UL Backpacking: A Thread for the Gram Counters

[Mike K]

One major thing I've done to cut weight is to carry less water when I know there will be plenty available. I usually leave the bladder now, too.

 

[Nick]

Nice one Nick. I carry a small plastic pint of bourbon to save weight over beer. Plus it still works if it's warm!

I'm with you on the flask. That pic above is kind of a joke. Sometimes when me and @Ndheiner do a short backpack we'll load up like that. Usually I'll take an emptied out cheapo water bottle and fill it up with some bourbon.

 

[jentzschman]

Came across this guy just now, seems pretty slick!

http://www.granitegear.com/virga-2.html

 

[Upgrayedd]

Another thing to remember is that weight carried in your pack is going to be different as a percentage of your body weight for everyone. I have a friend that's 6'3" and pretty strong who doesn't get why I'm concerned with lightening my pack. To him 40lbs is no big deal but to me it's over a quarter of my body weight and that's too much for me to be comfortable on long trips with a bunch of elevation gain. I find it's important to remember that everyone is different, especially when hiking/backpacking with Women and Children since a pound to them often means a lot more than it does to us.

The other thing I'm trying to remember is that a pound of fat lost off my body is FREE and it in the process of losing weight I also get in better shape so it's a win win. I could stand to lose about 15lbs of fat so that alone is about what my pack weighs for an overnighter.

The best thing for me was to buy a little digital kitchen scale and to weigh all of my gear. After doing that it's amazing how things jump out at you and the purging begins. I'm not UL by any means but I'm as close as I'm going to get. I can't afford cuben and that's really the only way I can drop significant weight and not lose a lot of comfort psychological security. My base weight for summer stuff is around 11lbs and winter is about 16lbs.

 

[steve]

The best thing for me was to buy a little digital kitchen scale and to weigh all of my gear. After doing that it's amazing how things jump out at you and the purging begins.

That was a game-changer for me as well. It's actually really fun.

I'm not UL by any means but I'm as close as I'm going to get. I can't afford cuben and that's really the only way I can drop significant weight and not lose a lot of comfort psychological security. My base weight for summer stuff is around 11lbs and winter is about 16lbs.

I'd definitely consider that UL. A lot of the time I'm around 15 lbs with water.

 

[steve]

I'll be backpacking with @sixstringsteve this weekend and maybe I'll learn a thing or two...(and maybe toss some rocks in his pack when he's not looking. You know, to even the playing field).

If anything, you'll learn that I have no clue what I'm doing and that it's probably not a good idea to leave so much stuff home. I try to lighten my pack so I can keep up with my hiking partners and not slow them down.

 

[steve]

Came across this guy just now, seems pretty slick!

http://www.granitegear.com/virga-2.html

Wow, 19 oz! That's impressive. It looks like a UL version of the Crown VC that @Tess uses, which weighs in around 30-32 oz. After using her pack, I learned that I definitely need some sort of frame in my pack, even if it's just a couple aluminum stays to keep it straight. That weight (and price) is quite impressive though. The mesh outer pockets are my favorite I've ever seen on a pack. They can stretch like crazy if needed, but they always spring back and don't end up loose. I wish my pack had those stretchy pockets on it.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Wow, 19 oz! That's impressive. It looks like a UL version of the Crown VC that @Tess uses, which weighs in around 30-32 oz. After using her pack, I learned that I definitely need some sort of frame in my pack, even if it's just a couple aluminum stays to keep it straight. That weight (and price) is quite impressive though. The mesh outer pockets are my favorite I've ever seen on a pack. They can stretch like crazy if needed, but they always spring back and don't end up loose. I wish my pack had those stretchy pockets on it.

I too am not a fan of frameless packs. Even if it's just a minimal carbon fiber hoop or aluminum stay, I like having a frame and feel that on long trips it's well worth the additional weight. On day hikes a frameless is fine.

 

[andyjaggy]

The other thing I'm trying to remember is that a pound of fat lost off my body is FREE and it in the process of losing weight I also get in better shape so it's a win win. I could stand to lose about 15lbs of fat so that alone is about what my pack weighs for an overnighter.

