Debra and Cody Howell move fast. They met on day two of the Appalachian Trail; 143 days later they were still together. “Speed dating,” Debra called it. She's an experienced ultralight hiker and lifelong sewer, who had walked Te Araroa and the Pacific Crest Trail and made her own gear. Cody was so impressed by the quality of her quilt he suggested she start selling them. Four years on, the couple has a burgeoning Nelson-based business, Kiwi Ultralight – and an 18-month-old child.
Kiwi Ultralight is one of several ultralight gear cottage industries to have started up in New Zealand. Others include The Very Least Ultralight, Southern Lite Packs, Fiordland Packs and Helium Packs; established repairer Twin Needle is also introducing its own ultralight products. These companies offer innovative, customised gear – primarily packs – made with the latest fabrics. They're also streamlining designs in keeping with the ultralight minimalist ethos.
Ultralight hiking, or ‘UL’, is hiking with a base weight (the weight of a loaded pack minus consumables such as water, food and fuel) of under 4.5kg. It has been popular in the United States and Europe for about 20 years, and is gathering momentum here.
There's long been an ultralight cottage industry in the US,
