Some of these UL hikers are professionals; they earn their living from it."... "Most UL hikers have many hundreds if not thousands of miles of trail experience."
"Most people that hang around survival based forums, if they ever go out any further from their local woods or an occasional night out often carry way to much kit and survival kit. This is often seen by some of the radicalise FAK’s (what pray tell is a radicalise FAK? More importantly, where can I get one? Are they expensive?) that some people have.
And some internet posters are prone to wild generalizations...
I suppose you might consider Ray Jardine a "professional" UL hiker - he is the only one that comes to mind. Jardine has written some influential books, although I suspect that most of his money comes from his invention of Friends, the first practicable camming devices for rock climbing. I looked up his gear list in one of his books. He has a first aid kit, flashlight with a spare battery and bulb (book was written pre-LEDs), stove with fuel, pocket knife (SAK Classic), emergency fire starter, and even a camera - no deodorant, though.
He advocates traveling at a moderate pace over a long day; descending to sheltered locations in the face of bad weather (definitely a viable strategy in mountainous country). His book is thoughtful, and stimulating, with some very good pointers for anyone interested in the outdoors.
Jardine has sparked the current UL wave , a variety of techniques also fostered by the development of strong light textiles like silnylon and spinnaker cloth.
UL hiking has a long and honorable history. In the 1950s, Gerry Cunningham sold gear that allowed five day, 35 pound trips. Even earlier than that, British mountaineers Eric Shipton and H W Tilman fostered lightweight expeditions without guides and porters, a practice that has continued into modern "alpine" strategies for climbing, as opposed to the "expedition" approach. UL has been around a long time.
The challenge, and joy, of outdoors travel, whether it is backpacking on a trail, an alpine excursion, perfecting a SAR pack, or even a good sea kayaking trip, is achieving the elegance of getting it just right - using everything you brought, bringing nothing unnecessary, and achieving your goals with an acceptable margin of safety and comfort. There is plenty of room for individual variation - bring deodorant if that is what turns you on. I know some very strong climbers who insist on pillows and teddy bears.
Over time, climbers, as well as other outdoor types, have developed what is often referred to as the "Ten Essentials," actually now around twelve or fourteen. There is lively debate about precisely what essentials belong on the list, but I have never seen one that didn't have some first aid gear, artificial light, fire starting gear, and usually some sort of cutting instrument. My outdoor experience, in a variety of venues and situations over the years, is that the "Ten Essentials" is a valid and useful concept. ETS provides masterful advice for anyone who wishes to follow this strategy. I feel uneasy about anyone who pares down the list excessively.
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