Ultralight: Commercializing Lightweight Backpacks for Long-Distance Hiking

Abstract

In 1994, American outdoor adventurers Ray and Jenny Jardine completed the Pacific Crest Trail, a long-distance hiking trail in Washington, Oregon, and California, carrying remarkably light packs. Ray Jardine published multiple guidebooks explaining how he and Jenny got to the 8.5 pound base weight, and offered guidelines so that other aspiring hikers could try the ‘Ray-Way’. Jardine’s approach, including both pack design and philosophies about going light, reshaped the outdoor community. Lead users such as Jardine changed the business of outdoor packs by developing their own designs and showing that there was a market for them among new ultralight enthusiasts. Rather than gear companies, it was discussions on internet forums that popularized ultralight packs and other equipment. This article traces the development of the ultralight (UL) concept in the United States from the 1990s to the early 2000s. By the 2000s, individuals and corporations found some success in commercializing both the pack design and concepts of UL, often integrating new lightweight synthetic materials into their designs. Over the course of two decades, backpackers and outdoorspeople, who numbered in the tens of millions, evolved from an attitude of scorn to curiosity to adoption of lightweight packs.