Jay Ham started backpacking in 1990 and went lightweight in 1995. Wanting his children to experience and share in his love of the outdoors, he became obsessed with reducing the family’s base weight to make backpacking with small children possible. He and his wife began designing and making much of their family’s gear (including kid-sized frameless packs and top bags), as lightweight gear was scarce at the time. With a Masters in Soil Science, Jay now manages a 2.5 million acre Soil Survey project in remote Northern Arizona, where he spends multi-day, “work related” time in the backcountry. He and his family continue to frequent the outdoors near their home in Flagstaff, Arizona.
