r/Ultralight

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Keinspeck on 2024-09-13 14:47:35+00:00.

About to head off on a 12 day backpacking trip on which I expect to be on the trail from sunrise to sunset, or close enough.

How do you manage your flysheet when on a trip like this? Pack it up in the morning and forget about it until setting up camp that night? Or lay it out during a midday stop if the weather's dry?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Sonia_chips on 2024-09-14 01:12:09+00:00.

I recently did a 65 mile trip in the Grand Canyon Tuolumne/PCT. The night it dropped to 32 degrees, I was freezing. I was testing a quilt (Kataic Sawatch 15 degree regular width, short length, 900 fill) on my 25 inch Nemo Tensor Insulated Pad (R4.2) and had very thin foam pad underneath. The quilt width can be annoying when I had my knees pulled up to my chest (because I was freezing), the collar also let in quite a draft. I was wearing a sun hoodie, fleece and a Tincup Katabatic, Activator 3.0 pants from REI, beanie and socks. I was wearing all the clothes I brought, as I was trying to pack ultralight

In colder weather, when car camping, I usually put two 15 degree sleeping bags inside each other and stay warm that way with a hot Nalgene. 

• Hike and byke antero 15F - comfort 30F, survival 15F (2.2lbs)
• Big Agnes Hazel SL 15 - comfort ~25F (2.6 lbs)

I have always run very cold, yet I’m not sure how to approach ultralight backpacking without adding more weight for a heavier sleeping bag or quilt. Any suggestions?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/RightCalligrapher942 on 2024-09-12 11:44:26+00:00.

After much thinking I decided to buy a Pajak radical 12z as my winter sleeping bag, and given that there is so little information about it online I decided to make a post here so everybody interested can have a look. I´ll try to go to the point and don´t write too much, if there are questions or comment´s I´ll answer or add more info if needed.

To begin with I have to say that this was a very odd sleeping bag to me; according to data it weighs 1.300 gr has 880 gr of 900 fp polish down, has a IRR layer that reflects body heat, has a wide cut and a weird looking hood. It´s a direct competitor to the WM kodiak, but more expensive (940 euro) and oddly the temp ratings wer worse. -7ºC comfort -14 limit vs -10 comfort -14 limit for the kodiak. Note that WM uses an older UN method to rate their bags than pajak, but who knows wether that affects or not, apparently not.

I will upload photos comparing to toher sleeping bags (WM alpinlite and cumulus panyam) so that people can have a reference, but they are not direct competitors. Take in mind the panyam in photos has pertex shield on the outside (heavier) is size S (up to 176 cm person) and it´s overfilled up to 635 gr of down. WM is 6 foot or 180 cm version

MEASUREMENTS

This is a big bag, according to my measurements it´s wider on the outside that the alpinlite which is also wider than the panyam, so it´s a very wide bag. The biggest difference IMO is that it tappers down slower and into a bigger footbox, so if you sleep on your stomach or sideways you can spread yor legs better.

To measure it in the inside I inflated a ballon until it was not possible to close the zipper tried several times for each bag on the chest and on the feet area. This is what I got.

Circumference in chest:

Pajak: 175cm

WM alpinlite: 164.5 cm

Cumulus panyam 600: 160 cm

Circumference feet

Pajak: 108cm

WM alpinlite: 102 cm

Cumulus panyam 600: 95 cm

Neither of them feel constrictive of narrow. To give you a refence I feel like Cumulus Lite Line 300 IS narrow. Pajak is a palace, the hood is impressive, as good as WM or better (more later) Foot box on the cumulus is the best one, followed by pajak and then WM, although neither is bad or even good, all are excelent but cumulus footbox just feels better for whatever reason while cumulus hood is the worse of the trio.

Pics for you to see about measurements here

LOFT

That´s where we are here for no? I will say very little and will urge you to look at the pics, where there is also a table with the loft of each bag at different places of the bag. To measure this I used a laser leveling too, measured height to the floor, and then measured from the laser to the bag. Sustraction of both measurements gives me actual loft without compressin anything. Conditions of measurements where at 70% ambient humidity so not perfect.

To sum up average loft on pajak is 23.25 cm (9.15 in) wm alpinlite is 15.75 cm (6.2 in) and cumulus is 15.5 cm (6.1 in)

Loft is impressive, it´s somewhere between a kodiak and a puma, closer to the puma, which is really surprising, and imo makes lees understandable the relatively bad temp rating of the bag.

Pics here, the toaks you see in some of the pics is a 550ml one

ABOUT THE BAG ITSELF

What do I think about it? I think it´s a wide bag, with excelent loft and probably very nice behaviour although i´m yet to test it. Details I´d like to highlight:

Fabric is Toray Airtastic, very breathable and very light, but on the hood and feet it has a stronger and semiwaterproof fabric to deal better with moisture. (darker fabric in photos)

It has a lot of places to hang it from, on the feet, on the side, on the inside... nice feature for the mornings (see photos)

It has a big pocket for storing things inside it. It can fit no problem a couple of smartphones (Sony xperia V in photo)

It has no velcro (aleluya) just a clip button (don´t know the name of it in english) this solves several problems, velcro freezes in very intense cold, making it useless sometimes, velcro can stick to your face, your hair, and your expensive merino clothing, I don´t like velcro. This is a very nice feature to my eyes.

The zipper works better than that on the alpinlite, no kidding, and I never thought I would say sth like this, it opens just by pulling from both sides of the zipper, you don´t need to grab the puller itself, this makes it easier to open. There is a video on the following link showing it.

The zipper has double baffling system, like WM does on the puma, byson and so on.

Baffling of the neck, not the same as WM, but look at the pics, it´s by no means far away.

Hood is weird looking, but once you are inside the bag, and you close the zippers, the end of the hood (the opening) is quite far away from your nose, which gives a very good sense of protection, also the baffle around the opening has synthetic insulation to deal better with moisture from breathing, nice touch. The hood is huge, I´d say even too big it´s designed so that the opening sits around your mouth and your eyes sit behind the insulation, but even when cinched there is a lot of room in the hood, maybe is a good place to put some clothing or they designed it thinking on using a pillow. I´m not sure about this, but hood is big big. I will comment on this on a review after the winter.

And that´s it, I´d say you should look at the pics there are a lot of pics, the video using the zipper and detail pics trying to show the reflective layer which is behind the inner fabric in an effort to sepparate that layer from direct contact with the body (I think)

All in all this has been one of those purchases that I was not very sure because of the price but after looking at the product, all the details it has are aligned with my preference, and the bag has surpassed my expectations, although is very expensive I´d say it´s as well made as WM, materials are top notch, and some details of design like hood, zipper and lack of velcro are a bit better resolved than on WM or cumulus. The same small difference that can be between cumulus and WM you can find it between WM and pajak in terms of comfort, all of them are little touches and details that in the end add up in the perceived quality of the product and of course the price. Now let the snow and low temps come to me so I can test it properly

Pics here

P.d. I have yet tu test it, but given what you are seeing, do you believe that this bag is not at least as warm as a kodiak? It´s a pitty I donñt have acces to one so I can compare them.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/zerisess on 2024-09-11 22:56:32+00:00.

