dude, it is about the journey. i want to be on the trail longer and enjoy the experience. shaving off days takes away from the experience. comfort is king. a 3lb-5lb weight penalty is a nothing trade off. a 22lb base wight with living room comfort is worth it to me. zero concerns about mini bears eating my food because i have a bear canister. relaxing in a chair in the wilderness watching a sunrise or sunset in comfort is worth it. having a free standing tent that can withstand 55mph winds is worth it. you will sleep through the night because you are not worried about the conditions. living room style. while the other guy never slept because he/she was worried about the integrity of their tent. 5lbs is not going to make me hike fewer miles. just sharing. I have been backing for 46 years. yabadaba doo
Yup, it's a "hike your own hike" thing for sure. I go for full luxury on some trips and ultralight on others - depends on what I am trying to do! Thanks for commenting!
To each there own for sure. My base weight is a third of yours, but I'm happy as a clam. As long as you're getting out there and doing your thing, that's what matters.
My first pack weighed 38 pounds base weight. I kept up with people that where ultra light. Now my pack weight is 14 pounds. I could get rid of all my luxury items and be at 10 pounds but no. And there is no way I’m paying for a DCF tent sure a 2 person tent will weigh less then my lanshan but it’s not worth the price to me. If they drop down to at least $300 I’d consider buying one.
I liked my Lamshan 2, it was my first trekking poles tent, and a recent startup just sent me a brand new one to review. DCF is the GOAT but yeah that's a lot of money!
Great video. I’d also add safety and health for being good reasons to go ultralight. It’s easier to fall, lose balance, get tendinitis , dehydration and blisters with a heavier pack. I remember seeing an ultralight lady in her 60s flying past me on a trail. I thought she was a day hiker until we chatted for a bit. She was a pro… and her pack was about 1/3rd the size of mine. I picked her brain and got great gear advice. She had her set up dialed in knowing exactly what to bring and what to leave home. And she’s a retired nurse…not skimping on safety.
I’m glad you addressed being able to add more to the trip and not stopping at cutting your trip short. So many loops in Michigan have become day hikes for me or a late Friday night to Saturday afternoon. That is a double edged sword…going lite and being accustomed to hiking 15-20 miles per day is great, but the loops in Michigan now get completed too quickly. To do more requires another car for an A-B trip; or an out and back (which I don’t like so much). I think this is a mid west flat lander problem. We just don’t have the landscape for lots of side trail adventures. Ok, I am rambling. Cheers! 🍻🤙
Well said! I'm 5'1" and under 100 lbs. I literally, physically cannot do it without UL gear 😅. I'm sure there are folks my size who can and do carry 30-35 lbs packs, but I did a shakedown hike carrying some heavier items (3L reservoir full of water, 5 lb sleeping bag, 4.5 lb pack) and I will never do it again. For a week afterwards, my hips were *screaming*. It's easy to slip on your pack in your living room and think it isn't too bad, but when you're trekking several miles over rocky terrain and elevation changes, your body will speak the truth about your gear choices lol.
I did a sub six pound gear load out for my 47 mile hike to timberline Lodge from Cascade locks. It was amazing how much easier it was to climb hills. My next gear load out will be around 13 and a half pounds for a thru-hike of the AZT.
For me going ultralight and minimal makes it so I can bring my dog with me his food adjusted an extra 20% extra for the long miles is about 360-380 grams a day I went with a tarp and bug bivy or just a tarp when bugs aren't bad and the heaviest UL backpack the thicker vx21 xpac instead of a 5lb traditional pack it's about 2lb those alone offset the extra weight required in food water and 1st aid for my dog and some camera gear ....in my opinion its 200% worth it I'm not about to cut my toothbrush cut straps off my bag or use polycro groundsheets (I use tyvek because my dog uses it too) I'm going to try using a 30l frame less bag for shorter weekend trips .... I know they make packs for dogs but I don't want overwork or have him over heat in the hot summer months plus I can connect the leash that wraps around My waist and has some elastic in it so its not as jerky when he pulls when we do a steep climb and he helps pull me up the mountain which is pretty nice
Great video Doug! That pack looks really interesting! In regards to tents, Tarptent, Durston, Six Moons, and other similar brands are offering sil nylon and sil poly tents that are comparable in price to traditional backpacking tents you'd find at REI, but much lighter. Dyneema is an awesome tent fabric, however, and imo, is totally worth it if you can stomach the price.
