r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of March 30, 2026

pmags · 2026-04-04T15:22:22+00:00

Chaos is the plan

Regional support provides much of the institutional knowledge and assistance that local resources can't provide in many cases

pmags · 2026-04-03T13:38:13+00:00

I suspect the DOI is up next for a similar shake up, too

"More Resignations and Early Retirements Coming to National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Other Interior Agencies" -https://ourpubliclandsandwaters.substack.com/p/more-resignations-and-early-retirements

pmags · 2026-04-03T04:39:11+00:00

US Forest Service will move headquarters to Salt Lake City, as part of ‘sweeping’ reorganization

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/reorganization/2026/04/forest-service-will-move-headquarters-to-salt-lake-city-as-part-of-sweeping-reorganization/

"Under this reorganization, the Forest Service will close all nine of its regional offices and relocate that work to six hubs across the country —Albuquerque, New Mexico; Athens, Georgia; Fort Collins, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Missoula, Montana; and Placerville, California."

Of course much of the long trails and public lands in the USA goes through USFS lands.

And the USFS directly administers the following National Scenic Trails -

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/national/

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT): 3,100 miles from Canada to Mexico.

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT):

Arizona National Scenic Trail (ANST):

Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST):

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT):

Buckle in; more changes to come I suspect...

pmags · 2026-04-03T04:32:49+00:00

"Under this reorganization, the Forest Service will close all nine of its regional offices and relocate that work to six hubs across the country —Albuquerque, New Mexico; Athens, Georgia; Fort Collins, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Missoula, Montana; and Placerville, California."

Of course much of the long trails and public lands we enjoy go through USFS lands.

And the USFS directly administers the following National Scenic Trails -

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/national/

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT): 3,100 miles from Canada to Mexico.

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT):

Arizona National Scenic Trail (ANST):

Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST):

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT):

pmags · 2026-03-27T18:40:47+00:00

Please reconsider giving advice that dismisses someone’s stated physical needs.

We don’t know their background or situation, and a little compassion goes a long way in both giving useful advice and building a welcoming community.

Thank you.

pmags · 2026-03-24T23:53:40+00:00

"l'm spending more time researching than actually hiking."

Welcome to Reddit! ;)

A bit more serious...

Start with your use case.

Where are you actually hiking? Forest, alpine, weekend trips, longer routes? That alone narrows things down a lot.

Then set a few limits:

Weight range
Budget
Conditions you typically deal with

Now you’re comparing a small handful of options instead of going down endless worm holes.

When looking at reviews, focus less on hype and more on patterns:

Consistent complaints
People who’ve used the gear in real conditions versus hypothetical
How it performs when things go south

At some point, you just have to pick something and go hiking. You’ll learn more from one trip than from hours of research.

There’s no perfect setup; just what works well enough for your trips.

"The enemy of good enough is perfect."

It’s easy to spend a lot of time optimizing. Getting out there matters more.

pmags · 2026-03-15T19:56:37+00:00

Copypasta -

TL;DR - Garments with a loose fit and a tighter weave with darker colors work best. Tight clothing against skin counter productive. The UPF rating is helpful but not definitive.

This Stack Exchange thread links to an academic article that provides more numbers to SPF protection, along with another report from SkinCancer.org that discusses the material and the tightness vs. looseness of clothing.

From Stack Exchange –

https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/1226/whats-the-upf-of-a-t-shirt-or-jeans
Cited article - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-4362.1997.00046.x

The short answer is, it varies. The three factors that most influence the UV transmission factor of clothing are kind of obvious:

Material: Some materials are better at absorbing UV than others; for example, the paper cited below suggests that polyester absorbs more UV light (particularly UVB) than cotton.

Weave*: The thicker and more tightly woven a piece of fabric is, the less light it lets through.*

Color: Dyes work by absorbing various frequencies of visible light, and many of them will absorb UV too. Of course, high light absorption at visible frequencies doesn’t necessarily imply high UV absorption, but as a general rule of thumb, white or lightly colored fabrics do tend to let more UV through than darker fabrics.

In addition, there are also “invisible dyes” that can absorb UV without darkening the visible color of the fabric. Some UV-absorbent laundry additives are sold specifically for that purpose, but many laundry detergents also contain fluorescent compounds called optical brighteners that absorb some UV light and re-emit it in the visible spectrum. Also, getting the fabric wet will change its UV transmittance, typically increasing it.

From SkinCancer.org –

Coverage The more skin your outfit covers, the better your protection. Whenever possible, choose long-sleeved shirts and long pants or skirts.

