When did you realize

[Doctari]

When did you realize or "Know" deep down in your sole how much better going light was. Probably don't count the first time you put the pack on, alto that is a valid time. I'm talking about something other that "Oh, that is nice." Something like: "OH YES, THIS IS THE WAY TO GO!!!!!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING BEFORE?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

For me it was last trip, about day 3. I stoped about 1/2 way up a un-named hill/Mt. to take a leak. When done, I noticed that my step was easier. I then said the above all cap line. I am sorry to mention "bodily functions" here, but that is what happened. My gear load was so much lighter than before, that the loss of an additional (estimated) 10 OZ was VERY noticable to me. That was with a 30 Lb FSO weight, I'm now down to a 26 Lb FSO & dropping, can't wait to see what that brings

So, when did you "Know"?

BTW: before, I may have noticed the loss of a full 1L Nalgene, probably not. FSO an estimated 60 Lbs in 1998.

Doctari.

[Footslogger]

It hit me like a brick around Pearisburg during my thru in 2003. I always knew that lighter would be better but never got around to trimming back. But, when I got to Pearisburg I decided to downsize my pack. Went from a Gregory Reality (at around 5+ lbs empty) to a Granite Gear Vapor Trail (2 lbs empty). I was still a bit heavy at first coming out of Pearisburg at around 30 lbs but with my change out of clothes and gear for the warmer months I eventually got my normal carrying load down to 24 - 25 lbs. Amazingly, even with the switch back to my warmer stuff in Glencliff I still managed to keep the pack weight at 26 lbs the rest of the way to Katahdin.

With that experience behind me I can honestly say that I will never again carry a pack over 30 lbs. My knees and back just wouldn't let me. I'm ruined for life ...and I never even hit the ultralight levels !!

'Slogger
AT 2003

[SGT Rock]

In 1997 near Damascus. I was carrying a packing list more in-line with something the Army would have me carry. I started thinking about how little sense it made to me to hike that way.

But on the other hand, at what point did you decide that you had bottomed out and decided to go back up? For me it was when I was uncomfortable in camp and decided the weight for a few items (like getting back into the hammock) was worth it.

[Kerosene]

I swapped out my 3-year old, almost-8 pound Dana Designs Teraplane X for a Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone (3 pounds) for my Fall 2003 hike around Roanoke. In my youth I was typically carrying 45-55 pounds (some of it for my hiking partners), but I was having a tough time getting below 35 pounds with 3-4 days of food and water and cool weather gear. I was able to come in just under 30 pounds, but I wasn't carrying a real tent. I really started to notice the difference three days south of Buena Vista as I climbed out of the James River Gorge. I thought I was taking it slow, but I was still making remarkable time. I really noted the difference on Day 6 during the 17+ miles from Daleville south to Catawba Shelter. I was going to stop at Campbell Shelter, but I
it was a lovely afternoon, I felt great, and McAfee Knob was only a mile away. I finished the day and still felt that I could do more mileage.

Last spring in Georgia I was down to 26 pounds with 3-days of consummables and single-wall tent. In May I plan to up my average daily mileage and hope to go from Catawba to Atkins in a little over a week. I was never able to consistently do that kind of mileage in Pennsylvania when I was a 145-pound teenager carrying 50 pounds.

[borntired]

I didn't know ultralight even EXISTED until my very first section hike on the AT in 2001. Talking to UL hikers quickly opened my eyes. Then and there I knew it was for me.

[verber]

I was introduced to ultralight in 2001 reading the the PCT Hikers Handbook. Many of the ultra-light ideas made sense, so I started to systematically worked through my gear: dropping items I didn't need and lightening my heavier items. Within a year my base weight had dropped to below 14lbs. This was a huge improvement over my heavy-weight days... I had more energy and my feet didn't hurt at the end of the day. Around two years ago I switched to a Granite Gear Vapor Trail backpack. On the first trip with my new pack I stopped for lunch after around 10 miles. I sat down intending to lean against some rocks. I was stopped short because my pack was in the way. Oh my God. I had been carrying a pack. I had forgotten. That's when I KNEW this was the way to backpack.

[Oracle]

I'm just getting into lightweight backpacking. As some of my BP'ing stuff is getting rather old and worn (old, worn n' torn pack, old thermarest mattress, old sleeping bag), I've been slowly replacing it with new stuff. With the good ol' tax refund, I'm getting the rest of the stuff I need. I'm not going ultralightweight, because I'm not terribly impressed with the durability of much of the really ultralight gear, but I am getting much lighter weight, but durable stuff - Gregory Z Pack, Ridge Rest pad to replace my old Thermarest, and I've been using alcohol stoves for about a year and a half now, and am very happy with them. My base weight for my pack, sans food and water, should be between 18 and 20lbs when I get done, and that will be great.

