is this what an ultralight backpacker is supposed to look like? anything more is overkill?
Looks pretty comfy to me. I don't think that an ultralighter has to look like that though.
this guy washes his clothes in the shower
That dude is freakishly shaped so no, no one is supposed to look like that but it must be nice that he can buy children's gear
Not trying to de-rail or start a flame war but what's the deal with super light camping? My pack weighs quite a bit and I wouldn't mind it being lighter but I take what I need and then a few extra bits I prefer to have. Seems a lot of work to shop around to save a few pounds.
I've started camping with just my day pack, it's alright but I like having everything I could ever need on me
>>639423
That backpack itself looks pretty heavy desu, surely it could be made of thinner/lighter material.
>>639455
Some people enjoy trying to minimize the weight of their pack so it's not work to shop around. Benefits are being able to hike further and faster than someone with a heavier pack.
>>639455
For me it's a freedom sort of thing. Having lots of, or heavy, gear annoys me. More shit to deal with and lug around. With just what I actually need, and everything being ultralight, it's so much easier to just go, to wander around without being literally weighed down.
I just prefer the comfort of lightweight to the comfort of a fully equipped camp when I'm backpacking.
>>639491
Just out of curiosity, what shelter do you use and is it different during the winter/rest of the year?
You need a cuben fibre backpack to be a SULW camper!
Added bonus you can use it when you're hipstering around town too!
>>639501
All these noobs thinking that people camp in the winter
>>639423
Looks like an alright dude. 9/10 would sc/out/ with.
>>639455
I'm not an ultralight kind of guy, but I understand it. I'm mostly not ultralight because much of my gear is cheaper stuff, which is heavier. I carry like 30 lbs of stuff which includes all the water I need for 24 hours (also have lifestraw for when I run out). Winter set up I'm prob 10 lbs heavier, but I rarely hike far in winter. My winter stuff is pretty heavy.
I think the advantage is you're much more comfortable while hiking. You can make better time, and enjoy the hIke more. On the flip side, you're probably a little less comfortable while making camp since you have less. Most of my stuff that's heavy is comfort stuff. Nicer pads, hammocks, sleeping gear ect. All the stuff adds up weight to help you sleep better.
Funny thing is, carrying all the extra stuff that helps you sleep, tires you out more so that you also sleep better.
>>639557
Yes the principles behind UL are sound, and after learning about it I definitely applied it to my gear, but it is a balance! I take weight into consideration but I'm not going to be cutting my toothbrush down ,or not carry a knife, or whatever, any time soon
>>639455
we're shopping to buy gear anyways, why not buy something lighter?
>>having everything I could ever need
is entirely dependent on your environment, activity, and expectations.
>>639546
Was at the north fork Teanaway in central Washington last weekend. 3 feet of snow. Was 16 during the day/10 at night. Keep your pleb ass inside, where it's warm. We like it quiet out there.
>>639455
PCT/CDT thru hiker here. I understand carrying however much you want when day hiking or camping for a weekend, but when you're at it for 3-6 months straight, it becomes vastly more noticeable. When thru hiking you wouldn't opt for a bushwaking setup that /out/ loves. You literally wouldn't use a hatchet for shit. As another poster mentioned, this guy washes his clothes in showers. Which is 99% the case. From my experience as a thru hiker I'd take 1 or 2 showers a month, during that time I'd wash my clothes. Washing your shit in a river isn't good for the environment, regardless of whatever kind of environmental soap you're using. And I wouldn't carry soap because fuck that weight. My base weight is between 10-15 pounds without food/water, and 30 with water and food for two weeks.
tl;dr carry as much stuff as you want when /out/ but you would never find a thru hiker carrying any of this shit you guys usually argue about ie: knives, hatchets, 3 pairs of clothes, soap, etc. Just minimal clothes, shelter, water, food.
>>639616
And by minimal clothes I mean shorts, thermal tights, pants, shirt, 2 pairs of socks, a beanie and a puffy jacket. Otherwise yah, Iove being /fa/ with a huge army jacket for a weekend venture. But for a long trip it yields very little utility against the puffy jacket.
>>639455
People like carrying less weight.
>>639616
Assuming that you're filling up water at least once/ day, that's ~4L or ~16lbs of water, leaving you around 14lbs of space for food, for two weeks. You'd almost have to be eating pure lard to get 2000 kc/day in only one pound allotted per day of food.
>>641058
4L water=4kg!=16lbs
>>639423
I did a trip across Glacier this summer and rode the shuttle to the trailhead with a guy starting a PNT hike. He looked exactly like that pic. I wasn't anywhere near as light since I like to cook fancier than typical backpacking food but I was only out for a week and he was going for two months. If I ever do anything longer I'll be ditching most of the junk I carry.
