Quote:
“Cut the weight elsewhere in their gear - but not the suspension!”

Going UL doesn’t require that much suspension.

I have found that light packs that use closed cell foam provide admirable suspension. Plus kid’s stuff isn’t that heavy anyway. My daughter hasn’t carried more than 10lbs for the last 2 years (she’s now 12). That includes everything (like food, fuel, water).

Now she has tried it w/o the hip belt, but that was a lot of complaining!

-Barry
I agree with that. The coiled closed cell foam pad makes for excellent suspension, even when the pack is half full. It's important to get the shoulder straps and hip belt right, but they can still be very light and don't need to be padded as long as the load is light.