I think the "ultralight" obsession is actually making people's trips worse

I mean, I get wanting to save weight on a long hike, but I keep seeing folks out on the Appalachian Trail near Harper's Ferry with these tiny frameless packs that barely hold a liter of water. Last month I watched a guy drop $400 on a Dyneema shelter that ripped on its second night because he set it up wrong. Meanwhile my old Eureka tent that weighs 5 pounds has been through 30 storms and still works fine. People are sacrificing durability and comfort just to shave off a few ounces, and then they end up cold or wet or broken gear. Has anyone else noticed this trend going too far?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason95818d ago

Riley nailed it. I've literally seen a guy filter water from a muddy stream into a Smartwater bottle on a hot day because his frameless pack had no room for more than a single liter capacity. He was trying to save weight by carrying less water, which is exactly how you get heat exhaustion or worse. Then you got the folks with those thin foam sleeping pads that cost a hundred bucks but offer zero insulation from the cold ground. They shiver all night to save four ounces but then can't hike the next day because they're wrecked. It's like they're optimizing for the gear spreadsheet instead of optimizing for actually being out there having a good time.

riley86018d ago

A frameless pack holding barely a liter of water? That's insane, they must be rationing sweat.