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Fully bought into ultralight gear after a 15 mile day on the Appalachian Trail last fall
I was always skeptical of spending $300 on a tent that weighed a pound less than my old one, but after carrying a 45 pound pack up that steep section near the New Jersey border and my knees giving out by mile 10, I finally caved and bought a Dyneema shelter that I could barely feel on my back - has anyone else had a similar moment where a piece of gear totally changed how they approach a route?
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the_diana24d agoTop Commenter
Used to roll my eyes at ultralight stuff but now I get why people love it lol.
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daniel_martin25d ago
Did you find yourself changing how far you'd go in a day after upgrading your shelter? I've heard that from a few folks who went ultralight, that they started pushing bigger miles just because the weight wasn't holding them back anymore. That NY/NJ section is brutal, especially around the boardwalks and the rocky climbs. Curious if it opened up any long day hikes or overnights you wouldn't have considered before.
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coleman.gray25d ago
Switching to a lighter setup definitely let me push longer days, especially on rocky stuff where every pound counts. Did you find that cutting weight helped your knees on those long boardwalk stretches?
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