless,jesters moms cakesless world or something close to that sort of idea im putting forth here. wanna be clear. i think their should be "no cake /no hike" signs posted at the trailheads.

[crazypete]

I'm looking to buy some UL stuff, not so much to shed weight and be a gram weenie, but so that I can afford to bring some luxury stuff too. So I would ask, where is the best place to cut weight without giving up too much convenience/comfort?

If my experience is of any note then I would say

1. Lighter pack 1-2 pounds easy
2. Quilt... 1-2 pounds easy
3. 3/4 closed cell foam pad ... 1 pound
4. Really really look at your clothes and see what you can combine...do you really need 3 t shirts and 6 socks?
5. The loose items will kill you. Really look here too and ask yourself if every item in there is essential.

I dropped from 35 to 18 and went back up to 24 lbs this way =)

[crazypete]

Pretty good topic - I noticed you were getting rid of all your spinnaker gear.

I haven't experienced UL remorse because I haven't went to those extremes yet.

I'm getting lighter a little at a time rather than in one fell swoop. I started out at close to 40 lbs. I'm down to 20ish now for a 3 day hike and I consider that great progress.

Spinnaker: honestly. Its tough. I had this feeling like I was going to damage the gear everytime I moved it but that feeling has passed and I feel confident in it. But the thing that kills me is the noise. Its a ROAR every time you unpack the tent and you stand there making this unholy racket for 4-5 minutes while you pitch the tent. Meh.....my gatewood cape with inner net tent weighs the same and sets up silently.

[Stir Fry]

I'm like Grayfox. I learned a lot going UL, but in the end it was not for me. When I started hiking again in 2004, after 20 years off, I had a base weight of 48lb. About 60 with food and water.
Spent several years and a lot of money and went UL. Got down to a base of 18 lb. But, man was I miserable. So I slowly went back the the gear I was comfortable with and that was comfortable to carry. Now my base is a respectial 26 lb. Another thing, although there is a lot of talk about UL I just do not see many that that actualy are UL when I'm on the trail. Most seem to be about where I'm at. When I do see the occasional ULer with about 15lbs on his back he is only out for 2-3 days. Now the are covering a lot of miles 20-25 a day. On longer trips 10-12 day everyones back up into the 20-25 lb range.
So for me I reserve the UL for short trips, like overnighters where I'm only going 20 miles or so.
As a parting question. How many true UL'er have other seen while hiking?

[crazypete]

As a parting question. How many true UL'er have other seen while hiking?

Thats the thing....I hike in the whites. I've seen

1. Some amateur dayhikers with blue jeans and bookbags
2. Lots of people with mainstream packs and northface gear...etc etc
3. Few Older guys carrying HUGE frame packs (inspires me actually =) )
4. Zero guys with minimalist gear. None. I am the only one out there with this class of gear.

[crazypete]

YES! My first hike in 2001 ended with major knee problems. My second hike in 2003 almost ended the same way. I've tried to get a lot lighter but found that I'm not comfortable going ultralight. Works for a lot of people but just not me. My total pack weight (food, water, tent, sleeping bag, thermarest, etc) is usually around 42 pounds.

What I found was I had a problem with my left quad. It wasn't strong enough to hold my knee cap in place correctly when I walked. Started having left knee problems. Compensated by putting more pressure on the right and it started hurting. Spent time with a physical therapist who correctly diagnosed the problem. Got my legs stronger, and equal, and now I'm mostly pain free.

=) I feel your pain brother. I had never hiked without poles and had hiked for 2 years. I was out with a new hiker and lent them my poles on a steep descent, trusting my powerful legs to carry me down. My knee started to hurt, then hurt more....I was told the quad thing too. Then I limped for so long, my opposite ankle went out then I shifted back and now my opposite ankle is doing its thing.

I swear...imbalances are a killer and there is so little one can do to stop it.

[leaftye]

I wasn't ultralight when I started the trail this year. I had the ultralight gear, but lots of it. It was easy to for me to shed pack weight, and I did, but I was still too heavy and that contributed greatly to an injury that got me off the trail. The weight was on me though. I should have spent effort losing a bunch of my body weight before starting.

[Raul Perez]

Crazy Pete,

Maybe you jumped in too fast all at once. For me going lighter was a process over time instead of a instant leap of faith.

I have rain mitts for spring and fall... summer it does seem pointless to have rain gloves

I dont use a completely frameless pack as it's not my thing I prefer some type of a frame to allocate weight to my hips. But I use a relatively light bag for the job.

