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This year there has been a lot of talk about SuperUltraLight (SUL) backpacking and gear around BackpackingLight.com. We scoured the web, tracking down the lightest of the light gear that fit with the SUL goal of less than 5 pounds for pack base weight. We repeatedly read Ryan Jordan's article, "SuperUltraLight: Breaking the Five-Pound Barrier." As the newer, lighter gear came in for testing and I started to weigh things out, I realized that I could get significantly below 5 pounds. I started wondering if a sub-4-pound pack was possible. What follows is my sub-4 gear list, comments on how the gear worked, what I'll do differently on my next SUL trip, and why you need to be SuperUltraAnal to go sub-4.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

  • Introduction
  • Gear - How'd it Work?
    • Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet 25 pack
    • Bozeman Mountain Works Stix Pro trekking poles
    • Bozeman Mountain Works SpinPoncho T-Lite
    • Gossamer Gear ThinLight Pad, cut to 40-inch length
    • Nunatak Arc Ghost top bag
    • Clothing System
    • Cooking and Water Gear
    • Other Essentials
  • TABLE: Sub-4 Gear List for July, Oregon Cascades
  • Behavior Modification
  • Current Ideas
  • The Next Trip

    • # WORDS: 3700
    # PHOTOS: 3
    # TABLES: 1

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