Paddy_Crow wrote: "I think the point is that a UL pack doesn't have to carry like a heavyweight"

Of course not, just don't load them up with heavy gear... Ultralight was easy when I hiked the national park trails in the US. I averaged a 25 lb load using a Equinox Katahdin that weighed in at just over 1.50 lbs. Anything I needed that I didn't want to haul around, I just bought from one of the resorts, camp supply or convenience stores when I came across them. I could also beg, buy, or borrow supplies from the hundreds of other hikers in the parks. No problem.

It's a different world down here, if you attempt to go UL, you will suffer for it. Even in the Mexican National parks such as Barranca del Cobre, (twice as large and deeper in places than the Grand Canyon) you're pretty much on your own. No stores, no park rangers, and nobody to kick but yourself if you forget something important back home. In Mexico, if you don't bring it with you, you'll probably have to do without it. Backpacking the jungles here demands self sufficiency with no excuses. I like being totally self sufficient when I'm backpacking, it just feels right.

Now I use a pack in the 5300 to 6700 cu. in. range and hang a lot of things on it too. I love the preparation of my backpack before a week or longer hike. I have my pack contents down to a science. I even measure out quantities of toiletries, chlorine dioxide, and dish and laundry soap, etc, by the gram. I know exactly how many grams of each item I'll need per day. No more, no less. I save, clean, and store away all sizes and shapes of plastic bottles, from one ounce to 32 ounce capacity. That way I can use the smallest and lightest bottle to hold liquids for the exact number of days I'll be gone. I sent out an email a while back to my friends asking them to save empty plastic bottles for me...I'll never have to buy another Nalgene. If zip lock bags and rubber bands suddenly quit working due to sunspots or some other oddity, my pack will explode. I use them by the dozens to avoid heavier containers. Brum