Changes I've made over the years to my backpacking gear list ('big 4' and other gear)

[Time Zone]

Heather, I really like the layout of your website. Neat, orderly, informative. Well done!

It took me awhile to really appreciate the "Hike Your Own Hike" mantra oft repeated here. Many feel the importance of spreading the good news about ultralight backpacking; a few caution that doing so can leave you wanting in a number of ways. Experience is the hardest but best teacher. Everyone will start somewhere on the spectrum and made adjustments one way or another as they feel it is needed, or as opportunities for new/different gear present themselves. There is no one right answer for all, and even for a given person, it may be a moving target depending on health, the trails hiked, etc. The best we can do is share our experiences and reasons for liking/disliking gear (types or specific examples).

You've done that well. May you have a great hike.

[lemon b]

My first long hike Dawsonville, Ga to Front Royal, Va. was 1978. No such thing as smartwool, no gortex, less people made Maine than start on a busy day now. No one was really moving,no one was going light, we made a mess with campfires, no trail names just a few nicknames, not one piece of my equipment remains. When gortex came out saw it as perfect never gave the sweating complaint much thought until very recently. Smartwool is as close to perfect as it gets not much else except the mindset. Thank you for the post it shows how far the equipment end has come.

[BonBon]

Great gear review- thank you! I also want to significantly reduce my pack weight for future hiking. I have a question about the cuban fiber tent- someone told me on the hike last year that they got stinky after it rained and they were in their stuff sacks. Have you noticed that? I aways dried my tent when I found some sun when I was packing it wet- do you do the same for the cuban fiber tents or do they just repel the water?

[cmoulder]

No different than any other material. If packed wet and kept there long enough, mold and mildew will inevitably do their thing.

Keep doing as you are and dry out thoroughly when the opportunity arises. When I get home I also dry the tent out very thoroughly, making sure there is absolutely no dampness in the little nooks and crannies, especially the reinforced cups for trekking pole pitching where materials are layered. Store unpacked if possible, or otherwise make sure it's bone dry before rolling up and putting into a stuff sack.

[cmoulder]

Specifically, what caused you to nearly die?

Good question.

[rafe]

All my gear has changed. Only piece left from the ancient (1990) kit: my black and blue OR "Seattle Sombrero." Looks doofy as ever.

I hold on to old gear, sometimes use it in other ways.

I sometimes think about selling off the old sleeping bags, tents, and stoves, but then I conjure up a catastrophe survival scenario and so they just continue to sit in storage.

Really not many changes in my kit since '06-'07. I went all-out that year, got good stuff, and haven't felt much need to upgrade. Except shoes and boots, of course.

[plexusbritt]

I also started with a WalMart tent, but it was a children's tent. I still have the tent lying around and lend it out to people as a lending tent. You can fit an adult in a WalMart children's tent if the single adult sleeps diagonally. Just something to keep in mind should you ever need a cheap (they are under $20) single person tent for any reason. They weigh about 2.5 lbs so not stupid heavy.

lol thanks! Good to know! I went to hammocks about 3 years ago and haven't looked back! I keep a ground pad and such for places that don't allow you to hang.

[poolskaterx]

Good post; I enjoyed seeing your gear evolution.

[Connie]

I don't put anything wet or damp inside my backpack, that is what the mesh back is for.

If not, then the elastic laces across the back of the pack. Be sure to tie or clip it on, less it fall out on the trail.

I shake excess water off my cuben fiber tarp. I use a sham-wow to wipe off moisture.

Nevertheless, it gets loosely stuffed in the backpack mesh back.

Maybe the best thing, I added, is the backpack mesh back.

[Heather_VT]

Thank you!! I certainly learned a lot simply by going out on the trail and figuring out what my preferences are (it can be hard to know that when you're a beginner!). I definitely agree that "there is no one right answer for all"

Heather, I really like the layout of your website. Neat, orderly, informative. Well done!

