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i cut my hair before i go...does that count?
I find that UL is more of a mindset than a gear list. Aside from the big 3, UL doesn't have to be expensive.
This book and a good freind are what got me started on the UL bandwagon, and now I'm really happy.
To me, my pack weight isn't why I go backpacking, but a low pack weight allows me to go farther faster, which is always nice. I think the trick is to find the balance between UL and comfort. If I'm uncomfortable, I don't care how light my pack is.
Plus it seems to make little sense to obsess over the grams of all of my gear and then load up 10 pounds of camera stuff.
I go as light as I can to try and make up for the heavy camera gear.
Exactly.
For example, a 1L Nalgene style bottle weighs 6.2 oz. That's 1/3lb. May not sound like much, a 1L coke bottle weighs 1.2 oz (and is way cheaper). You could carry 5 empty 1L coke bottles and still weigh less than a Nalgene. Being able to shave 5 oz for $0.99 is pretty good. Do that 10 more times, and you've shaved 3 lbs off for $10. Not bad.
Once I realized that 16 oz = 1 lb, I started finding ways to cut the ounces and that led to significant weight savings. My first UL attempt took my pack from 42 lbs to 18 lbs for an overnighter. Now I'm down to 7.5 lbs for an overnighter. Definitely a game-changer for me.
I could go lighter, but I would sacrifice more comfort than I'm willing.
I think just my pack and sleeping bag is already over 7.5 pounds.
that's how I usually end up.
Every year I'm lighten up my gear a bit but I will never be able to hike UL as I like to have a tent and some other nice amenities