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258 points arnon | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.247s | source

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exabrial ◴[] No.45326635[source]
> Ultralight culture seems a little nuts to the uninitiated.

I prefer "Durable, but as light as possible", not the other way around. Most ultralight gear breaks after a few uses or when it is mishandled in anything-less-than-perfect conditions, which, happens a lot outside.

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s0rce ◴[] No.45327074[source]
My ultralight gear has been sufficiently durable for my backpacking and hiking, even off trail. I'm not hunting or repairing trails but stuff lasts a while. The only exception I've found is inflatable pads which get punctured but no more often than bicycle tire inner tubes and they can similarly be patched with some effort.
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wkat4242 ◴[] No.45327140[source]
What do you use those pads for I wonder?
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trenchpilgrim ◴[] No.45327313[source]
You put them under your sleeping bag and they make your sleep way warmer than if your sleeping bag is directly on the tent floor.

https://www.nemoequipment.com/collections/sleeping-pads

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ashdksnndck ◴[] No.45327481[source]
That the purpose of the sleeping pad is characterized as thermal performance and not comfort is proof that I am not capable of the ultralight mindset.
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trenchpilgrim ◴[] No.45327569[source]
I spent time in India as a kid sleeping on the hard floor of my grandmother's home. Maybe my sense of comfort is different IDK, but I don't consider a pad essential on a warm night
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1. 14 ◴[] No.45328500[source]
I am from British Columbia and camping is a very popular activity. Sleeping on a hard floor is not a problem at all. Sure most would probably prefer a mattress and some padding but even with limited gear usually one could at least roll up a t-shirt or a sweater and tuck that under your neck and head and get comfortable on a hard floor.

But unlike India British Columbia is a completely different climate. We can go from very comfortable sunny warm days to very cold nights. The last time I went camping it was May and the days were nice but the night dropped down to like 5c. I have teens and told them all to pack lots of warm clothes, told them it will be cold at night, made them bring extra blankets. But in the end they still did not have enough and in the middle of the night were so cold. So I gave them 2 of my blankets and some of my clothing. This left me absolutely freezing. I had to finally get up at 1am and make a fire. I struggled to warm up and even had to go start my car and put on the heat for a bit. I put a large rock on the fire and got it hot. I put the rock into a cast iron pan I brought and put it onto a couple sticks in my tent so it would not burn the floor. I had to keep that rock close to me all night and I still was cold and miserable.

So yes on a warm night, and we have those here in BC, a pad is not essential at all. But for the other 10 months of the year if you don't have the right gear you will be cold and miserable. Being directly on the ground is like sleeping on a cold water bed (yes I am that old). It feels refreshing at first but then you fall asleep and wake up with your core temperature stolen and cold.