Like you, I use a piece of shock cord to secure my Garmin inReach. I’m not a fan of the bouncing around either. 😂

cool video. I went thru all these struggles at first too. After owning my x-mid pro for 2 years, I've found that getting an easy perfect pitch every time down to a science, and it's very fast. No adjusting lines, poles, nothing, it works the first time, every time. 1. Zip up both vestibules, then Start with a corner.. any corner. Stake it in. Don't worry about angles yet. 2. Now go to the opposite corner. pull it taut until this 2nd (opposite) corner has the perfect 45 degree angle to it's joining sides. The way this geometry works, if you make this 2nd (opposite) corner perfect, then your first corner will now be a perfect 45 degrees by default. 3. Next, go to any 3rd corner. Do the same thing. Stake it down so it's taut and both joining sides are fully tensioned.. If both joining sides are fully tensioned, you have a perfect 45 degree angle. 4. Then go to the 4th (last corner)... and again, pull it taut so both joining sides are fully tensioned. . It's now perfect (by default) because of what you did on the opposite (3rd) corner. 5. Now unzip your vestibules, and insert your first pole.. Raise it as high as the tent will allow, lock it in.. 6. Stake in that side's vestibule (to keep that pole upright while you walk to other side). 7. Insert 2nd pole, raise it as high as it will go 8. Stake in 2nd vestibule. 6. Zip up the vestibules. Boom. Perfect pitch, every time, no adjusting of anything. It took me a year to figure this out, and I've got it on the 1st try every time since. You're welcome. :D Edit: I just realized that this may be easier on the Pro.. as the floor is attached, and there are loops on the outer bathtub to perfectly place your poles in. It may be harder to get that perfect perpendicular vertical on your poles the first try, if your floor isn’t attached. But regardless, if there are any droops or shark fins on your ridgeline, rest assured you’re peg angles are ok… you can correct this by re-positioning the bottoms of your poles by a few inches and re-adjusting height to the highest it will go.

Rockwall is ah-may-zing!! Great video, Sit Nathan. 😊

I tied the ends of my ursack ropes together. They’re plenty long enough to still get stuff out without taking the rope ends out

I love how passionate you are about your gear :)

Everytime I see an outdoorvitals pack, all I can think of is the 4 days of hearing your velcro on the first Pinto-De-Mayo. I also can't believe you're complaining about extra length...

The shadowlight needs shoulder water bottle pockets. I retro fitted some to mine. Also the water hydration pouch entry hole could be dispensed with. The centre zip is kinda meh. Haven’t had the Velcro hip belt issue. Otherwise a good pack for the money

The rope is long enough that you don’t need to ever pull it out of the holes. Give it a try.

I think bug spray, sunscreen, and bear spray can be considered consumable. Maybe not eat and talk at the same time.

I only do ultra light, so I can carry more frivolities for camp at night- chair, whiskey. Sometimes a book.

Was wondering if the weight of a bear vault is considered part of base weight? If so, I believe getting base weight to 10 Lbs or less to be near impossible.

So close to 1,000!

Usually "ultralighters" don't skimp on bringing water bottles (typically 2x1L water bottles and as much as a 2L croc or similar bottle). 🤔Little sus about what you chose to include if that's what your relying on to meet that 10lb metric.

I remember that loop! 😂

Hi Nathan, I like the map / trail analysis that supplements your vlogs. Is this going be a regular addition going forward? Thanks for sharing.

Thanks

My needs tend to change drastically depending on who I’m with and where I’m going. But generally I wouldn’t consider myself ultralight. I think my base weight is 12 or 13lbs. I like to spend more on gear that is lighter, and leave behind what I don’t end up using anyway. For me this means leaving a chair behind most trips, but brining a half thermarest z-lite for cooking and lounging. I prefer cutting a pad in half as a sit pad so I can sit cross legged. And it’s still lighter than a chair. The other reality is that I camp with my wife and dog. So our tent is the msr hubba hubba 3. It’s not the lightest tent in the market, but the weight to space ratio is amazing. For 3 it’s not bad at all. Also I don’t pack my tent into a bag. If it’s wet I’ll use a towel to get it as dry as I can and then I’ll pack it loose in my bag. The inner tent can usually go in my bag liner to stay dry.

That last speech really says it. I would much rather be out on trail longer than comfortable in camp -- for me, that's just a place I have to stop so that I can recover for tomorrow's hike -- but some other people are going to feel differently, and I love that for them. UL vs. Traditional is really just about prioritizing what you want and need to hike YOUR hike!

