Ultralight — The Core Philosophy of HANCHOR Design. At first, “ultralight” may sound like an advanced concept, but in reality, it simply means: controlling gear weight.
Everyone does this to some extent—the difference lies in how much.
Why Go Ultralight?
Ask instead — why not?
If you can carry lighter gear while meeting the same needs, why wouldn’t you?
戶外裝備對於登山健行者來說，有多方面的需求及考量點：
Everyone can choose a gear setup that fits their personal needs. The primary goal of beginner-level ultralight is to reduce overall gear weight while still meeting (or even exceeding) all original requirements. The most direct benefit of reducing gear weight is to lessen the strain on joints, allowing you to enjoy nature more healthily. Beyond that, ultralight has other important purposes:
1. To Go Deeper into the Outdoors
Almost no one can carry all of their daily life items into the mountains by themselves. Everyone must make trade-offs, so in a sense, everyone practices ultralight to some degree—just at different levels.
2. Increase Route Completion Rate
Especially on difficult routes or in extreme conditions, the weight you carry directly affects your chances of completing the route successfully.
3. Safety Considerations
The three main types of hiking accidents are called the “three losses”: getting lost, falling, and hypothermia.
Getting lost often stems from poor judgment in the wilderness; carrying excessive gear can cause fatigue and unstable balance, reducing reaction ability if a fall occurs, increasing risk. Insufficient gear may lead to hypothermia. Therefore, controlling gear weight, carrying adequate equipment, and improving wilderness knowledge and skills are essential principles of outdoor hiking. Carefully evaluating your gear and weight before a trip is an important and necessary step.
4. Helping Others
Carrying excessive weight leaves you preoccupied with your own condition, making it harder to respond to emergencies. If a teammate encounters trouble, it becomes difficult to provide assistance.
Myths About Ultralight
Ultralight = Expensive?
Ultralight = Weak?
Ultralight = Uncomfortable?
Ultralight = Dangerous?
Ultralight = Not for Beginners?
In fact, ultralight has no single solution. Different styles and degrees exist, but the core idea is to enhance outdoor experiences:
Doesn’t always require extra cost
Can balance both safety and comfort
Reduces burden and increases enjoyment
Basics of Ultralight
Before practicing, establish the right mindset:
* Set aside traditional gear concepts
* Understand your own needs deeply
* Find the hiking style that suits you best
* Research the environment and route beforehand
* Remember: weight reduction is “small savings adding up”
In order to more precisely evaluate and review the gear weight you need, ultralight hiking has also divided it into several weight terms for easier assessment and comparison:
Evolution of hikers and ultralight classification
Based on the types of hikers and the activities they undertake, ultralight levels are roughly divided as follows, allowing you to assess which type of hiker you are or which hiking style you want to pursue.
UL / SUL / XUL Gear：