[Mags]

Did my first long distance hike in 1997: An end to end trek on the Long Trail. Had the heavy leather boots, a 5500 CI EMS pack, Whisperlite, etc. etc. Call it 30 lbs base pack weight.

Did the trail in 18 days (with a nero day of 5 miles included), so I thought I knew what I was doing.

Hiked the AT in 1998 with pretty much the same load. I did it in 5 mos - by the end I was tired, underweight and my knees had the "snap, crackle, pop" sound every morning when I returned to RI.

Over the fall and winter, though "there has to be an easier way!". Hiked the LT again in 1999 with a base pack weight of 18 lbs. People thought I was dayhiking! It was much easier! Did the trail in 20 days this time, because I wanted to take it easy. Though time wise was pretty similar, with the light load it felt much easier than in 1997.

Did the PCT in 2002 with a ~14 lb base pack weight. And, though I was tired at the end of the trail, did not have any of aches, pains and extreme weight loss of the AT. I also fully transitioned to sneakers by then.

For the Colorado Trail in 2004, was down to 10 lbs. People were REALLY confused as to if I was day hiking or not.

Backpacking is just more fun with a lighter load! At least for me.

[-MYST-]

I never really had this sudden notion of "I am light now" rather it's been a constant evolution. What generally happens after shaving off a bunch of weight on something. I will enojy the lighter load by bringing something extra like more food or that bigger knife, maybe add a walkman. So in the end everything is lighter but I bring more things, always staying at that comfortable(a relative term) level I can carry.

[rocket04]

I was always convinced lighter would be better if you could pull it off safely, but I saw the true impact when I sent my tent home in Damascus and got a tarp, shaving off 3.5 pounds. I had been experiencing some neck pain, and after that things got much better. Amazing what a difference a seemingly insignificant 3 pounds can make!

[Singletrack]

In 1999, I had my total pack weight down to about 35-40 lbs. I had stopped off at a store in Virginia, (I think it's name was Trent's) and met a German man carrying what I thought was a day pack. I asked him, if he was day hiking, and he responded, he was a Thru Hiker. I questioned him about the contents of his pack. He said, I have everthing you do, but it is smaller and lighter. He was carrying 19 lbs. He explained the Lightweight philosphy to me. Well, that stood out in my mind. The next year, with different gear purchased, and a tarp, my total weight dropped to 26 lbs. Back on the Trail, I could certainly feel the difference. I felt better at the end of the day, and my mileage increased a bit. Now, my base weight is down to 9-14 lbs. depending on trip, season etc.

[The Will]

But on the other hand, at what point did you decide that you had bottomed out and decided to go back up? For me it was when I was uncomfortable in camp and decided the weight for a few items (like getting back into the hammock) was worth it.

I really appreciate that sentence. With all the inertia concerning light weight, it is easily forgotten that ultra-light is merely the application of a principle and not the principle itself...that principle being comfort in the backcountry.

[SalParadise]

such a great thread, and so glad to hear the positive comments about going light. Afraid of injury again, I'm down to about 32 pounds fully loaded, and I'm sure hoping the feet don't hurt so much again.

I remember out of Gatlinburg I bought some new gear and dropped six pounds from a 49-pound pack. I realize it was still heavy, but the next day I felt like I was bouncing and did 26. I guess when you're in the middle of hiking you can feel every single pound, and any drop in weight, however small, feels really good. It's ironic that even with a lighter load now, I bet starting out it will still feel like a load of bricks. I guess the measuring stick is if the miles increase vs. last years averages.

[Doctari]

But on the other hand, at what point did you decide that you had bottomed out and decided to go back up? For me it was when I was uncomfortable in camp and decided the weight for a few items (like getting back into the hammock) was worth it.

Yes, basically hiking is a delicate balancing act.

On one side is comfort in camp.

On the other side is comfort on the trail.

Sometimes they are not mutually exclusive in that keeping warm on the trail using a fleece jacket can keep you warm in camp. But usually what that means is: to be comfortable in camp you need to carry “stuff” which can mean being uncomfortable on the trail. AND: to be comfortable on the trail, it may mean being uncomfortable in camp.

Examples:
A 2.5 inch thick CampRest sleeping pad would be real nice in camp, but at almost 4 Lbs (My wife’s older version) it would be a bear to carry. Whereas a 3/4 length closed cell pad can weigh less than a pound, it does little to soften the floor of a shelter.

It’s up to you to decide where that balance point should be. Ray J & others find it comfortable to hike with minimal camp gear, opting for on the trail comfort. And they claim they are plenty comfy in camp. Some carry 50+ packs, eat gourmet meals & are prepared for any emergency. They claim they don’t mind the weight.

My personal goal is a FSO of 25 Lbs, I only need to loose about 2 more base weight Lbs.

Doctari.

[SGT Rock]

Yes, basically hiking is a delicate balancing act.

On one side is comfort in camp.

On the other side is comfort on the trail.

