Hey, this is about us

"When I'm out backpacking I get people asking me about my gear and wishing they had less to carry. Never is it the other way around where they wish they had more to carry."

But some of us might wish we had brought _fill in the blanks_ and been warmer, more comfy, better fed. That does happen.

Yes.. but doing without those comforts and suffering a bit is worth it to be able to tell people on the trail I'm out for 8 days with 20lbs and see them turn green with envy. :)

Being Superman and having others in awe is the point… er… isn't it???

Billy

JP I got that, but I think the point stands that sometimes things get left home for the sake of weight and then people wish they had XY and Z while out .
When going with others weight could only be relevant if one holds others back.

I do think the guy is carrying weight too far from his body and that can be bad for a back, which is something I see a lot with traditional backpackers.

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"Yes.. but doing without those comforts and suffering a bit is worth it to be able to tell people on the trail I'm out for 8 days with 20lbs and see them turn green with envy. :)"

The suffering while backpacking…..I am not into that, well maybe a bit since I hiked with an injured foot. I somewhat rough it daily so when I am out I like to be warm, comfy, well fed. I also like good company :)

"Yes.. but doing without those comforts and suffering a bit is worth it to be able to tell people on the trail I'm out for 8 days with 20lbs and see them turn green with envy. :)

Being Superman and having others in awe is the point… er… isn't it???"

Is backpacking now "death before discomfort"? I'll gladly take the comfort of a 15 lb backpack by leaving my lawn chair at home (I save that for GGG). I've never been hypothermic when UL. I sleep fine on a 12 ounce pad. My 1.5 lb sleeping bag keeps me nice and warm.

Not sure what "serviced" means here. Is that a typo?

But yes, I know what I don't need and have learned a lot from this site in terms of cutting weight ( and much more).

Ian et al.,

We'll just disagree on this one.

:-)

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Of course a post/blog like that is going to ruffle some feathers here.
What is often missed is that a good number of people first go down as light as possible and then reintroduce the things that make a trip more enjoyable without going back to being heavy.

Edited to reply to

"Kat, does all this typing mean your hand is getting better? My dad is looking for a fall camping hat and I just sent him a link to your website"

:) my hand is better, thanks. The problem with resuming hat making is that if I get a bunch of orders and start knitting into the wee hours of the morning again, my hands will go right back to being a problem. I can knit, just not for hours on end. I can make a hat here and there but I am not ready to make Christmas orders. I would gladly make him a hat, but tell him to let me know who he is..

"What is often missed is that a good number of people first go down as light as possible and then reintroduce the things that make a trip more enjoyable without going back to being heavy."

Shug comes to mind. These people have one thing in common that is absent with this blogger. Experience. Based on what I've read in his article, he can't make a fair comparison as he's basing his opinion on the experiences of others.

Again, I think his argument is more against fastpacking than it is with UL.

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He rocks indeed.

She/he who had the greatest enjoyment while not destroying the wilderness for others wins. Weight and distance comes down to personal preference and there is no right or wrong… except for Tipi that is as he takes pictures of poop.

HYOH. Enough said.

No JP I was talking about the blogger.

"He rocks indeed"

That's because he hammocks!!!

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"That's because he hammocks!!!"

True. That's one area where I plan to add weight to my pack this year. Just need to update my suspension and get a better tarp for it.

Also adding weight to my camera gear. Even going mirrorless, I've quadrupled the weight of my photography gear since joining BPL.

Same goes for food. I appreciate that my kit with a week's worth of fuel only weighs 8 oz but Jon's dry baking pictures and Ryan's fry baking article have convinced me that I need to expand my horizons when it comes to backcountry cooking.

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Late to the discussion but IMO the mistake the author of the article makes is that he is trying to compare his personal experiences and feelings to another or a group of others. Had he just told of his personal experiences and feelings of an ideal trip for himself he would have drawn little or no comment but the minute you start comparisons you are asking for others to rightfully so defend their side of the discussion.

I don't think he gave enough respect to the goals and aspirations of others who are simply doing things their way. Sporting hobbies seldom stay static with technologies moving forward and strong willed individuals seeking new challenges. Personally I find both very refreshing. And although many of these activities are beyond my reach I applaud those individuals who press on and force the advancement.