Hi everyone,

I’m interested in the Super Ultralight collection, particularly the Super Ultralight 600. I already own one of their sleeping bags and love it. I’m curious about the durability of the Super Ultralight 600. Has anyone had experience with it? Any insights would be appreciated!

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/ekthc on 2024-09-10 22:47:28+00:00.

Four ultralight jerks walk into a canyon...

Where: Box Death Hollow Wilderness

When: 05.25.24 – 05.27.24

Distance: ~35 Miles (6,547' AEG)

Conditions: Overcast on the first day then clear and sunny for the remainder of the trip. I can’t remember the exact temperatures, but the nights were cool and the days were hot.

CalTopo: Link

Saturday May 25th, 2024 Pics

After a relaxed morning in Escalante, we headed up Hell’s Backbone Road, eventually parking near the Wilderness sign at an elevation just over 9,000 feet. The temperature was mild, and the sky was slightly cloudy, making for pleasant hiking conditions.

This section of the trip is more of a route than a trail, and without a specific GPX track to follow, we started by walking back down the road until we found a break in the aspen trees where we could descend. We bushwhacked our way down a gully until it merged with a larger drainage, which we followed for about three-quarters of a mile into the main canyon. The thick vegetation gradually gave way to dry wash walking, and for the next 3.5 miles, we followed the creek bed deeper into the canyon. As we descended in elevation, the forest began to thin, and we caught our first glimpse of just how vast the upper reaches of Box Death Hollow are—quite a contrast to the narrow canyon walls we’d encounter later in the trip.

At around mile 4.25, we left the creek bed and set a roughly southbound course across what looked like a grassy field dotted with sparse pine trees. We were hoping for a few miles of easy walking but instead encountered hidden patches of small barrel cactus tucked among the grass. Our trail runners didn’t stand a chance against the occasional stab of cactus spines. After about a mile and a half of this prickly navigation, we gratefully dropped back into another creek bed to continue our journey down the canyon.

Around mile 8.5, we found our first water source, the notorious Brown Streak. This marked the transition zone where trees became fewer, and the canyon walls began to close in. While we stopped to snack and filter water, the weather started to turn—the wind picked up, and light rain began to fall. With shelter nearby, we hunkered down under a rock shelf, eventually deciding to make camp rather than risk entering the narrow section of the canyon with rain actively falling. Out of caution, we found high ground about 100 feet above the canyon floor and set up camp on a broad sandstone bench. As the rain cleared, we were rewarded with a stunning evening, and all four of us opted to cowboy camp under the stars, making it one of my favorite campsites of all time.

Sunday May 26th, 2024 Pics

Our longest day of the weekend started just after 7:00 AM as we descended from our sandstone bench and continued down the canyon. The walls quickly closed in, and less than a mile from camp, we encountered our first obstacle—a boulder jam with a significant drop on the downstream side. Rather than risk a sketchy downclimb, we scrambled about 20 feet up to bypass the jam, then continued downstream while searching for a safe spot to re-enter the creek bed.

The next couple of miles were a mix of dry sand and cobblestone hiking, small boulder problems, and some unnecessary stemming. Before long, we began to notice a repeating pattern: boulder jams followed by pools of water. Each time, we’d climb down the boulders and, depending on the size of the pool, either wade through or float across on our $5 Target tubes. Though the towering canyon walls kept every pool shaded and frigid, the sun was high and the skies clear, giving us plenty of chances to warm up as we hiked from one pool to the next at the canyon’s base.

About three miles in, we reached the confluence with Death Hollow’s Right Fork. Following a cairned detour, we climbed up and over the ridge to avoid a large downclimb above a pool of unknown depth. From this point, the canyon widened, and the walls soared higher, with striking layers of white, orange, and red stone towering above us. The hiking became more relaxed, and the pools widened, making for easier and more casual crossings. We passed Moonshadow Canyon, a spot where the four of us had spent two nights during a trip two years earlier, before continuing downstream toward the Boulder Mail Trail.

Throughout the day, we had the luxury of plentiful water, but we were now approaching the final 15-16 miles of the trip, knowing it would be completely dry. Each of us filtered 5-6 liters of water and began the roughly 800-foot climb out of the canyon, ascending onto the Slickrock Saddle Bench. Along this stretch, we encountered the only two people we would see on the entire trip.

We followed the Boulder Mail Trail for about half a mile before turning north, carefully navigating through the cryptobiotic soil as we aimed to finish the day after roughly 15 miles. We made camp on a small hilltop at around 6,700 feet, dotted with pinyon pines. As we settled in under the stars, we were surprised to hear faint music coming from the east, likely from someone car camping off Hell’s Backbone Road.

Monday May 27th, 2024 Pics

The last day of the trip was a stark contrast to the previous two. We traded the steep, walled-in descents for wide, open climbs as we made our way up the Slickrock Saddle Bench. After a simple breakfast of bars and whiskey, we descended from our small knoll and set out toward the base of the day’s first climb. It began in earnest around 7,000 feet, peaking nearly two miles later at 7,933 feet. As we contoured along the ridge on the eastern edge of Box Death Hollow, we followed the high point between it and Sand Creek to the east. About an hour later, while snacking in the shade of a giant pinyon, I found my first arrowhead. After taking a few pictures and videos and placed it back in the sand.

At around 4.5 miles in, we reached the narrowest point between the two canyons—a sheer sandstone drop to the west and a gradual slope to the east. Within another mile, we were back above 8,000 feet, leaving the sandstone behind as we entered the ponderosa forest for the remainder of the trip. We skirted the high points of this stretch, heading north in search of Hell’s Backbone Road. Despite our exhaustion, the easy hiking on occasional game and use trails allowed us to cruise through this section.

The final stretch of the trip began just over 8 miles into the day when we reached Hell’s Backbone Road. The only thing standing between us and a well-deserved beer back at the car was 3.5 miles of road walking with roughly 1,000 feet of elevation gain. After 30 miles of spectacular wilderness, this part was a bit of a slog, but crossing Hell’s Backbone Bridge on foot gave us a reason to pause, read the signs, and take in the old construction under the current bridge.

In Conclusion

This was a really badass hike. Challenging enough to keep things interesting without ever becoming frustrating. The route-finding required just the right amount of effort, and the physical challenge was rewarding without being overly brutal. On top of that, the weather was perfect.

Steve Allen’s Canyoneering 3 was a great resource for planning this hike.

The first time I backpacked in Death Hollow, we entered via the Boulder Mail Trail, hiked upstream to Moonshadow Canyon for a day, then headed downstream to the UT-12 bridge over the following two days. On a personal note, it felt great to connect these two trips by starting from the top of Box Death Hollow and hiking down.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/mfdigiro on 2024-09-11 13:15:07+00:00.

