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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/leecshaver on 2024-09-04 01:20:04+00:00.

I know this isn’t a perfect fit for this sub, but the folks here were super helpful in getting me geared up and adopting the ultralight philosophy, so I wanted to just share a few observations about my gear. I wrote about the trip in more detail over on r/ultrarunning, along with some pictures:

In short, a buddy and I did three days of 20 to 27 mile runs from hotel to hotel in Glacier National Park, just carrying the essentials for each day and getting food, showers, and beds each night at the hotels. It was an absolute blast and I’m already thinking about new routes to try for a similar trip here in the future.

Lighterpack:

Pack: I used the Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20, and I was really happy with it. It had more space than I needed but with the roll top and adjustment straps I was able to cinch it down nicely. The vest front had capacity for 500mL of water, bear spray, phone, sunscreen, and about half of my daily calories. My filter went in one side pocket, the other half of my food on the other, and clothes to swap during the day in the stretch panel on the back. With all the outside storage I didn’t have to open the pack at all, and could get to the back/side pockets by just removing one shoulder strap. There was minimal chafing, I could easily adjust straps as the load changed, and there was no bounce while running.

Hydration: For the first day I started out with about 1.5L, with 500mL in a soft flask up front and 1L in my 2L reservoir. For the rest of the trip I opted to fill all the way up to have more flexibility for when/where to stop for water. Even though water is plentiful in GNP, I felt the added weight was worth the extra flexibility, and allowed us to only have to stop for water once each day. I also have an older Sawyer Squeeze mini which only has a 16 oz dirty water bag, and I quickly got jealous of my buddy’s 32 oz bag – I’ll definitely get a bigger one in the future. One advantage I did have is that my Sawyer fit right into my reservoir hose with the bite valve removed, so I was able to fill water without removing my pack, and with no risk of spilling.

Poles? I’ve never used poles before and this trip is probably the first one where I think they might have come in handy, but in reality there was only about a two mile stretch of the trail through a boulder field, and one 50’ traverse across a snow drift, where they would have been useful for me. I think if you’re used to using poles you would want them here, but if you’ve never used them you’d probably be OK. In the future I would check the forecast and if there’s a chance of snow (or recent snow, like there was this time) I might lash one pole to my pack.

My lighter pack has a few other notes about minor things I’d swap, but overall I was pretty happy with my kit.

ETA: For sun protection I used a Patagonia Trucker hat and sunscreen which has always been more than adequate for me in Wisconsin, but on the first day I actually got a sunburn through the mesh panels on the back of the cap. I ended up using my bandana as a makeshift cape for the last two days. Next time I will use a full bucket hat.