This could have been good enough, but like many other hikers, I wasn’t immune to the allure of seeing how far I could take ounce-counting. It’s true that trail miles are easier with a lighter load: I’m a lot happier carrying 20 pounds instead of 40 pounds. Here are five semi-ridiculous ultralight gear choices I recommend you avoid in 2026. Cutting a Closed-Cell Foam Pad in Half, or ThirdsThe closed-cell foam pad versus inflatable debate is a classic, though I’d personally rather pass out inflating a NeoAir than sleep on an egg-crate-patterned torture plank. What I don’t understand the appeal of is carrying a half-sized foam pad as your sleeping pad, or, like I saw a dedicated UL friend doing, carrying two small sections of the pad on the CDT.