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Wow, lots of misconceptions in here.
Ultralighters diy most of their stuff, aside from shoes, clothing and backpack mostly. The rest, they go for the cheapest. The ultralight market is incredibly small, the only few small companies making actual ultralight products were funded by ultralighters themselves who simply sell their handmade stuff. You can't correlate this with well-known brands making light, flimsy stuff, ultralighters are like on a completely different planet, and super ultralighters in a different galaxy.
It's not necessarily expensive, actually most things aren't. Some people take for granted things like the use of tarps, PVC ponchos, ponchotarps, camping hammocks, various can stoves designs, folding sporks, garbage and ziploc bags, trailmix and other no-stove-required foods, or reused water/soda bottles and soft plastic pouches, but they wouldn't have come to be so common without ultralighters refining these things. It's affordable by anyone, and no one profits from this.
And even then, it'd be stupid to sum it up to "lighter gear", there are many tips that anyone could use, that don't cost a cent yet would make any pack lighter, which I couldn't even mention considering how natural those things became to me, I don't even realize it.
Now the greatest delusion is that going light is for sissies. More like the fucking opposite, as your comfort always takes a hit. I don't even get how going out with just a knife is supposed to be manly as fuck, yet wishing to carry less than 5kg of gear makes you more of a sissy than those carrying double-wall tents and gas stoves.
You don't go out just to carry a heavy load, you go out to enjoy being out, and don't you fucking tell me that you wouldn't fucking love it if you could go out not carrying anything, yet not miss a thing. Anyone would fucking love this. Ultralighters try to get closer to that dream, so all that remains is the pleasure of being out.