My rain gear is not flimsy but is definitely lighter than most an can take a good beating.

I freezer bag cook so using an alcohol stove makes sense to me. 6 min to boil 2 cups of water, place in freeze dried food, stir, wait 8-10 min, Eat. Not so much an issue for me.

I prefer using the platypus 3 liter big zip hydration bladder. I'm not into the whole gatoraid bottles etc. It weighs less than a camelback bladder.

All in all my base weight for summer is 9.5lbs, 11 lbs for fall/spring and 14lbs for winter. But that was a process of researching, acquiring, testing, evaluating, and ditching/keeping certain ultralight methods and equipment.

[sherrill]

I think in the end you have to find that balance between comfort v. weight. I think we all tweak every chance we get, though.

One thing I won't quit carrying is the stick I use to beat the crap out of UL'ers who ask me "Why do you have that??" :D

[Mags]

As others mentioned, gear weight is a gradual process as you gain experience, find your own hiking style and find that different tools work for different jobs (depending on the trip, I may take a canister stove, or an alcohol stove..or even no stove at all as an example).

Most people new to lightweight backpacking can get in the ~15 lbs range fairly easily without any drastic reduction in comfort or functionality.

10-15lbs? You have to be in the mind set that youare on a hiking trip first and a camping trip second. Comfort while hiking means more than creature comforts in camp.

Sub-10lbs? You better know what you are doing and have more of a minimalist mind set.

If you are curious, here's my evolving gear from over the years:

http://www.pmags.com/joomla1516/index.php/ramblings/20-backpacking-and-hiking-documents/76-gearlists

(I assure you, the new website is actually get launched this month...yay! Been saying that all summer..but so it goes)

[DBRIGGS9]

I've managed to get my base weight down to around 10 pounds, depending on the season. For a while I was considering a bivy/tarp combo to officially make all my gear ultralight...but I suck at sleeping on the ground. Horrible hip pains since I sleep exclusively on my sides. So I gave in and am going for a hammock setup, which weighs a daunting 3.3 pounds for the hammock, suspension, under quilt and tarp; for a million pounds of comfort. I don't really think anyone could get a shelter setup for under 2 pounds. You just have to ration what areas you are and aren't comfortable with shaving weight in. But for me, and most people for that matter, a good night sleep on the trail is priceless (or weightless...get it?), pretty much everything else I can skimp on though

[crazypete]

I've managed to get my base weight down to around 10 pounds, depending on the season. For a while I was considering a bivy/tarp combo to officially make all my gear ultralight...but I suck at sleeping on the ground. Horrible hip pains since I sleep exclusively on my sides. So I gave in and am going for a hammock setup, which weighs a daunting 3.3 pounds for the hammock, suspension, under quilt and tarp; for a million pounds of comfort. I don't really think anyone could get a shelter setup for under 2 pounds. You just have to ration what areas you are and aren't comfortable with shaving weight in. But for me, and most people for that matter, a good night sleep on the trail is priceless (or weightless...get it?), pretty much everything else I can skimp on though

I tried the hammock thing too. But it was far from light, like you said. It had a very hard time competing with a 32 ounce rainbow tent plus a neoair when the fact that I can sit up in my rainbow and.....cook.....clean myself....hang clothes....stretch.....lay out my gear...etc etc. The hammock is for sleeping. I find the neoair solves all my side sleeper issues but I am still comfy enough on a z-rest to save that extra weight.

[crazypete]

As others mentioned, gear weight is a gradual process as you gain experience, find your own hiking style and find that different tools work for different jobs (depending on the trip, I may take a canister stove, or an alcohol stove..or even no stove at all as an example).

Most people new to lightweight backpacking can get in the ~15 lbs range fairly easily without any drastic reduction in comfort or functionality.

10-15lbs? You have to be in the mind set that youare on a hiking trip first and a camping trip second. Comfort while hiking means more than creature comforts in camp.

Sub-10lbs? You better know what you are doing and have more of a minimalist mind set.

If you are curious, here's my evolving gear from over the years:

http://www.pmags.com/joomla1516/index.php/ramblings/20-backpacking-and-hiking-documents/76-gearlists

(I assure you, the new website is actually get launched this month...yay! Been saying that all summer..but so it goes)




I commend your excellent choice of shelters ;) . The Gatewood is an amazing piece of gear. All the money I spent going ultralight, if I kept nothing but the cape, it would all have been worth it.

I think I am hovering somewhere around your 1999 LongTrail level based on that list. Not ultralight but midweight with lots of ultralight gear mixed in.

