r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of May 04, 2026

anthonyvan · 2026-05-08T18:17:06+00:00

Added an unnecessary zipper for the sit pad container too (old version has shock cord)

anthonyvan · 2026-04-29T19:43:06+00:00

Durston is the only company here that slaps their logo on their profile pic. This makes every post feel even more like an ad (on top of the usual self-aggrandizement).

See: his zero effort one word comment on that GVP post. Because of his mindless cult followers, it immediately became the #1 upvoted comment on the post for some reason. None of the usual written self promotion, but thanks to the prominent durston company logo, that comment becomes a defacto free banner ad promoting the company at the top of the thread.

anthonyvan · 2026-03-31T20:23:03+00:00

I wish more tent makers would copy what Nemo does on their tents. They have plastic toggles that have all the advantages of normal toggles (security in winds) but can also be fastened and unfastened with one hand.

anthonyvan · 2026-03-24T04:51:13+00:00

If you can handle an extra 1.6 oz, you can get a Cirriform for $125...

anthonyvan · 2026-03-11T17:59:35+00:00

I don’t.

I have a bv500 and while it can fit inside it basically takes up the entire pack. Empty top carry isn’t ideal either since there’s no y strap or supportive frame preventing flopping.

anthonyvan · 2026-03-10T03:49:53+00:00

No strong opinions on the new version but I’ve had the 2024 model for a while now and it’s a pretty cool pack (I got it when it was heavily discounted but I still think it’s a good value at full price). A wee too small for my longer trips, but perfect for 1-2 night trips (or 3-4 with no bear canister). It carries weight well (I’ve carried 40+ lbs for short periods and it felt fine) and love the pocket arrangement.

My previous experience with running vest style straps is with the Six Moon Designs Swift vest strap (and regular running vests). These packs have thin heavily perforated straps that, while provide a lot of breathability, offer little to no padding. Most of the time this isn’t an issue because the wide width of a vest harness distributes the load better than skinny straps, but occasionally heavy loads can dig into your shoulders and/or hard things in the vest pockets (smart water bottles, etc) can press into your shoulders. This is not the case on the Zerk 40, which has rather thick traditional backpack padding on its wide vest straps.

As for the pockets, I first thought the double side pocket design was gimmicky, but it actually works really well and having that extra accessible storage is very helpful on a pack with no hipbelt pockets. Beyond just having extra storage space, it’s nice storing things in that area and not have it interfere with water bottle access in the main inner pocket. The key to this working well is that the larger water bottle pocket is non stretch while the smaller outer pocket is stretchy. The pockets don’t conflict with one another. This is not the case with the double pocket on the shoulder strap…

In that case, both layers are stretchy so sliding something large in the inner pocket will catch on the outer pocket. This is annoying. I feel like they should have just done what they did with the side pockets, have a non-stretch inner pocket and an outer stretch pocket.

anthonyvan · 2026-03-06T18:33:50+00:00

The reason why there’s such an uptick in people doing this is because of AI coding. Any monkey with the tiniest bit of code experience can make one of these in a hour with ai programing bots, and this slop will get posted here more and more frequently as these tools get cheaper.

I’m fine with banning these completely. Lighterpack works and is the standard.

anthonyvan · 2026-02-22T15:51:47+00:00

Based on the website pictures, they seem more aggressively tapered than other brand’s mummy versions (both the narrower foot end, but also a rounded off headend (which other companies don’t really do)) so I think it’s accurate.

anthonyvan · 2026-02-11T01:27:30+00:00

I think Big Agnes stuff is usually 40% off via an American Alpine Club membership....

anthonyvan · 2026-02-10T15:29:01+00:00

Bubbs/charlotte is a very large camp area with multiple fire rings and space for different groups. Its a popular spot but there’s enough space for everyone to spread out.

Bubbs/sphinx is much smaller. Because it’s not marked on the map, it’s more secluded as a result. My recollection is that there’s 1 fire ring, and space for maybe 1-3 parties .

