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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 21st, 2023

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  • I really like the Yama tarp. I’m pretty sure I bought the last one they had because it switched to “out of stock” after I placed my order last year. I had been considering Borah Gear for a long time, but when push came to shove the lead time was too long.

    I haven’t had any heavy rain with the Yama, but I did use it in some bad ass winds last fall. It required 12 stakes and tying the ridgeline to trees instead of my poles, but it held up. I’ve had similar winds flatten tents so I was worried about a tear. I’ve also used it as a sun shade on the beach and it stood up to strong winds there as well.

    The sleeping pad is fine. It was very cheap and has no insulation. Not a good pick for cold weather. My body doesn’t handle foam pads as well as it used to so I wanted to try an inflatable. I’ll use this until it breaks or I plan a trip in the cold. I cut it short and sealed it with an iron to save weight. It is similar to the cheap uninsulated Klymit pads. I’ve got somewhere between 10 and 15 nights on it and I’m officially sold on inflatables over foam.

    Last year I started section hiking the MST. I did section 9 and 10. Section 9 includes about 45 miles of road hiking, and I used a skateboard for as much of that as I could. Section 10 is all on trail so I ditched the board and used the larger pack so I could carry more food.

    On that trip I used everything on the list except for the sunscreen. I could carry less pocket knife but I like the stubby little morakniv. I use their larger knives in my normal life and they can really take a beating. I also didn’t use most of the first aid kit, but there’s nothing in there I would leave at home.

    Using the little 20 liter pack has me GASing for something ultralight and about 30L in size. That would give me all the space I need with enough room to swap to different rain gear and sleeping bags as weather requires.



  • I still owe you a lighterpack and I’ve been slow about getting around to it. I pulled out all my stuff in preparation for an upcoming trip and weighed it.

    It’s not down to ultralight weights, but it’s not far off if you drop the luxury items and some extra clothes. I’m debating switching to a smaller pack. I’ve carried all this same kit in a Cotopaxi 20L climbing pack that weighs about 10 oz less. The gorilla is more comfortable though, especially if it’s dry and I have to carry more water.

    Here’s the WIP on the current pack. https://lighterpack.com/r/7okvil

    Edit: Here’s a version without the unnecessary extras. It comes in at just over 9lbs base weight. Depending on the weather I would need to switch back to a real rain jacket. This is what I carried on a 3 day skateboard trip last year. https://lighterpack.com/r/j7iwjy


  • I got my pocket in the first wave of releases, but I held off on the dock until earlier this year. My dock arrived a few days ago and I love it.

    After using modded Gameboys and various emulators, the pocket is my favorite hand held. I still prefer the form factor ofa Gameboy micro, but the pocket’s screen can’t be beat.

    The dock is a nice way to top access those same games on a big screen, but I don’t think the pocket is the best option if you only want to play on a tv.



  • I found a lot of good resources on the UL hammocking subreddit. It can be a little tough to sort through because a lot of hamockers are not focused on weight.

    I would avoid the “cloud” material I bought from dutchware. Mine never broke, but a lot of others have. They revised the weight limit downwards after I had bought mine, and now I don’t trust it. If I could make that choice again I would choose the next level of durability.

    You can get a hammock set up to be pretty light, but no matter what you do it will be heavier than an equivalent investment in ground equipment. After trying it for a while I decided I wasn’t really sleeping any better, so I might as well get back on the ground and be lighter. My wife is still team hammock though.

    I will say that nothing beats a hammock in the rain. The ground is so wet and cold, but the hammock is cozy.


  • I did at one point. Let me see if I can track it down. Fair warning, part of my UL motivation is saving weight for luxuries like a kindle and deodorant.

    We had a baby in March so I haven’t been on a trip since last fall. Hoping to do a few more sections of the MST this September.

    Edit: I found my old lighterpack account, but the most recent packing list is from a few years ago. I should probably be responsible and make one for current trips. I’ll send you another reply in a day or two with an update.

    In the meantime here’s my lighter pack from a lightweight hammock trip.. I’ve since decided I prefer the ground and switched to a quilt, pad, tarp, and bivy. I traded the pocket rocket for an alcohol stove (safe over here in the super damp southern US). I also cut some unnecessary weight from the FAC, cooking tools, ditty bag, etc.


  • Yes, I would say it generally costs more. But it doesn’t have to.

    For example, ultralight tents are expensive, so I embraced tarp life. My tarp and bivy are lighter than most UL tents and cost hundreds of dollars less.

    My individual pieces of clothing cost more, but adopting an ultralight approach means I don’t carry needless extras, so I don’t buy as many clothes in the first place.

    UL stoves can cost a lot, but the BRS stove or an alcohol stove are cheap and weigh less. Eating cold food is even lighter.

    You get the idea. It costs exactly what you spend on it. It can be done affordabley if you are strict about what you are carrying and strategic with purchases. Leaving unneeded items at home will have a bigger impact on your base weight than any $700 tent.