Announcing UBN: a social network for ultralight backpackers

[Zach Denton]

I'm currently in the planning stages of an AT thru-hike in 2011. Naturally, I've been scouring the web for information related to ultralight backpacking and have come across the BPL forums from time to time. Although the forums are great for discussing such things anonymously, they don't really provide a way to connect with individuals in the community.

Many of you may use Facebook, which is great for connecting and communicating with your friends. Unfortunately, most of the friends you have on there are probably not hikers, and thus you cannot discuss hiking with them.

Wouldn't it be great to have a "Facebook" for hikers? I certainly think so. That way you could update your status with the latest gear you have purchased/made or post your current location on the trail. Plus, you could upload your hiking photos and share it with a community that appreciates them. Furthermore, you would have a hiking-specific profile, where you can post your gear lists and list of hiking trips that you've been on. It would be easy to send out a message to people on your friends list to organize a section hike.

Therefore, it is with great pleasure I announce the release of UltralightBackpackingNetwork: a social network for ultralight backpackers. I think that this will be a great website to use for connecting with individual members of the community.

http://www.ultralightbackpacking.net

Note that since UBN has only just been released, there aren't many members yet. Therefore, it's up to you to sign up and maximize the utility of the website. I encourage you to invite any backpackers you know to join the website so that they, too, may benefit from UBN.

p.s. We're currently working on a feature that allows hikers to update their status from the trail using a mobile phone. This feature should be out any day now and will be great for thru-hikers who want to let their friends and family know exactly where they are and what they're doing.

[Javan Dempsey]

I'm only interested if I can get a commitment from you that there will never be Mafia Wars or Farmville on the site. :p

If you can guarantee that, then I think it's a great idea!

[Zach Denton]

You have my guarantee, Javan. UBN will always be about ultralight backpackers — you will never find farmville, mafia wars, etc.

You should definitely check it out. I really think that UBN will be a great thing for the community.

http://www.ultralightbackpacking.net/

[Ryan Tucker]

however a game where we could backpack online…nah defeats the purpose of backpacking.

[Andy F]

Instead of Mafia Wars, there could be a Packweight Wars which involves adding weight to someone's pack!

;)

[Nate Davis]

If this takes off, it's going to take up so much of my time.

I joined.

[Michael Ray]

42 members so far.

[Dug Shelby]

I can definitely see a game in there: Maybe you earn points by "hiking" different trails, then using those points to "buy" lighter items, and the ultimate goal is to get to the lightest possible pack weight, and hike the trails faster using fewer calories (thanks to the lightened pack weight) meaning less food to carry, meaning even lower packweight…and ultimatelty go for the fastest thru-hike of the major trails!

Or….just use the UBN to network. :)

[Author]

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