In 'SuperUltraLight: Breaking the Five-Pound Barrier' by Ryan Jordan (2003-08-06), I read "…the reason the fringe isn't being explored is simple: it's the fringe. And there is not a lot of gear or education to help people explore it." Does this remain true today? Can someone like me without extensive backpacking experience go SUL with an adequate level of safety and reasonable comfort? Would it be fun?
Fortunately for "fringe" explorers, gear and education have both changed for the better over the past four years since Ryan's paradigm shifting article. For those of us seeking a superultralight backpacking (SUL) experience, neither not-yet-light-enough gear nor traditional fears are valid excuses for giving up on SUL. Several well-run gear companies make and sell very light gear for backpacking. While many of their products are far from cheap, affordability is within the reach for true enthusiasts. Now we have books and magazines dedicated to the subject of light backpacking as well as web sites with light backpacking forums, research articles, product reviews, and unselfish, articulate gurus. Life aint bad if you want to try SUL in 2008. I, for one, am going to try SUL on my next backpacking trip.
How did I get there? Carefully, I assembled my SUL gear list by making adjustments to the gear configuration I'd used recently that gave me an adequate level of safety and reasonable comfort. The SUL article's gear list enabled me to compare item by item to my gear list to see where I had opportunities to lighten up. This process took me several iterations, a tremendous amount of thought, and, in the end, a gut check. Eventually I arrived at a SUL configuration that I believe maintains an adequate level of safety and reasonable comfort for me. We'll see.
Heeding the caveat of the article, I am strongly confident that I "have the ability to forecast challenging scenarios, develop contingency plans, and implement those plans when things go awry" from previous backpacking experiences albeit with more gear. Because I'll have "little room for error", a bit of advice from the article that I will follow is to not venture too many miles from my car. I will hike where there are plenty of connecting, loop trails so I cover plenty of miles, but not venture extremely far from my car. I'm hoping I will have fun.
My SUL Gear List
oz Pack – Shelter – Sleeping
6.50 Zpacks Z1
2.50 GG 3/8 pad – cut torso
8.90 MLD Pro poncho tarp + sack
1.30 Stakes
0.50 Guylines
9.60 MLD 2/3 XP quilt + sack
6.50 BPL Vapr Bivy + sack
35.8 2.24 lb
Extra Clothing Packed
4.00 Houdini windshirt
10.50 BPL Cocoon hoody + Nano sack
7.70 BPL Cocoon pant + Nano sack
1.10 Defeet socks extra pair
1.70 PD beanie
1.40 PD gloves
26.40 1.65 lb
Kitchen
0.40 BPL Ti Wing
0.20 Foil Screen
0.20 Matches
1.30 BPL Trappers mug
0.10 Foil lid
0.70 Ti spoon
1.70 Platypus 1L
0.80 Platypus 2+L
1.10 AM repacked + mix cap
0.10 Micropur MP1 Tablets
2.00 Storage bag + cord
8.60 0.54 lb
Miscellany
1.10 BD Ion light
0.20 Scissor
0.03 Tweezer
0.25 Sm drop bottle Deet
0.25 Sm balm jar sunscreen
0.25 Sm drop bottle Bronners soap
0.20 Toothbrush – shortened handle
0.10 Floss
0.50 Toilet paper
0.40 Antibacterial wipes
0.25 Sm balm jar of antibiotic
1.00 Moleskin, bandaids, tape
0.60 Gerber knife
0.40 Round box w quad divider
0.80 Whistle/Compass
0.50 Stuff Sack
6.83 0.43 lb
Clothing Worn and Items Carried
5.00 BLP Merino LS
3.00 Patag Cap boxer
4.90 Royal Robbins shorts
1.10 Defeet socks
28.20 Terroc shoes (size 11)
1.10 Cotton bandana
6.70 Ti Adj Goat Poles
0.20 Map
5.60 Coolpix L11 2GB, 2AA
55.80 3.49 lb
77.63 Total Wt in Pack: 4.85
55.80 Total Wt Worn/Carried: 3.49
133.43 TSO Wt: 8.34
(excl. food, water, fuel)
