Comments on: A sorta history of modern ultralight backpacking

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 16:31:06 +0000

In reply to Mitch People. My research shows it us not Dan Bruce but BPL folks who came up with the modern concept. I have Dan's book BTW.

By: Mitch People

Mitch People — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 01:21:28 +0000

In reply to Paul Mags. Colin Fletcher and Ed Gravy both used the term ultra-light, but I don’t believe either one of them really defined it as anything other than carrying a light pack. Pack weight was thought of in terms of the ratio to your body weight instead of a set pack weight back then. Wingfoot wasn’t an ultralight backpacker either, but he did help many new hikers in their gear selection. I’m not 100% about this, but I believe it was Wingfoot was the one who nailed it down to the 10-pound set weight as ultra-lightweight; 25 pounds or less was lightweight. I don’t know how he came up with those numbers, but I vaguely remember reading it in his book.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 21:39:07 +0000

In reply to Mitch People.

Thanks for sharing.

as shown in the article the term “ultralight” predates Keith and Dan Bruce by decades. I believe even Colin Fletcher used the term. And he is not the first either (see links) However, the 10lb threshold is much more recent.

By: Mitch People

Mitch People — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 18:38:48 +0000

Hi Mags,
Great article! I believe the term Ultra-lightweight backpacking became popular in 1991 with Dan Bruce, a.k.a. “Wingfoot”. Wingfoot wrote the Appalachian Trail Handbook for around ten years. Prior to Jardine, there were already several hikers who were carrying insanely ultra-light backpacks on the Appalachian Trail. Several names that come to mind are Ward Leonard, Speedball, and the most insane ultra-lightweight hiker I ever met in 36 years – a guy name Wolf. Wingfoot was big into hikers terminology. He had an entire section in the back of his book dedicated to just about any hiking term you could think of and many you would not. It has been a few years, but I believe Wingfoot was the one who coined the phrased Ultra-lightweight backpacking.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 14:15:39 +0000

In reply to GroundHog. I have references to both print sources from the 1980s, the 1960s, and the 1920s mentioning gear loads that we'd consider ultralight. This article is about the MODERN way we use it as a 10 lb base kit system. " Put on some round glasses and maybe you'll read better. EDIT: And if you think heavy loads started in World War II you need to read a lot more history with those round glasses I'm suggesting. ;)

By: GroundHog

GroundHog — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 12:15:21 +0000

I’m going to respectfully suggest that you’ve got it all backwards, our ancestors have been traveling light for thousands of years… And while we’re at it did anyone thank the Apache for “inventing ‘zero drop’ moccasins?”
The real question is how did heavy packing come about? My guess is that it originated with soldiers training to carry combat loads in WW2 you won’t find squat on the Internet because it doesn’t go back far enough. Instead look at print ads for gear from the 60’s & 70’s & you will see a universal theme of heavy gear defending the user against the hostile enemy of nature…. a war of words designed to sell fear & gear.
Using the Internet as a baseline is, in my opinion, as incomplete and constrained as believing the earth is flat… it’s time to go round.
Round earth, round sky, round mind

By: 16 Ultralight Backpacking Tips for Beginners - Mom Goes Camping

16 Ultralight Backpacking Tips for Beginners - Mom Goes Camping — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 17:01:02 +0000

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By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 21:41:17 +0000

In reply to Keith Kimball.

Hi Keith,

Based on your comments and incorrect observations, I think you need to re-read the article.

Since you have many thoughts about this article and the video that featured you thirty years ago, I invite you to write your thoughts on your social media platform of your choice rather than this website as well.

Have a good new year,

Paul

By: Keith Kimball

Keith Kimball — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 05:40:26 +0000

In 1963, Grandma Gatewood completed her last hike of the Appalachian Trail with a total of 17 pounds. In 1989, the 5-pound base-weight was broken. In 1996, Lynne Whelden published the video LIGHTWEIGHT BACKPACKING SECRET REVEALED. A video that focused on 9 hikers all whose total pack weight ranged from 15 – 25 pounds including 5 days of food and water. All their base weight were under 10 pounds. It wasn’t until 1999 when Ray Jardine published his last book where he broke the unofficial 10-pound base weight to become an “ultra-lightweight backpacker”. By the time Jardine became an “ultra-light” backpacker himself, other backpackers were already carrying less than half his base weight years prior.

The 10-pound ultra-light base-weight came around simply because of convenient or a round number and to give hikers extra room in their gear selection without going to the extreme. Don’t believe me? The term “ultra” is defined in the dictionary as “Extreme”. Does it make any sense hikers have been challenged for years to provide an ultra-light list on a $300 budget? Or a hiker today can be carrying the same base-weight, as hikers 20 years ago in the past and still be considered an extreme lightweight backpacker?

By: James Lantz

James Lantz — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 18:35:07 +0000

In reply to Paul Mags. Awesome, thanks for the follow-up.