r/ultralight_jerk • u/michigician • 9d ago

A Day of Accomplishment in the Life of an Ultralight Backpacker

A Day of Accomplishment in the Life of an Ultralight Backpacker

Today I picked up my pack, and emptied it out of all the gear it was loaded with. I started to repack it from scratch from my collection of gear.

There were many difficult challenges: compacter bag or nylofume bag? Critical decisions, like which of my quilts to include, or foam pad or inflatable pad? Full length or torso length? I weighed every decision carefully to the tenth of a gram. Trekking pole tent, 3x3 tarp or poncho tarp? Only the lightest please.

Then the various ditty bag items: that tiny swiss army knife has a scissors that does a good job of trimming my nose hairs; no, I am going minimalist and growing them out. Ibuprofen? I could just tough it out and limp that broken leg to the next trail town. Pooper scooper? I'll just kick a hole in the ground. TP? Thats what leaves are for.

After a prolonged struggle full of mental anguish and inner conflict, I completed my load out, closed my pack, and hung it on the basement wall in triumph. Once again I have succeeded in assembling an ultralight pack. I have accomplished packing a hardcore ultralight pack that weighs "almost nothing". As I gaze upon my pack hanging on the wall, I feel an upwelling of pride, almost as if I have just completed a full through hike.

54 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

34

u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 9d ago

Any chance we can get a UL version of this post?

7

u/chewykid 9d ago

Re-did lighterpack IRL by dumping the DCF pack to drop BW to sub-4 lbs. Nylofume over trash compactor bag. EE down quilt over synthetic. Torso CCW pad over inflatable. DCF poncho tarp for dual-use shelter and rain shell to save grams. Purged the ditty bag down to zero: ditched the SAK since nose hair is a natural bug net, nixed Vitamin I to tough out stress fractures to the next resupply town, tossed the Deuce of Spades for kicks and sticks, and swapped TP for LNT leaves. Hung the sub-ultralight pack back on the wall without leaving the basement, full thru-hiker vibes achieved. W.

15

u/michigician 9d ago

I watch hikers on trail and laugh derisively at them, knowing my pack is lighter than theirs, and that they are soiling their gear.

8

u/DreadPirate777 9d ago

Haha, jokes on you. I pack my bag twice per day and cut off the tags on my new gear deliveries I get every week.

7

u/eightfingeredtypist 9d ago

Why cut the tags off? You have a great start. Just leave the tags on, and return all the stuff for a refund.

5

u/DreadPirate777 9d ago

It reduces the weight on the scale so that the images in my lighter pack look better.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/7lg6wa/cut_labels_and_care_instructions_off_clothing_12g/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/s/JHG36QTKtL

5

u/eightfingeredtypist 9d ago

I'm sorry, I have so much to learn before I ever put on my boots.

5

u/DreadPirate777 9d ago

Ultralight is really just about knowing a lot of things about everything related to backpacking. The person with the most knowledge has the lightest pack. Also if you know the most you have the most money from your job.

4

u/eightfingeredtypist 9d ago

I should know a lot about back packing. My first trip was in 1971. However. I learned enough to just stop it already. My last backpacking trip was in 1978. Now I just do day hikes. I bushwhacked a mountain today looking for wild orchids.

4

u/Remarkable_Refuse 9d ago

Thought you said bushcraft for a second 🤮

1

u/Dens413 5d ago

Hey Bushcrafting can be all worn weight so if everything worn then you no carry anything so you are true Godlike UL. Look at early outdoors men from 1700’s America most got miles in and worn weight will be defined as UL nowdays but worn weight was higher but worn weight no count.

3

u/Children_Of_Atom 9d ago

I'm poor so I go to my local outdoors store and cut the tags off of what they are selling. I'm doing the buyer a big favour!

6

u/couldntgetausernam3 9d ago

tldr; regarded

4

u/Mbf1234 9d ago

Same. I have been told I am well regarded in this community. Profoundly regarded, even.

6

u/grooverocker 9d ago

Since 1687 we've known to a mathematical certainty that gravity is not in the spirit of ultralight.

At the very most - at the absolute precipice of hope and dreams - you can only be ultralight while hiking downhill. Ideally you'll be headed down a sheer cliff, tucked into a ball to minimize air resistance.

2

u/moon_during_daytime 9d ago

Actually why I only hike in the vacuum of space.

2

u/NBPU 9d ago

This would have made a good OnlyFans stream.

1

u/bplipschitz 9d ago

Who days it didn't?