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Back in 2003 when our founder Ryan Jordan published his manifesto on SuperUltraLight: Breaking the Five-Pound Barrier, Ryan modestly stated: “I make no attempt to define a new standard for lightweight backpacking, but instead offer you some insight for pushing the sub-5-pound barrier at the ultralight fringe”. Now, three years later, SUL is here to stay. Not to be outdone, Glen Van Peski, founder of Gossamer Gear and designer of the first SUL pack (the G5), took it one step further with “Extreme Ultralight” (XUL), breaking the four-pound barrier. (If this keeps going, the next step might be Levitation - breaking the gravity barrier (but I think you have to smoke something before you can do that!).

ARTICLE OUTLINE

  • Introduction
  • SUL Packs Overview
  • Fabrics
    • Polyurethane Coated Ripstop Nylon
    • Silnylon
    • Spinnaker Cloth
    • Cuben Fiber
  • Features
    • Suspension
  • Currently Available SUL Backpacks
    • Specifications Table for SuperUltraLight Backpacks
    • SuperUltraLight Backpack Ratings Chart for Packs Reviewed by BackpackingLight.com
  • Some Favorites
  • SUL Packs in the Pipeline
  • The Future of SUL Backpacks
  • Index of SuperUltraLight Backpacks Reviewed by BackpackingLight.com
  • Gear Guide: Frameless Backpacks
  • Gear Guide Selection Criteria:
  • BackpackingLight.com SuperUltraLight Backpack Reviews - Explanation of Review Criteria
    • Weight
    • Features and Ease of Use
    • Pack Load Carrying
    • Durability
    • Value

# WORDS: 5070
# PHOTOS: 13
# TABLES: 2

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