Originally Posted by
elcruxio
It's not disproven if you have nothing to disprove it with. I'm still curious what has gotten lighter and more streamlined in say, the last 20 years. What new fabrics have been invented that have made travel clothing significantly lighter? What new insulations have been invented that have made sleeping setups significantly lighter and lower volume? What new metals have been invented that have made cooking gear significantly lighter and smaller volume?
My point, which you fail to see in your bubble of streamlined influencers, is that ultralighting and streamlining has always been an option. Yet most people still choose not to do so, because it's needlessly expensive (that money could be spent on actual trips) and on a bike you don't have to since weight doesn't really matter.
No insulated bubble for me, I tour between 2 and 4 months per year and have opted for a very lightweight setup no regrets. If you want to play silly bugger and ask me to show you weight comparisons for all the equipment used it can easily be done and available and I am sure your are well aware of the lighter replacements. You keep asking what’s new but the real question is what’s readily available and that’s obvious if you choose to look. Yes there is a diminishing contingent of the fully loaded touring individuals mostly encountered on the well established routes such as Eurovelo and a large number riding e-bikes. It’s all good and if you chose to pack chinos and garden furniture that’s fine.