What is ultralight backpacking? (how we talk about ultralight)

Ultralight backpacking (the topic in general, the ideological principles, and the community at large) has been maligned by critics in some form or another since the niche was recognized by this "label" back in the 1990s. The reason for the criticism has more to do with people's attraction to sound bites than it does with any substantive failings of the ultralight ethos to solve hikers' problems. We (proponents) of ultralight backpacking must bear some of the blame, as a result of our own desires to compartmentalize what ultralight backpacking is ("...a base pack weight of less than __ pounds") and is not ("...in ultralight backpacking, we don't use camp shoes, camp chairs, or double-walled tents.") 2,050 words, 5 photos