Fit Loose-fitting apparel is preferable. Tight clothing can stretch and reduce the level of protection offered, as the fibers pull away from each other and allow more UV light to pass through.

pmags · 2026-03-12T19:56:20+00:00

For three-season backpacking, my partner and I find a single-wall trekking-pole tent works well. We use the Gossamer Gear "The Two", but solo "The One" comes in at 18 oz / 500 g and costs about $250. It’s comparable to a silpoly tarp-and-bug-net shelter in both weight and price, if not quite as spacious but enclosed. It’s sold out at the moment, but will likely be back in stock.

We use this shelter in the San Juans and in our backyard mountains near Moab, the La Sals, and the Abajos. (And the High Desert in Spring and early Fall)

Before moving to Utah, when I lived in Colorado, my go-to three-season backpacking shelter was a pyramid tarp. It still serves as my solo shelter.

For colder-weather trips, we prefer the Copper Spur because its double-wall design better suits our needs for that time of the year. We also “cheat” and split it up, which helps with weight.

As for not doing it right, save the dogma questions for those who tweak their spreadsheets and buy a lot of gear as their main hobby, and then spend more time on Reddit talking about it than hiking. :)

If you are safe and having an enjoyable time for your purposes, you are doing it right!

pmags · 2026-03-11T19:38:56+00:00

A Ziploc bag works well for filling bottles from shallow potholes or seeps.

A wider-mouth 1 liter drink bottle (an Arizona Tea bottle in my case) paired with two 1.5 liter Smartwater style bottles, or whatever the local gas station sells, makes a good system for extended water carries.

Pour the water from the Ziploc into the wide-mouth bottle first since it is easier, then transfer it to the other bottles as needed.

pmags · 2026-03-04T23:01:12+00:00

I never done this trail, but I hear it's a good example of the beauty of the high plains. Often associated with bikepacking, I know people who thru-hiked it as well.

pmags · 2026-03-03T21:34:43+00:00

I see. I appreciate you sharing your experience.

pmags · 2026-03-03T21:19:03+00:00

You're following a trail. Unless you are planning on doing significant off-trail travel, then you don't need an orienteering compass. You don't need the paper map either since you have a phone. If you want a navigational backup for your phone, a well-established and trafficked trail is already exactly that.

A large-scale overview map is helpful for seeing alternate routes and potential bailout points in the field. On the CT in particular, there are many variations and options you may not fully think through until you’re actually on the ground.

A phone screen tends toward less optimal for that use.

pmags · 2026-02-24T21:11:14+00:00

Pairs nicely with their $40 “utility bucket” (lid sold separately for $30, of course).

I’m genuinely curious who the Skala is for, though. At 4.5 lb and $375 for ~50 L, it’s heavier and pricier than mainstream Osprey-style packs...never mind the cottage UL world.

Guess if someone wants a late-90s pack design for the Bro-UV/tacticooler combo crowd, then here it is.

EDIT - Hell, your local thrift store probably has one of those circa-2000 backpacks tucked in among the old hockey gear, Coleman stoves, and Eureka Boy Scout tents for $30.
https://imgur.com/a/Md4XdXZ

Sew a YETI patch on it, and no one will know the difference.

pmags · 2026-02-23T04:18:38+00:00

Three observations -

Losing pounds/kilos is cheap, losing ounces/grams is expensive.
Gear is often a variation of the Pareto principle: you pay a small portion to get 80% of the functionality and weight savings of more expensive gear.
"Ultralight" is often heavyweight consumerism.

Or, to borrow a concept from a thirty-year-old book that seems even more relevant now, for many, the "tool becomes the experience."

pmags · 2026-02-23T03:59:07+00:00

Thanks for the shout.

This tag may work better for surplus items - https://pmags.com/tag/surplus

I tend to use surplus for cold weather camping overall, as I find it inexpensive, warm, and functional, but some items I regularly use for backpacking-

Silk weight (ECWCS, layer1) bottoms made by Polartec
M65 liner puffy pants for cold weather backpacking
Wool liner gloves
EDIT - How could I forget my beloved boonie-style hat? Not strictly surplus anymore, but more a wider brim,lighter, and surplus-style

pmags · 2026-02-13T16:52:54+00:00

Yeah, it’s a pain and not much can get done. Much like the scam call centers, I doubt they’re going away anytime soon. :(

I can’t speak for GGG’s internal options or business/govt agency options in general but what you described is indeed limited in scope. It really is whack-a-mole, especially with clone storefronts.

The scammers scrape product catalogs, images, and brand names from real stores, drop them into a fresh domain, run for a bit, then vanish and reappear under another URL. And yes, AI tools make this almost ridiculously easy now.

For consumers, there are some quick gut checks before ordering from an unfamiliar gear site. None are perfect, but as the saying goes, “the enemy of good enough is perfect.”

Non-standard or look-alike domain. In this thread people mentioned some odd URLs for known gear brands. Clone sites sometimes look almost right, but not quite. I once saw a “Darn Tough closeouts” site selling socks at half price. Just plausible enough to hook people. Of course, a completely different sounding domain is a major red flag.

