Ultralight label

[Alex Stevens]

I'm new here, and an aspiring lighter weight backpacker. My base weight is around 11 pounds, so I'm not a load hauler by any means, I'm just curios why we have categories for ultralight, lightweight, SUL, and ect, it seems like this creates more problems than it solves, like peer pressuring your friends to save a few ounces. I understand hike your own hike but why not have a few luxuries? Hiking is supposed to be fun, why hike so light that everything's a hassle. I just need a solid reason I should lose more weight from my pack. Is it really worth it at this point? I'm comfortable on my hikes, I've saved weight on food. (Averaging 140 cal per ounce). Looking for any advice.

Sorry if the thread is a little broad. Also I hope this is the right thread. Thanks guys, I'll enjoy reading your posts!


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[magneto]

Well - pain (or pleasure) happens at the margins, in this case - the margins of weight.

At some point, carrying an extra ounce results in a tipping point and pain starts.

The opportunity to reduce total load from say 35 lbs fully loaded to 15 is a big draw.

Once you start reducing weight into the teens, hiking becomes a joy and opportunities open for how long you can stay out and where you can go.


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[quasarr]

Not sure what you are asking ... You say you aspire to lighter weight, but then you say you don't know if it's worth it! But to answer your question about why people go to extremes, well, there are as many different motivations as there are hikers! Some are big mile speed demons, some are geeks who like the technical challenge and making gear, others are minimalists for philosophical reasons, and others are just cavemen who see no need for an extra pair of underwear. Of course there can be an aspect of competition, but for the most part I think ULers like seeing the gear of others for ideas/inspiration, and many post tutorials on how they achieved their own kit. You wouldn't do that if it were really a competition.

If you are happy with your gear then you don't have to change a thing. Personally, I think I will never find the perfect gear and I am always on the lookout for new ideas. And I have found that when my base weight is sub-10 or so, I bring more luxury items (like an e-reader or a can of beer) because my pack is so light I don't mind a few extra ounces.

And if you want advice, of course you can post your gear list here. Even if you aren't looking to invest in a new big four item, you can almost always leave something at home.

[Malto]

Here's my thoughts you questions.
1) labels are silly if cutting two oz. to hit some arbitrary threshold makes someone feel good, then great, two ounce won't substantially change reality on the trail.
2) for many going lighter weight has been a game changer. I started the journey as a means of getting deep into the Sierra on weekends while I traveled out to SF on business. Later it was a key enabler that allowed me to thru hike the PCT within an allowable 100 day window. Further, it's not a huge jump to go from UL packing into trail running, I often will trail run with my full pack, it basically is pared down to what I would need to survive a debilitating injury. So for me, it was literally life changing.
3) I weighed my pack for the first time in years at a shelter near the end of my hike this weekend. Full out it weighed 7.5 lbs with half a days food and half a quart of water. I had everything I needed and very little that I didn't. But I don't stress over calories per ounce for food anymore, I found that lower density foods can actually fuel you better. I have also added back in a couple of ounces to allow my shelter to be used modularly, equip my pack with accessible storage to eat on the move. Weight is but one factor, flexibility, ease of use etc all are important to me as well.

[garlic08]

When you hit the right spot with your pack, you'll know it. It came to me on a long hike when I took off my rain jacket after a storm and packed it without ever breaking stride. If the pack is light enough to do that, I don't have to get it any lighter. That was a liberating moment.

Last week I went on a very long day hike (23+ miles, nearly 10,000' climbing) with some impressively accomplished UL hikers sporting some pretty cool packs and clothing. My day pack weight was probably double some of theirs, maybe four pounds vs two, and at that point it really didn't matter. I wasn't the slowest one in the group and the extra weight really made no discernible difference at the end of the day. I mentally filed away the gear info for when I need to replace something, and got some good advice on prices and places to buy, but I'm not going to spend any money or change anything right now.

Please try not to worry about it (I know it's hard), and I hope you'll get to a happy place soon.

[shakey_snake]

People who are at 11 pounds hate labels. People who are at 9lbs 12oz love labels.

They are just reference points: who cares?

I go out into the woods to get away from all that sort of nonsense. Don't bring it with you!

[Coffee]

I've found that below a certain total weight, I do not gain much incremental comfort and my ability to hike faster or further in a given day does not increase very much. In my case, that line seems to be around 20 pounds total pack weight. Since my base weight has been hovering around 15 pounds and I tend to carry 1 liter of water, I am only at or below 20 pounds if I have less than a day and a half of food in my pack. So my most pleasant days in terms of pack weight are heading into a resupply. If I could get down to a base weight of 12 pounds, I'd be below the 20 pound level with 3 days of food which would be great. So I'd like to drop down to 12 pound base weight over time but I don't care too much about dropping below that level, even though 10 pounds seems to be some sort of badge of honor. But even at 15 pounds base weight, I'm perfectly comfortable with 4-5 days of food in my pack.

