Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Define Ultra Light

For quite a while I have been thinking that I have been carrying an ultralight backpacking kit. My base weight pack weighs about 20# without any food or water, but with everything else. However, the more that I think of it, I'm really carrying a lightweight backpack, not ultralight. Here's my logic. I carry everything that I need in my pack. It's as lightweight as I can find and my light weight gear is not cheap. But I don't leave anything out. It seems to me that I have to start leaving things out in order to consider my backpack "ultralight". For instance I could leave the tent and just use a tarp. I could leave out the canister stove & fuel, then just cook over a campfire like I use to when I was a kid. Or I could forget cooking all together and just eat no-cook snacks. The only thing that I carry that I don't expect to use is a first aid kit. I could strip that down some, but I wouldn't want to leave it out all together.

That base weight does not include any gear for hunting or fishing or climbing. That would all be extra.

How about you guys. Do you consider your backpack lightweight or ultra light?

Typically 30# with food and 2L of water is the ultralight cutoff. I wouldn’t worry too much about 30# vs. 35# unless you are planning the AT/CDT/PCT where those 5# will add up over weeks.

Not sure where the lightweight cut off is. Think that depends on where you look. I just did a trip with some new lighter gear that kept me to around 24 lbs for three nights. Had a chair , coffee press and shoes for numerous water crossings in the mix. I had a puffy , 20 degree quilt and thinner base layer for 30 degree nights. I don't see myself going any lighter at least for quite awhile. I paid a lot to get this light and ain't putting out any more money for awhile. I won't even consider going stove less meal route, cold soak ain't gonna happen. Upgrading the big three ( pack, sleep system and shelter cut a lot of weight for me.

It can be carried by 1 llama without blowing out his legs.

Llamas make the pack weight irrelevant. But are they a lot of work to maintain when not packing in? I suppose that you have to have a few acres for corrals, stock shed, etc.

Got an extra llama for an Internet buddy?

I've raised a lot of different animals over the years and llamas are the easiest of the bunch to care for. Certainly much easier than horses...but you can't ride one.

I think ultralight is when you don't bring real coffee creamer and settle for the powdered stuff. Pack light beer in cans instead of bottles, etc. Serious stuff for serious backpackers only.

Its a bit like rifles. An ultralight rifle years ago was maybe 7lbs including scope. Now with lightweight materials and designs its probably 6lbs including scope. So what is "light" now, was considered "ultralight" years ago.

I consider ultralight as getting it done with a high degree of discomfort. I think lightweight adds enough comfort in a very managed way to make a light load more enjoyable ie ltwt tent vs tarp, a little extra food and indulgences, a full toothbrush instead of one with the handle cut off, etc. I also think ultra light can be closer to dangerous depending on terrain/weather/season. Ultralight seems to work better closer to summer, whereas lightweight is more important the colder/wetter the weather.

Screw it. I've been on enough uncomfortable trips in my life to fulfill my greatest desire for pain. I'm old enough now to want a bit of padding under me and a good cup of coffee in the morning.

Pointless


Pretty simple.

Carry what you need. If it is 40 or 50lbs, I doubt it will make or break you.

I'm not sure what Ultralight weight is. Last weekend I went for 2 days with a 28lb pack including 40 oz water. I could probably get to 26-27 lbs but why? I have everything I need and am comfortable. I can also cover ground at 2-3 mph at that weight depending on slope gradient. I really don't think saving a couple extra pounds is going to make me faster or able to hike farther.

I think this is an excellent take - how light do you need to go to make 2-3mph given all the variables that hunters contend with. Myself, I say 30lbs fully kitted minus rifle gets me nearly anywhere except extreme cold (where extra layers are involved) it’s taken me 30 years to leave stuff behind that I ‘might’ need but never do. That knowledge, for me, and a Kifaru UL 3500 & a Rem 700 Ti .270 allows me to tackle almost anything at. 2-3mph.

Honestly though - under 35lbs sh*t get super personal & nobody can crack the code other than you. It’s all about trade offs for me. I know what ‘I’ need but certainly would never tell someone else what ‘they’ need.

Jackson Handy:

You must be a young man. I use to have the same attitude. But I hope that I have gotten a little smarter as I have gotten older. Maybe. Maybe not.

I’m not in the ultra lightweight group as I tend to carry a few extra luxuries usually.
What I have found to be a good help when trying to reduce pack weight is to make a list of everything you take in your pack and weigh them all. Then you can see where it’s easiest to eliminate some weight.

I think jh is exactly right. If all goes as planned you will be adding 100+ lbs. 10 lbs on your pack in aint gonna matter. If it does, guess what? You always have the option to do it twice. Gotta love options.

I used to work with a guy who almost made weight reduction a religion. He literally did cut off his toothbrush handle to cut weight. He wasn't a hunter, just a hiker. If he hunted, he would probably go to the smallest legal gun just to cut cartridge weight.

Bill:

I think that we are in the same situation. When I add a couple quarts of water (4 lbs) and food for 3 days (3 lbs) them my pack probably weighs about the same as yours. Neither of us have made any real sacrifices to save weight. We both have spent the $$ to get good lightweight gear and we are carrying a light weight pack, but not ultralite.

The fact is, you need what you need.

You have two options. Spend a ton of money for lightweight stuff and lose everything that is not a must have, and be miserable. Or you can spend a ton of money on lightweight gear, take some comfort items, be 5-10lbs heavier....and not miserable.

Do whichever you like...

I think for some of us that are older the lightweight class is a good place to be. Yes the dollars will be spent to get there but sub 30 lbs for 3 nights is a good place to be.
My first trip out west for elk I was packing 60 lbs. I never did that again. I got it down to around 37 pounds with 5 days of food a few trips after that. My sub 25 lb pack weight now a days are non hunting trips.