Posted by Alumni from Wired
July 16, 2025
If you went back in time 150 years and told people that in the future they will carry everything they need to live for a week on their backs, you'd get run out of town. Carrying gear is the job of horses and mules, not people! Fast forward to the present, though, and here we are, schlepping into the backcountry with the essentials on our back. Progress! The good news is that today everything you need to live for a week weighs considerably less than it did 150 years ago. The ultralight backpacking movement, born from obsessive thru-hikers and eventually widely adopted by weekend warriors, has driven innovation in the outdoor gear industry for more than 20 years. Every iteration of backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags has been lighter, stronger, and warmer. But just when you think they couldn't possibly get any better, those backpacks are getting lighter and more rugged. Today, Dyneema launches a new fabric composite called (surprise) Dyneema Woven Composite that is being used in... learn more