Fastpacking Definition?

words, even coined words, and the definitions we give them are simply a necessary evil to facilitate communication.

you say you are a runner.
I think one thing.
someone else thinks another thing.
you have yet a third thing in mind.
but if you say you are a sprinter, or a marathoner, or an ultrarunner, we immediately get a little closer to what you are trying to communicate.
and the only reason is because society, over time, has given these words a definition.

so we can either spend all day long trying to explain to each other what we mean, or we can coin words and get it done in a sentence or two.

So what's wrong with giving the word Fastpacking a universal definition so we don't have to spend all day telling each other about ourselves.

for me, Fastpacking means :
1. carrying everything on your back that will allow you to stop and make a camp and sleep for a bit. its left to each individual to decide what that gear list is, and how long they want to sleep.
2. pushing yourself, at least slightly, beyond a leisurely stroll so that you can cover more ground than otherwise.
3. it does not imply UL or SUL, although these would make moving fast a bit easier.

as far as smelling roses, I can smell roses whether I'm going fast or slow, but I can smell them in more places if I'm going fast and far.

What comes to my mind is a BP/hiking version of the Iditarod: Run/hike till you fall over asleep. Repeat.

There are techniques I use that speed things up – no-cook food, eating and hydrating as I hike, iodine water treatment as I hike instead of stopping and pumping, etc. But like popping the lid-retaining ring off your Aquafina bottle, the biggest benefit is mental – it gives me a lift to consider that I covered another 2 miles while slowly munching my lunch on the trail instead of stopping and letting the mosquitos get me.

+1 Art, Greg, and some others.

Fastpacking to me requires that you:
a) carry what you need for camping, eating, hygiene, etc..
b) can go for multiple days up until the food runs out
c) you are moving as fast as you can.

I just hiked into the JMT through Lyell Canyon with the family carrying extra food. Two days later we were 15 miles in at Marie Lakes Jct – slow hiking. I then gave them the food and took back a bunch of stuff they realized they didn't want to carry to Whitney. With a now 38 LB pack, I fastpacked back to the car in 1/3 the trail time it took to get in.

I fastpack to press my limits and see what wrings out. I discover things more subtle than mere pack weight. Obviously UL speeds things up, but the energy output is the same. I learn about the various gaits I employ, how to navigate staircases at speed, how quickly can I run the pitstops.

Beyond technique, I learn about my mental issues that impede speed – losing discipline in refueling, electrolytes, hydration; counting or not counting the time to take a leak (not counting means I can get a longer rest for free); succumbing to the 'countdown' near the end that seems to stretch for eternity and saps willpower.

So to me fastpacking is a primarily athletic endeavour in the context of backpacking and backcountry. To distinguish it from trail running, I would say it has to be unsupported and at least be capable in theory of stretching over many days, limited only by food and fuel carried. Equipment choices, as for any athletic endeavour, can affect your absolute times, but not whether you are engaged in the sport or not.