Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Ultralight backpacking - how do you do it?

I go light wherever I can, but some luxuries I won't do without. One is a hiking stool (REI, 1 lb). I've been using one for 20 years and I hate looking for places to sit down every hour. Much easier to just find a flat spot with some shade and sit on the stool.

Another is the geek equipment. Hiking can be tedious at times and monitoring my progress offers a distraction and passes the time faster.

As for water, I like to have a comfort zone. Much prefer to carry an extra bottle or two, 9 times out of 10 that I will never drink, rather than go thirsty 1 time out of 10. One less thing to worry about on the trail as well.

Also there is a matter of pride, so I generally try strike a happy balance between the two extrems.