My summer base weight (Northeastern US primarily) is 13.5 lbs which includes a heavy 5.5lb pack with a beefy suspension (Arcteryx Bora 65). I like my pack (thru hiked the AT with it in 2005 but the load was a lot heavier back then), but it’s one of the last things that I have that isn’t UL. If I buy an UL frameless pack, I could easily get my base weight down under 10, maybe even under 9 lbs. My question… am I really going to notice much difference with 4 less lbs in a frameless pack versus 4 more pounds in a pack with a beefy suspension?

Here is a link to my lighterpack for details on what I’m carrying.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/prettyinpinkish on 2024-09-11 00:33:28+00:00.

I don't know how cohesive I will manage to be, but hopefuly this makes sense.

The crux of my question is this: Is it a bad idea for me to aim for ultralight right from the beginning?

I've recently been getting interested in backpacking, but I'm essentially a beginner (I've done some group camping - canoe and car -and the occassional day hike).

Based on my general preferences in how I live my day to day life, and just generally knowing myself, I know I'd like to be UL. But in my research i've been doing, I have seen many a person say that the best way to drop weight is to gain knowledge - the more you know, the less you need. As a beginner, I don't have a lot of this - even in my canoe camping trips, I have borrowed gear and leaned a lot on the knowledge of those who went with me.

I'm looking at buying gear slowly (that I can ideally also use for camping), and I hate the idea of buying something knowing full well that I will replace it with something else later, but I am also wary of tossing myself in the deep end when I don't have the skills and experience to back it up. What would be 'stupid light' for me is naturally going to be a lot heavier than it would be for someone who knows a lot better what they are doing. I'm not expecting myself to hit 10lb base weight right from the start, but would it be safer to start not even aiming for UL? Or am I just overthinking this?

Safety first, but like...let's not pack my fears if I don't have to (yeah, I've been lurking in this sub for a bit, can you tell 😝)

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Dewthedru on 2024-09-09 19:57:56+00:00.

(Tried to Xpost from /JMT but couldn't for some reason)

I posted a couple of months ago asking for some help with my packlist. We ended up taking 23 days going NOBO. The weather was perfect and it was everything my wife and I dreamed it would be.

Mileage

My Garmin recorded 277 miles included the extra few days ahead of the Whitney summit. I know there I should expect a bit of a variance between the FarOut listed distances and what my watch recorded but there was almost always a big discrepancy between the two, sometimes as much as a mile or more per day. Elevation was even worse. The watch seemed to sync with the FarOut app but my total elevation gain per the watch was 88k vs the reported total of about 47k for the trail. I'm guessing the difference is because the reported total doesn't include all the little ups and down but the watch did.

Equipment

I took some of the advice that you gave regarding my pack list and was mostly happy with my choices.

• Camp shoes: I had super light water shoes and wished I had brought somethin sturdier but with less cloth/covering. They were lovely to slip on but when I walked on rocks or around the sites, they were so thin that the rocks hurt my feet. I'll sacrifice a few grams next time to keep this from happening. Additionally, because they were essentially slippers, when they got wet in the evening (swimming, washing clothes, etc.), they kept my feet wet and were freezing. Next time it's either no camp shoes or sacrifice a few grams and get something with a real sole.
• Chair: Simply put, I didn't need it. I should have listened to you and just used my bear can or rocks. I really appreciated it when I did use it but I could have easily done without it.
• Camp Shirt: You were right. Shouldn't have included it. It's so dry out there that my hiking shirt dried out very quickly and / or I just threw on a jacket. Could have saved a few ounces here.
• Sun Shirt: My Patagonia sun hoodie was the MVP of the trip. Other than having to cut thumb holes in it to protect my hands from the sun, I could not have been happier with it. Dried quickly, extremely breathable and lightweight, comfy, etc.
• MH Airmesh long-sleeve shirt: I hate to say it but it gets a meh from me. Very lightweight and worked well for a sleep shirt but as a warmish layer when it wasn't cold enough for a down jacket, it failed a bit imho. i wish i had opted for something like a Patagonia R1 hoodie because of the hood. i didn't hate it but it didn't really add much value for the space, weight, and $ it took up.
• Stove: I purchased a Soto Windmaster ahead of the trip after deciding the BRS probably wasn't a great idea. This was a great decision. The Windmaster was fantastic. In fact, it was so much more efficient than my wife's Kovea Supalite that we just ended up using mine to save fuel and boil water faster.
• Water filter: I brought a Sawyer and my wife had the Katadyn. We used the Katadyn almost exclusively because it was so convenient and flowed much quicker. In fact, in a fit of madness, I threw away my Sawyer at VVR because I was sick of dealing with the gasket that I first lost (had thankfully packed a spare), and then had to deal with getting dislodged and twisted between the bottles. Next time, it's just a Katadyn and/or drops
• Food: The amount of food we packed was nearly perfect. We were able to pack 7-8 days of food into our Bearikade Weekenders without much problem. We had to grab a day's worth of food at MTR because we had an unscheduled nero and ran out but other than that, the planning was great. We used basically 100% of what we packed and with the exception of the few Mtn House Breakfast Scrambles that I packed (and will probably never eat again), never got sick of any of it. We were glad we purposefully packed a mix of purchased and homemade meals and tried to never repeat anything (except for the meals we knew we loved) during the same resupply week. Our dinner favorite was the OG, Skurka rice and beans. Lunch favorite of mine was something I found here on Reddit...a tortilla with teriyaki jerky, peanut butter, and sriracha sauce. So good! Breakfast favorite was instant grits with dried onions, peppers, and shelf stable bacon.
• Packs: I have a Superior Wilderness Designs Long Haul 50 and my wife has a ULA Circuit. Both carried our pack weight of 32ish pounds (at the very heaviest including 2.5 liters of waters and 7 days of food) with zero issues. Very happy with the choices we made and have no reason to look elsewhere when they wear out.
• Resupplies: Got a resupply from Sierra Pack Trains which met us at the Kearsarge Lakes / Charlotte Lake trail junction. It was pricey but imho, worth it to save the time and effort to hike out to Onion Valley. The only caveat with this option is that they...aren't very easy to communicate with which led to some stress ahead of the trip. The actual exchange was flawless and we loved being able to send all our trash back with them. Our other resupply was at VVR which was heaven on earth. We caught the 9:30 AM "ferry" ride over, stayed in one of their rooms, and came back out at 4:30 the next afternoon. Somehow blew through $500 (Ferry, food, resupply, snacks, etc.) while there but it was well worth it. Fantastic folks.
• Power: I bought a small solar panel because we'd be going essentially 10 days before our first chance to charge at MTR. The single panel kept our devices fully charged. It really helped that the sun is at your back for much of the hiking day when going NOBO. The only issue is that our Garmin watches wouldn't charge off the Nitecore NL2150RX I used because it didn't have a low power mode (or whatever it's called.) We instead had to use my wife's Nitecore NB10k which meant I had to juggle the batteries I charged with the panel. Should have just used the NB10k and skipped the other battery but we weren't super confident in the plan to use both solar and charging at MTR/VVR/RM. At any rate, the solar panel was *chef's kiss*.

