Heard a guy at REI trash talking ultralight packs, got me thinking

I was picking up some fuel canisters last weekend and overheard this older hiker telling a friend that ultralight packs are a scam for most people. He said they fall apart after 500 miles and cost twice what a solid Kelty or Osprey goes for. But then I saw another guy swap his heavy 6 pound pack for a 2.5 pound one and cut 3 days off a JMT thru-hike. So which is it? Is the durability trade-off worth the weight savings for a typical 2 week trip, or are we all just chasing grams at the expense of reliability? Anyone here actually had an ultralight pack fail mid-trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.morgan22d ago

My Kelty has 2000 miles on it and still looks new.

cole_bailey8522d ago

Oh come on. That thing probably smells like a wet sock that's been sitting in a gym bag for a month. You telling me after 2000 miles the zippers still glide like butter and the fabric hasn't started pilling in some weird pattern? I've seen Kelty packs that looked great from ten feet away but up close the shoulder straps were all stretched out and the frame was making noises like an old staircase. Maybe you just don't hike hard enough to actually test your gear. Or maybe you're one of those folks who treats their pack like a museum piece instead of actually using it.

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