Mike M. wrote:My feeling is that true "ultralighters" rarely stay out in the wilderness for more than a few nights at a time. They keep their kit to a minimum so they can achieve high daily mileages, then bolt to civilization to load up on calories. The few serious ultralighters I've run into on the trail seemed to be attracted to the bare minimum in footwear (tennis shoes, sandals, etc.) and they were all fixated on high mileages. Some used a small bear canister, most did not, preferring instead to plan their itinerary so they would camp in an area equipped with a bear locker. They were all prepared to bail if extreme weather threatened.
As one of the HST resident (S)ULers, I would say that's a pretty fair assessment. I think most ULers would readily admit they fall into the hiking enthusiast category, as opposed to camping, fishing, peak bagging, etc.
It really depends on what you're interested in. I, for one, am immediately bored if I pull up someplace before it's dark. My brother, on the other hand, is a traditionalist out of the 70s mode: hike for part of the day, set up camp, explore a little bit (scramble, peak bag) & chill.
Over the years, I've lost interest in just hanging around. (Decades ago I spent an entire summer camping @ Tahoe before starting a career job in SF.) Now, as my time is more limited, I want to experience as much as I can in the short amount of time I have available. I can usually swing 4 day/3 night trips, so I've designed & purpose built a lot of equipment based on this calculus.
In fact, my #1 starting point was designing a pack around a BV450. I placed it flat in the middle of my folded & cut-down Ridgerest (which serves as my semi-rigid frame), put my tarp/quilt on the bottom & clothes on top. That's how my pack is packed.
None would be caught dead with a pack in excess of 30 lbs.
My total pack weight, including food & water, for 4 days/3 nights is around 15 pounds. This includes a 25F down quilt, oversized tarp, down garments and plenty of (high calorie) food. With this set up, it's a breeze to hike 15-20+ miles per day. It's so liberating & free, that on a whim I can pull a permit to go in @ Horseshoe and come out @ Shepherd a few days later. No stress, no reservations, no logistics, no planning - just go.
If you're of a certain age, perhaps you might remember the old Fram commercial: "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later". If you're a backpacker, eventually you WILL go ultralight - whether than means having a son carry your pack, hiring a packer, or limiting yourself to short walks around the old folk's neighborhood reminiscing about the good 'ole days.
I figure it's better to get ahead of the curve and figure out what's needed to keep having fun.