ULAs are made of Dyneema ripstop, which is some pretty stout stuff, not silicone-impregnated nylon. It looks to be extremely durable; certainly I haven't managed to harm it yet.

My unsolicited opinion: A big part of going lighter is replacing gear with skill; (generic) you should learn not to drop your pack off a cliff or drag it over rocks or swing it around your head like a helicopter blade. Then you can get a lighter pack and fill it with lighter and less gear. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

> Arkansas trails aren't all that well maintained

That's surely true, but not necessarily a completely bad thing. It keeps the tamer folk away, and I do like that solitude.