There is Always Someone More UL Than You
Ultralight backpacking is a style of backpacking that emphasizes carrying less and lighter gear. It requires a hiker that knows their own capabilities well, who has learned the skills necessary to do without certain gear (understanding the weather to gauge clothing and shelter needs), or who have cultivated their own strength to do without pieces of gear (rehydrating food with cold water to leave a stove behind, or simply leaving behind an inflatable pad). The commonly accepted practical definition of an ultralight load is 10 lbs of base weight — base weight is the fully loaded pack minus the major consumables (food, water, fuel).
In this video, hiker John Zahorian briefly interviews a fellow Pacific Crest Trail hiker known as Courier (their trail name). Courier embodies a resourceful, wild, and strong ultralight ethos, taken to extreme. I love this video for bringing the rest of us into Courier's creative, monomaniacal world. There's something so inspiring in Courier hiking thousands of miles with less gear, spending little money, reusing and repurposing as they go, a testament to their physical and mental strength.
A couple of the YouTube comments that speak to me:
@ritebitefishing6273 on 2023-01-06:
This kid is a maximalist’s biggest fear. UL hikers who spent $10k on gear hate him, backpack companies run from him, and enthusiasts look up to him
There’s a concept in surfing that the best surfer in the water that day is the one having the most fun. It’s a good reminder of what matters most. Courier seems to exemplify this entirely. He seems interested in having fun more than anything. More than miles per day, having high end gear, having the lightest pack, or any other false metric we assign ourselves.