Ultralight backpacking

While there's no official weight that constitutes ultralight (UL), there is a general consensus that your base pack weight (BPW) should be between 9 and 11 lbs. BPW includes your pack and all necessary equipment for your hike, but excludes food, water, fuel, and the clothing that you are wearing. If your BPW is between 11 and 20 lbs, it's considered lightweight backpacking and if it's less than 9 lbs, it's either super ultralight (SUL) or extreme ultralight (XUL).

I'm going to try and take a picture of the base pack I'm starting with, but it generally ranges from 17-25 pounds, depending on the length of my trip. Going UL will be expensive, time consuming (I could research equipment all day), and will probably frighten my dad, but I'm motivated to go UL for a few reasons.

• I love backpacking and the lighter my load, the further I can go.
• I don't mind sleeping on hard ground or smelling badly.
• I don't need a nice tent, just something to protect me from evil spiders.
• I have slight minimalist tendencies, so the idea of leaving unnecessary things behind gives me an added thrill and sense of freedom.
• I'm obsessed with Microsoft Excel and it's a fun excuse to make countless new spreadsheets.
• My boyfriend just broke up with me and it's a great distraction!

There you go. This begins the journey from my big backpack to my new UL lifestyle. Wish me luck!

Rob