Sometimes they are not mutually exclusive in that keeping warm on the trail using a fleece jacket can keep you warm in camp. But usually what that means is: to be comfortable in camp you need to carry “stuff” which can mean being uncomfortable on the trail. AND: to be comfortable on the trail, it may mean being uncomfortable in camp.

Examples:
A 2.5 inch thick CampRest sleeping pad would be real nice in camp, but at almost 4 Lbs (My wife’s older version) it would be a bear to carry. Whereas a 3/4 length closed cell pad can weigh less than a pound, it does little to soften the floor of a shelter.

It’s up to you to decide where that balance point should be. Ray J & others find it comfortable to hike with minimal camp gear, opting for on the trail comfort. And they claim they are plenty comfy in camp. Some carry 50+ packs, eat gourmet meals & are prepared for any emergency. They claim they don’t mind the weight.

My personal goal is a FSO of 25 Lbs, I only need to loose about 2 more base weight Lbs.

Doctari.

I agree that it is a ballancing act:

The more I carry, the more I enjoy camping, the less I carry, the more I enjoy hiking.

So the ballance is when I no longer like camping and/or hiking. If I am day hiking then the needs are small. But when I camp, there are some needs to make me happy when I camp. BUT, if I loose something and it doesn't impare my camping, then I probably didn't need it.

[whiteagle]

For me it was SOBO'ing section 4 (Hogpen to Unicoi) about a month ago, with a BW of about 35lbs (Always be prepared right?). Neither my friend nor myself had a waterfilter at the time, so we had to pack water in. Weather was supposed to be low 30's, high 20's both days, and we budgeted accordingly. Second morning we wake up with a little more than half the water left, only it's waayy too warm. I thought we had a liter more than we did, and wasn't too worried. However, when we got to low gap and I went for it, I was informed he had used it the night before to wash the dishes. I know what you're thinking, but he's a good friend that I've known since 2nd grade. Anyway, after a few unpleasant moments, I realized this was going to be a longer day than I had planned for. 5 miles, without water, on a moderately warm sunny day, with 35lbs on your back, is enough to make any pudgy white kid want to lighten up.

So, when we got back, I sold my 5lb pack on ebay. Used the money to buy sil-nylon and made a somewhat customized g4. Also used some of the money to get an 8oz Katadyn mini (learned my lesson about that one), and I also traded in my 4.5lb Montrail boots for some 1lb 12 oz trail runners. All at about half price! I'm convinced, ebay is God's gift to college students. Now I've made some coolmax clothes as I'm attempting to get rid of cotton. I've started work on a sleeping bag, 5lb of 800+ down should be here Thursday. Best part is, I've got a couple of other people who want bags, and that should just about cover the cost of my bag as well. Haven't given much thought to FSO, but I should be able to get my base weight down to 10 (friend carries the 2 man tent). That's less than my school backpack weighs!!!

Anyway, that's my life's story.

[Just Jeff]

Mine was during a section out of Buena Vista. The first day we did about 8 miles...and woke up so sore I could barely scratch my boys. So my friend and I rolled out of our bags and started walking. Lunch was great...MREs and a 30 minute "I don't wanna move" break.

Finally, we got moving again and, for some reason, things didn't feel so bad. We were both barely sore at all. We MARVELLED at how good the hot lunch and long break made us feel. It was awesome!

Then about 45 minutes after we had started hiking, I busted out laughing. I almost fell down it was so funny, and my friend asked what I was laughing at.

I said, "I know why we feel so good."

"Why?"

"Um...could be that 2000mg of motrin we just took."

"Oh yeah."

We were so tired we had FORGOTTEN that we had split an entire bottle of motrin during lunch! I decided that if I needed that much medication to enjoy a hike, there had to be a better way.

When I got back I started the non-stop research where I found the answers I was looking for. Trailforums, TLB, Sgt Rock's, WB, Jardine, etc.

[Nean]

It hit me my first day on the job, when I was 17, 12 years before I started backpacking. It did not take long to figure out that it was easier to carry 7 2x4 quickly than 10 slowly. Weight has never been a factor for me ever since, guess I'm lucky.

[Lone Wolf]

I hike just as fast with 50 lbs. as I do 20 lbs., 3 - 3.5 mph. Weight ain't an issue.

[Oracle]

Just a quick note to follow up on my previous one - after replacing much of my gear (not everything, I did keep my Sierra Designs Wild Bill bag even though it weighs 3lbs 3oz and doesn't effectively compress well, mostly because fits me very well and it's kept me warm every time I've used it, even in some temps that exceeded it's temp rating) - my base weight is now down to 14lbs 13 oz. The suggestions of many people on this site have helped me significantly carve my weight down with some judicious replacing of gear, and some suggestions for what gear to carry and what not to. Thanks, folks, my back, hips, shoulders, and feet will be thanking you immensely .