WA state is beautiful, I've hiked through it on the PCT and would love to go back one day! How was Baker Lake?
hello and welcome! we'll help you find ways to cut weight inexpensively :)
Alan takes us through his thinking regarding planning, including weather considerations, a shakedown trip, training, simplifying his gear and making sure he'd enjoy himself(!) He also chooses to do it in late winter conditions and he rocks a hammock.
🍻 !ultralight tops 100 members! To celebrate Adventure Alan Hikes 100 Miles Carrying 10lbs TPW
That's the total weight of everything in my backpack—gear, food, water, and stove fuel to hike 102 miles of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park in 3 days. No fair weather hiking: with rain, sleet, light snow and hard freezes at night. I think I am very close to dialing in a Light ...
10lbs refers to Alan's total pack weight (TPW), which is base weight + consumables -- gear, food, water, and stove fuel.
hello and welcome! where was your last trip? anything fun planned?
Ah ok, I'm on desktop and iOS. Interestingly, this thread is displayed significantly differently on desktop, and apps Memmy and Thunder. Nested comments are chopped off (differently) on the apps and I don't see the images on them though they show up on desktop. Guess it's early days still.
Finding Andrew’s Core 13 series was a huge relief for me; figuring out clothing in an ultralight context had been perplexing because there’s so much apparent individual variation and this make it all quite clear. I feel it’s helped me travel more safely, comfortably and with more confidence.
Core 13: Core Backpacking Clothing || Intro by Andrew Skurka
To backpack anywhere in 3-season conditions, how many articles of clothing are needed? I say: thirteen, and could make an argument for 11.
With just 13 items, go anywhere in 3-season conditions.
I’m honestly not sure what, if anything is the standard operating procedure is for galleries.
this seems to be the case, i've searched around and only found other people asking the same question. it does seem that you can include images inline in posts, but i guess links to images after the first image don't work? let me try 2 images and see what it looks like:
I feel like the aspects of mindset, fitness, and being informed, both by experience and research get overlooked...
Hello from [email protected], I always wanted more overlap between r/ultralight and r/myog personally, they go hand in hand. Stop by and say hi :)
Hello from [email protected] nice to get the mention. Stop in a say hi!
Hello from [email protected] — I’m hiking the Uinta Highline Trail in Sept and am testing an Antigravity Gear rain jacket 2.0 in preparation for thunderstorms. What about you @Number1?
A great example of how much you can do with lighterpack. It does make you wonder how many backpacks he owns though...
DeputySean's Ultracheap Introduction to Ultralight
DeputySean's gear guide is practical, up-to-date and shamelessly cheap.
I’ll get a pixelfed or something and share a gallery here
is that the standard way to share images here? i'm not sure i've seen an image gallery yet on lemmy
haha that roadwalk sounds rough. i definitely know the way from Walker Pass to Kennedy Meadows South, as I traversed between there 3 different times last year, twice by hitchhike and once by trail. My shoes died unexpectedly early on the way out of Hiker Heaven and I had some shipped to me in Tehachapi but they were delayed, and instead of get stuck in town I hobbled to Walker Pass, hitched to KMS, bought shoes in KMS, hiked SOBO back to Walker Pass, then hitched back to Tehachapi, then hitched to KMS. It... was exhausting and stupid lol but I didn't want to stop. I kept going and had a blast but burned myself out by South Lake Tahoe and made it as far as Sierra City before calling it. I was trying to hike cheap and fast and it worked but i learned that i just don't have the mental and physical toughness that some folks do, which was a tough pill to swallow. that desert has a stark beauty to it though, and i'm trying to figure out how to get back out there.
Pack Size Advice Copypasta
``` Pack Size Advice Copypasta
What size pack should I get? Will pack X work for me? Can I fit my current gear into X liters? Do the following:
- Assemble all the gear and food you plan to carry.
- Put it in a cardboard box.
- Measure Width, Length and Height of the stuff in the box.
- Multiply Width x Length x Height to get Volume.
- Convert Volume to liters. If you measured in inches, divide by 61.
- Weigh what you’re carrying.
- Over 20 lbs you probably want a framed pack + hip belt. Over 25 lbs you definitely do.
- If possible try on weighted packs, exact fit and comfort limits vary per person.
- Make your decision. ```
L2H FKT attempt with Abby and Cordis
In Nov 2022 Abby and Cordis attempt to complete the grueling ~130 mile L2H in under 53 hours.
How to sleep warm
original post by [deleted]
I see a lot of people complaining about being cold at night. I also meet a lot of people on trail who say they are carrying 0º or 10º bags/quilts who are still complaining about being cold. I used to think I was a cold sleeper, but now I sleep warm and cozy every night. I'm going share a few tips that work really well for me, your mileage may vary.
Gear
I've taken this setup well into the 20ºs and been very comfortable.
- Katabatic Palisade 30º, 6'0" normal width (I'm 5'10" and 145lbs.)
- Thermarest NeoAir X-lite Women's
- (Sometimes) Katabatic Bristlecone Bivy
- Tarp
- (On AZT w/ girlfriend) Nemo Hornet 2p
If you are going to spend money on anything, spend it on a good quilt. My only experience is with a 20º EE Revelation and my beloved 30º Katabatic Palisade. I find the Katabatic to be vastly superior to many ways to the EE, not just in build quality but in the design choices made. Here's why:
- Differential cut makes the quilt wrap around you naturally
- Elastic hem around the opening also helps the quilt wrap around your body
- Superior pad attachment system
- Draft collar
- Overstuffed footbox and draft collar
Nunatak also has many of these features, but I have never slept in one of their quilts. I am hoping to test some of their products soon and will report back.
