For example, ultralight tents are expensive, so I embraced tarp life. My tarp and bivy are lighter than most UL tents and cost hundreds of dollars less.

My individual pieces of clothing cost more, but adopting an ultralight approach means I don't carry needless extras, so I don't buy as many clothes in the first place.

UL stoves can cost a lot, but the BRS stove or an alcohol stove are cheap and weigh less. Eating cold food is even lighter.

You get the idea. It costs exactly what you spend on it. It can be done affordabley if you are strict about what you are carrying and strategic with purchases. Leaving unneeded items at home will have a bigger impact on your base weight than any $700 tent.

[–] miles@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

well said. got a lighterpack handy? :)

[–] Joe_Moose@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I still owe you a lighterpack and I've been slow about getting around to it. I pulled out all my stuff in preparation for an upcoming trip and weighed it.

It's not down to ultralight weights, but it's not far off if you drop the luxury items and some extra clothes. I'm debating switching to a smaller pack. I've carried all this same kit in a Cotopaxi 20L climbing pack that weighs about 10 oz less. The gorilla is more comfortable though, especially if it's dry and I have to carry more water.

Here's the WIP on the current pack. https://lighterpack.com/r/7okvil

Edit: Here's a version without the unnecessary extras. It comes in at just over 9lbs base weight. Depending on the weather I would need to switch back to a real rain jacket. This is what I carried on a 3 day skateboard trip last year. https://lighterpack.com/r/j7iwjy

[–] Joe_Moose@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I did at one point. Let me see if I can track it down. Fair warning, part of my UL motivation is saving weight for luxuries like a kindle and deodorant.

We had a baby in March so I haven't been on a trip since last fall. Hoping to do a few more sections of the MST this September.

[–] miles@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This one is a good start, I'd be interested in seeing the updated one. I'm best in the northeastern US and have considered learning hammocking but am somewhat intimidated. Any good resources you know on getting started?

[–] Joe_Moose@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I found a lot of good resources on the UL hammocking subreddit. It can be a little tough to sort through because a lot of hamockers are not focused on weight.

I would avoid the "cloud" material I bought from dutchware. Mine never broke, but a lot of others have. They revised the weight limit downwards after I had bought mine, and now I don't trust it. If I could make that choice again I would choose the next level of durability.

You can get a hammock set up to be pretty light, but no matter what you do it will be heavier than an equivalent investment in ground equipment. After trying it for a while I decided I wasn't really sleeping any better, so I might as well get back on the ground and be lighter. My wife is still team hammock though.

I will say that nothing beats a hammock in the rain. The ground is so wet and cold, but the hammock is cozy.

[–] miles@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Thanks for the response, some food for thought. I'm a bit worried about all the complexity needed to get it just right and then, yeah, maybe it doesn't work as well. It seems ideal for the woods but maybe not worth it. I'll have to think some more, thanks!