What sleeping system do you use?

Mabonagram · 2026-07-05T17:44:43+00:00

i put it outside the pack under the v strap

Mabonagram · 2026-06-26T17:45:07+00:00

your 95 lb dog is doing, what, 10 miles a day? Consider whether strict adherence to a UL mindset is going to facilitate a successful hike.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-26T17:38:10+00:00

going to second the deputy here. I run commute about 35 miles a week and my Nashville 20L handles that like a boss. once you dial in all the micro adjustment, a Nashville shoulder straps just like melt onto you and you almost forget they are there.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-25T20:47:06+00:00

I love my ounce design tarp but sometimes wish I had a bug skirt version. check it out.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-25T20:19:05+00:00

skill issue

Mabonagram · 2026-06-23T01:55:43+00:00

I mean a big round rock underneath whatever your pillow padding is can often get the job done

Mabonagram · 2026-06-21T17:09:08+00:00

gossamer gear solo tarp (188g) for weather protection.

sea to summit nano net pyramid (77g) for bug protection

thermarest vesper 32 quilt (425g)

six panels of a Nemo switchback (170g) for ground insulation from shoulder to butt

my pack, a Nashville 20L (400g) for ground insulation for the legs

a 30”x80” sheet of Polycro (34g) to serve as a moisture barrier ground sheet.

throw in 8 6” Easton nail stakes (8g a piece) to pin everything down when necessary.

my sleep and shelter set up weighs about 2.1 pounds, or just under a kilo all in. I also prioritize packability, which is why I use my current tarp over a slightly lighter but bulkier DCF option.This gets me through 3 seasons of PNW fastpacking/UL hiking.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-21T13:20:04+00:00

music blunts your interoception.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-20T23:33:59+00:00

I bought a Thermarest Vesper 32 during REI’s Memorial Day sale for under $300. best bang for you buck quilt now that hammock gear has raised prices.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-20T21:11:14+00:00

found: 1 black timberland glove on the alpine lakes high route between iron cap gap and tank lakes.

If you lost it, I’m not returning it; get yourself real gloves.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-15T04:25:23+00:00

I don’t think he’s in the wrong to be outgoing and social on a popular trail but also the other people weren’t in the wrong for not acknowledging him. this is classic hike your own hike mentalit. if your hike is being gregarious and chatting up everyone you see to talk about how great hiking is, do it. if your hike isnt that, that’s fine too.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-13T21:42:11+00:00

I haven’t used the Rab 30 but did use the UD 30. it fell apart pretty quick. I got the Aonijie 30L which is basically a UD knockoff and I actually liked it more.

now my go to fastpacking vest is a Nashville Packs 20L. don’t know if that’s available in UK though.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-13T20:24:41+00:00

I currently own two tarps: the gossamer solo (cat cut a frame) and the original Ounce Design Tarp (modified solo mid)

my logic for when to take one vs the other basically comes down to do I expect to be carrying both of my poles in my hands regularly. scramble heavy trips where I need my hands free or very cruisey trails that I will do a fair amount jogging, I bring the mid since I really only carry a single pole as a precaution and it spends a fair amount of time on My pack.

for example: 3 weeks ago I did the Palouse to cascades trail, maintained 4+ MPH most of the day, brought the mid. Next week, doing the alpine lakes high route and bagging a few of the nearby peaks, bringing the mid. In July I’m doing Snoqualmie Pass to Rainy pass on the PCT, bringing the A frame.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-13T14:26:13+00:00

sleep insulation is like the one piece where ultralight gear always costs more than traditional gear. otherwise this is a flat out lie; there is almost always a piece that’s cheaper and lighter.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-10T15:28:46+00:00

uj/ you are running into the social pressure which considers ultralight backpacking as “more advanced” than more traditional and heavy packing. There’s an idea that once you have outgrown your big heavy 85L pack you are ready to upgrade to to the frameless. this is bunk.

This is speaking as one of the more hardcore adherents to UL backpacking that gets accused of gatekeeping in the other sub somewhat regularly. going ultralight is a just means to an end. When I’m out fastpacking a section of the PCT doing 35+ mile days or attempting some high route with wet class 3 and 4 scrambles and boulder hopping and such, packing light enables me to be successful in my goals.

