What’s the most you would pay per ounce to lighten your pack?

[HikerHunter]

i dont even use a pillow at home lol

[bangbangkhan]

Over number of years of trying different gear. Reading numerous reviews and trying it in the field I feel you have to find the right balance between comfort and weight. When I went ultralight the comfort wasn’t there and you don’t want to wake up miserable. Technology can only do so much. I would pay as much as a I can for quality irrespective of weight.

[Bustercluck]

You carry a pillow??

A pillow is a must for me. If I’m not hiking I always bring my down pillow off of my bed. It’s probably the biggest single piece of kit that improves my sleep.

I use an inflatable klymit, but my head tends to go numb and I’m a side sleeper so I really need something higher. I was thinking of making a thin pillow case that I could put my inflatable in the bottom and zip some clothes into the top to put my face on. I think that would be a good balance.

[Bustercluck]

I just picked up a new nemo sleeping pad this year too. It’s heavier than any of my other pads, but I’m hoping the increased comfort is worth the load.

[Ron.C]

Although I didn't do it specifically with weight saving in mind, I knocked a hair over 3lbs off when I upgraded my pack this spring. Just did the math and that upgrade basically cost me $14.58/oz in saved weight.

After a good number of training hikes, can't say I really notice 3lbs but I certainly notice the better fit/comfort and increased mobility.

My next upgrade will be my backpacking tent or my spotting scope tripod. I still use the old North Face Rock 22 that I've had for years. I ditch the tent portion and just use the DAC poles/fly with a foot print. Its around 2lbs the way I use it which is fine but is getting a bit long in the tooth.

[tylerduce]

The OP is a great question. Jason Hairston made a good point about this exact same question.

The science behind going ultra-lite is that after the first 50lbs of backpack weight, the extra weight disproportionately effects your ability to hike and move. For example. Pounds 50-60 are not just another 10 lbs. Their true weight is effectively something like 15 lbs. If you have a 70 lb bag, pounds 60-70 have an effective weight of 20lbs due to the extra stress and energy on the average hunter. So a 70lb bag is more like an 85lbs in the field. In short, each pound you add to your bag over and above 50lbs great diminishes your ability to perform as you get closer to your max exertion.