Backpacking Weight Ranks

[Ike Mouser]

Right lets bring this back on topic.

[George Matthews]

I like to see Chris and Isaac compete on a hike.

: )

Regardless of the backpack style, a hairless head provides superior load balancing, promotes incredible distances covered, and enhances fantastic speed. Thus, Chris will win.

Disclosure: I am hairless on the upper skull.

[Ike Mouser]

lol, a bald scalp is certainly more aerodynamic. =)

[David Ure]

All I want to know is, if I put 4 Cliff Bars in the right pocket of my pants and 8 cliff Bars in my left, will I fall over and will this affect my BPL rank?

[Jack H.]

I carried about 90 pounds on my last trip. That is all.

[Lawson Kline]

I think its hard to define backpacking weight classes… For instance a 20 pound pack is light to me but heavy for my girlfriend. I guess it just depends on what you like to bring with you and how much money you want to spend.

I like to think weight classes this way.

SUL-Purchased the lightest gear possible that might last one season and you spent your life savings in the process. You travel without food and hope to find something along the trail. Who needs weather protection when sleeping under the stars is the only way to travel. You always go unprepared and every journey becomes a survival experiment.

UL-Purchased the gear that was light weight but was a little more durable. You travel a little more prepared and usually sleep under a poncho. You sleep on a cut down foam pad and a quilt. Cutting the handle off your titanium spoon makes sense to you. You use a beer can stove and titanium mug to cook and boil water. You carry all you gear in a frame less pack. You still leave some of the essentials at home but your not putting yourself through a survival situation.

Light- Purchased gear that was lightweight but tough as nails. You travel with some comfort such as a full length foam sleeping pad and always sleep under a tarp or single wall tent. You carry a canister stove and usually eat pretty well. Your backpack has a frame but its light weight. You bring everything you need and an extra night out wouldn't be a big deal.

Heavy- Purchased gear that uses 100% cordura construction designed for the military. You travel with a 4" thick inflatable pad and an arctic sleeping bag with 10" of loft. You carry a 4 burner stove and extra propane tanks just incase. You think stream water tastes bad so you bring bottled water for the days and a 12 pack of beer for the nights. Your cooler is full of prime rib and pork chops and all your gear barely fits in your 8 man tent…

[Ike Mouser]

lol nice humor in those summaries of different styles.

[Mike S]

My cynicism is that defining firm "weight classes" is an attempt to self justify expenditures.

It is more a style of gear then a specific weight class.

[Pieter Kaufman]

All y'all are forgetting that which humbles even the XSUL:

Transcendental UltraLightweight.

As you might guess, TUL is a little more skills-dependent, and somewhat less gear-dependent. Basic skills include obtaining all nutrition and hydration from solar radiation and the air, an ability to regulate body temperature through one's epidermis alone, which obviates the need for any clothing systems whatsoever, an ability to sleep in condition ranging from 99% humidity at 100f to -40 in a howing blizzard without shelter and any sleep system through meditation alone, and, finally, to substitute levitation for perambulation.

Mainly for the Buddhas, sadhus, witchdoctors and shamens among us, but a few focused aspirants have been known to cross the threshold.

I'm not there yet.

[George Matthews]

I'm there.

[Jeremy Greene]

AKA breatharianism w/o clothing!

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