For years I thought those ultralight backpackers were just showing off, then I carried a 45 pound pack up a mountain in Vermont

I mean, I always figured the whole ultralight thing was just a flex for people with too much money and time. Last summer I did a 3 day loop in the Green Mountains with my old external frame pack and about 50 pounds of gear. By mile 8 on day one my shoulders were screaming and I was stopping every 20 minutes. Then I passed a guy who was maybe carrying 15 pounds total, just cruising along. He told me he switched to a frameless pack and cut his base weight under 10 pounds. I laughed it off but my buddy who did the same trip with me had a 28 pound pack and was way less miserable. So I caved and got a used Gossamer Gear pack and spent two months trimming down my kit. Did a 4 day trip in the Adirondacks last month with a 22 pound total pack weight and I honestly felt like I was cheating. Has anyone else been converted after swearing it was nonsense for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

tessa_clark741mo ago

Yeah I was the same way. Thought ultralight was just a marketing gimmick until I did a 15 mile day with a pack that weighed almost as much as me. Now I'm down to like 18 pounds total for a weekend trip and it's just smarter, not harder. My knees don't hate me the next day either.

danielr941mo ago

What's the single biggest weight saver in your setup?