In just about all the ways, I’ve embraced the ultralight approach to backpacking over the past decade or so. I’ve ditched my sleeping bag for a Sea to Summit camping quilt and downsized from a rectangular sleeping pad to the Therm-A-Rest ProLite Apex. My Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor backpack only adds 2lb to my load, but carries up to 60 liters of gear. For the fastest and lightest adventures, I even have a camping stove that’s smaller than a walnut.
So the first time I went camping with my boyfriend, I could barely conceal my amusement when he pulled out his archaic Trangia camping stove. Compared to my Alpkit Kraku Ultralight, it looks prehistoric and it’s positively ginormous. Why would anyone haul such a clunky relic along the trail with them, when you can boil water in two minutes with a Soto Windmaster then pack it away in a pocket? Well, by the time we were feasting on bacon and eggs the following morning after a chilly surf, I’d come up with seven great reasons, and it now comes with us on every backpacking trip.