I'd also add what I've written a few times in the past: There are very, very, very few true UL hikers on trail as a percentage of total hikers compared to ULer representation on internet message boards. Even at my 15 pound base weight, I rarely encounter hikers who have a lighter or more compact backpack than mine.

[colorado_rob]

At 11 pounds base weight, you're there IMHO. The cutoffs for the various categories are subjective, who cares if "ultralight" is sub 10 pounds (according to some, including myself)? You are on the very low side of the "lightweight" category. Seems good enough, just enjoy! If over the next few months or years you manage to shave another pound or two with no actual loss of usefulness or the comforts, that works too. I was at 11-12-ish for many years, just recently dropped right to about 10, but so what? My lighter gear is actually better than the heavier stuff I replaced, else I probably wouldn't have bothered.

[Just Bill]

The labels are really just a history lesson at this point.
Nessmuk and Kephart(1880-1920)- travelled with ax, guns, knives, canoe, paddle and food- at around 25lbs total. A feat only recently achieved by us "enlightened" UL'ers.
Fletcher( late 60's- 2000) found a "leave no trace" style that better fit our times and modern backpacking was created.
Jardine (1996-2012) found a way to reduce total weight to 30lbs or less- Lightweight backpacking was born.
Many folks, including those at backpacking light took this revolution further-
Ultralight being lighter than Lightweight.
Superultralight being lighter still and so on.

We should all be thankful for these labels, they were the goals and benchmarks set by those who pushed our sport, gear, and manufacturers to achieve these goals. Spawning an entire cottage industry that even the staunchest heavy hauler can't ignore.
They are also the labels that developed the skills and philosophy to make these achievements possible, which is by far the more useful component.

Now that they are achieved, we have all been able to step back and enjoy.
No matter your position on the weight label scale, all of us are lighter, smarter, more comfortable, and better equipped to travel with the least impact to the woods. Most importantly- we all have more fun.

I would add Skurka to the historical list as the first mainstream person to recognize this turning point and coin the term "Stupid Light"
The folks at BPL have also joined in, when once they pushed the sub-5 pound marks, mastered them and hit the bottom (2 pounds), they now explore what to do with this newly found knowledge. Finally matching or beating Nessmuk; carrying provisions, boat, and gear that beats his 25 pound mark set over a century ago.

All that said- Don't ignore the labels completely, climbing the ladder of lightness is a lifelong skill, once that pinnacle is reached, you will find many here and elsewhere (Garlic, Malto, Mags, DW, and others) who have come down from the mountain wiser and began to add a few things back to their kits. When it's all said and done- it is the backpacker, not the backpack that matters- but that's a hard thing to learn without walking the entirety of the trail to freedom.

So worry about your gear, or rather give it thought. Don't ever let it stop you from hitting the trail though. 30 pounds or less all in- then you're plenty light. The rest only comes in time, not by spreadsheet manipulation, money, or swapping gear for ounces. Get on the trail!

[RodentWhisperer]

When you hit the right spot with your pack, you'll know it. Please try not to worry about it...

+1 on those points-- always good for us to remember.

[Mags]

UL hikers sporting some pretty cool packs and clothing. My day pack weight was probably double some of theirs, maybe four pounds vs two, and at that point it really didn't matter.

Obviously my way-cool thrift-store shirt!

I wrote this article earlier as this topic seems to come up reasonably often. May provide some food for thought:

http://www.pmags.com/backpacking-weight-mania

[QiWiz]

Jardine (1996-2012) found a way to reduce total weight to 30lbs or less- Lightweight backpacking was born.
Many folks, including those at backpacking light took this revolution further-
Ultralight being lighter than Lightweight.
Superultralight being lighter still and so on.

+1
My advice FWIW is to sneak up on going lighter. You'll know when you've gone too far. It can be fun to see "how low can you go?" Personally, I don't weigh stuff with the same care as I once did and find that "Ultralight" but not "Superultralight" is my own comfort zone. YMMV.

[flemdawg1]

I had an ultralight lable, but cut it off to save weight.

[Alex Stevens]

Thanks, It really is a battle, I want to make it below 10 lbs, but at the same time I can't justify the cost for the comfort, I stopped noticing weight at below 15 pounds, even for days on end. I like my setup, I may post a gear list sometime soon. I really enjoy reading all of your feedback. I feel like a part of a huge hiker family on this forum, next year hopefully I can do a thru over the summer. Now that my weight is low, I might be able to cover the distance in 3-4 months between college semesters.

