Originally Posted by
SmallFront
I dont like single walled tent, nor thin sleeping mats (I sleep on the side). I don't like alcohol stoves either, nor do I, say, feel like collecting small sticks for a small woodstove.
I bet that if we went together, you will still have made a lot of compromises that I think are "too much". Cooking with alcohol is one of them. I use an MSR Reactor, because it is fast, safe (well, as safe as an open flame can be), and I usually carry my computer too. I mean, I know that I would be able to get down to your weight, but I'm out there to enjoy myself, and I don't want to spend time making do with less.
I am not packing exceptionally heavy, but water, for instance, weighs a lot, and I do like my water. I am also always carrying my e-reader and camera whenever I travel just a little (regardless of travel mode), so there's that. I am not willing to travel "hobo style" so much anymore. Worked fine when I was younger, and I guess that when I get older I will have to revert to that out of necessity.
The trade-off here is that the distances between possible accommodation such as campgrounds in many parts of Europe is not great. You can afford to carry a bit more and have shorter days. In parts of the US and Australia, for instance, the distances can become much, much larger, and the trade-off between weight and efficiency become more important.
And, from what I have seen in nun's posts in the Ultralightweight threads, he doesn't want for comfort given his level of desired amenity. As I said in my previous post, the amount a touring cyclist carries depends on quite a few factors. There are no wrongs and rights... although the one in a group who continually complains about riding alone and getting in late and being tired all the time, while toting 120lbs of stuff might need to take a good long look at what s/he is doing.