Weight Creep

Looks like you missed the memo:  Ultralight is no longer about weight, it’s about a mindset…  ; )

Wisner…such a raconteur :)  But the point is spot on…it’s not about the literal weight, it’s about how you perceive the weight.  Which I admit is no help to the OP.

My 2010 SMD Swift was 16.4oz and was a bigger pack then the Burn (I carried a rolled up full length Ridgrest inside and packed burrito style).

I think the Burn was 13oz when it came out.

On a another note MLD shelter weights have gone down in recent years.

Half an ounce? Gossamer Gear’s Mariposa almost doubled in weight over the years.

2004: 14.6 to 17.2 ounces, depending on options

2020: 28 to 33 ounces, depending on size and options

Of course, they made a few other changes:

— Rex

Six Moon Designs has been the worst about weight creep, but I don’t really consider them a cottage company anymore. Nowadays most of their gear is cranked out in China with less quality control.

I recently picked up an older MLD Serenity net tent that weighs 8.6 oz instead of the current 10.5 oz. Granted the new Serenity has corner struts and is a bit taller, but 1.9 oz is a lot to me. Brad is right though, MLD shelters have mostly gotten lighter with the 20d silnylon Ron is now using.

I get Darwin’s argument about simplicity, but to say ultralight backpacking isn’t about the weight is like  playing the lottery and saying it’s not about money. That’s the thing about weight, it can be accurately measured, and you can surround your wagons any way you want, but 20 lbs is still 20 lbs. Nevertheless, I’ve found when a pack doesn’t ride comfortably it isn’t worth all of the weight savings in the world.

Its not about making the lightest gear

Its about making gear they can sell the most of

My original 2013 arc blast…16.7 oz

Today 21oz ish, and most use extra pad too for lower bar.

Funny, in 2000 mile i never had problems. Never broke a flat stay. Never needed or wanted a bottom crossbar.

Only issue , imo, people that arent ul hikers, trying to use ul gear.

From tarps with “doors”  because people cant crawl under….to quilts 6″ wider because fat people want to pretend to be uber hikers too…….its about selling gear to the most people.  Sell the image.

A business won’t stay in business if they don’t respond to market demands.  MLD does list ways to remove items to reduce the weight of the Burn if that’s important to the customer.

To me, it’s not a lowest score wins. It’s what’s the best way to enjoy your time on trail. Less weight on your back is absolutely more enjoyable.  But there are other factors and sometimes, for some people, the extra ounces yield more enjoyment.  HYOH and I hope everyone enjoys their time on trail and is safe.

Ultralight is always about the weight, first. Comfort while carrying a pack is secondary, since a 20lb load will carry easily, anyway. (A lot of caveats here, fit for example.) Style has no place in UL gear.
That said, it is about engineering, too. As Rex said about the Mariposa, almost double the weight for unnecessary and mostly stylistic type changes. A simple “Y” strap/roll top (as on the older Mariposa) means less things to break and go wrong on the trail. Why use two buckles, a zipper, 2 layers of fabric (for a pouch that cannot carry anything except a map, compass and lighter) when you can avoid the weight and all the potential for breakage with a simple roll top? Your map should be in your pocket and your compass around your neck. At least HMG corrected this with male/female buckles allowing a dry-bag type closure when full. (The over the top is nice unless you just come off a resupply, when overloaded it pulls the pack into an arch despite the frame.) Older ones were UL. Newer ones are not.
It is unfortunate that many manufactures have succumbed to weight creep. And it is mostly in the name of “Comfort” but really it is about a lot of unnecessary features that mean sales “Style.”
I have used maybe 20 different packs extensively (each about a year.) There is no reason a good durable pack for 50-60L cannot be built for less than 16oz(or <0.45kg) that carries comfortably. Even Zpacks Blast starts at >20oz.

Some really insightful comments about this topic. Glad others have noticed it and annoyed by it too. I would think weight would be going down for gear with all the new materials and manufacturing techniques.
To me UL. hiking IS about weight, simplicity, efficiency, slight adversity, fun and the big one for me…easier hiking do to less weight= less stress on the body. These UL company’s started out with that game plan but the weight goal keeps getting pushed farther up stream, loosing focus as their clientele expands more mainstream.

I have noticed some new up and coming cottage (garage) shops on Instagram filling the void of real light weight gear where some of the older cottatage company’s have strayed from true UL.

Weight creep is almost inevitable. Novices buy the latest UL gear and trash it, and then complain. The company responds, as they want to expand their profits (aka market share). Weight goes up.

So we need to keep an eye on the market to see who is next at the UL end.

Cheers

“So we need to keep an eye on the market to see who is next at the UL end.”

Yep.  It seems to usually be the new, small companies who either push the envelope with new ideas (that don’t rely on expensive exotic materials or manufacturing techniques), or simply embrace the old ideas that the big companies have abandoned for market share.