Hot take: I thought ultralight gear was just for show until a 20 mile day on the Appalachian Trail

I used to roll my eyes at people spending $400 on a tent that weighs less than 2 pounds... figured it was all hype for Instagram flexing. Then last summer I did a section of the AT near the Smokies with my old 5 pound tent and a heavy pack. By mile 12, my shoulders were killing me and I had to stop every hour. A guy I met at a shelter let me try his backpack for five minutes and it felt like carrying nothing. Now I've swapped three pieces of gear and my total pack weight dropped by 8 pounds. That extra weight savings made a real difference on the climbs. But I still can't justify spending $600 on a sleeping bag though. Has anyone else here made the switch from heavy to ultralight and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

eva_garcia561mo ago

People really do make this sound like some life changing spiritual awakening. A lighter pack is nice, I get it. But you still have to walk twenty miles. You still have to sleep on the ground. You still have to deal with rain and bugs and your own blisters. The gear is just the gear. It doesn't fix the part where you're tired and sore and a little bit miserable.

the_michael1mo ago

Wait, so you're saying the hype is just marketing and not some weird enlightenment thing @eva_garcia56?