>>639546
confirmed for not living not living north of the 60th northern parallel
>>641058
You retarded fucktoy. Four liters of water is only 8.8 poumds
>>641079
>in the far north we only camp in middle of winter when there is no daylight
>we stupid
>>639455
It's pretty much the opposite of Bushcraft. You want to go into nature to be a spectator / pure hiker. Activities such as fire making, wood carving, shelter building, hunting, trapping, foraging, fishing, etc are not in your interests / priorities. You pretty much just bring enough stuff to hike, drink, eat, go to the bathroom, and sleep, that's it.
>>641300
>drink, eat, shit, sleep
So how did u spend your time /out/?
> performed 4/5 bodily functions!!
Holy shit op ive been there once as a kid, havent been back to the country in over 10 years. Recognized it right away, brings back memories
>>639455
For me it comes down to why I am going /out/ if I hiking primarily then light weight is more important, as it makes the physical act of hiking easier. If I am going climbing, or just chilling somewhere then my priorities are different.
>>639616
what specifically are you eating that ~15 lbs of food is enough for two weeks?
>>639546
I camp in the winter, pretty normal in Norway and other countries where people actually are used to the cold.
>>641802
Hardtack exclusively
>>641802
15 lbs of peanut butter is ~40000 calories. which is 20 days worth of 2000 calorie diet. Lard and oil are even more calorie dense but idk what food you would pair it with to still have a high calorie density.
>>641802
Peanut butter
Poptarts
Oatmeal
Idahoan Potatoes
Pasta Sides
Mac N Cheese
Stuff like that, of course without the packaging and condensing it down.
>>641389
You hike all day err day. When you're taking a break you eat some food and if you are with other hikers yah shoot the shit. All the while you are enjoying your surroundings. Hiking 15-30 miles a day provides a shit load of nature to take in and appreciate.
Also
>playing baseball with your trekking poles and a pinecone.
>>641863
I'm not sure why you're budgeting for 2000 kcal/day. That seems to be for a more sedentary level of activity. For an extended hiking trip I've found 4000 kcal/day to be a conservative TDEE estimate, though i guess it varies from person to person
>>639455
I used to camp and hike with only what I could carry in a small plastic 35mm film case. It was adventurous and fun (in summer, fuck winter) and I have memorable experiences doing it. Far more memorable than normal camping and hiking.
>>641900
>I'm not sure why you're budgeting for 2000 kcal/day.
because people are bad at math and will ignore my post completely because I used a big number like 40,000. Another way to think of 40,000 calories is 20 days of food (if your at a 2k diet).
>>641944
>says others are bad at math
>thinks 40,000 is a big number
Maybe people ignore your posts because your a moron
That's a pretty lage pack to be quite honest family
>>639455
I can,camp 3-5 days / hike 5+ miles/day with a 14ish lb pack and I wouldn't trade it for the world and that's considered slow/heavy by some
>>641953
wow your such a fucking cock sucking faggot mother fucker.
first of all i never I thought it a big number. you are a moron who sucks at reading.
second of all, no offense to the poster who asked but you can just simply google calorie density and have more information on the subject than you can consume, so yeah i am going to assume people have trouble with it because its super easy to look up or do the arithmetic yourself of the food you are wondering about.
>>641962
>wow your such a
Engrish much?
>people are bad at math because they are too lazy too Google
Why are you so angry about being mocked for your poor advice and illiteracy?
>>639546
I love camping in the winter.
>>642063
shut the fuck up faggot thanks for ruining this board.
>>642136
Why are you such a homophobe? Are you not aware its 2015?
>>639455
It's vastly more fun and comfortable not carrying a heavy pack. The difference between 15, 20, 25 and 30 pounds is extremely noticeable, especially when you're doing long days.
>>641220
>in the south we only camp when we have temperatures between 20-25C and the the sun is shining
>we so hardcore
Two can play at this game.
The latest Swiss Review had a really interesting article on the changing nature of mountain climbing. It talks a lot about ultralight/mountain sports.
http://www.revue.ch/en/editions/2015/06/detail/news/detail/News/traditional-mountaineering-is-in-decline/
>>641863
>Lard and oil
This. When I'm hiking I get my calories by drinking oil for all of my meals.
>>642588
You laugh but drinking olive oil is healthy and very common in certain countries amongst agricultural workers
>>639423
Yes. As you can see he does not have the muscle mass to do normal backpacking.
>>642672
It doesn't appear that he has the muscle to tie his own shoes
what the fuck is up with this thread? do you any of you actually backpack? 90% of the dudes on on the PCT, AT or CDT are "ultralight" (sub 10lbs). the ones who arent are the ones that dont finish...
threads like these confirm my suspicion that most of /out/ has never done anything but dick around in the woods on weekends with boy scout gear
>>641058
are you fucking retarted? he filters the water. the weight is a few liters at a time + food
>>642920
Those long trails are their own universe. Knowing or not knowing about them really has no impact on other outdoor activities.
