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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/FireWatchWife on 2024-03-20 15:42:42.

A lot of reading and thinking about ultralight backpacking has led me to believe that there are actually two very different philosophies hiding under the name “ultralight”.

The first I’ll call quant or hard ultralight. This is based on keeping base weight below a hard number, usually 10 pounds. Trip goals are very narrow and focused, usually involving thru-hikes or other long-distance hikes. Those who subscribe to this philosophy tend to hike long days, spend minimal time in camp, and have no interest in other activites (fishing, cooking special camp meals, etc.) If a trip goal is proposed that would increase base weight, the common response is to reject that goal and simplify the trip. While this philosophy exists in many different regions, it is strongest in western North America. This approach is extremely well-represented in posts on this group.

The second I’ll call qual or soft ultralight. This is based on carrying the minimum possible base weight for a given set of trip goals. Depending on the goals, that minimum may be much more than 10 lbs. (Packrafting is a good example.) This group often plans to hike shorter distances and spend more time in camp. They don’t want to carry unnecessary weight, and the additional gear needed for fishing, nature photography, cooking great meals, packrafting, etc. means they want to reduce the weight of other gear as much as possible. This approach is less commonly seen in posts on this group, but there are enough such posts to know that this group can also be found on the subreddit.

At times I think the two groups are talking past each other. The “hard” group doesn’t care about anything but hiking for hiking’s sake, and will sacrifice both comfort and trip goals to meet its objectives of low weight and long distances covered. The “soft” group doesn’t care about thru-hiking, and will sacrifice super-low pack weights (while still aiming for low weight wherever it doesn’t impact their goals) to help them be happy, comfortable, and able to engage in their preferred non-hiking activity in the backcountry.

What do you think?