Hi, I'm Glenn, and I'm a light to ultralight packer, and a gear-head. It's been two weeks since I bought my last piece of gear. I've tried the 12-step program, but I'm starting to suspect that choosing the owner of the local backpacking shop as my sponsor may have been a mistake.

I've always tended to pack lighter. Back when we all carried 40 pounds for a weekend, I was typically 2-5 pounds lighter than my hiking buddies. It wasn't for bragging rights, or because I was somehow more enlightened (so to speak) than they were - it's because Colin Fletcher was my vicarious mentor.

And I, too, never chose gear based entirely on weight. Like Colin said, if you need something, take it; then take the lightest version that actually does what you need it to do. I just never seemed to need as much as the next guy: I never needed the change of clothing for a weekend; I only needed a spoon (and didn't need both an eating and cooking spoon); and I used a three pound tarp-and-bivy sack setup when everyone else carried 6-pound two-person tents. We were all equally comfortable (comfort is another variable that differs greatly between any two people.)

Today, I still choose gear based first on functionality, then on weight. As a result, my headlamp is a full-power model instead of a keychain light; my knife has a lock-back feature (because my mini-tool closed on my fingers when I was making a fuzz-stick), and I carry separate scissors because my multi-tool scissors wouldn't cut moleskin. (My knife, scissors, and tweezers weigh half an ounce more than my mini-tool.)

I also have an ulterior motive: a year or so ago, I asked myself what I wanted to be doing ten years from now (when I'll be 80), and the answer was "still backpacking." I'll fully retire in a year, and I'm not deluding myself that I'll suddenly transform into a fully-fit chiseled version of myself. So, I decided to allow myself to take easier, shorter trips; lower mileage days; and no dead-of-winter trips. I also decided that to conserve my original-equipment knees and hips, I'd carry as light a load as possible. We'll see how that goes.

Budget plays a role, too. I'm at the point in life when the house is paid for, the kids' college bills are done, and I don't smoke, drink, chase women, or own a boat. So, the ultralight gear is more affordable, relatively speaking, than when I was outfitting me and my kids with whatever was left over after the bills were paid.

So, don't apologize for doing a smart thing: assessing your needs and selecting gear accordingly. Besides, you're allowed to change the composition of your load and weight of your gear as your needs change, too.