Magneto, That sounds a lot like econ to me! I like it! Thats what I've been thinking along, the marginal happiness on trail for the cost.

Quasarr, You're right on, I am on the lookout for lighter gear, that allows me to move faster and easier, I really like all of the interesting ideas lightweight backpacking spawns. The idea of minimalism in general appeals to me.

Malto, Thats awesome that you did the PCT in 100 days! I want to pull a similar stunt on the AT next year, did you average around 20 miles a day then or more?

Garlic08, I am in a happy place when I'm on the trail, I feel like as a human being walking is where I belong, it feels so natural, I can think so clearly, its awesome.

Shakey snake, I think your right about being on the borders of weight classes, I try to make up for my extra weight in my pack by cutting weight on my body and staying as fit as possible, so hopefully that extra pound doesn't make too much difference.

Coffee, Your right about UL making up a small part of the community, but representing almost a majority on the forum. That's what's awesome about this community is everyone shares their ideas.

colorado rob, hopefully over the years I can reduce my weight down to 10, I'm sure if I wasn't so lazy, and actually repackaged sunscreen, toothpaste, and bug spray, I could save a few ounces. I think I've lost all the "easy" weight I can.

Just Bill, I like the history of backpacking, I think the weights are goals, but I think they put more pressure on the gear than the experience. I like gear that allows me to move faster, and that's not always lighter. Good post though.

Mags, great article, reminds me of my scout days not so long ago, finished my eagle last year february!

Thanks again for all the input guys and gals, Hope to see you on the trails this summer!

[Alex Stevens]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...1E&usp=sharing

[Starvin Marvin]

I can see where you can easily loose a pound from your list. Its all about choices, your choices.

You might need to change your label then.

[colorado_rob]

I can see where you can easily loose a pound from your list. Its all about choices, your choices.

I like the list a lot, all the essentials in a tight package, but agreed, about a pound; lighter rain jacket (lots of 6oz jackets out there) and why the separate bivy sack? Nit-picking, REI sells a 1-oz insect repellant that lasts for over a month, and 5.75 ounces is a LOT of TP. But that's, er, a personal choice there... My compass is 1 oz and headlamp, nice and bright is 1.7, but really, nice list, just nit-picking.

[Malto]

Quote:
Malto, Thats awesome that you did the PCT in 100 days! I want to pull a similar stunt on the AT next year, did you average around 20 miles a day then or more?

Here is the breakdown of my mileage.
http://postholer.com/journal/viewJou...entry_id=26640

If you are considering a fast hike I would recommend read through the full journal. While a different trail, the concepts behind successfully doing a fast hike are common.

[FarmerChef]

Lots of good advice on here that I agree with. I'll add my two cents but will likely duplicate everyone else. If nothing else, it will reaffirm certain sentiments.

When I started hiking, I read about ultralighting and was inspired as I wanted to take my kids along but knew that I would have to carry most of their weight. Out of necessity, my weight had to come down (including MY weight ). My first goal was a sub 10 pound kit and I achieved that rather crudely the first year. Then solidly the second year when I upgraded my tarp (from Wal Mart tarp to silnylon) and again when I made my MYOG 20 degree quilts and could leave the sleeping bags at home (year 3/4). Now, I'm preparing to split it up even further so my older girls can carry more of the camping supplies but at little weight penalty to their packs. That will lower me down to around a 7lb summer kit and 9 pound winter kit (base).

When I'm hiking in the teens I'm happy as a clam. In the 20s I can do it but I start to experience some pain. So as others have said, I'm happiest 2 or 3 days away from resupply and least happy 4 or more days prior.

As for whether I'm ultralight, superultralight or whatever. I'm in it for the comfort and enjoyment, not the label. If going lighter lets me carry an extra luxury or two - great! As long as the weight I'm carrying allows me to hike effortlessly I'm good with that, even if it includes a sit pad and wind up radio or a hibachi barbeque and 10 pounds of ribs (just kidding). Oh and I also agree with backing into it slowly. As I mentioned it took me years not weeks or even months to slowly refine my kit. I learned what I liked and didn't like. Saw others' gear while hiking and noted features that I liked even if I didn't like their whole setup. Now I'm ready to buy a cuben tarptent and I know exactly what I want. Time well spent.

[Twogears]

Perhaps a better way to summarize the difference between SUL and lightweight is, the SULers are generally the ones that sit out bad weather in shelter and towns whereas the lightweighters hike through it.