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UL Fail

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Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)

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Jun 30, 2015 at 3:54 am #1330319

Michael Gunderloy
BPL Member

@ffmike

http://www.backpacker.com/skills/ultralight/passfail-go-waaaayy-lighter/

Backpacker Magazine discovers stupid ultra light.

Jun 30, 2015 at 4:19 am #2211132

Bob Moulder
BPL Member

@bobmny10562
Locale: Westchester County, NY

Good example of why I stopped subscribing to BP many years ago.

Vastly oversimplified filler.

The writer should be embarrassed at his laziness… or perhaps it was part of a larger, general effort to convince readers not to stray from the trad gear marketers who comprise the vast majority of their advertisers?

Jun 30, 2015 at 4:54 am #2211135

Michael Gunderloy
BPL Member

@ffmike

Doesn't seem like a complete coincidence that the take-home message is "Buy more gear."

Jun 30, 2015 at 6:24 am #2211148

BlackHatGuy
Spectator

@sleeping
Locale: The Cascades

I got a different vibe from the article. I agree it's a fluff piece, but the message I took away from it was that lightening up your kit by taking less stuff is a good thing, just don't get stupid about it. There's nothing in it about buying more gear or using traditional gear.

Jun 30, 2015 at 6:38 am #2211150

Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear
BPL Member

@jonfong
Locale: FLAT CAT GEAR

Well, that was a few minutes of my life that I won't get back. Nothing here, just a silly rant.

Jun 30, 2015 at 8:56 am #2211177

Dale Wambaugh
BPL Member

@dwambaugh
Locale: Pacific Northwest

I saw that. Covers stupid journalism rather than stupid light. "Gee, I left ALL my gear at home and it didn't work." Duh. What they need is a good natural toilet paper article :)

Jun 30, 2015 at 9:17 am #2211183

Steofan M
BPL Member

@simaulius
Locale: Bohemian Alps

My only takeaway from the "Vastly oversimplified filler" was that was no way to treat a dog.

Jun 30, 2015 at 11:02 am #2211210

Hikin’ Jim
BPL Member

@hikin_jim
Locale: Orange County, CA, USA

Ah, the in-depth insightfulness of "backpacker" (ahem) magazine. Let's have someone who has never tried UL before write our UL article because, you know, there are no experienced UL people available. None. In all of North America, nay, the entire world.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving
Hikin' Jim's Blog

Jun 30, 2015 at 11:36 am #2211217

David Thomas
BPL Member

@davidinkenai
Locale: North Woods. Far North.

As a follow-up article, perhaps he could try SCUBA diving without any training and while leaving 80% of the gear behind.

Jun 30, 2015 at 11:39 am #2211219

David Ure
Member

@familyguy

+1 Doug. I read it as satire.

Methinks some of you think too highly of your chosen passion.

Jun 30, 2015 at 11:46 am #2211223

Dale Wambaugh
BPL Member

@dwambaugh
Locale: Pacific Northwest

"….there are no experienced UL people available. None. In all of North America, nay, the entire world."

HA! Their stove articles must really get you going, Jim :)

Someone needs to fill in the pages between the endless advertisements!

Jun 30, 2015 at 4:10 pm #2211294

Hikin’ Jim
BPL Member

@hikin_jim
Locale: Orange County, CA, USA

Their stove articles must really get you going, Jim

Therein lay the genesis of my blog.

I mean it's not like I could do worse…

HJ
Adventures In Stoving
Hikin' Jim's Blog

Jul 1, 2015 at 2:33 am #2211387

Roger Caffin
BPL Member

@rcaffin
Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

> I mean it's not like I could do worse…
But you cheat – you actually test/use the gear in the field.

Cheers

Jul 10, 2015 at 5:43 am #2213671

HkNewman
BPL Member

@hknewman
Locale: The West is (still) the Best

Destined to fail. However adding just a cuben shelter, light pad, custom 50°F quilt with maybe a serape hole, and wispy frameless light pack to put it all in would have made the trip alright. Might be something to ponder. (oh yeah, doggy pack and foam too).

Jul 12, 2015 at 7:39 pm #2214278

EndoftheTrail
BPL Member

@ben2world-2

I don't really give a hoot about labels like UL or SUL or whatever. I think we just need to recognize that there are many ways to enjoy hiking — and a lot of it is actually dependent on how we are wired — our personal priorities.

SUL — Some people like the challenge (and/or bragging rights) for being able to tackle hikes with the least encumbrances. Others prefer a high degree of comfort.

But if you look at the audience that Backpacker Magazine addresses — it's generally the mainstream backpackers. And for them, if 10-15 lbs base weight is more than light enough — it does make sense NOT to cut further.

I think it is NONSENSICAL for UL / SUL folks to "fail" mainstream backpacking — and vice versa. HYOH and all that, remember?

Jul 14, 2015 at 2:11 am #2214545

M B
BPL Member

@livingontheroad

It would be curious to see a distribution of base weights for backpacker magazine readers.

Ive never looked at it. Magazines are mostly utter garbage designed to sell ads.

From what ive seen, many will fail on a hike of any length with their normal gear.

Overnight camping, and long distance backpacking, are vastly different.

Jul 14, 2015 at 12:32 pm #2214634

Katherine .
BPL Member

@katherine
Locale: pdx

"+1 Doug. I read it as satire."

agree that he was going for the humor, but he didn't quite pull it off.

Jul 14, 2015 at 3:33 pm #2214672

BlackHatGuy
Spectator

@sleeping
Locale: The Cascades

"agree that he was going for the humor, but he didn't quite pull it off."

As someone who often goes for humor and nearly as often doesn't quite pull it off, I'll agree with that!
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