Health

• Sleep: I slept like absolute shit. I used a NeoAir Xlite NXT which I think is comfortable but most nights I woke up at 2-4AM with terrible upper back pain which spread to my chest because I was holding my breath. I don't know if it was a pack adjustment problem which manifested at night, my body, or the pad. I tried fully inflated, partially inflated, elevated legs, everything....nothing worked. I'd wake up and just have to sit up and stretch to be able to breath comfortably get out of the pain I was in.
• Feet: I had ZERO blister or feet problems and I attribute this to wearing Injinji toe socks under my thin hiking socks and somewhat religiously using Trail Toes on my feet at night, especially if I developed any hot spots. I also made sure to keep my feet somewhat clean and free of anything that would cause friction between my toes. My feet had the normal amount of soreness but I'm so thankful I never had to deal with the pain I've seen others endure.
• Altitude: We took Diamox the first few days until we got past Forester Pass. Never noticed any ill effects due to the altitude. Not sure if the meds helped or not but I was pretty happy with the results.
• Fitness: I'm a 50yo man that lives in the Midwest and was fairly worried about this trip. We didn't have a chance to train on any real hills with altitude but we put in a lot of 5-10 mile hikes/walks per week in the months leading up to the trip. Some loaded, some not. IMHO this made a massive difference as our back, hips, feet, etc. were at least used to the motion and distance. Additionally, the time we put into reducing out pack weight through careful consideration of every single item and making a decent amount of our own food paid huge dividends. I never felt like the pack was killing me and felt bad for many I saw lugging their monstrosities up the passes.

Summary

What an amazing opportunity and experience. I really appreciate all the advice I found here FB. While I didn't use it all, or exactly follow my itinerary, I was very happy that I had at least considered all scenarios and equipment options.

If you have the chance to make the trip, do it. I can't say that I'm a different person that I was before or I had some big epiphany whilst on the trail but I can say that nothing I've ever done has given me the same sense of awe and wonder I experienced, especially in the southern portion of the trail!

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/dogpownd on 2024-09-09 16:41:39+00:00.

Hi all, I spent several months going back and forth about getting a quilt and what would work the best for me. I'm 5'4" 135lb female who sleeps like a windmill in a hurricane. I wanted the option for an open toe box because I really like to be able to get my feet out, I feel really claustraphobic otherwise.

After much internal debate, I went with an El Coyote 20 degree quilt. I picked El Coyote because I felt it was a good deal pricewise for 900 fill with 30% overstuff standard. I pair it with a NeoAir Xlite and a silk liner that I don't always use.

With my height and being a side/stomach sleeper, I was caught a bit between sizes. The short fits up to 5'6". I reached out to Brian at El Coyote for advise. While we recommened going with the regular, after much measuring and configuring, I went with the short, seeing how I'd have room, even on my stomach with my toes pointed.

I took the quilt out on a 9 day trip around the Wonderland Trail. The first night it started hailing right as we set up camp. Temps over night dropped into the mid 30s overnight. This allowed me to try all the features of the quilt.

• Pad straps: the quilt comes with 1 strap to go around the pad. It's color coded so you get it on correctly. There's an option for an additional strap as well and extra wide if you're using a wide pad. I used the pad strap almost every night, even if the quild was open.
• Body strap: while the quilt has a strap to go around your pad, it also had one to go around your body. I thought this might be annoying but it wasn't, I didn't even notice. It does help keep the quilt snug around you. I only used it for the colder nights.
• Cinch top: there isn't a draft collar on the quilt, but there is a snap and the top and a cinch cord that is easily adjustable and I didn't notice it as I slept. It was easy to adjust while tucked in and kept cold air out or let a bit in.
• Cincnh footbox: the foot box has a zipper along the side and snaps. It also cinches shut tightly. The nights I had it fully closed, there was no draft coming through. I would sometimes use a silk liner and usually kept my hiking clothes (mostly my bra and socks which would be damp) stuff down there no problem.

The first night was the coldest by far. The rest of the trip temps varied from 40s to maybe about 60. With the options the quilt offers, fully open toe box, zipped but open bottom, flat, I was never uncomfortable. 20 degree seemed like a good option with the variaty of temps I encounter. Weighing it at just over 20 oz, it's pretty light and can stuff down into half an 8 liter stuff sack.

Turn around from El Coyote was less than a week and communication was great. I prefer to support smaller, USA companies when possible. With the options I chose, the quilt came to about $345. If you're looking for a quilt, I recommend taking a look at El Coyote. Looking forward to many more adventures.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Euphoric-Display4443 on 2024-09-06 12:45:16+00:00.

So I recently bought the NU25 UL but I am very underwhelmed. The lowest red/white lights are still very bright. It's annoying when stealth camping but also when there's people around. Ideally I would want 1lumen red/white light modes. Better for battery, too.

I was looking for one today but I can't seem to find any. I did bump into this one:

which could get clipped on to a head band but it's not easily found in Europe. Any alternatives? I'm fine with anything up to 100g but ideally max 80g.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/DavidWiese on 2024-09-05 18:21:21+00:00.

Where: Cooper Canyon Trail Camp - San Gabriel Mountains - Angeles National Forest

When: 8/31/24 - 9/1/24

Distance: 5.8 miles round trip

Conditions: High was 87, low was 55. No precip.

Who: Myself, wife, 2.5 year old toddler

Pictures: Here

Lighterpacks: Me, Wife, Toddler

Map:

Overview:

My wife and I had taken our toddler car camping several times, but were eager to try out an overnight backpacking trip. Opted to head out to Cooper Canyon Trail Camp for a low-consequence low-distance test run.

Toddler is mostly potty trained which helped a lot.

TL;DR - You have to carry a 2.5 year old (and their stuff) about 90% of the time.

The Trip:

To get to camp, you can take a wide, nicely-graded fire road, or walk along the PCT/SMT. We were optimistic that toddler would do a bit of hiking, so we went with the easier road. After a solid .15 miles however, toddler declared "too much walking" and we strapped them up onto the carrier.

• Lesson #1 - You will carry the toddler more than you think

The following 1.25 miles to camp were thus quick and uneventful.

Cooper Canyon was not badly impacted by the 2020 Bobcat Fire. The sites are all still beautifully shaded with flat areas to set up shelters. There are bear boxes and fire rings (check current fire restrictions before using). The stream was flowing really nicely even so late in the summer. There is even a pit toilet. Quite a luxurious back country trail camp.

We quickly set up the shelters in the fading light, had dinner, enjoyed a small campfire, then got some mediocre sleep.