Really good discussion, and I'm with you all of the way. I couldn't agree more about what you said about being able to see more and create more memories. Gear selection is pretty hard to figure out but the more trail time we get the more it becomes obvious on what we need. I am really grateful that we have so many selections to make hiking & backpacking easier & more comfortable. Thanks for putting this together and sharing!
100% yeah that's why I specified a few things about the trip. Summer vs. Winter alone makes for very different base weights! Terrain, food rules, number of days between food or water....it all matters!
I prefer a pack that is around 20 pounds. A down quilt means I can bring a 1 pound chair. Not bringing a lot of clothes means I bring a well stocked 1st aid kit. A light tent or tarp means I can bring a Nemo Tenor Insulated 25 inch wide pad. A hammock means I will sleep really well and is worth the weight and bulk. On hammock trips I use the 1 oz alcohol stove. The anti gravity Ospreys are worth the weight. A 1 pound tarp set up is less expensive than a 1 pound tent, and has better ventilation and less condensation, and a 2 pound or 3 pound tarp system is less expensive than the same weight tent. Single wall tents are light but are condensation factories. My life (or the life of anyone I meet on trail) is worth the weight and expense of my Garmin Inreach
Safety is a big factor. If you are climbing up on rocks or a ledge the likelihood of losing balance is reduced if your pack is lighter. No one wants to fall off a cliff.
I've moved from heavy, old-school gear to lightweight gear, and it has made a huge difference. Now the hiking part of backpacking is fun again, whereas I used to be desperate to get to camp before the fun part started! But I'll probably never go beyond lightweight to truly ultralight. Getting my base weight below ~13 lbs would mean sacrifices in camp comfort I am not willing to make. And I won't touch DCF. It's far too expensive for the benefit. Silpoly is just fine!
Interesting that you mention Dyneema as being "tough". My experience with HMG's Ultamid 2 was that if it even brushed up against a stiff blade of grass that it would tear. I've since found a level compromise with SMD's Haven Net Tent. After years of chasing what feels like a Holy Grail in attempting to go "ultralight", I've come to the conclusion that it's much more practical, and a lot safer for my body to land somewhere between 11-15lbs as a base weight. It allows me to carry more gear, gear that will help me in the long run (especially on the more miserable days, whether it's an UL chair, or camp sandals, etc).
Did it with a gossamer gear murmur and I also used a zpacks tarp tent. No water filtration, used bleach. No puffy, temperatures allowed me to go with little warmth. I did actually count the weight of my fuel can.
@@BackcountryPilgrim planning on doing the superior hiking trail with a sub seven pound pack in 25 or 26. Maybe try for a sub six. My sub six was on 47 miles of trail done in 44 hrs.
Light gear is great because it gives you a choice: Light or not. Most outdoor RU-vidrs talk about ultralight (UL). The majority of those encourage UL backpacking. It is wrong (at least incomplete). The thing that is commonly missed is that rucking (hiking with weight) is possibly the best life exercise. It combines the benefits of walking with some strength training, which becomes increasingly important as we age. Rucking gives the benefits of running without the joint wear-and-tear of running. So carry that 30-40 lb pack full of supplies once or twice a week and be happy. You can go light other days.
Great video Doug! Definitely a lot of great points and things to think about. It’s so unfortunate reading some of the comments that so many people get so hung up on the thought that their way is the best and only way. If you do something different, that is awesome! But maybe there are those out there that actually want to learn and do things a little differently. It often feels like those that post comments that poo poo someone else’s approach often sound more like they are trying to convince themselves. You however don’t do that. You plead your case, you support it, but you don’t belittle those that do things differently. Backpacking is not a competitive sport haha!
I find that the middle choice on any topic works for most people. Shedding weight helps to make bringing comfort items more feasible. I changed my shelter and pack to save weight and now have a more plush sleeping pad and chair all add up to an efficient and comfortable experience. Reduced weight sure does a lot for the easing the physical stress. Summer pack feels nonexistent when coming out of winter hiking
Exactly! I tried to say "or lightweight" a few times but even going ultralight with just some items helps a lot with the others. I love having a camp chair and don't mind the weight when other things are lighter. Thanks!
