Luther

Originally Posted by kevperro

Actually... I think you can go Ultralight without breaking the bank. The biggest weight reductions are from leaving stuff behind, not necessarily spending big dollars on cuben.

Let's see if we can put together a hypothetical UL on the budget gear list:

* Pack - REI Flash 45: $80 34 ounces
* Tent - REI QD1 $219 - 38 ounces
* Sleeping Pad - Therm-a-rest Prolite $62 - 11 ounces
* Sleeping Bag - North Face Furnace 35 $169- 34 ounces
* Stove & Cook Pot - Snow Peak Gigapower + GSI Minimalist $80 10 ounces

You of course will need clothing and other knick-knacks but you don't have to go to REI to buy long underwear, shorts, and t-shirts. Go buy some generic cheap synthetic layers and Dri-Ducks rain gear and you will be fine. That list right there though was with little effort at one site and it is $610 & 8lbs which covers most of your major gear weight. You will have another 3lbs in clothing items and probably another 2lbs in misc crap.