• Lesson #2 - Need to put a softer/flat foam pad on top of the eggshell sleeping pad for toddler
• Lesson #3 - Need to put toddler in a sleeping bag to help prevent rolling around/off the pad while sleeping

We woke up with the sun and had a quick breakfast. Strapped the toddler on mom and some snacks/water on dad and hiked over to check out Cooper Canyon Falls. I hadn't been since 2018 or so, during some of CA's worst drought. But after the past several years of really wet winters, the waterfall was truly impressive.

We didn't want to scramble down to play in the pool with the kid strapped to us, which requires a loose and steep descent aided by ropes, so we enjoyed the views from up top for a bit before leaving. We stopped to play in some of the larger pools at the main creek crossing on the way back to camp.

Once we got to camp, we had second breakfast, and then packed up quickly. We knew it was just going to get hotter and the entire way out was uphill. This time, we put both packs on dad (front and back) because toddler would ultimately be napping on the hike back up.

It was sunny and exposed and we rested in the shade a few times on the way up.

We knew this trip would be a learning experience for us as we had to figure out how to backpack with the new family dynamic. Overall, it was a great success. We learned a few key things, and the kiddo had a great time (as did we).

Thoughts and Gear:

Honestly, we knew we'd be carrying the toddler quite a bit, but didn't realize how much it would ultimately be. We tried to split up the load with more of it in one pack, so that whoever was carrying the toddler would have a lighter carry. This worked ok on day one, as my wife's pack was lighter and she carried both the pack and the kid.

On day two, we had decided that she would just take the kid and I would carry both packs as it would make getting up and back to the car quicker.

Our gear is pretty dialed from years of UL backpacking. Even with all of the extra toddler specific stuff, our combined base weight was just shy of 21lb for this trip.

All of this stuff is detailed in the 3 lighterpack links but for clarity:

Wife and kid slept in the X-Mid Pro 2. She was on an XTherm and kid was on a Nemo Switchback. I think a GG Thinlight on top of the Switchback would have made them a lot more comfortable. They were also under a light blanket and then sharing my wife's quilt. A much better option is probably their own bag... would eliminate chances of cold drafts and also keep active sleepers in place much better.

I slept under my Zpacks 8.5x10 flat tarp.

Re: packs. We do own an Osprey Poco Plus child carrier pack. I love that thing for day hikes and training hikes, but it doesn't have a lot of storage for overnights. We PROBABLY could have made it work with some more planning, but that pack itself weighs nearly 8lb. It seemed far more practical to bring a ~1.5lb carrier for the kid and comfy packs with plenty of space.

Does a 31lb toddler count as worn weight? We did create them from ourselves after all...

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/xfilcamp on 2024-09-05 02:50:13+00:00.

I'd like to find an alternative to Altra. Too disappointed in them -- when I ask, they claim nothing has changed with the durability and shape of their shoes, but my experience says otherwise. Maybe my feet have changed. Newer Superiors (my favorite line from Altra) are noticeably less comfortable than, for example, the Superior 4. Newer Lone Peaks also feel a bit tighter than older versions, and I basically can never find 12.5 or 13 in wide.

Been wearing 0mm drop since 2016 so it's preferable but not necessary. 3-5mm drop is essentially unnoticeable. 8mm and above is more noticeable.

Lone Peak's 25mm stack height is around my maximum preferred; any more and it typically feels too 'disconnected' from the ground for me and doesn't feel as stable. The 21mm of Altra Superiors was preferable.

• Lems doesn't make a trail runner or lightweight hiking shoe in their widest fit. Maybe I could get away with the Primal Zen but the tread would probably flatten out very quickly in the mountains. It's not designed for the trail, but I'm kinda curious to try it.
• Vivobarefoot is super expensive; the Primus models are too tight around the... toe knuckles? Unsure if other Vivo models would fit better (Hydra Esc seems like a similar shape but different materials, so maybe this would be better?).
• Topo: I saw this post comparing them. The Pursuit 2 is probably closest to what I'm after, but I've heard they're narrower than the Pursuit 1. I'm still interested in these, but there aren't any to try near me.
• Xero: I tried the Scrambler Low and it was unfortunately too tight. Unsure if some of their other options would fit better. Those Michelin outsoles are great, though; feels like a very high-traction material.
• Merrell's Vapor Glove and Trail Glove: the tread in these is way too shallow and tons of people say it wears out extremely quickly.

What shoes from these companies are most similar to Altra Lone Peak and Altra Superiors? What companies am I missing?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/sbhikes on 2024-09-04 15:08:59+00:00.

Where: SOBO Rawlins, WY to the CO/NM border.

When: 2024/07/18 - 2024/08/25

Distance: 687 miles hiked.

Conditions: Summer conditions with daily rain almost every day.

Lighterpack: A few items changed over time.

Useful Pre-Trip Information or Overview: My plan was to take alternates and shortcuts, and I did.

Photo Album: Also

The Report: There's enough day-to-day info in the photo album but here's a little detail.

1. I started in Rawlins to start roughly where I left off last year. I've been hiking one state per year SOBO on the CDT. Next year is New Mexico.
2. I could not decide if I should hike the Silverthorn alt or hike the red line to the top of Gray's Peak and then back down and hitch to Silverthorn and continue from there. I did not want to hike the knife edge to Edwards. I ended up hiking down the South Ridge Route of Gray's which was a mistake for me. I'm not good with exposure.
3. Over time I had difficulty with either the altitude or hyponatremia. I'm not sure which. It's possible that altitude causes hyponatremia. It was hard figuring it out because it didn't seem like electrolyte drinks were doing any good. To get out of the altitude, I took the Creede cutoff and then hiked the last 100 miles along the Elwood and Great Divide alternates.
4. I was often amazed how these enormous-looking mountains were not as far away as they looked. They're not very remote, either. People are out trail running, pushing mountain bikes over the passes and even driving up at 12,000ft. Planes went over constantly.
5. After a while, seeing yet another high alpine tundra zone lost its appeal. Maybe a shorter trip would be better than trying to drink a firehose of Colorado mountains.

Gear Notes:

