"But das ist a daypak!"

The first time I ever saw an ultralighter was in 2002. I was just coming out of a four night trip in the Wallowas, late in the day, carrying about a 35 lb. base weight in my external frame pack, when who should I see going up the trail but a guy in tights, carrying about a 25L pack. From the time of day and how he was hiking, I knew he was planning to stay out the night.

I am sure my eyebrows raised and I looked very surprised as he passed me and I said howdy to him. But I clearly recall thinking, "I sure as heck hope that guy knows what he's doing," because it had been below freezing each night I was out.

I also recall trying to figure out what his equipment must be like and deciding he was going to bivy for one night only, with the barest of bare necessities. By the next summer I had cut my own base weight by a dozen pounds and I understood a bit better where that guy was coming from. I still don't ultralight, though. My base is just around 18 lbs.