The bivy is a new addition for me, and I love it. I bought the Katabatic because of the integration with their pad attachment system and I believe in their build quality. There are several other high quality bivys including Borah and MLD. I find the bivy to be amazing for cowboy camping. It completely eliminates drafts and adds about 5-10ºs (estimate) of warmth. I'm not a scientist, but it seems like windy nights can pull warmth away from your quilt, especially when cowboy camping, because quilts tend to use highly breathable fabric. I've noticed on windy nights in the bivy this isn't an issue.
I believe I could be just as warm on a foam pad, the NeoAir is a comfort thing for me.
I almost always cowboy camp unless it's raining or I have a non-ideal camp site. More on campsites later.
Clothing
Moisture is your enemy. If you are wearing anything that is wet or sweaty, take it off. Absolutely do not sleep in your hiking socks, they are damp even if it doesn't seem like it. My only exception to this is I will occasionally sleep in my hiking shorts because they dry so fast.
The only layer I wear on my top half is my Melanzana hoodie because it breathes extremely well. Don't have a cow, any fleece would be fine. I carry a Montbell Tachyon wind jacket and a Frogg Toggs rain jacket and I absolutely NEVER sleep in them, no matter how cold it gets. The few times that I have tried, I got clammy and extremely cold. This is one of the reasons I don't like puffies for sleeping, the shells are nylon and that makes me clammy.
On my bottom half I almost always sleep in my shorts. If it seems like it will get very cold, or I have a non-ideal campsite, I wear leggings. My leggings are some kind of generic polyester sport things I got at a thrift store. I don't believe base layers need to be fancy, save that money for your quilt.
I never wear socks to sleep. I used to and my feet were always cold. I think this has something to do with compression and blood flow. I've heard people have better luck with loose fitting socks. Low 20ºs in a 30º quilt with no socks and my feet hang over the edge of my pad, warm feet.
Campsites
Read Andrew Skurka's articles on 5-star Campsites, I will go over the basics. In my experience it is somewhat rare to find a campsite that checks all of these boxes, but do your best. Prioritize all of these things over aesthetically beautiful campsites if you want to be warm.
Don't camp in a low spot. Cold air settles here and it will be significantly colder than a spot that is even just a few feet higher.
Find something that blocks the wind. Camp snug right up against a tree or big rock.
Pitch your tarp with the broad side to the wind. Don't make a wind tunnel.
Make sure there is something overhead. You need thermal cover or space will suck the heat away from you. If I'm forced to camp somewhere exposed, this is one of the rare instances where I will pitch my tarp even when it's dry. Check for widow maker branches and dead trees.
Don't camp on exposed rock or hard packed dirt. You want some insulation underneath. People who clear their campsites of pine duff are ding dongs, and I see this a lot. Be aware of non-durable surfaces and sensitive environments like meadows.
Don't camp close to water. You shouldn't be doing this anyway because LNT. Water tends to be in low spots, and if you are too close you are more likely to have condensation issues.
Food
Eat a shit ton of food before bed. Your body burns calories, and that keeps you warm. If you are generally cold all over, not just in drafty spots or your feet, you can likely solve this with food. Before bed, I eat:
- Dinner, usually Fritos and chili
- A handful of nuts
- A bar of some sort
- 3 or 4 Twizzlers
TL;DR
- Buy a good quilt (Katabatic or Nunatak, there are probably others too)
- Wear dry breathable clothing
- Read Skurka's campsite blogs
- Eat lots and lots of food before bed
Logbook July, 2023. Stop by, say hi! 👋
A friendly place for casual discussion that doesn't warrant a post. If you're new don't forget to sign the log!
Efficient Sleeping Setup
https://ultralightbackpackintips.blogspot.com/2012/04/
Mike Clelland discusses site selection and an ultralight sleep system.
Moving on from r/ultralight
r/Ultralight is the largest online Ultralight Backcountry Backpacking community! This sub is about overnight backcountry backpacking, with a focus...
r/ultralight was a relatively niche community until it hit an inflection point in summer 2020 when COVID caused a deluge of new subscribers who subsequently complained about over moderation. The mods backed down and the sub became less focused and more generalized. In June 2023 the mods shut the sub down as part of wider protests over Reddit enshittification related to an IPO.
Hoping !ultralight can recapture that early community spirit.
How to ask for a shakedown
When you create a post asking the community how you can lighten your pack please include the following information to help responders understand your trip -- you will receive more useful responses!
1: Get a kitchen or postal scale. Yes, you need to do this.
2: Weigh your gear and put it into Lighterpack. Do NOT use manufacturer advertised weights, they're almost always wrong. If you do this go back to step 1!
3: Copy/paste/fill out the following template:
Where are you going and when: (Insert response here)
What temp range and weather do you expect: (Insert response here)
Goal Baseweight (BPW): (Insert response here)
Budget: (Insert response here)
Non-negotiable Items: (Insert response here)
Solo or with another person?: (Insert response here)
Additional Information: (Insert response here)
Lighterpack Link: (Insert link here)
https://www.litesmith.com/lighten-up/
Best introduction to lightweight backpack we've found. Rather than talk about specific pieces of gear, it describes the change in mindset needed for ultralight backpacking. It doesn't tell you what to buy but guides you on how to decide what to buy. It's perfect for newbies or traditional backpackers who want to learn how to make the transition to a lighter, more streamlined approach.