Bin there many times. Carried my bike up and had a good ride back

nice video; take of your health ! your hands are shaking

I have to admit this was hard to watch, Going lightweight has its place when needed, I Will never unpack stuff that i need to stay alive Or leave out the stuff i need while hiking. Really Glad you made this video, I got some Great Info from it, thanks. Need Vs Wants. I have a camp saw that weights ‎5.3 ounces yes i will carry it to make life better. I been working on lowering weight and Very happy with my big 3 is now 11 pounds, that includes my 2.5 oz pillow size16" x 12" an air mat of 26 inches wide with 4 inch tall. Not being able to sleep is worse then carrying 1 or 2 more pounds or being cold and sick at night. Truth be told, be a happy camper and Pack what your able to carry.. By the way, I Turn 61 this year old and not slowing down.. Never stop Moving! Take Care and Happy Trails!

Nice video. You just give me more reason to not go ultralight 😅

This seemed more like a "do without" trip than a ultralight trip.

What scale did you use to measure?

What campground is this that is decommissioned? Thanks! Glad you're getting out there!!! Thanks for the video!!

I think you were too strict in some cases. Sun screen and bug repellent are consumables could be left off base weight.

good

I like your hat! Do you have a link for it?

Great video, in terms of chips, put a pin hole with a needle in the bag and you can squeeze all the air out of it albeit slowly. Great job!

My UL approach: Buy the expensive stuff that weighs less but then bring everything - table, chair and stuff 😅

Nathan! Brilliant job pal and great experiment. I was wondering how you’d do - just fine, it appears. I enjoyed the whole video. I’m down to 17.7 lbs base weight. Life’s good. Too many toys that I’m not willing to leave behind. 😂 That’s a great spot you hiked into as well. 😉 Keep up the great and interesting work!

I have the BA Rapide too, and I love that pad. I previously had the Nemo Tensor Insulated Ultralight and it was like sleeping on a bag of potato chips. It was so noisy that neighboring campers complained about it. The Rapide isn’t completely silent either, but it is so much better! 😊

I think that tent is better, although heavier than my X-mid Pro 1. The problem with the super-light Pro tent is that it is too transparent! Not only do I feel exposed while changing clothes in it, the moonlight and sunshine shines right through it, like it isn’t even there. I have to wear an eye mask to be able to sleep. I could really use just a little more opacity.

The Nitecore carbon 10,000 milliamp battery is half the thickness and weight of my Anker power bank, of the same amperage: 6.4 oz., compared to 12.3 for the Anker.

Regarding your saw. After frustration with unsharpened saw teeth, dealing with a few eight ounce saw handles, I took a previously bought saw blade and a section of plastic vacuum tubing, cut the tubing to size, heat reshaped it into an oval cross section in my vise and hands and tapered one end.. Then I put the saw blade in, marked the hole locations, drilled the two holes, added bolts and wing nuts. Then I glued two pieces of webbing for belt loops for horizontal mounting on my belt. The previous weight of the saw - 9.8 ounces. The current weight is 4.15 ounces. I previously made a similar solution with a 1" dia alluminum tube, ovai shaped it by vising and hammering it, drilled lightening holes in it, added Wilson wrap and glued two webbing loops for mounting on my belt. The solution was tougher, but still too heavy for my perception of what I wanted and so it is now remade in plastic and lighter.

This is a really great video! Thanks for making it and sharing it with us. I appreciated seeing, in realtime the stuff you sacrificed. It was a unique way of sharing how ultralight will affect comfort at the campsite.

😊well,you go ultralight and before sleep do listen to Buddha's words,Buddhawajana, meditation in the meanwhile.So that you can dream flying.But stay worm is a must.

No more miles than you hiked, could have brought everything including the kitchen sink and it wouldn't have mattered. The whole idea of ultralight is on a thru-hike, on trail from before daylight till dark. When you finally get to camp you're going to be ready to eat and go to bed. No need for a fire unless your life depends on it. Those camp shoes you had are worthless because they don't protect your toes. Ever tripped over a tent peg, no fun with flip flops on.

I recently got my first ul pack but I don't think I'd remove the belt even if I could.

Nice video on going UL.

Why 2 stoves?

Good video! Yeah i think the *idea* of ultralight is a good one, and shedding unnecessary weight where it makes sense. But attaching a specific number to your loadout is nonsensical imo, because each hike is different, and we are all different, and ultimately it comes down to enjoyment, which is subjective. Cheers

The oldest debate in backpacking. Firstly you have a great tent but you don't need the inner tent, especially in winter. I just use the footprint or groundsheet. A comfortable pillow is a must have, I put mine on top of my empty backpack. Gas is lighter to take than spirit because you need more sport than gas which is heavier. I have the X boil spirit system which is available from Europe, it's great but slow and I have to carry a lot of bio ethanol. The debate carries on 😊

Nice video with some nice points!

This video perfectly shows how UL has jumped the shark. When you attach a number to UL then you start to leave things behind that make your trip more enjoyable - which was supposedly the reason for going UL……

Where was this? Which trail?

I love that you smelled the socks. Now I truly believe that it’s real.

Great video pal!

70 km is 44 miles, that’s quite a walk.

Where did ya hike?