1. Bought a Deschutes Plus specifically for this trip. I had only one day of horrendous mosquitoes, otherwise they were mild to non-existent. I appreciated having the mesh perimeter netting. I found the inside to be spacious for me (5'3"). I had to put things on the mesh to make it touch the ground and keep mosquitoes out. The tarp would be very wet most mornings from rain and condensation. If it didn't rain (rare) there wasn't usually any condensation if I got a good spot under trees. I used a piece of polycryo for my floor.
2. I did not bring gloves and ended up buying some in Creede because mornings were getting cold.
3. I used a rain poncho. It kept me pretty dry as long as I kept my arms inside. I would attach it to my pack and use it like a pack cover and then when it rained I could quickly pull it over my head. I also wore a rain skirt because the poncho would stick to my bare legs and ride up. The rain skirt was good for wet bushes when it wasn't raining.
4. I wore one pair of Lone Peaks the whole way. They were pretty smashed down by the end but no holes.
5. I found Darn Toughs would get wet and then never dry so I ended up wearing thin synthetic liner socks most of the time, which allowed my feet to dry out between storms. I bought some wool liners in Creede because my liners eventually got holes.
6. Best clothing items: Wind pants - warmth, sleep pants, even pretty good in wet conditions because they dry fast. Senchi - 60gsm. I wore this a lot as static warmth, useful for hiking when cold, a warm dry layer to sleep in if I got my shirt wet in the rain. Timmermade SDUL 1.5. It's like sleeping with a warm security blanket. I'd stick my head in it on cold nights, put it on when I got a chill and couldn't warm up otherwise.
7. Worst clothing items: Homemade 2oz rain jacket. I did not make it loose-fitting enough so it would make me very sweaty very quickly. Glad I had a poncho because it was only useful as a layer over my Senchi. The Senchi could absorb my sweat without making me cold.
8. Best gear items: Deschutes - mosquito protection, weather-worthy (have to make sure your site won't flood, otherwise protects from rain and holds up in wind.) Silicone stretch lid over titanium pot - Cold soaked half the way and switched to cooking after a while. Pa'lante bottom pocket - I prefer the easy side entry and trash port. Also it's really big, holds a lot.
9. Worst problems: The altitude/hyponatremia (whatever it was) was a really bad problem. Also an issue: constant post nasal drip. Flonase barely does anything. Claritin doesn't do anything. Breathe-rite strips help a little but don't stop it. It drove me nuts.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/leecshaver on 2024-09-04 01:20:04+00:00.

I know this isn't a perfect fit for this sub, but the folks here were super helpful in getting me geared up and adopting the ultralight philosophy, so I wanted to just share a few observations about my gear. I wrote about the trip in more detail over on r/ultrarunning, along with some pictures:

In short, a buddy and I did three days of 20 to 27 mile runs from hotel to hotel in Glacier National Park, just carrying the essentials for each day and getting food, showers, and beds each night at the hotels. It was an absolute blast and I'm already thinking about new routes to try for a similar trip here in the future.

Lighterpack:

Pack: I used the Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20, and I was really happy with it. It had more space than I needed but with the roll top and adjustment straps I was able to cinch it down nicely. The vest front had capacity for 500mL of water, bear spray, phone, sunscreen, and about half of my daily calories. My filter went in one side pocket, the other half of my food on the other, and clothes to swap during the day in the stretch panel on the back. With all the outside storage I didn't have to open the pack at all, and could get to the back/side pockets by just removing one shoulder strap. There was minimal chafing, I could easily adjust straps as the load changed, and there was no bounce while running.

Hydration: For the first day I started out with about 1.5L, with 500mL in a soft flask up front and 1L in my 2L reservoir. For the rest of the trip I opted to fill all the way up to have more flexibility for when/where to stop for water. Even though water is plentiful in GNP, I felt the added weight was worth the extra flexibility, and allowed us to only have to stop for water once each day. I also have an older Sawyer Squeeze mini which only has a 16 oz dirty water bag, and I quickly got jealous of my buddy's 32 oz bag -- I'll definitely get a bigger one in the future. One advantage I did have is that my Sawyer fit right into my reservoir hose with the bite valve removed, so I was able to fill water without removing my pack, and with no risk of spilling.

Poles? I've never used poles before and this trip is probably the first one where I think they might have come in handy, but in reality there was only about a two mile stretch of the trail through a boulder field, and one 50' traverse across a snow drift, where they would have been useful for me. I think if you're used to using poles you would want them here, but if you've never used them you'd probably be OK. In the future I would check the forecast and if there's a chance of snow (or recent snow, like there was this time) I might lash one pole to my pack.

My lighter pack has a few other notes about minor things I'd swap, but overall I was pretty happy with my kit.

ETA: For sun protection I used a Patagonia Trucker hat and sunscreen which has always been more than adequate for me in Wisconsin, but on the first day I actually got a sunburn through the mesh panels on the back of the cap. I ended up using my bandana as a makeshift cape for the last two days. Next time I will use a full bucket hat.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/elduderino260 on 2024-09-03 01:54:58+00:00.

After never hearing about them for my entire life, just about every person seems to have one. What gives? Is it just a fad, or do they provide some sort of benefit that a collared shirt and/or bandana does not?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Jaded_Mulberry_7396 on 2024-08-31 14:31:14+00:00.

Looks like they finally released spec's on this upcoming 4 season tent for availability early September (). Just over 3.5lbs all in for a true 4 season, 2 person tent, and $600 with the solid inner. I am in the market for a freestanding tent for winter use this year, but with Durston's X-Dome also coming this fall, it's seems best to wait for some spec's on that to come out before purchasing one of these tents vs. something like the BD Firstlight. I believe Dan has said his tent will be more like a 3+ season tent, and not true 4 season. Will be interesting to see how the weights and materials compare. Any BD Firstlight users out there who would say just save $200 and go with that?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Boogada42 on 2024-08-31 08:11:14+00:00.

READ THE RULES BEFORE CLICKING THE COMMENT BUTTON.

• Do not comment on anything other than Labor Day deals.
• Do not comment looking for deals on certain things. These posts will be removed. Use Google.
• Deals must be running in early September. We'll use some discretion around this.
• Any Labor day deal posts made outside of this one will be removed, per the subreddit rules.
• All deals must come directly from the manufacturer. Moderators will use this rule at their discretion.
• Deals may not be links to blemished items that are on sale.
• Deals posted in the comments must come with proof (social media link, website link etc.)
• I didn't think this needed to be said but posts talking about "campmor is ALWAYS on sale!" and "Sierra Trading Post always has great deals and will likely be even more discounted!" are not qualified "deals."
• I'll updated the post with the confirmed deals as soon as I can.

Deals:

• Black Diamond 25-50% off sale items
• Enlightened Equipment - 20% off in Stock gear.
• Exped - 25% off
• Hammock Gear, 15-40% off.
• Hyperlite Mountain Gear - 15% off with code gearup15ld
• Kuiu - 40% off some fleeces
• La Sportiva - Deals and free shipping
• Mountainhardware - 25% off
• Nitecore 15% Off orders of $75 + coupon code LABOR15 / 20% Off orders of $150+ coupon code LABOR20
• Outdoor Research 25% off sale
• Sierra Designs - 25% off coupon code LABORDAY
• Six Moon Designs - up to 35%. Use code ENDOFSUMMER24
• Ugq outdoor has 15% off custom gear
• Zpacks - save $50 on orders of $500+! Use Code: LB24 at checkout

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/hupo224 on 2024-08-29 21:52:32+00:00.

That lightweight camp shoe thread sorta inspired me. I cut down my Nemo switchback and popped off the top "heavy" panel and saved it. I am attempting to make some "probably going to suck" sandals out of it with some plastic washers and shock cord.

I got my new pack (Palante V2) and my thinking is to have my 6 panel Nemo act as a pad for my back? I'm doing a one nighter this weekend and my girlfriend is using my aonijie 30L pack.

I took my comfy belt thing off my thrupack fanny and using the stash hip belt on the V2 instead. Seems to work great.

