Originally Posted by
BigAura
The "ultra" in ultralight does mean extreme or cutting-edge. Learning from UL practitioners (backpacking and bicycle) how to lighten your load is a good thing but doesn't make you UL. Leaving a second pair of jeans home is just packing lighter. Get your base weight extremely low or preferably less, and then you're talking UL.
BTW: I'm surprised to hear your turn-around as the OP. Ultralight is more than a state of mind, there is a minimum weight which is small, although ill-defined.
the reality here with gear, not including the bicycle, is that food and water can very easily be heavier than your gear.
something like a ceramic pump water filter vs a gravity micropore filter, is an easy comparison with gear.
the big difference is that a gravity filter requires actually getting the water into a container to let gravity draw it thru the filter
vs
a pump filter, that you can actually suck up water from a source.
or of course, if you happen to be cycling down the pavement, water filter is probably not even needed.