Dear Santa,

my backpacking mates and me decided to try out rock climbing. We save so much weight that a bit of UL climbing gear added to the pack doesn't slow us down, but allows us to experience new adventures. Because I'm smart, I decided the Mammut Smart from Watzmann-Laden would be the best belay device for me as a beginner - it is light, its dynamic braking of the climber in an accidental fall, plus that it locks even at low levels of force exerted by the belayer make it a perfect first belay device for me. With 87 grams it doesn't break my back, but allows for extra security when belaying. And it's even Made in Italy, isn't that great?!

Best,


- An aspiring UL-Backpacker




Just leave a comment.

UPDATE I

Thanks everyone. 15 o'clock Finnish time is 15 o'clock Finnish time, sorry :/

And the winner is... Simon Tranter - Congratulations! Please contact me via Email, you got till tomorrow 15 o'clock to get in touch otherwise it goes to the second in line! Thanks everyone else, see you tomorrow at 6 AM!

Disclaimer & Rules

Dear Santa,

you know, there's two materials ultralight backpackers fancy beyond any others: cuben and titanium. Titanium is a wonderfully light metal, and all my friends have a titanium cup and pot. Some even use their cups as pots, true multipurpose thinking there, and as a real UL backpacker usually eats out of freezer bags and needs the pot for boiling water only, I think it would be ace if you'd bring me a SnowPeak 600 Double Wall Titanium Cup from Bergfreunde. I could first use it to boil water, pour half of it in my freezer bag and use the rest for a fine, warm cup of coffee! It should keep my coffee nice warm even in minus temperatures, and cleaning it should be easy as pie. It also looks great, so I'd appreciate if you think of me when you make the purchase decisions for my presents.

Best,


- An aspiring UL-Backpacker




Leave a photo of your current cup. You might use it as a pot. But it should be a cup =)

UPDATE I

Thanks everyone. Yes, indeed, you shouldn't use a double walled cup above direct heat. So the winner shouldn't do that, OK? So no boiling water in it, no cheese fondue, no simmering, NADA. ¿Entiendes?

And the winner is... Toni Lund - Congratulations! Please contact me via Email, you got till tomorrow 15 o'clock to get in touch otherwise it goes to the second in line! Thanks everyone else, see you tomorrow at 6 AM!

Disclaimer & Rules

Dear Santa,

I was out hiking today, and didn't bring a jacket - my current ones are all a bit big, pack-size wise, so I decided to leave them at home. What a mistake! Mid-way a strong wind started to blow, chilling me to the bone, and the onsetting drizzle a bit later didn't really improve the situation. I was running home as fast as I could, where I heated up the Sauna and had a hot Minttu Chocolate to warm myself up from the inside. After my body temperature was close to 37°C again, I sat down to find out about light windshirts with a tiny packsize. Haglöfs from Sweden make one, called the Shield Pullover. It is highly wind and water resistant, so will keep me warm in such wind and drizzle I experienced today, and because it packs so small I would not need to leave it behind! It even has thumbloops and reflective detailing, so I can wear it when I go running in the mornings, and I can put my keys and smartphone into the zippered chestpocket. And with such a small packsize, you should not have any problems fitting it into my stockings!

Best,


- An aspiring UL-Backpacker




Leave a comment and tell us where you want to use this garment. I expect you're a Size L - if you're not, please don't participate!

UPDATE I

Thanks everyone, seems the Haglöfs Shield Pullover is fairly popular and could be used on many continents! And the winner is... Wilhelm - Congratulations! Please contact me via Email, you got till tomorrow 15 o'clock to get in touch otherwise it goes to the second in line! Thanks everyone else, see you tomorrow at 6 AM!

Disclaimer & Rules