Transition from Traditional to Ultralight

IMHO, buy your pack last when you know the weight and volume of your refined UL kit— even if buying a complete new UL system. I do have to agree that a smaller volume pack can force you to leave unnecessary stuff at home. On the other hand, a pack that is a little big allows less compressed packing of lofted items. Be honest with your needs. While making the transition, an UL or even lightweight kit in a big pack feels like nothing. I bought a bunch of packs during the transition. Some "serial ownership" is part of the deal I guess, but it adds to the expense. The other factor is that you may find that a really UL kit is not to your liking and you may want to dial back a bit. Shelter and sleeping pad preferences are probably on the top of that list. Having a slightly larger/heavier pack in the gear locker might be useful for family trips and winter journeys.

For anyone who might be interested in my progress, I jumped in with both feet, opened my wallet, and splurged on three new items: 1. ZPacks Solplex Tent ($535) 2. Katabatic Artemis 55 Backpack ($295) 3. BRS 3000T Ultra Stove ($15) It's difficult to know that I made the perfect decisions, but I decided perfection isn't necessary, because these are big steps in the right direction. After replacing my existing tent, backpack, and stove in my spreadsheet and eliminating some unnecessary gear (all theoretical, but a good exercise nonetheless), my base weight is down to 168.4 ounces, and that's including my bear canister (31 ounces) and old-fashioned water filter (14.5 ounces), two obvious targets for improvement. (Do you use a bear bag when a canister is not required? Does everyone here use Aquamira?) Once my gear list is a bit more settled, I will gladly share the full list for more detailed critique. (And, hopefully, for the benefit of future backpackers making a similar transition.) Thanks for all the help and encouragement so far. I started backpacking about 25 years ago, and this is the start of a new chapter. I'm excited.

"and old-fashioned water filter (14.5 ounces), two obvious targets for improvement. (Do you use a bear bag when a canister is not required? Does everyone here use Aquamira?)" Perhaps take a look at the Steripen for your water treatment system, with Aqua Mira as a backup. Or the Sawyer Mini that is very popular with many here on BPL. either one would save you substantial weight. As for the bear bag, many use the PCT hang method to protect their food when a canister is not required. However, this is an area where technique comes into play more than most seem willing to admit. Much of what goes into avoiding bear problems has to do with such techniques as eating then moving on before camping, selecting food that does not produce a lot of odor when cooking, going no cook, proper camp hygiene, hiking in areas where there are few other people and, therefore fewer bears. In a nutshell, don't attract bears in the first place, because if you do, you will not get a good night's sleep.

I'm going to congratulate you! Those are all great choices and you will NOT regret them at all. You may decide they are not the best for you and your style of hiking, but then you can sell stuff here and buy different stuff! Personally I'm a huge fan of using the Sawyer mini in line on my drinking hose/bladder (which I keep in a side pocket). Then I can set it up as a gravity filter once in camp. I do NOT like floaties in my water, so this is a good way to eliminate all that extra fiber in my drinking water. And congrats again on your purchases! I love my Helios….

Thanks for the encouragement, Jennifer! I'm excited about my pack. I think I read somewhere about your love of your Helios when I was researching. There's so much to consider, but I was heavily swayed by how much people loved the packs (and tents) they owned. Katabatic seems to have the best reputation of any of the cottage gear companies. By the way, I read your blog post about back pain. Looking forward to the next one!

So when is the next "installment" on back pain?!? I am fairly sure mine is just from inadequate core muscle strength, but a friend of mine has herniated disk(s). I am fairly certain that he would greatly benefit from strength conditioning, but he is convinced that "avoidance therapy" works best. I eagerly await your next "installment" on back pain. :)

I know I know! I'm a terrible blogger…… I'll write it up this weekend…hold me to it guys! I need accountability!

Horrible, no, not at all. You have me wanting to know what comes next. That is a good sign of a good "story teller". I'm just waiting to her the rest of the "story". But, I will pester you until I get the rest of the "story". ;^)