Achieving En-LITE-enment: LITE-mindedness

Both Katy AND my packs on an overnight trip with a bear canister and food, weighing in at 24lbs. 

         The fastest way to reduce your pack weight to UL levels, is to realize that first and foremost, being an Ultralight Backpacker means ALWAYS having a mindset aimed at going lighter. Let's call this mindset, “lite-mindedness.” (Notice how I replaced the unnecessary "-ght" in "light," with just "-te"?! This is what I'm talking about!) So, if you’re ready to enjoy the benifits of going Ultralight, but unsure about being so “lite-minded,” let me further explain the UL mindset and show you how having it can be creative and fun!

      Where the traditional backpacker sometimes factors weight into their gear choices, to the lite-minded person the weight factor is pervasive. For example, not only should lite-mindedness influence which gear you choose, it should also influence what gear you even take. It doesn’t stop there! It also influences what food you bring, when you carry water, the clothes you wear, where you establish camp, where you look for new gear, and the list goes on and on… 

      But just because lite-mindedness extends to any and every backpacking decision, that doesn’t mean being lite-minded can’t be fun too. Once you have aimed at lowering your pack weight, seeing your base weight drop and drop becomes a hugely satisfying aspect of the whole backpacking experience. Plus, this joy can be experienced over and over again as you swap out pieces of gear, find second uses for gear you already use, or (as has happened to Katy) happen upon an amazingly light cook pot at Big Lots. Not only is making these changes fun, but they will be a natural reminder of the good times had, and to be had, on the trail. 

     Not only is being lite-minded fun, but it is also a great avenue for creativity. The mental challenge of reducing your pack weight is stimulating and requires flexibility. That might look like finding second (or third, OR FOURTH) uses for your gear, or it might mean making your own gear. Take as an example of the later, the "Fosters pot" I made (seen bellow). I understand that not everyone is crafty, but I find it hard to imagine a lover of the outdoors that is not eager to attack a problem head on. Lite-mindedness provides a highly productive, fun, and satisfying trajectory for that creative energy. 

1.1 oz cook pot!

 So become lite-minded, have more fun, be creative, and most importantly enjoy spending more time outside… as an ULTRALITE BACKPACKER!

Climbing Whitney is easier when you carry so little weight!

    

Katy only needed an REI Flash 18! 

If you already love UltraLIGHT Backpacking, maybe you're ready to think SYSTEMatically, or take on "The Big Three." (Coming soon!)