I’m officially ultralight, my base weight is 7 pounds and I use a 28LT pack, before my base was 15 pounds and I used a 60lt pack, my legs would cry 😭 at the end of the trail 😅, ultralight was the best decision ever for me
@@spuriouseffectmy pack weights 18 ounces so just over a pound. My tent weights 14 ounces from Zpacks, cost me 600bucks but I love it, packs really small too. My 0 degree quilt cost me 400 but packs really small. I carry a pair of winter gloves, a pair of winter socks, top and bottom under armor for cold nights, jetboil stove, a simple first aid, inflatable sleeping pad. 10 aluminum stakes for tent and tiny aluminum tool for digging cat holes. A sweater with hoody and face mask for cold. Wet wipes too. My pack actually got lighter when I bought the new tent, my poncho weights 5 ounces from Zpacks, all that is what’s inside my pack, and Garmin inreach
I drilled holes in my lexan spoon, it just created more places for dirt and germs to reside in an otherwise 5g spoon. Stupid me. Same with toothbrushes, take the lightest full one, your teeth are important. Over all, as I age going lighter is the difference between having a good time or recovering for days afterwards.
Yeah I have trouble getting behind damaging weight savings that don't add up to a gulp of water haha. But going lighter with age is pretty much required if you're going to keep at it!
I try to go ultralight here and there but I mostly do overnight trips. I'll cut weight to bring other things. I'll probably try an ultralight loadout this Summer. I want to try backpacking more with my barefoot style Xero shoes. It's leg day everyday with barefoot shoes but then adding a 25-30 lb pack is really tough on my feet. A 15lb pack shouldn't be too bad.
It's an interesting balancing act. At the core, you could save big money and 100% weight by simply not going. Alternatively, you can take the extra stuff and a three day trip instead of two, giving yourself a longer break from the rest of world. The purpose of your trip, your budget, your skills, and your willingness to do without luxuries all get balanced in. Just packing your gear before a trip is it's own adventure 😂
I live in maine. Close to the appalachian mountains. I've been on countless trips in the woods and I can tell you right now backpacking is just hardcore marathoners. There's plenty of trails that you can pull up to in the car and get to the same views that thru hikers get to there's also plenty of places where you can have a base camp and do multiple trails while coming back to your base camp at the end of the night. Don't go spend a thousand dollars just to have a miserable time. I have a really good spot not even an hour from my home I hike a half mile into and set up my camp with mountains to hike on both sides and if I want I can easily canoe into it and they also allow permit free fires. There aren't alot of people who go to this spot and it's right on a beach...look for the most comfortable trip not the most restricting one
@BackcountryPilgrim maine is an absolute treasure trove for outdoorsmen... it just takes some looking. If you like to do all that hiking more power to you but I've done my share of outdoor activities including a 40 mile canoe trip that was 3 days with a nice base camp. I just don't think it takes alot of money to have fun outdoors. I think alot of people who watch this are just getting into this and should really wet their feet with a mixture of day hikes and camping...even a 20 lb bag going up mountains can be unbearably exhausting and it only takes one trip for people to make up their minds don't coerce people to spend a bunch of money too
Well first, watch next week's video as I just helped design one haha. but as far as what's out there, the Osprey Exos 38 is pretty sweet for something off the shelf (amzn.to/2ZlKWmS). If you want something truly UL and custom, Hilltop Packs Raven is fantastic (bit.ly/3rESZ8Q).
C'mon, made in USA, means designed in US, made in CHINA, or Vietnam. Out of cheap materials and then priced retail at 50x cost. That is the real reason I cant go ultra light because it costs way too much. Otherwise, I agree that the less you carry, the farther you can go.
@@BackcountryPilgrim Maybe you could suggest a few? I honestly looked long and diligently for gear not made in China. Often, it takes a lot of digging, because they usually dont say where its from. I ended up buying a Savotta pack from Finland/ Estonia, and it ain't light, but they are made in EU.. It isnt that I have anything against the Chinese, I lived there for 2 years, and I know what the cost and quality is like there.
@ynge8046 I would not spend a lot of money on USA companies if they make their gear in China. Chinese gear is going to be budget if you buy from a Chinese company. If you're looking for budget gear made 100% in the USA that's going to be difficult. You'd have to compare cottage companies doing in-house work. ULA is hard to beat for backpacks, and Chicken Tramper is one of my favorites for backpack accessories. Hilltop Packs rocks for UL custom packs and bags. Therm-a-Rest for sleep pads. UGQ and Enlightened Equipment make excellent quilts. That covers the Big Three at least!
