Fastpacking Gear

[Ken Thompson]

i dont give a f*#@ what you call it, what the gear manufacturers would like you to call it, or what weight bracket you are trying to fit into as long as you are out there gettin amongst it

+1

[John S.]

Packed base weight (pbw) terms:
UL is < 12 lb pbw (original def), some want to call it < 10 lb pbw
SUL is < 5 lb pbw
XUL is < 4 lb pbw
HUL is Bill Fornshells hyper-ultralight pbw (not sure of true cutoff)

Total base weight (tbw) terms (packed base weight plus worn base weight):
XUL is < 5 lb tbw

[Chris Morgan]

I kid.

This seems to be one of those perennial threads. By the way – trekking poles or no trekking poles?

[Eugene Smith]

What distinguishes hiking from walking?

What distinguishes backpacking from walking? The mobile accommodations on you back?

[Ken Thompson]

No poles… Load is soooo light don't need them anymore;p

[Bill Fornshell]

Sub 1- Pound has an International Organization that sets it rules. They even have their own Yahoo Group.

[James Neal]

At one time this was called streaking. Not legal in all states, by the way.

I couldn't resist.

[Dale Wambaugh]

To borrow an old phrase, "a good walk ruined."

[Dan Johnson]

Thanks Anna for your help.

I guess this thread has/was derailed long ago. Call it SUL/fastpacking/streaking/whatever, I was more or less looking for some new ideas on going further and lighter. It just seems that those people who are pushing the envelope seem to have ideas that I haven't thought about yet to try.

[HkNewman]

Are you talking about fastpacking as in overnight trailrunning? Gear and philosophy is about the same. Keeps popping up every now and then. BP magazine had a feature on it in the late 1990s and Trailrunner magazine covered it last in their Oct 2009 issue. Trailrunner doesn't have that article on their website but think one can order back issues if desired – I have a frequently referenced copy at home. The article in Trailrunner suggested the "Big 3" be under 2 lbs each, wear hiking clothing to bed (though they may be more partial to tights over pants), etc … again, very similar to what you see here equipment-wise. Same article recommended relatively flat terrain to avoid tripping. Note: I usually do not run on a backpack trip but like being able to.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Chris Morgan

> UL is 12-25lb baseweight
> SUL is 8-12lb baseweight
> XUL is 5-8lb baseweight
> SXUL is below 5lb baseweight

Can you quote a source of generally accepted or even legally enforceable authority for YOUR claim? I think not.

I seem to remember some here at BPL saying SUL was under 5 lb. Opinions differ, but that is all they are.

Does it matter?

Cheers

[Chris Morgan]

Just poking fun at our quirky terminology. Hence the reference to 1350 cal/hr.

[Serge Giachetti]

an appropriate use of sarcasm IMO. Agreed, the boundaries between SUL and fastpacking are somewhat arbitrary. I think with 'fastpacking' being a relatively new term the definition is still getting hashed out on forums like this. I do think there is definitely a distinction though, just not a clear one. IMO, fastpacking has more to do with your mode of travel than how much your pack weighs, though obviously less weight makes it easier to travel fast.

I think fastpacking is a good word to use for fast/light high mileage trips, where there is often running involved. If I want to cover a long distance like 60 miles and I only have 24 hours to do it, then I'll probably just throw a bunch of cliff bars and peanutbutter, and the bare minimum gear for an overnighter in a backpack that rides well when I'm running in it. I'll hike fast on the ups and run the downs. It doesn't really matter to me what I call that, but its definitely a different approach then packing light for a nice walk in the mountains. Both approaches have there benifits, but the first is much more about the athletic challenge than the second.

For gear, I see fastpacking used most often for backpacks. I think this is related to how the pack rides when you're running. Its also often used for super minimalist equipment, which will help you survive the night but not necessarily in a lot of comfort.

Not trying to be authoritative or put out a definition, but I don't think its the definition is completely arbitrary either. Then again, in most situations it hardly matters what word you use. If my friend asks me what I'm up to this weekend, I'll probably just say 'backpacking,' regardless of how much my pack weighs or how fast/far I plan to go.

[Brendan Lammers]

There's a lot of arbitrary use of the word 'arbitrary' flying around this thread.

[Art …]

Can anyone tell me what the definition of " is " is ?

[Corey Downing]

I had a philosophy professor that wrote a rather lengthy tome on the meaning of the word "if".

