You Might be An Ultralight Backpacker If...

[mochilero]

If you you find yourself saying "Hey, that's a good idea," to more than one of the following, you might be an ultralight backpacker. I have been collecting these from various lightweight backpacking forums. Funny, but also mostly true stories.

You Just Might Be An Ultralight Backpacker If...

- Your wife's purse holds more stuff than your backpack.

- You pack light for a family trip to Grandma's house.

- You use the fruit scales in Walmart to determine the weight of a possible new piece of gear.

- At home you use just 4 toilet paper squares, to "practice".

- You read that last one and say, "toilet paper?"

- You have a contribution to this thread.

[Lanthar Mandragoran]

- You re-evaluate everything you take on business trips (especially how many pairs of underwear and socks are truly necessary for a two-week trip as you can easily wash them in the sink with a couple of drops of dr bronners)

[orangebug]

- You have ever drilled holes in a toothbrush.

- You've bought a Child's toothbrush for yourself.

[TJ aka Teej]

You Just Might Be An Ultralight Backpacker If...

If you try to estimate how many grams your next poop will weigh...

If you eye the helium-filled balloons at the check out counter and wonder if you've discovered a negative gram pillow option...

[jimmyjob]

How about cut a "Child's toothbrush for yourself."???

[Just Jeff]

If you know the weights of the spoons at popular fast food restaurants...

If you own more silnylon than denim...

[Seeker]

you've wondered if you can put AquaMira into a travel sized Visine bottle, because it's smaller, and you'd never use the whole thing on a weekend trip anyway.

you have a collection of soda cans on a shelf in the garage so you have building material immediately on hand if someone comes across another stove or pot design for you to try.

you wonder if they make laptop computer cases and soft-side briefcases out of silnylon.

your interest in the Roswell Incident is limited to 'do you think they found any new, lighter metal to make sporks and pots from?'

you overhear your kid telling mom 'no, dad won't want that kind... it's too heavy. get the lighter one.'

you've ever cut a deck of playing cards in half.

your kid can carry your pack or cook a meal on an alcohol stove and thinks nothing of it.

you remember using a 6 volt lantern battery in a flashlight once upon a time, but are too embarrassed to admit it.

you wonder why they can put a man on the moon, but a photon is still so big and heavy.

[Just Jeff]

you wonder if they make laptop computer cases and soft-side briefcases out of silnylon.

Haha...that settles it; we should both be committed. 'Cept I was wondering if I could make one out of silnylon!

[Seeker]

If you you find yourself saying "Hey, that's a good idea," to more than one of the following, you might be an ultralight backpacker. I have been collecting these from various lightweight backpacking forums. Funny, but also mostly true stories.

You Just Might Be An Ultralight Backpacker If...
- You use the fruit scales in Walmart to determine the weight of a possible new piece of gear.
- You have a contribution to this thread.

so, is there anything wrong with using the fruit scales at walmart?

[peter_pan]

...if you move from ounces to grams for how you measure everthing.

...If you know the weights for all your gear and the weights of the next lightest alternatives for three or more iterations.

Pan

[neo]

heavy packs suck light is right neo

[Tin Man]

If you google the net for dehydrated Beer, Scotch or whatever your pleasure.

If you stash food at every road crossing closest to where you are spending the night.

If you dream of an anti-gravity pack that not only "floats" your pack, but takes a few pounds off you as well!

[neo]

my lightest pack wieghs 9.2 oz on the postal scale neo

http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...sort/1/cat/500

[jackiebolen]

If you analyze almost everything you eat in terms of the calories/ounce ratio and then ramble on about endlessly to backpacking and hiking partners.

If you cook up a Liptons every once in a while, just for old times sake.

If you plan longer and longer backpacking trips using only a daypack. First the pack started off as a dayhiking pack and now I just got back from a 6 day trip with it.

[Moxie00]

Ultralite is a fad that will pass. Take what you need, the extra weight will make you stronger. I seen too many hikers carried off by mosquitoes sleeping under tarps. Sometimes they are totally consumed and all you find the next morning is an alcohol stove and a plastic soda bottle filled with unfiltered water. Why freeze at night in your fleese zippered blanket when a six pound Coleman Bag would warm you. Get a tent you can stand up in, you'll enjoy the extra space on rainy days and you can invite fellow hikers in to enjoy your game boy. Don't drink water treated with chemicals when you can use your filter and some fruit to make smoothies with your hand crank blender. Most thru hikes begin during basketball and hockey playoffs and end during football season so bring that small portable TV, keep up with the news, the ultralites will love you for it. A cel phone will keep you in contact and allow you to reserve motel rooms in trail towns. When I hiked through the Smokies, where horses are allowed on the trail, I carried a forge, hammer and anvil so I could make horseshoes to sell to the horse campers. A small automatic weapon is a good idem to carry in bear country and a can of mace will quickly put the hiker that snores in shelters in line. An alcohol stove is good but have you seen how quick you can cook a meal on a Webber gas grill, especially one with an extra burner for pots and pans. There is no reason for thru hiker smell when a portable shower will only add a few pounds to your pack. Yes, the fad will soon pass when hikers realize comfort at the end of a five mile day with a 100 pound pack is more important than 25 miles with nothing but a bandana to sleep in and three cold soda crackers to eat at night.

[jimmyjob]

If you google the net for dehydrated Beer, Scotch or whatever your pleasure.

they sell powered liquor drinks in Europe now...just add water...i need to get some of that.....

ACTUALLY, is anyone on the forum from Europe somewhere...


HOOK A BROTHA' UP!!!!!

[Just Jeff]

HAHAHA!!! Moxie, that was hilarious...

[peter_pan]

Moxie00,

Let us know when you plan to hike again...we 'll all stop in...

Cold soda crackers are great with peanut butter which all cold food ULers carry...they just never seem to have the jelly to make it reaaaaallllly good...

Hike on.

Pan

[RockyTrail]

you have a collection of soda cans on a shelf in the garage so you have building material immediately on hand if someone comes across another stove or pot design for you to try.

.

HEY! that's MY garage, no kidding!

By the way if you've been there recently, did you happen to find where I misplaced my 7/16" box-end wrench?

[SGT Rock]

You go to find a tool in your workshop and have to dig under aluminum can halves, hardware cloth, and prototypes to find them.