Is ultralight actually more expensive than other types of backpacking?
The gear is absolutely more expensive, from the pack to tent/hammock to stove to everything else.
It’s a never ending game of compromise and expense.
It depends how you do it. Ultralight gear is definitely more expensive because the designers use more expensive materials and really sweat the details. It’s also a lower-volume niche market than traditional camping/hiking gear.
Though you can also lighten up by just carrying less. This grandma thru-hiked the AT multiple times with little more than a shower curtain, blanket, bag of food, and sneakers.
Generally, yes, often an order of magnitude more expensive. A 4 pound tent you can probably get for a few bucks at a yard sale, but a 1 pound tent is probably $500. Walmart probably has 4-5 pound backpacks for $50, but a 1 pound backpack is going to be like $200-300.
That being said, a lot of it is mentality. Carrying lighter food, not carrying too much water, not bringing extra clothes.
Also, it’s totally possible to make your own ultralight gear for a big discount. I got into sewing and have made several decent 1.8 pound 50L packs for only about $80 a pop. Check out https://learnmyog.com/
I think it depends on the choices you make. For each expensive option there is usually a decent cheap option. Most people associate ultralight with over-engineered DCF and carbon fiber tents that cost $1000, but a sub-$100 tarp can work as well.
OTOH a Harbor Freight vinyl tarp is about $5 but will add several ounces vs a silnylon tarp.
I’d say gear is more expensive, often much more expensive. But UL often means less gear, so I guess that should be considered too. What I means is that you don’t need to buy a whole Triangia kitchen - just a burner, you don’t need a whole wardrobe of clothes - just the bare essential, etc.
For me ultralight became a compromise of cost and enjoyment. I have a pretty small frame a slight shoulder injury. A lighter pack isnt as painful and much easier for me to balance. My first trip I had over 1/3 of my body weight on my back and that certainly took its toll and took away from the experience I wanted.
As much as ultralight gear is expensive, I do find its quality to be pretty good. Taking care of your ultralight equipment will often lead to a lifetime of service.
Agreed, and glad to hear ultralight helped you enjoy your trips more. What resources did you find helpful in lightening up?
I lurked the ultralight subreddit to help me with mindset and brands to look for. My first trip i had like 2 or 3 knives, a saw and a hatchet but didnt even have a fire. My best resource was buying my own scale and weighing all my gear and putting it into a spreadsheet. Then i could plan trips and get a good idea for weight just using the spread sheet to add up my estimated weight.
Yes, I would say it generally costs more. But it doesn’t have to.
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.
well said. got a lighterpack handy? :)
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
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.
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?
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.
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!