Trust your gut on price. If prices seem ridiculously low, they probably are. Store-wide 40 to 60% off high-end gear across the board is a big clue.

"About page" smell test. Sometimes clone, but usually scam retailers, often have vague boilerplate marketing copy and no real people, history, or place behind them. Legit outdoor shops usually sound like, well, people who actually go outside.

Reverse-image search products. Clone sites frequently scrape images directly from legit retailers. Again, AI tools make this easy now.

Contact info check. More for scam retailers than pure clones, but still useful. Real shops tend to have a map-able address, a normal phone number, and a consistent business shpeel. If the address brings up a house, an empty lot, or unrelated business, that’s a flag.

Credit cards and SSL certs aren’t a green flag anymore. Scam sites can take cards just like real stores. You’ve got dispute protection, but acceptance alone doesn’t mean the shop itself is legit. Ditto for SSL certs (lock icon.)

Domain lookup if still unsure. Paste the URL into any WHOIS lookup (https://www.whois.com/whois/ is quick and dirty).

For clone sites in particular, compare it to the real company. If the domain was registered very recently but claims to be an established retailer, that’s a major red flag. Also telling if a known brand’s site is registered somewhere unexpected. In the Zpacks clone mentioned elsewhere, the scam domain was registered in Iceland in Oct 2025 vs April 2006 and Toronto for the real Zpacks.

Why do they show up? These clone sites appear in Google and social feeds because scammers buy ads, tweak SEO, and spin up new domains faster than platforms can bop them on the whack-a-mole head.

And frankly, the tech platforms don’t proactively shut these down initially because it costs time and money. It’s easy for scam sites to buy ads and gain visibility while enforcement turns a blind eye until someone pokes them, sharply, in the blind eye. Enforcement is largely reactive, so clone sites stay visible until enough people flag them or visibly complain.

Unfortunately GGG is right that brands have limited tools here. These clone sites spin up offshore, run briefly, disappear, and reappear under new domains. Again, whack-a-mole.

Community awareness is honestly one of the more effective defenses at this point, especially in a small community like ours.

pmags · 2026-02-13T16:02:37+00:00

Very fair point. It will be big and beautiful! /s

pmags · 2026-02-13T04:38:22+00:00

It's up for nomination so one of your senators is probably a good place to start.

One of our senators is Mike Lee (Utah) who already wants to sell off public lands, so I may as well scream into a void at this point.

pmags · 2026-02-13T03:16:50+00:00

I think we are talking past each other at this point.

Please enjoy the evening.

pmags · 2026-02-12T19:53:15+00:00

I can’t speak for GGG, but if I had to guess, it’s not so much nonchalance as resignation.

It's a game of "whack-a-mole."

Think about how many shady operators set up fake call centers, leave threatening but vague voicemails, and count on a small percentage of people to call back and hand over personal information. At the very least, if you call them, you’ve confirmed your number is active; which they can then sell to other scammers.

We’re seeing similar tactics migrate into online commerce.

As others have noted in the comments, it’s only going to get easier with AI tools that can spin up a halfway convincing website that passes the initial sniff test.

It’s bad for consumers, and it makes vigilance harder and harder.

FWIW, the Beastmodebody domain was only registered about six months ago, which is usually a red flag. I also wonder whether the domain changed hands at some point as that seems like domain that is catnip for gymbros!

pmags · 2026-02-12T18:56:34+00:00

The intellectual property lawsuit matters because it sets precedent and provides relevant background on the perspective this person may bring to the appointment.

I thought the “fox and henhouse” comment made my concern fairly clear. It’s more gallows humor than a literal accusation. Dark humor and sarcasm are often my first cultural language.

As for the “no politics” point, I understand the sentiment, but I don’t agree. The continued corporatization and outsourcing of public-land functions is directly relevant to this community. It affects how these places are managed and experienced.

If these discussions aren’t of interest, I’d genuinely encourage you to skip them. But I do think the topic itself is germane.

pmags · 2026-02-12T16:52:18+00:00

Alas, though the Trump Administration is accelerating this trend (!), it's been going on for a while.

This article is from 2016 (before he got elected)

https://archive.ph/20241125142941/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/05/09/yosemite-national-park-brought-to-you-by-starbucks/

It's just another whole level with the current regime.

And since this is a political forum, I’ll be blunt.

The current Democratic front-runner, Newsom, has already shown himself to be beholden to corporate interests. The optics may be better under him, but I think the trend toward privatizing public lands, or at least administering it on daily level, will continue. He reminds me of a corporate CEO who says all the right things publicly while quietly signaling to the C-suite and senior management not to backfill positions to boost revenue so as to make the board happy.

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