[DBRIGGS9]

I tried the hammock thing too. But it was far from light, like you said. It had a very hard time competing with a 32 ounce rainbow tent plus a neoair when the fact that I can sit up in my rainbow and.....cook.....clean myself....hang clothes....stretch.....lay out my gear...etc etc. The hammock is for sleeping. I find the neoair solves all my side sleeper issues but I am still comfy enough on a z-rest to save that extra weight.

Oh I was being sarcastic about the weight of the hammock, 3 pounds is pretty darn light in my eyes. However, I've been wondering about the neoair for my trips where trees aren't abundant. Might have to bite the bullet and buy one one of these days

[Dogwood]

CrazyPete, like other have posted, going UL, and taking UL to extremes, I would say is an evolving process. You may have jumped in too deep too fast. I think an UL kit that works FOR YOU should entail what Mags posted in his first sentence.

You may have fallen into the trap that I see many ULers fall into. They think all their gear for every hike has to be the lightest available. They make the wt of each piece of gear in their hiking kits the top priority for all of their gear considerations. There are other considerations, as you have found out - like performance, durability, price, integration of gear into a hiking system, personal hiking style, trail conditions, etc. that should wisely be considered when you are gearing up. Also, there is NO reason why you can't have some UL gear or a single piece of UL gear that works with the rest of your non-UL hiking kit! If some piece, or pieces, of your UL gear doesn't work for you don't make the mistake of assuming you have to totally abandon ALL your UL gear! Use what works!

What happened to you on that uphill hike with those cargo pockets PROBABLY could have occurred with non-UL gear! Don't get negative about the whole UL way of hiking because of those kinds of experiences. It's part of the process of finding out what works FOR YOU and those kinds of experiences can occur using conventionally weighted gear too!

Also, understand that with every piece of gear, whether UL or not, there are usually trade-offs.

[crazypete]

CrazyPete, like other have posted, going UL, and taking UL to extremes, I would say is an evolving process. You may have jumped in too deep too fast. I think an UL kit that works FOR YOU should entail what Mags posted in his first sentence.

What happened to you on that uphill hike with those cargo pockets PROBABLY could have occurred with non-UL gear! Don't get negative about the whole UL way of hiking because of those kinds of experiences. It's part of the process of finding out what works FOR YOU and those kinds of experiences can occur using conventionally weighted gear too!

Also, understand that with every piece of gear, whether UL or not, there are usually trade-offs.

I know....the cargo pocket thing had nothing to do with ultralightness at all. I was just being bitter :p

What I did to get to that point is "read the books"...jardine....ryan jordan, "watch the videos" -> lighten up, ultralight secrets revealed and see what the gurus were doing. Then I saw clearly the cross section of it all and went and did it all at once. EXTREME!!

[skinewmexico]

I don't regret it, but I'm not Ultra light. I just use the lightest possible tool for the job as I consider it. It's been fun. Hasn't always worked, but it's been fun.

[Odd Man Out]

One thing I won't quit carrying is the stick I use to beat the crap out of UL'ers who ask me "Why do you have that??" :D

Odd Man Likes!

[Lyle]

As others have pointed out, you probably went too far too fast. Baby steps with an occasional giant step worked well for me. But I don't consider myself ultralight, just MUCH lighter than I used to hike. I'm around 15 lb base for three-season. My biggest problem is I have a hard time cutting my food back to a reasonable amount, always over pack. Getting better though. :-)

[Lyle]

I'm looking to buy some UL stuff, not so much to shed weight and be a gram weenie, but so that I can afford to bring some luxury stuff too. So I would ask, where is the best place to cut weight without giving up too much convenience/comfort?

Pack, Sleeping gear, Cooking Gear and boots are the obvious places to start. Be careful you don't go overboard on the pack until you get the rest of your gear down to a reasonable level.

I would highly recommend ULA for packs. That was Brian's intention when he started the company, not to be the lightest possible, but to be a bridge for those coming from bomb-proof, 5 and 6 lb packs. Works well for me and tons of other people.

Once you have the main items down to where you want them, start on the clothing and incidentals. This is where you can save a lot of money if you shop wisely. You don't need brand name for most of this stuff.

Good luck, and as others have said or implied, make it a game, not a mandate for yourself. It's fun seeing what you can get away with without sacrificing much comfort or safety.

[jersey joe]

Pretty good topic - I noticed you were getting rid of all your spinnaker gear.

I haven't experienced UL remorse because I haven't went to those extremes yet.