I don't get to caught up in what the other guy or gal is doing but I do enjoy learning from just about anyone who can bring something new to the discussion. Sights like BPL certainly have done that for me. I wouldn't have given BPing a second thought if it were not for slashing a serious amount of weight. In fact we gave it up because we found more enjoyable ways to spend our time. Now I am far worse off in physical abilities due to illness and I am gratefully back in it due to folks like those here that have showed me I can enjoy the sport in as much comfort as I used to and not suffer the load of a clearly excessive weighted pack. My light pack weight doesn't stop me from spending time along the way. It doesn't stop me from walking a shorter route and it doesn't stop me from taking a few extra hours to spend at camp. What it does for me is simply allow me to participate again and you bet I'm grateful for that.

Some times many get caught in a generational gap and I don't mean age of the individual but generation of the activity. For instance I used to compete in High power rifle competition. There is a service rifle class and as advancements were made different equipment was brought to the table. Many could not or had no desire to work with the newer AR15/M16. They swore to always shoot their M14 or Garand as the generation before them. Those pushing the new technology suffered poor scores in the beginning developing the new platform and many joked and called it a futile effort. Fast forward and the AR is king and has even transformed the Match rifle class dominating the National Championships using the same platform now breaking records like never before.

I can't tell for sure if the author is stuck in a generational mind set but it would benefit anyone to keep an eye on the segment of the sport that is driving the technology and methodology and use it for their own hike. Change CAN be good sometime we need to liberate our selves from the ways of the "good 'ol days".

jimmyb

After a three year hiatus due to working full time while going to grad school, my wife is able to join me on backpacking trips again.

She, quite frankly, has lost her trail legs. See above.

What I do know is that carrying a sub-10 lb BPW pack (I carry a little more at 15lbs or so on these trips) has allowed her to enjoy our very moderate 5-10 MPD.

Perhaps if she did these shorter mile days with 35 lbs BPW the hike would magically be more enjoyable? I sincerely doubt it.

A ULA pack that fits her well, a good down bag from GoLite and a NeoAir certainly makes her comfortable vs the older, more traditional gear she used to use that was heavier.

Going light does not mean going far or fast.

Now does going light does not mean sacrificing comfort. IF anything, it has enhanced comfort in my wife's case.

And going far does not mean not enjoyable. Strolling along at 2.5 MPH for ten hours can be very rewarding.

Overall, the article was click-bait. And, yeah, we all fell for it (myself included) :)

Now, if you'll excuse me, Mrs Mags and I are off to do a foothill stroll very shortly. We'll probably go 1.5 MPH. I doubt we'll do more than 3 or 4 miles. I suspect I'll enjoy that, too.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Mrs Mags and I are off to do a foothill stroll very shortly. We'll probably go 1.5 MPH. I doubt we'll do more than 3 or 4 miles. I suspect I'll enjoy that, too."

Wise man!

I disagree Gary. That is a very lazy essay.

My take-away from the post? His friend is talking his ear off.

Dear Mr. Old Buddy/Technical Gear Designer,

Find other conversation topics for poor Wes, and come tell us everything about your backpacking plans.

Seems to me the author is guilty of the very stereotyping he claims to disdain.

I've schlepped 45 lbs or more on many of the trails where I now carry 12-14 lbs total. (A little less now because it's cooler and the dog can carry his own damn food!) I'm happy and energetic at the end of the day. When I stop for a break or to admire a view and take photos, I almost never take my pack off any more. I set up camp and have dinner ready in a half hour. I'm comfortable, I'm warm and I'm well fed.

I've seen people suffering like pack animals (quite literally) and think "Wow, that was me!"

For me, lighter is waaaaayyy better. I have zero problems with Wes or anybody else who is aware of the UL options but choose to carry these huge loads.

But for crying out loud, Wes really needs to learn how to adjust his pack suspension! It's incredible that he'd put a photo like that out there for all to see. One has to wonder if someone who can't adjust a pack suspension should be dispensing advice.