Is all this dumb? I guess I'll find out soon :)

Edit: The Adam sandals. Don't steal my idea :

Lol

This is the final sandal:

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/pmags on 2024-08-29 15:27:09+00:00.

From u/numbershikes

My partner and I go to obscure arc sites and I'd hate for this information to potentially get shared.

"Account creation happens automatically after logging into GaiaGPS.com.

To change your activity to "private", after your account has been created go to and update your settings for "Profile Privacy", which was automatically set to "Public", and "Activity Privacy", which was automatically set to "Everyone".

The wording of the disclosures is unclear, but it sounds like they might automatically share users' recently saved GPS tracks to their public feeds, which can be a safety issue for some people."

This is just another example of what to expect, along with continued price increases, now that Gaia GPS is owned by Outside Interactive, Inc. The technical term in IT is "enshittification" (seriously), a neologism for the process of transforming something into shit. Making an app "social" is a common step in the sequence.

To quote Cory Doctorow:

Here is how platforms die: first, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business |customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die. I call this enshittification, and it is a seemingly inevitable consequence arising from the combination of the |ease of changing how a platform allocates value, combined with the nature of a "two-sided market", where a platform sits between buyers and sellers, hold each hostage to the |other, raking off an ever-larger share of the value that passes between them.1

It's about time to start looking for a new mapping app.

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/skisnbikes on 2024-08-28 14:11:48+00:00.

So like everyone else, I recently received my pre-ordered NU20 Classic and was again annoyed at how heavy the stock shock cord and adjuster are. So I drilled some holes in the backplate to accept different sized shock cords, drilled some larger holes to cut a bit of weight, peeled off the thin foam layer on the backplate, and replaced the stock shock cord with a thinner cord and a much lighter cordlock.

Final weight with 1mm shock cord, which still performs very well for me, is 29.86g on my scale, and I figure I could probably save another gram or so with a lighter cordlock. The one I had on hand is 1.69g, and Quest Outfitters has their mini mini cordlocks at 0.43g. As a side note, if anyone has a lead on where to buy cordlocks of that size elsewhere (especially in Canada or from AliExpress), please let me know. I can't quite bring myself to pay $10 in shipping for a $0.28 cordlock.

Photos of all the weights and mods are here:

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/Sillyman56 on 2024-08-28 06:43:20+00:00.

I don’t tend to do a lot of trips where I keep my campsite put for a day but go off and do some day hikes/peakbagging. It sounds fun to explore with a light pack, but I get worried not having a shelter with me while out in the wilderness in the event something goes wrong and I need to make an unexpected camp for the night.

My thoughts are to either (1) just carry my whole sleep system with me, which essentially means I’m packing up camp and backpacking that day and not day hiking with a light pack, or (2) I could bring anything from an emergency blanket to a slightly heavier emergency bivy in the event I get stuck out on the hike and don’t make it back to my camp. But then I’m carrying an unnecessary emergency blanket/bivy for my entire backpacking hike, so I’m actually adding to my overall pack weight so that I can have some side trips with a light pack. I do have a Garmin inReach which I would bring on the day hikes, but that certainly doesn’t save me instantly if I need added warmth and protection right away.

I realize when I’m just day hiking in general I don’t bring a shelter with me and I suppose emergencies could happen anywhere, but I don’t typically day hike in places as remote as I backpack.

How do other folks think about this?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/laurk on 2024-08-28 00:18:58+00:00.

What/Where/Who: 

Wind River High Route Loop

NOBO along the CDT to Peak Lake, then up Knapsack Col and along Alan’s High Route back to Big Sandy. 

Blue u/milesformoments and Sprinkles (since we are back on a portion of a long trail 🙂)

Photos: 

Please go follow @milesformoments on instagram for his adventure photography. Here’s what we got so far: 

I have a Fuji X-T3 w/ 27mm pancake. Blue had a Canon R5 with a 24-105 and 70-200 F4..  

When: 

Aug. 17 - 23, (6.5 days)

Distance: 

125mi from the Garmin watch, 107mi on Gaia maps. All mileage and vert gain will be based on the Garmin tracking on our trip. Mileage and elevation gain on Gaia or Caltopo will be less and something to really factor in especially around the Alpine Lakes area. 

Conditions: 

Choice! Mid 60s, Low 40s. Rain in the late afternoon for the first few days. Clear weather while on the high route. Few mosquitos - no net inner for the shelter, just MLD SoloMid XL and ground sheet. I was very happy. 

LiarPack: 

Opening Rants: 

This is an awesome way to see the Winds and not waste time or money shuttling or driving extra. I stole this plan from u/xscottkx maybe with a few minor differences? Last time we made it to Knifepoint Glacier before calling it so I was excited to get back to it. After doing it all, this has a really nice mix of easy-cruiser trail, and difficult-off trail travel. Big Sandy is just under 4hrs from Salt Lake City and also quicker for my friend coming from Seattle so it’s a nice meetup point with good camping, etc. if you can find a spot lol. After checking this off, I am for sure eyeing Skurka’s route for next time. It looks amazing and better in every way with more views, more glacier travel, more difficult and longer off-trail sections, maybe a Gannet summit, etc. but $100 for a shuttle and $90 for the reservation permit and extra driving… all that combined it just wasn’t what we wanted for this trip. Another reason to go back!

I do not recommend you bring your dog on this route. I saw 2 sets of couples that were bailing off the route because their dog’s paw pads were toast before they even got to the hardest boulder fields or even the glacier crossing. Don’t subject your pup to this misery unless you have experience with your pup on this terrain. The High Route is NOT a trail! At the very least bring some dog booties. these are my favorite. Bring at least two sets as they’ll blow out at least one of them in a few days. Aside from the dog opinion, a lot of people I talked to underestimated the boulder fields and Knifepoint Glacier. There were 4 CDT hikers without microspikes, 1 person with nanospikes and 1 person with microspikes. I get it… it’s 13oz for the microspikes for 15-min of your entire trip (if doing Alan’s route), but everyone wished they had microspikes that didn’t. The nanospikes didn’t do as well as I thought. Since I had microspikes I was able to really enjoy this section instead of being scared. After reading all the trip reports of people not needing them… and my experience last time in 2021 with it being freezing up there at the time, I thought maybe this time would be more like the microspike-less trip reports. NOPE. It was slick and getting across the mini glacial river crossings were the real deal. It was just a risk that was too high to not have spikes. Also… I’ll add that all of us were sure footed and fit people with at least one or more long trail thru hikes under our belt and we all felt this way. I was able to take a bunch of photos and run around and have a good time instead of being sketched out. Bring the microspikes if you want to have this section be Type-I fun instead of Type-2. I have not explored a way down off Indian Pass to go around the glacier. Comment below if you have successfully done that, and then people can consider if the vert loss and gain AND the sacrificed fun of not being on the glacier is worth 13oz. 

Blue’s Note: I had the nano spikes and feel like I robbed myself of enjoying a really cool experience by not bringing the more secure traction device.

