There have been fantastic comments on both UL Beginners Guide articles (1 & 2) so far, for which I would like to thank all my readers - you're great and keep me writing better and better with every comment!
A point which slipped my mind, which I wanted to mention already in the first article, is that if you decide to go UL try to buy 2nd hand. Its not only cheaper but also better environmentally, as less stuff is thrown away and hence less garbage is produced. I bought for example my Scarp 1 used, and it was over 100€ cheaper as if I would have bought it directly from Tarptent. Also my NeoAir was bought 2nd hand, and saved me over 40€. Both items are in perfect condition, like new to be exact.
The best spot for buying UL 2nd hand gear is backpackinglight.com 's Gear Swap Forum, where you find almost everything you might need - be quick though, good offers are usually fast gone! Signing up at BPL.com is for free for a normal account, so no worries. Also check your national selling & buying forums, and see what you can find. and if you can't find it, post a "WTB" (Want To Buy) thread where you say what you want!
Finally, because I will be off till Monday, have a look at Brad Groves' Ultralight Economies of Scale: Budgeting for Your Pack & Wallet article, its for free (no Membership needed). He writes beautifully about how he started with UL backpacking and how he thought about the purchases he needed to make to lighten his load, balancing money vs. lost weight.
Have a nice weekend!
A point which slipped my mind, which I wanted to mention already in the first article, is that if you decide to go UL try to buy 2nd hand. Its not only cheaper but also better environmentally, as less stuff is thrown away and hence less garbage is produced. I bought for example my Scarp 1 used, and it was over 100€ cheaper as if I would have bought it directly from Tarptent. Also my NeoAir was bought 2nd hand, and saved me over 40€. Both items are in perfect condition, like new to be exact.
The best spot for buying UL 2nd hand gear is backpackinglight.com 's Gear Swap Forum, where you find almost everything you might need - be quick though, good offers are usually fast gone! Signing up at BPL.com is for free for a normal account, so no worries. Also check your national selling & buying forums, and see what you can find. and if you can't find it, post a "WTB" (Want To Buy) thread where you say what you want!
Finally, because I will be off till Monday, have a look at Brad Groves' Ultralight Economies of Scale: Budgeting for Your Pack & Wallet article, its for free (no Membership needed). He writes beautifully about how he started with UL backpacking and how he thought about the purchases he needed to make to lighten his load, balancing money vs. lost weight.
Have a nice weekend!