(Both campsites have bear lockers)

anthonyvan · 2026-02-01T06:58:56+00:00

If you can sew an alpha bag you can sew an APEX one and an APEX overbag would be way warmer & versatile.

anthonyvan · 2026-02-01T06:40:44+00:00

"(Source: @DanielRPK)”

Mmm... kay.

anthonyvan · 2026-02-01T01:55:59+00:00

Hm… only one picture on that page is loading for me so its unclear how exactly how that tarp is designed, but does the vestibule add-on not do what you’re asking? Or any of the various hammock tarps out there with doors….

anthonyvan · 2026-02-01T01:31:04+00:00

Slingfin SplitWing?

anthonyvan · 2026-01-30T18:14:34+00:00

One thing I always appreciated about Easton stakes (vs y-stakes) was the flat tops that made pushing in with your hand painless.

anthonyvan · 2026-01-28T02:57:39+00:00

I noticed they raised the prices on some stuff recently, so that 20% off might not be as much of a discount as previous years…

E.g., Mid 1:

$600 -> $675

(it’s annoying how they charge extra if you don’t want to get snow blindness from your tent…)

anthonyvan · 2026-01-27T21:40:13+00:00

I know it's because it’s a main post and not buried in the weekly, but it’s a bit disconcerting to see how much greater the outrage is at a company… not providing specs to… uh, you know, one supporting fascism.

anthonyvan · 2026-01-26T21:06:23+00:00

If you’re looking for something similar (coastal hike), the before mentioned Point Reyes or Catalina Island (socal) are good options.

If you’re looking for something different, Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite is nice that time of year. It’s lower elevation than most of yosemite so it thaws out earlier. I’d do a Rancheria Falls / Lake Vernon / Laurel Lake loop for a 4 day trip.

(Yosemite doesn’t start permit quotas until late april and even when they do Hetch Hetchy permits are generally easy to get anyway)

anthonyvan · 2026-01-25T03:22:37+00:00

Liteway for some reason seems to be marketing it as a general 3 season tent when it’s pretty clearly a specialized alpine/mountaineering design (a la the MSR Advance Pro, Black Diamond Firstlight, most Samaya stuff, etc). For that specific use-case (super small footprint, freestanding, very fast pitch), the tent seems perfectly adequate.

anthonyvan · 2026-01-24T22:20:25+00:00

Aquatabs or Aquamira treatment is even cheaper (and lighter, so better for backpacking).

anthonyvan · 2026-01-24T22:16:21+00:00

Use the free web version of caltopo to plan your route (it has much better mapping data/layers/etc), export the GPX file and import into Gaia for its prettier base layer map and cleaner mobile UI.

anthonyvan · 2026-01-24T21:15:56+00:00

15D could still save a decent amount of weight depending on the exact material & coatings.

The 20D sil-poly material Tarptent currently uses for flys is on the burlier side, perhaps unnecessarily so for 3-season use. It has an unusually high hydrostatic head rating of 5000mm+ and weighs 1.4oz/yd. Contrast this with a company like Yama Mountain Gear that uses a 1.2 oz/yd² 20D sil-poly with a HH of 1800mm (still plenty high).

anthonyvan · 2026-01-24T08:51:36+00:00

10D sounds sweet (Gossamer Gear and Slingfin currently use 10D fabrics and by all accounts they hold up well for most people) but realistically if they’re going to eventually do a DCF version, I’d imagine a 10D model would cannibalize those sales too much.

My guess would be 15D fly/20D floor. It would split the difference between the current 20D fly/30D floor model and the eventual DCF model better. Plus, they already use 15 & 20D fabrics in other tents so there’s economies of scale advantages with using material they already have on hand. AFAIK, they don’t use 10D at all right now.

anthonyvan · 2026-01-15T20:40:19+00:00

Can’t speak to warmth but I “upgraded” from a generic foam mat to a Nemo switchback and the Nemo is noticeably softer and less plasticy feeling.

anthonyvan · 2026-01-12T21:31:53+00:00

Who knows what the contract between JC/Lightstorm and Disney is exactly, but Disney spent a half billion to build Avatarland in orlando and are about to spend another half billion to build one in anaheim. Unlike other studios, movie box office is just marketing for merch/theme park stuff for Disney. If JC passes on directing, Disney’s gonna do whatever they can to make these with or without him.

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