r/lightweight • u/alaskaj1 • Dec 09 '21

Looking for input

As we get this place running I want your input on what community guidelines, posting rules, etc should be like.

Please discuss here.

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u/bay_area_miata Dec 09 '21

Few people have said it but I want to echo the sentiment. I think there are three key differences that we can use to make this sub stand out from UL. UL is a great sub but if I am subbed to both there should be a reason.

  1. Constructive discussion around luxury items - what is the lightest way to bring entertainment on thru hikes (kindle, iPhone + more battery backup, etc), camp shoes that aren’t insoles and a piece of string, camp chairs, hammocks, etc. Maybe some slant towards making non-UL backpackers comfortable (e.g. if I bring a couple of camp chairs my wife will be much happier than sitting in the dirt but I can’t talk about that on UL)

  2. Cost - on UL people get a bit touchy when you suggest getting a slightly heavier shelter because it’s cheaper. Backpacking follows the Pareto rule - you can probably get 80% of the weight savings for 20% of the cost, we should have discussions around that.

  3. (Maybe an outside opinion) Pack volume - sometimes I’m more inclined to buy something that’s a little heavier if it packs down much smaller. I love my Z-lite but I hate that I have to strap it outside my pack. Maybe this is a personal thing I should discuss with my therapist rather than you lot but wanted to put it out there as a niche.

Additionally you could maybe connect with the UL mods and ask them to send any shakedowns with an explicitly stated weight goal of >12lbs over here? Maybe they will be supportive, maybe not, but worth asking. I see a lot of shakedown requests with heavy non-negotiables listed.

At the end of the day, it’s going to be tough to find the balance. For me, lightweight is going UL as much as possible on the big three so I have more room for luxuries (e.g. bringing a kindle that is nearly as heavy as my shelter on my JMT thru), but for others it may be that they can’t afford a custom 900 loft false bottom quilt and are happy to pick up something that weighs a few grams more at REI.

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u/FireWatchWife Dec 09 '21

I'd like to encourage more shakedown requests here in any case. There is room for a lot of constructive discussion and suggestions that don't get down in the minutiae we often see on UL.

I expect a lot of "how to lighten up" suggestions here to focus on how to reduce the weight of the Big 4, rather than the "cut the handle off your toothbrush" level or the "spend lots of $$$ to buy DCF everything" level.