>>642930
those long trails are the platonic ideal of backpacking. your average sc/out/ with his external frame, hatchet, pup tent and military boots is about 5 degrees of separation from that
>>642920
Out is almost entirely /k/fags whose only idea of going /out/ involves an internal combustion engine
>>642931
I don't know what you mean by platonic ideal of backpacking.
>>642944
the essential backpacking, the backpacking against which other backpacking is measured
Wow! There was something itt that really got me going and I was going to reply to, but all the retarded posts between here and there made me forget it!
Really to bad 'cause it was like secret to the Universe kind of stuff and you all are sure going to be sorry when you find it out for yourselves instead of just reading it here now!
I just don't remember, though I know all the shitposters are sorry.
I accept your apologies in advance.
If I remember I'll post it. If the shitposting stops.
>>642920
>sub 10lbs
Confirmed for another asshole whose only outdoor activity is throwing his shit bottles in the garbage bin
>>639540
Man that's just fucking insane, that pack is $165 before tax and its literally just a fucking stitched up 99c tarp.
Pathetic, never buying shit from hyperelite ever again
>>643124
sub 10 lbs is defined as ultralight though. ill say it again this is only possible because of the special environment trails like the AT or PCT provide. People need to stop comparing it to wilderness camping or long hunting or things of that nature, its not the same at all.
>>639423
Ultralight is such a bullshit hipster terminology.
This is what a historical "ultralight" equipment looked like.
If you look at mountain man packs they're lightweight too. If you need to haul gear you get a pack animal. These were people who lived in the wild.
Most of what you need you can make. All of them would have carried butane lighters if they could, but you'd die when the gas ran out or lighter malfunctioned while they could just make primitive style fire as always.
If you know your basics you can craft almost everything you need.
>>643368
Ultralight is below 20 pounds
Megalight is sub 15 pounds
Double homolight is sub 10 pounds
You are probably thinking of the proposed 2016 standards
>>643449
i don't know why you are getting so butthurt about it. people require and/or like different gear for different outdoor activities. if its something you are not going to do why give a shit what they use.
>>643459
Why are you so angry that other people have opinions. Why don't you just live your life rather than interfere with others?
>>641300
so you can CRUSH those miles!
>>641079
>tfw the only winter camping I've done was freezing my dick off in summer bags in Air Cadets
Feels bad man
>>643833
That's why people only do winter camping once
>>643848
I'd do it again, but with my girlfriend and down bags desu. Maybe where there's enough snow to provide insulation too.
>tfw you will never again feel the joy of playing ultimate with the cherry pies in the IMPs
>>643875
How is snow going to provide you insulation?
>>644161
Snow is a really good insulator. Building a snow cave is a pain in the ass but if you do it right then it is warm.
>>644169
It's shit, not cozy at all, and is a last resort because of how shit it is. Not saying it won't save your life if you're caught out in the open without shelter.
>>643435
Well shit, next time I go hiking I'll just take fifty other guys and a baggage train, shoot whatever animals I want to eat, and clear out a whole acre every time I want to pitch camp. Then I can really get my base weight down. Maybe the Hudson's Bay Company is still hiring.
>>644169
So you go camping just to spend hours building a snow fort that you can be warm in? That sounds really stupid . what do you do in your snow fort all day?
>>644303
What is that even supposed to mean you can lift pretty much any usable backpack by one finger.
>>644323
That backpack is full of gear and food to last a week.
>>644327
....and?
I can lift 45lb plates with one finger, I assume I can lift more than that. That's not to say I'm super strong, because I'm really not. I feel as though most people in relatively good condition can do the same, so lifting a backpack with one finger and holding it long enough to take a picture doesn't seem like a good indication that it's a very light pack.
>>644333
OK, Arnold.
>>644175
Just from an insulation perspective snow is great. It's going to stop wind and trap heat better than any tent. It's a last resort more because it takes hours of work, only works in areas with 2 meters of snow, and requires more knowledge than erecting a tent.
>>644266
The original anon was talking about using snow for insulation while sleeping. You sleep in the cave, I suppose you could go fuck yourself in there too if you needed an all day activity. I mean, what do you do in your tent all day?
>>644333
I was thinking the same thing, not really impressive at all. I can lift tons of weight with a finger.
>tfw fingertip pull-ups gave you functional strength lol
>>644336
you better watch out for my 135lb Bench max and my 185lb parallel squat.
>>644349
>The original anon was talking about using snow for insulation
I know. It's a stupid idea from people who like to pretend they go camping in the winter. And that retard was tent camping not making an igloo
>>639540
sick pack brah
OP here, ended up buying this pack here, so far it is pretty sick and pretty lightweight
http://www.hikingbackpack.org/mozone-large-40l-lightweight-travel-backpackfoldable-packable-hiking-daypack-blue/
aspiring ultralight backpacker here
>>644719
Another backpack that will never be used for backpacking
>>644333
why is there a penis on that tank
>>644749
only 20$, not like its a huge deal.