I'm in the same boat, I need to lose about 15 pounds, and figure that is the best way for me to lighten my load at the moment. I am not terribly concerned about my pack weight, I seem to be able to trudge along fine by myself with a heavy pack. It's more of a concern when I am with other people and can't keep up with them because my pack is 2-3 times as heavy as there's. I think I may look into that book Steve suggested.

 

[steve]

Even if you never plan on going UL, this book is a complete game changer, and a really fun read. I've found that 90% of going lightweight is mental. For someone new to lightweight backpacking, I'm guessing they'll shave 10-15lbs off their pack weight after reading this, simply because of the paradigm shift they will have.

He's an illustrator, and each point has an illustration that really helps, and he has a great sense of humor.

I've read the book twice cover to cover, and I love to flip through it to remember what I've forgotten. Plus he has some great tasting recipes for lightweight backpacking food.

I'll say it again: lightweight backpacking is more of a mindset than a gear list. It has taken me about a year to be comfortable with a lot of his concepts, and I'm still struggling with one or two of them, so don't expect to agree with everything he says right off the bat. Some of this stuff needs to marinate in your brain for a few months.

I eased into it, and the more I get out, the more I enjoy the simplistic lifestyle of UL hiking. That being said, I can't quite commit to carrying just a razor blade; I'm far too clumsy and I'd end up slicing myself with a razor blade. And although I've tried using leaves for TP, I still bring a backup emergency roll just in case.

Here are a few videos from Mike Clelland, the author of that book. Seeing his pack contents is far more valuable than just reading about them. Plus you can see just how cheap most of his gear is. His only piece of cuben fiber gear is his tarp. His exact setup wouldn't quite work for me, but it gave me a lot of ideas to refine my gear. The most important gear is the gear he doesn't bring.

I copied his "dinky stuff" and "1st aid" stuff to the tee, and it's fantastic.

 

[steve]

This has been a game-changer for me:

http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/9

plus it serves as a light stuff sack.

 

[steve]

If you're still not sold on the book, read this post, which has a few excerpts from the book (scroll down the page a bit):

http://ultralightbackpackintips.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

Here's another free resource/book (though not as entertaining as mike's book):
http://www.hikelight.com/assets/Ebook1.0.pdf

 

[steve]

 

[Parma]

 

[steve]

I've heard tons of people who swear by their single tarp shelter setup. I've had a tough time accepting this mentally, but I tried it this past weekend and it was just fine. In certain conditions (but not all), I think a tarp may be ideal for me, and not just from a weight standpoint.

I'm sure I'll run into a situation where I'm lying there at night thinking "I wish I had brought my tent", but that's all part of the learning process. I'm going to try the tarp as much as I can to see if I can learn when it works for me and when it doesn't.

I do know that my biggest hurdle is mental. It's easy to come up with reasons it will suck, but I don't want to judge the book by its cover. I could worry about bugs, snakes, mice, and other things, or I could just get out there and experience it. I'll report back with my experiences.

Here's an article that gives me hope that it's possible and even preferable in certain situations.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hx9nw7vjaamnbaq/Tarp Camping Techniques for Inclement Conditions @ Backpacking Light.pdf

 

[WasatchWill]

Common consensus elsewhere seems to be that a base weight of 10 lbs or less is considered "Ultralight", while 10 to 25 lbs base weight is "lightweight" and beyond that, you're into the more "traditional" realm.

It will likely cost money to join the "Ultralight" club, but for those on more limited budgets like myself, I have found that there is adequate gear out there that doesn't cost so much that can at least get you into "lightweight" mode.

For example, the pack I currently have for my "lightweight" system is a Teton Sports Summit 2800 ($55, 3.2 lbs, 47 liters).