I'm getting lighter a little at a time rather than in one fell swoop. I started out at close to 40 lbs. I'm down to 20ish now for a 3 day hike and I consider that great progress.
I think 10k has the right idea. Go lightweight a little bit at a time!

[excuses]

This is why I have so much stuff! It is a constant tweaking game. I get back from a section, redo my gear after lots of consideration and do another hike. Again and again.

[Danielsen]

No remorse here thus far. But I'm weird and like sleeping in a quilt under a tarp on a foam pad that's just barely big enough, and if the pack has any extra room it just seems far too big. I just hate extraneous stuff, and a number of impromptu trips with no backpacking gear in the first place have led me to view many more things as extraneous. My one weakness is that I sleep cold, which is more of an issue for LNT backpacking (impromptu camping trips usually involved a camp fire).

[burntoutphilosopher]

gear that you have to have anyway, ( quilt, pack etc) make ultralight, so as to make more possible room for luxury, like a better camera, or a bottle of rum ; )

[daddytwosticks]

Different tools for different jobs...what equipment I take depends on the hike location, duration, and time of year. My wife humors me by "allowing" me to have all types of hiking equipment in my arsenal. The hiking hobby is way cheaper than golfing, hunting, hanging out at strip joints, etc. :)

[Tinker]

After a knee/ankle/second ankle injury debacle last year, I spent much time downsizing, minimizing and lightening individual pieces of gear. I optimized everything for weight and went to all the usual suspects:

1. aquamira
2. Bottles instead of camelback
3. ultralight shelter -> gatewood cape
4. ultralight pack -> mariposa/G5
5. Alky stove
6. ultralight rain gear (helium and reed)
7. torso length zrest pad
8. minimized clothing, dropping things like waterproof gloves
9. Quilt

Everything got lighter and flimsier and more minimal until finally, my g5 arrived and I loaded everything into a glorified, rather ugly stuffsack with shoulder straps . Then I think I snapped. I further snapped when the crappy addon cargo pockets for my mariposa opened on their own and dribbled my possessions unknown to me down the side of the mountain as I hiked up. Cooking takes forever, I cant drink on the move easily, purifying water with eyedroppers and a bandanna and waiting 10 minutes is a major PITA and takes forever, my raingear will shred at the first branch...etc etc.

I find myself a month later, back with my camelback and pump filter, cannister stove, heavier raingear and some clothing added back in. I am even eyeing my osprey pack. I've kept a few things like the torso pad, quilt and gatewood and the flight jacket for quite a few pounds.

Anyone else yo-yo'ed?

I'm still fine tuning. I tried the Esbit/Heineken stove thing, which is ok for an overnighter in the summer, but cold weather makes me want more hot food/drinks. I still use an alcohol stove, but must admit that I usually have a warming fire in the cooler months and often cook over that, using the alcy stove as a backup.
I bought a spinnaker MacCat tarp, which I use over my bare-bones hammock except in winter, when I use my silnylon 10x12 tarp that I fashion into a tent.
Still using my old Golite Dawn pack, too. At less than a pound, plus a 6 oz. "frame" of closed cell foam (both a sit pad and doormat for the hammock), I couldn't go back to a 3lb. plus pack.
I still use trail runners (for the past 10 years), too.

One tip I found useful with an alcohol stove is to warm some water by the fire at night and sleep with it (in cool weather). It will boil quickly for next morning's meal.

[Tinker]

Oh, yeah, one more thing:
I've used the same old filter for the past 20 years (different cartridges). My First Need one pound filter still goes along.
Light isn't always right.

[sbhikes]

I've only had remorse twice:

1. I went hiking with a bunch of other people. They all had their dinner ready way before me. When I hike alone, or with only one other person, this doesn't bother me.

2. I decided to try hiking in river sandals (keens) and a skirt. My ankles got torn up by foxtails and brush and the keens had no traction and filled with sand and gravel that ate away at my feet. I had to tear up a stuff sack and figure out a way to cover the sandals to keep foxtails out and make gaiters to keep my ankles from being scratched up.

Other than that, I love my ultralight gear. I love minimalism. I have no issue with taking care of my gear. It has proven quite sturdy. I love having lots of handmade gear. It gives me a sense of pride and independence. I love the MacGuyverism of inventing things on the fly to solve my problems. I like it that my gear is so light I can add real luxuries like wine or toys of some sort or stuff I want to experiment with (with back-ups in case my experiments fail). I like it that if I get into trouble somehow I can add 10 miles to my day without it being a total hardship.

