Ultralightenment

[skinewmexico]

My Mariposa carries great at 25#. Never tried to carry more, as it's not really made for it. I wouldn't get one if you didn't already have your other Big 3 down pretty low. I think the ULA packs handle overloading a little better.

[Skidsteer]

How do you store the blade? How do you keep the sup from being crushed?

Both can be stored in your cook pot, just for example.

[fiddlehead]

How do you store the blade? How do you keep the sup from being crushed?

For the blade, make a folded cardboard sheath from lightweight cardboard (like a cereal box) Or, just use the one that comes with the single blade razor blades. (double blade is lighter but minimally lighter)

For the styrofoam cup, i find that they last a lot longer (2-3 weeks) when i include the plastic lid that you can get with them at a convenience store.
I keep it in my cookit when not using it and replace them about every 3 weeks.
They are lighter than air.

[Tinker]

Tinker, what kind of pack do you have? From your description, it sounds like a Gossamer Gear pack. I've never owned one, but I hear they're pretty great packs..

I have a no longer made Golite Dawn. It's basically a stuffsack with shoulder straps, a hip belt (lightly padded), and mesh pockets. It's made of Golite's 1.7 oz. silnylon with a Dyneema Gridstop bottom. I also have a Granite Gear Virga which I bought on sale and will probably use when the Golite finally wears out. I figure it (Golite) has about 500 trail miles on it and is just showing signs of wear.

[garlic08]

I followed the above suggestions, all of which are good. Then I tried hiking without a stove, which worked well for me and finally got me under the 10# threshold, and comfortably using a frameless nine-ounce pack (Gossamer Gear G-5, discontinued, which worked great for my AT thru.)

Once you start using a frameless pack, it's very doubtful you'll carry more than 25 pounds total ever again. I've been out for seven days and 175 miles unsupported with that load.

I also do not carry a camera, a GPS, or a music-playing device, and I often even leave my headlamp at home if there's a full moon. No batteries on board at all, and I enjoy that feeling besides leaving a bit of weight behind.

Instead of a styrofoam cup, I use a cheap plastic camping cup I got from Campmor for a couple of bucks and it's lasted for years. That and a plastic spoon is my whole kitchen. I use the single-edged blade which comes with a small plastic holder which converts to a scraper handle. I carry an extra blade or two protected with a strip of tape.

[tammons]

5 oz complete solo bag cookset (less fuel)

[JRiker]

goose down gear, and layering properly. pre-planning, a good list before a hike goes a long way for me, other wise i carry too much if i just start packing stuff in my pack in a hurry.

[Danielsen]

Two things, really, and they have little to do with specific gear:

Take a lot of smaller trips (just a few days) with your setup and observe what you do use, what you don't use, and what things you could manage to replace with lighter-weight items. You end up getting rid of a lot of stuff, and this brings your packweight down.

The other is to reflect on the fact that many early explorers, say french fur trappers exploring the canadian wilds, carried a LOT less than we usually do and generally did alright. Often a canteen, some wool blankets, some food, some tools, and the clothes on their backs were all they carried. So asking what you really need is worthwhile and may lead you to realize that a lot of the things you do, you do because it's conventional. It's conventional to carry a tent, or a sleeping bag, or a stove, and heavy boots, etc. Experiment with alternative solutions. Just don't go out on a real trip with untested "alternative solutions." Try things out in controlled situations.

LNT restricts us from using many of the techniques those early explorers used to stay comfortable (big fires, shelters hacked from nearby trees, etc.) but you need to question "what do I really need to survive in the outdoors?" And then balance that against comfort. If you were willing to sacrifice comfort, you could survive for quite a while with a LOT less than any of us here probably carry. Once that lower bar of "essential needs" is lowered to the survival level, a lot more potential answers to "what should I pack?" open up.

[Cool AT Breeze]

Do you want to survive or live in the woods?

[couscous]

Some people focus on being comfortable in camp (where you spend most of the time sleeping). some focus on being comfortable on the trail (where you spend most of the time carrying everything), and some spend years finding a balance between the two that works for them. Hike your own hike.

[Cool AT Breeze]

Everything in life is a balance.

[ColeGage]

After a few nice shake-off hikes I have confidently cut my base weight down to about ~13 lbs. I'm pretty happy with that. I've found it's a lot more exciting to hike with less for some reason. Maybe because I have more opportunities to think, "what else could I use this for?" So how is a base weight of about 13 lbs in the UL spectrum?

[Skidsteer]

After a few nice shake-off hikes I have confidently cut my base weight down to about ~13 lbs. I'm pretty happy with that. I've found it's a lot more exciting to hike with less for some reason. Maybe because I have more opportunities to think, "what else could I use this for?" So how is a base weight of about 13 lbs in the UL spectrum?

Depends on your definition of base weight.

Many people use the big four(pack, bag, pad, shelter)as the standard. If your big four weigh 13 lbs., you can probably get lighter on your baseweight with very little effort and a little bit of money.

Some use a definition of "everything but food and water" as base pack weight. 13 lbs. would probably be considered light, but not ultralight in that case.

[garlic08]

... So how is a base weight of about 13 lbs in the UL spectrum?

Getting real close to UL, I think. Definitely towards the low end of "light". It's arbitrary, but I didn't consider myself UL at all until I got below ten pounds. The few SUL folks out there are closer to five pounds.

[JRiker]

Getting real close to UL, I think. Definitely towards the low end of "light". It's arbitrary, but I didn't consider myself UL at all until I got below ten pounds. The few SUL folks out there are closer to five pounds.[/QUOTE]

i agree, it's more of a function of pack weight versus body weight, imho. plus it's about comfortable carry vs. comfortable camp.

some hike to camp, others camp to hike. me, i hike and camp to fish.
that being said, my summer weight ranges from 12-14 base, and winter is 16-18 base.

[Danielsen]

Do you want to survive or live in the woods?

Both, if that's alright. At least for certain periods of time. Like I said, it's about balancing the bare minimum you need against the comforts you want. Balance seems to be what we're both after, eh?

I mean, I know I could survive on stuff I could carry in a couple pockets, but I wouldn't be able to do it in accordance with LNT and it certainly wouldn't be nearly as pleasant as living with some extra stuff I could bring along in a backpack. So I end up with about 15 lbs as a 3-season everything-but-food-and-water weight. Ultralight or not, that's what I'm happy carrying and makes me happy in camp.

That doesn't stop me from experimenting with (sometimes a little crazy) ways to lighten the load (again, in safe situations). It really does yield insights on ways to change how I hike for the better, I swear.

[RockDoc]

It's real easy to be too ultralight, especially on the AT where it rains for weeks..

There's a thing called "being on the stupid side of light".

That's where you didn't bring something you really needed because of weight considerations. Like not taking enough food, or decent rain gear, or shelter. This is pretty basic stuff; don't take it lightly or you are gambling with suffering, maybe worse.

[couscous]

"Someone said that the weight of your pack is determined by your fears. Fear of freezing, or getting wet, or hypothermia will affect the amount of clothes you carry. Fear of thirst or hunger will affect the amount of water and food you carry." - Ma & Pa's 1999 Journal - http://hikers99.homestead.com/chap21wyo.html