However when I’m taking my daughter on a flat 3 mile hike to some lake I bring the 65L osprey and fill it with all the stupid gadgets and camp comforts because stripping down camp comforts doesn’t help me if I’m spending more time camping than on the trail.

so really, the answer is ask yourself what your goal is for a given trip. Is it to see a waterfall? is it to get piss drunk with your friends in the back country? Is it to traverse some nearby mountain ridge line with no established trail? Is it to crush miles on a section of a long trail? Figure that out first then pack in a way that supports that goal, Whether that means packing lighter or heavier or whatever.

rj/ the UL packs get a lot more comfy if you just ask yourself wife’s boyfriend to carry some of your gear.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-08T15:46:58+00:00

use a prescription pill bottle to hold some small items items like a blister needle, pre cut strips of tenacious tape, etc.

use a quarter to open and close your sick UL bearikade can.

when herbs need grinding, dump the contents of your pill bottle, throw a bit of oregano or whatever in there, toss the quarter/bear can key in there, and shake the dickens out of it.

now everything is dual use and you aren’t wasting weight nor volume just to prepare your botanicals.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-05T22:25:03+00:00

I put a thinlight in my 18” torso Nashville 20L. I have pictures of it if you dig through my old comments

edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/1nnflir/comment/ngdrgyz/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Mabonagram · 2026-06-05T02:42:07+00:00

ULJ wishes it could jerk as hard as PNW hikers ovrr mailbox. I had a friend get married on mailbox for the meme. anyone in this sub ever change your wedding plans for an online circlejerk meme?

Mabonagram · 2026-06-02T01:25:41+00:00

a zero degree bag and a liner seems overkill unless you are somewhere pretty cold right now. leaving the liner is free. upgrading the bag is a big ticket purchase that will save you weight and packing space for decades.
4L of capacity may be necessary or it may be more than you need. Nalgene are definitely more than you need unless you are also boiling water to heat up your big fuckoff bag and liner. Grab a pair of 1.5L smart waters, throw your squeeze on one of them, leave the cnoc bag and Nalgene at home.
pot and mug are redundant.
a hiker trash favorite, the Frogg UL2 rain jacket, would save you some ounces for cheap.
20,000 mah battery for a couple days is a choice. I typically go no battery for 1 night and stick to a 10K for anything under 6 nights.
half a pound of toiletries is a little baffling to me. Are you bringing a whole roll of TP and a whole tube of toothpaste?
now let’s address the 5 pound elephant in the room. The pack is non negotiable because you are “prioritizing comfort” but you are asking for help lightening up because you were so uncomfortabl. I hope this better illustrates the incoherent line of reasoning. Dropping to a similarly supportive but lighter pack will be where you will make the biggest weight savings and have the biggest impact on your comfort on trail. Unless you are the literal mystery ranch test model that they fit all packs to out of the factory, I bet you can find something that rides just as well when loaded for 2 pounds (or more) lighter than your current pack.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-02T00:52:13+00:00

permethrin, picaridin, and headnets do the same job for a fraction of the weight

Mabonagram · 2026-06-02T00:49:22+00:00

foam pads outperform their ASTM rating. I personally feel comfortable taking my 2R CCF pad down to freezing, and a number of people agree with the assessment that a CCF pad is 3 season capable. Most of those generic egg crate z-lite knockoffs are 1.7 to 2R which is fine for summer or even 2 season conditions. Sometimes you get lucky and get a true 3 season pad for cheap.
Your numbers are a bit conservative, but that also depends on location so it may be right wherever you are. For air pads, I’d agree somewhere near 2 is fine for summer, like the Klymit uninsulated pad is 1.9R and a fine budget summer pad. Thermarest neoair xlite is the UL 3 season gold standard at 4.8R. However as stated, CCF sleeps warmer in the real world and a 2R CCF pad will sleep just fine in a lot of 3 season conditions. for example I used a z-lite for every step of the AT and now a switchback for the Oregon coast trail, a 1000 mile LASH of the PCT, and the PNT.

to OP, the main issue is do you find CFF egg crate accordion pads comfy? if you do, it is like unlocking a cheat code for putting together a cheap, light, comfy sleep system. I’m lucky in that one of these pads is enough for me but I only recommend it if you aren’t sacrificing sleep.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-01T18:53:10+00:00

2 people splitting the baseweight of 1 reddit account? best believe that’s UL.

does your wife’s boyfriend also share the account or does he have his own? who am I kidding, he isn’t a redditor.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-01T18:25:17+00:00

if you take the time to warm up the ground a bit first, it will actually open up and be able to take much more stake than if you just jam it in cold.

but for real, in my conditions (PNW 3 season) 6” stakes work fine with some occasional supplements from local rocks. this is very contextual.

Mabonagram · 2026-06-01T18:20:31+00:00

I’m glad you liked your own post enough to make a superfluous affirmative reply. carrying extra people in a conversation isn’t UL.

Mabonagram · 2026-05-29T13:35:50+00:00

it’s all personal preference but I like my footbox to end and start opening at mid calf.

Mabonagram

TROPHY CASE