I think that's reason enough to give up on this until philosophers can progress past basic words and concepts that everyone else understands.

[John Jensen]

Speaking as a skinny guy, I'd wonder why weight categories are rarely normalized to percent of bodyweight. A 25# pack may mean something different to me than it does to you.

[Dan Johnson]

That's an interesting idea… I wonder how helpful it would be to have the % of backpack weight to user listed during a gear list to provide the reader a better understanding of each individual person. Although there is a such thing as too much info :)

[Bob Gross]

Once almost thirty years ago, I led an introductory ultralightweight group backpack trip. After the ground school, I told them to get packed up, and that their total pack weight should be no more than 15% of their body weight. That was quite an order to the gal who wanted to carry a cosmetic kit that weighed 6 pounds by itself.

–B.G.–

[Ike Jutkowitz]

I was checking out the link you posted (Matt Kirk) and immediately recognized the guy. Last month, while backpacking the MST, I was coming down off Woods Mountain when this guy blows past me with his dog, running uphill (or up-mountain). It was totally inspiring. He slowed just long enough to exchange greetings and ask how far I was going.

That 30 second experience made me seriously re-evaluate my fitness level and ramp up my training. Thanks for helping me "reconnect"

[Ron Bell / MLD]

I have two different perceptions on what Fast Packing and Ultra Light Hiking are and the gear needed for each. I like to do both.

When I think UltraLight Backpacking I see the gear and movement/existence in the woods as an expression of minimalism – using only the minimum needed to enjoy the process of movement and camping in the woods. -An expression of a philosophy on the trail- not primarily miles per day. The long weekend Ultra Light Packer can often get by with a base pack wt of 4-8lbs.

When I think of Fast Packing I think of a trip where the main goal is getting from from Point A to Point B in the most efficient and often fastest way possible. The long weekend Fast Packer packer can often get by with a base pack wt of 6 -12lbs.

For most trips the gear is very similar but on a fast packing trip the gear may lean toward speed goals vs only lightweight. Speed is often a fact based on the desire to see X amount of scenery in a short time window. I measure my windows more along the lines of Fri to Monday intervals and Skurka types more along the lines of seasons, riverflows/snowpack melts and animal migrations!

Example: A slightly heavier longer lasting headlamp for night navigation for fast packing – an EOS vs a button light.

Example: On a fast packing trip I may want a slightly more durable pack with certain features time economy vs a simpler and lighter pack- on a fast packing trip there may be bush wacking or night work ;-) or you may want the pack to handle a certain water bottle/bladder setup based on the route- A Dyneema X pack Vs a spinnaker/cuben pack.

Example: A slightly heavier but faster set up and more protection shelter may work better for a fast packer who does not want to have to spend more time (time= mileage!!!) picking the perfect campsite vs just crashing when he gets tired where ever that may be. -Cuben Poncho Tarp VS SoloMid.

Of course there is a lot of crossover and each person would have a slightly different list and often only swapping a couple of items works for me to tweak a trips goals.

One of my favorite BPL articles on fast packing:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/done_in_a_day.html

There was also one I could not find from Ryan that talked about trail life efficiency that increases speed by virtue of saving time on routine daily chores/procedures.

One of my fav bpl articles on UltraLight was when Mike martin did a 3 day- ( or was it 5) SUL trip on the AT- sorry can't find the link.

andrewskurka.com may be the ultimate Fast Packing site.

[Eugene Smith]

The biggest delineation I can think of between "fastpacking" and backpacking is the level of physical fitness the former requires, versus backpacking being a relatively tame and docile hobby that mostly requires the ability to possess two legs, have a pulse, and be able to put one foot in front of the other- it's about the walk, the scenery, being outdoors, smelling the flowers, the company, solitude. What guys like FSTPKR (Adam Bradley), Michael Popov, Brett Maune, Matt Kirk, David Horton, Flyin' Brian Robinson, etc. are doing in the mountains is night and day different than recreational backpacking… the term "fastpacker" is appropriate in the context of what they're doing IMO.

The guys out there establishing new fastest known times on long distance trails requires a certain level of competitive spirit and drive, there is nothing faulty about that, it pushes the boundaries of the mind and body, and for some this is appealing. The traditionalists here, (*never thought I'd say that in a BPL post) may disagree- like the cliched phrase everyone throws out there "Hike your own Hike", whether that's a 3 mile snails pace trip or a 50+ mile suffer fest.

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