[Kerosene]

This is why I have so much stuff! It is a constant tweaking game. I get back from a section, redo my gear after lots of consideration and do another hike. Again and again.A few years ago I set out to do the section from Erwin to Max Patch, about six months after being told that I shouldn't backpack but if I did I should wear a full knee brace. My wife didn't want me to go at all, so we compromised and she drove out with me for the week. The interesting result was that my 100-mile section hike turned into a series of 1-2 night hikes, which allowed me to try out different gear, knowing that I'd only have to live with the decision for a few nights at most.

I tried different rain gear, boots, shelter, pack, stove and food. While I didn't get the extended outdoor experience I crave, I did get to experiment with a bunch of gear that I had over a compressed period of time with little risk of disappointment. Different yet fun in its own way!

[10-K]

I tried different rain gear, boots, shelter, pack, stove and food. While I didn't get the extended outdoor experience I crave, I did get to experiment with a bunch of gear that I had over a compressed period of time with little risk of disappointment. Different yet fun in its own way!

That's my kind of shakedown hike!

[flemdawg1]

I've gotten my 3-season base down to 13lbs. But not everything I've tried from the UL-philosphy has been a fit w/ my hiking style.

Tried doing the clothes-in-stuff sack as a pillow, but with me being a pretty broad shouldered and a side sleeper, I find using a blowup travel pillow to be much more comfortable.

Didn't like using an alcohol stove as much as the instant-on capability of using a canister stove.

My use of a BA Air Core mattress isn't compatible with most frameless packs.

I like my Camelbak style bladder and hard sided bottles (for sports drinks) too much to forego them for Platypus bladders.

I like my Steripen's instantly drinkable water to start waiting for Aqua Mira to be effective.

Too big of a coffee snob/addict to go without or instant.

I love a warm meal in mornings and evenings too much to consider going stoveless.

There were alot of things I tried that I did like too.
I like Tarptents (and using my trekking poles to erect them), down sleeping bags, dehydrated foods, Granite Gear packs, trailrunners, LED headlamps, less clothing (and other near useless items) carried and love having a lower weight load to carry over the mountains.

[Helios]

One thing I won't quit carrying is the stick I use to beat the crap out of UL'ers who ask me "Why do you have that??" :D

Brilliant!! Awesome!!! I'm guessing instead of lightweight, the heavier the better for a stick of such use!!! :banana

[skinewmexico]

Brilliant!! Awesome!!! I'm guessing instead of lightweight, the heavier the better for a stick of such use!!! :banana

Like you guys could run a UL hiker down after carrying 50# all day...........:D

[Wise Old Owl]

after a knee/ankle/second ankle injury debacle last year, i spent much time downsizing, minimizing and lightening individual pieces of gear. I optimized everything for weight and went to all the usual suspects:

1. Aquamira
2. Bottles instead of camelback
3. Ultralight shelter -> gatewood cape
4. Ultralight pack -> mariposa/g5
5. Alky stove
6. Ultralight rain gear (helium and reed)
7. Torso length zrest pad
8. Minimized clothing, dropping things like waterproof gloves
9. Quilt

everything got lighter and flimsier and more minimal until finally, my g5 arrived and i loaded everything into a glorified, rather ugly stuffsack with shoulder straps . Then i think i snapped. I further snapped when the crappy addon cargo pockets for my mariposa opened on their own and dribbled my possessions unknown to me down the side of the mountain as i hiked up. Cooking takes forever, i cant drink on the move easily, purifying water with eyedroppers and a bandanna and waiting 10 minutes is a major pita and takes forever, my raingear will shred at the first branch...etc etc.

I find myself a month later, back with my camelback and pump filter, cannister stove, heavier raingear and some clothing added back in. I am even eyeing my osprey pack. I've kept a few things like the torso pad, quilt and gatewood and the flight jacket for quite a few pounds.

Anyone else yo-yo'ed?


bummer! Yo man is it really that bad? :(

[jesse]

I hate going heavy. Been UL for several years, nor regrets. I do have a full length Pacific Outdoor inflatable pad, cause I can't sleep on just foam. 4 day hike about 16lbs including food.

[Wrangler88]

I agree with point number one by sbhikes.

The only time it has ever bothered me was when around other people in camp with all the luxuries you can imagine. Sleeping on a thin pad, with a quilt, eating pretzels dipped in pb&j for supper while the guy sitting right next to me is on a neoair with a huge thick sleeping bag and pillow, cooking up a five course meal.

But I know my body was happier while we were hiking all day and that makes it worth it!

I've since bought a WBBB hammock and learned not to skimp on food. Problems solved!