[pct-l] Section-hiking and ultralight backpacking

[Tom Hudson]

Hiya.

I've mostly been lurking this lit the last week or so, and while reading
everyone's plans and experiences is really amping me up to hit the PCT, I'm
also finding I might not be in QUITE the right company.  I'm excited for all
of you who who have the ability to take several months from your lives to
embark on this adventure in a single, amazing journey.  I just can't afford
the time or the money to approach it this way.  So, I'm going to
section-hike the PCT.  It will undoubtedly take the better part of a decade
to do this, but I'm pretty determined to make it happen.

Are there any others here with similar ambitions?

Can you point me to resources that might be better suited for someone who
wants to approach the trail over multiple trips, multiple seasons?

I'm also just now getting back into backpacking after an 18-year hiatus.  A
lot has changed since then.  I bought some gear I was proud of back in 1998,
but never got around to using it for actual backpacking.  It would keep me
VERY comfortable in camp, but my base weight, of course, would be at or
above 25 pounds. My last backpacking trip, over my 18th birthday, I trucked
up Bishop Pass with a pack that started off at 72 pounds.  Of course, I'm
twice as old now, so even if I wanted to pack traditional, I'd consider that
kind of weight to be insane.  Not really paying attention to the ultra-light
revolution in the intervening years, I even day-hike pretty heavy (mostly
because I like to lug around expensive camera lenses).

So, the gist is this: clearly traditional packing is a thing (mostly) of the
past; I need to get new gear.  But I don't really see myself becoming a gram
weenie.  I'm willing to trade some pounds that might slow me down a tad for
a little more comfort or convenience.  What's the right way to become
introduced to the philosophy of lightweight or ultralight backpacking?  I'm
thinking of reading Beyond Backpacking, but Ray Jardine wrote that 15 years
ago or so; is there something newer/better to really become indoctrinated to
this new breed of bakcpacking?  If I'm only section-hiking (my longest treks
will be about 12 days), is it even necessary to worry too much over?

Your wisdom here is appreciated.

/Tom