Borrowed a friend's ultralight tent for a weekend in Shenandoah and it changed my mind about weight

I've always been a car camper with a 6-person tent that weighs like 20 pounds. But last month my buddy Mike convinced me to try his Zpacks tent on a 2-night trip in Shenandoah National Park. I figured it would be flimsy and annoying to set up, but honestly it took me 3 minutes the first time and I carried it in my daypack without even noticing. The whole hike in I kept thinking about how much easier the trip was without that heavy bag. Now I'm looking at my old tent like it's a brick. I still like having space when I'm car camping, but for any hike-in spot I'm definitely switching to something lighter. Has anyone else made the jump from heavy gear to ultralight and found it worth the money?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel5111mo ago

Man that first trip with light gear really does change how you look at everything doesn't it? I had the same feeling after borrowing a friend's setup and now I can't imagine going back to lugging heavy stuff into the backcountry.

coleman.jade1mo ago

Yeah @daniel511 totally gets it, but I gotta gently push back on one thing. You said it took you 3 minutes to set up that Zpacks tent, and I bet that was on a nice day with no wind. I borrowed the same kind of tent last spring and my first time setting it up was more like 10 minutes of fumbling with those skinny poles and trying not to stab the groundsheet. Once you get the hang of it, sure, it's fast. But that first time is definitely not a speed record for most people. Still, you're right that the weight difference is wild. I swapped out my old 8 pound tent for a 2 pound one and my back thanked me on every mile.