For a sleeping bag I have a Ledge Sports Scorpion ($40, 2lbs). It doesn't appear that they are available anymore, but a very comparable one of the same price, size, fill, weight, and rating is the Ozark mummy at Walmart. Both pack super small too, but I wouldn't recommend them for someone who does a lot of tossing and turning though. For a bit more room, Teton Sports also offers a comparable lightweight, but rectangular bag. All of these are only rated for 40 to 45 degrees, so only good on their own in mid-summer. For extra insulation, just wear a down puffy over some long underwear. I picked up a down jacket at Costco for $40 during the winter season when they were in stock.

For shelter, you can make your own silnylon tarp for about $50. I used materials and some instruction from diygearsupply.com and it came out under 1 lb. Also used them for most of the material on my hammock.

I've also read that another way to approach "lightweight" and "Ultralight" is to have each of your Big Three items/systems be under 4 lbs for a "lightweight" friendly setup and under 3 lbs each to reach an "Ultralight" friendly setup.

My lightweight cook kit consists of a GSI Hallulite kettle ($23, 5.8 oz), diy alcohol stove, diy foil windscreen, titanium spork, and freezer bag cozy. I only boil water and use the freezer bag cooking (FBC) system for the convenience of not having any dishes to do. I also have a GSI mug I have the option of taking for hot drinks. For measuring, I'll probably scratch in marks on my mug or use use a "portion" bag ziploc that has different measurements labeled.

For hydration, I too have switched to reused water bottles this year. I am particularly a fan of Smart Water and Gatorade bottles. I carry a 20 Oz bottle on the front of each shoulder strap for easy access on the go, and 1L Smart Water bottles in the side pockets of my pack for filling at camp and when the next water source is far enough to require extra water be carried. For filtration, I've become a fan of of the Sawyer Squeeze Mini ($20). It fits the Smart bottle threads perfectly. I've also considered Platypus bottles for added packabilty and durability.

Beyond that is just a small and simple first aid kit, other safety essentials, food & fuel.

With all of this, my base weight has gone from 30 to 35 lbs with more traditional and in some cases, more expensive gear I've accumulated, down to about 18 lbs or so.


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[steve]

Awesome post will!

For hydration, I too have switched to reused water bottles this year. I am particularly a fan of Smart Water and Gatorade bottles. I carry a 20 Oz bottle on the front of each shoulder strap for easy access on the go, and 1L Smart Water bottles in the side pockets of my pack for filling at camp and when the next water source is far enough to require extra water be carried. For filtration, I've become a fan of of the Sawyer Squeeze Mini ($20). It fits the Smart bottle threads perfectly. I've also considered Platypus bottles for added packabilty and durability.

I'm a huge fan of the smart water bottles too. They slide in an out of my pack easier than anything else. I also use a sawyer mini. LOVE IT, although I've had a tough time getting it to seal well with my platys. The platypus doesn't have enough threads on the neck to get a good firm seal for me. I end up screwing it tight enough that it skips teeth and doesn't seal well. Every once in a while I get lucky, and it works, but I've given up using platys for filtering. But that's ok because the smart water bottle threads work great, and the platy-style bag that came with the sawyer mini works just fine with no issues. I wonder if platys have recently changed the amount of threads they have on their bags?

 

[WasatchWill]

I read somewhere that Platys did receive a change in their threads with their most recent product line update. I do not remember if it was the older or newer that was most compatible with Sawyer. Maybe they changed to influence use of their filter products?

I may end up getting bigger Sawyer bags, since the 16 Oz bag doesn't really do much, but for now, the smart water bottles are holding up fine and I'll probably just change them out just before the expiration date printed on them to avoid any breakdown and leeching.

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[steve]

I read somewhere that Platys did receive a change in their threads with their most recent product line update. I do not remember if it was the older or newer that was most compatible with Sawyer. Maybe they changed to influence use of their filter products?

Very interesting. I purchased mine new about 3 months ago, so I'm guessing it's the newer ones with the fewer threads.

 

[WasatchWill]

Very interesting. I purchased mine new about 3 months ago, so I'm guessing it's the newer ones with the fewer threads.

Sounds about right and makes the most sense.

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