To some, it's kind of like running marathons. They aren't out to see the country but rather to push themselves to their personal limit. Some of the ultralight crowd are that way. They want to see how far they can go on the minimum weight. The potential problems are when they hit that limit a long ways from the road.

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.