Day 1 - 16.7mi, 2,860ft: 

Lunch time on Saturday, Aug. 17 at Big Sandy. Ate a sandwich I picked up at the Farson’s Mercantile. Highly recommend this stop on the way in or out from Big Sandy. We jumped on the trail and took signs to Dad Lake and took the CDT NOBO for the next few days. This trail is amazing. Views are great, trail is well graded, and plenty of SOBOs to talk to this time of year. Other than the CDT hikers, there aren’t many people on this stretch like there is in the Cirque so the CDT through the winds is truly a great easier option with use of the Pinedale shuttle system with tons of camping and water and lakes and views along the whole trail. 

We started on the CDT to consume the 3 out of the 7 days of food we had before jumping on the high route. Some great swimming and fishing along the way. We got rain around 6pm and stopped before we got into camp and it made for a great sunset. We were just trying to put in as many miles in as possible with the half day we had and we got it done. 

Day 2 - 17.7mi, 3,050ft:

More of the same. Beautiful views and cruiser trail. Lots of good fishing along the way. The rain came in around 8pm after threatening for a couple hours prior. Once it did come it stayed for a solid 3hrs. The SoloMid XL did the trick. I listened to my book and had my ramen before bed. The simple life!

Day 3 - 19.5mi, 4,350ft:

More climbing today but also the best section along the CDT portion. The creek between Jenny Lakes area is such a treat and descending down to Peak Lake and fishing there was a highlight. This night was clear and windless so we had a front row seat to the SUPER MOON so naturally cowboy camping had to happen. I kept the shelter half ready just in case but never needed it. The fishing here was hard but worth it. Some cutthroat-rainbows in the outlet stream. Overall, even with the heavy food carry, I think we nailed the slower ramp up to miles on easy terrain. It set us up well for the high route starting tomorrow. 

Day 4 - 16.2mi, 4,900ft:

Around Peak Lake we went, and up and over Knapsack Col, then making our way back South through Titcomb Basin. We leap frogged around a group of CDT hikers that were really nice and ended up sticking around for about a day. The morning had a little rain going up Knapsack but nothing to write home about. The shakedry Gorewear was pretty nice for this. Really breathable so just having it on for the wind and inconsistent light rain was easy. A nice pick over the sil-nylon jacket I could have brought to save a couple ounces. Knapsack was nothing significant per usual. Just a fun, beautiful adventure. I was familiar with this section since it was my third time here in 4 years. We had such beautiful weather through Titcomb Basin. Sure, Titcomb is popular for the Winds but SHEESH she’s beautiful. You don’t need to go far for Patagonia style views if you’re from Utah like me. We found one flattened tent in the basin. Food in a few ziplocs still in there and a whole backpack and the tent was a 3 person mountain hardwear brand new thing that was pitched poorly. Looked like it had been there a few days. Maybe the person got heli-vaced out? I have seen something just like this from my previous time on the high route back in 2021 during that massive wind and snow storm on Labor Day Weekend. More on that here:

That trip, I heard 9 different helicopter rescues around us. Since we were only a day out, I packed out the whole set up and left a note. Never found the person. This time we were 3 days out so we just re-staked the tent really well including some additional guy lines and rocks hoping maybe they will come back from their summit of Gannit or in a few days to get their gear. I need to reach out to the Forest Service to let them know if it’s still there to pack it out. There was no pad, no sleeping bag… just a couple bags of food, a backpack, and the tent. Weird scene and so strange to see it again. 

Anyway… Titcomb lakes are amazing. Great swimming and lunch spots. No fish for me though! Onward we went up and over Indian Pass. The view of Harrower Peak in the Indian Basin is stunning. Once in the boulder fields over Indian Pass, we finally get a view of Knifepoint Glacier once you round the corner and drop a couple hundred feet. I entered a bit higher on the glacier to make it quicker this time around. Again with microspikes it’s cruiser and fun. Such amazing photos here. The rivers of ice melt were bigger than I remembered and not easy to cross if you don’t have spikes. Just a beautiful and cool section. I love it. Then more boulder fields to Alpine Lakes Pass. This view from here is amazing. Just staring down the barrel of Alpine Lakes (the crux of the route IMO) with no trail in front of you or behind you. Just a real badass place. It was about 5pm now and the crew was tired. We rolled into camp before 6pm and fell short of our goal of camping at the second Alpine Lake, but I knew what was ahead. The navigation of the first alpine lak...

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/shotta511 on 2024-08-26 12:05:59+00:00.

Hi,

so on the last trail I found out, that my saywer classic which I used like 3 times before on trails is clogged. Backflushing didnt work.

So back home, I soaked it in distilled water and vinegar. Waterflow is restored.

But how do I store it now correctly? According to sawyer, this filter doesnt have to be stored in moist conditions. Heard about some ppl put in in a non breathable ziploc so it stays moist?

After giving up on the trail I put in a ziploc and kept it moist. Opening the ziplock back home wasnt very pleasing beacuse it smelled like there a ton of bad bacterias inside now. So Iam not sure if I want to store the filter in a moist, non breathable, condition.

I will desinfect the filter now with chlorine and want to store it afterwards properly. Please give me some tips.

But before going for the next adventure I will defenetily test my filter before leaving....

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/papayagurke on 2024-08-25 12:12:35+00:00.

Sorry for the noob question but I am a noob. I currently have the lanshan and I used it already a couple of times. However all campsites were "nice" - meaning all of them were on grass or well made grounds where I was able to just stick the trekking pole and stakes into the ground and set up.

However I am picturing situations where I may not be able to find such campsites. Maybe rocky surfaces or pure sand. I imagine it to be impossible to set up the tent on pure rock? Sure there may be possibilities for the stakes with rocks but whats with the trekking pole since I couldnt stick it into the ground at all? On the other hand with sand I imagine it to be very unstable since the pole/stakes would be kind of loose in the ground?

Would this be a use case to use a free standing tent and not go with the lanshan? Or am I just overthinking this or don't know any special techniques?

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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/kevo998 on 2024-08-24 23:40:15+00:00.

Just before I was about to set off for my section hike of my local Irish trail, decided to purchase the Nitecore NB20000 after hearing nothing a majority of positive things about them.

Straight out of the box it didn't even turn on unless it was plugged in. I heard this could be solved by plugging it into the mains and changing via pass through, essentially 'resetting' it. Still no joy.

After mailing Nitecore and explaining the situation along with video evidence of me literally opening the brand new unit and 'turning it on' for the first time whilst showing the unit was fully charged they basically said their policy didn't allow powerbanks, once opened to be returned, regardless of the users perceived grievances nor the state they were in.

So, here I am; now left with a €100 paper weight and a supplier willing to do it absolutely nothing. Safe to say I'll never be ordering anything off Nitecore again after this. Which is a shame as I've previously never had a single issue with any of their products. Their NU25 headlamp has been a valiant servant to me for years now along with many of their cycling headlamps.