It took me awhile to really appreciate the "Hike Your Own Hike" mantra oft repeated here. Many feel the importance of spreading the good news about ultralight backpacking; a few caution that doing so can leave you wanting in a number of ways. Experience is the hardest but best teacher. Everyone will start somewhere on the spectrum and made adjustments one way or another as they feel it is needed, or as opportunities for new/different gear present themselves. There is no one right answer for all, and even for a given person, it may be a moving target depending on health, the trails hiked, etc. The best we can do is share our experiences and reasons for liking/disliking gear (types or specific examples).

You've done that well. May you have a great hike.

[Heather_VT]

I've never experienced (or ever heard of) any sort of smell like that. I never store my tent wet, and it dries quickly anyway.

Great gear review- thank you! I also want to significantly reduce my pack weight for future hiking. I have a question about the cuban fiber tent- someone told me on the hike last year that they got stinky after it rained and they were in their stuff sacks. Have you noticed that? I aways dried my tent when I found some sun when I was packing it wet- do you do the same for the cuban fiber tents or do they just repel the water?

[RockDoc]

Seems like the lighter the gear the more compromises we have to accept.
The double Rainbow is wonderfully light, but very tight inside and the walls will mist in a good rain.
Heavier tents don't have these problems, but they are heavier.

[cmoulder]

Seems like the lighter the gear the more compromises we have to accept.
The double Rainbow is wonderfully light, but very tight inside and the walls will mist in a good rain.
Heavier tents don't have these problems, but they are heavier.

Misting is intermittent; weight is constant.

Although I've done some trips in the PNW and misting sometimes seems constant as well.

[Casey & Gina]

Have come full circle since the early 1970's, when I spent months backpacking with a 50lb Kelty frame pack, svea stove, heavy pup tent with aluminum poles, heavy everything although we managed pretty well

Kelty frame packs on their own are not that heavy actually. I use a 115L capacity Kelty Serac (circa 1973) with an upgraded harness raided from a Kelty Cache Hauler. Weighs all of 5.5lbs, significantly lighter and more comfortable than many big internal frame packs that can carry the same amount of weight. Not a UL pack but when you have to carry a lot of gear, quite a reasonably low weight for the requirement.

More recently I've found myself desirous of swapping out my "UL" dry sacks for "lightweight" dry sacks which use a heavier fabric, after needing to patch a few tiny punctures in the former over time, and the latter only weigh a few grams more... Most of my gear is on the UL end of the spectrum but I have to carry a lot, and some things are worth a little more weight for significantly increased durability, usefulness, and/or comfort.

A tent is definitely one of those things... I tried a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 recently as they are very popular on the AT and I scored a great deal - it was, frankly, awful - I tried it for 3 nights then promptly sold it as fast as I could. I'll gladly deal with the increased weight and bulk of a Hilleberg Anjan 3 as it's so much vastly better. I think that the only reasonable way to go lighter without sacraficing too much space (both inside and vestibule) is to go with a single-wall tent like a Tarptent, but again I find the weight or a real double-wall (not just mesh) to be worth it. I am sure that is not a popular opinion here but one's opinion really changes when you start spending every night out using your gear.

[rocketsocks]

Never a fan of Leatherman, I guess because I never needed a nail file or scissors or bottle opener or tweezers or a screwdriver while out on a trip. Oddly, of all items which I think would be useful---pliars---the CS does not have. Heather says her scissors came in handy on occasion and I can almost see their use when repairing a pack or cutting apart clothing, even though my little penknife does these jobs okay.

bah, the small screwdriver fits the flip-lock adjusters on my hiking poles perfectly. I could do without the cap lifter but the mini carabiner allows me to clip it to the drawstring on my ditty bag so I don't lose it.

the scissors, nail file, and tweezers are the main reason I like this so much. if you have to do foot care there's no safe way to do that with a knife...

and btw, they do make a version of this with pliers and they substitute a smaller scissors for the blade -- https://www.leatherman.com/style-ps-25.html

wouldnt it be nice if a knife maker would allow you to pick and choose the tools you want on a jack knife...a le carte if you will. Maybe they already do, anyone know?

[Odd Man Out]

I wish they had a knife with a tick twister or pointy tweezers for tick removal (should be easy for any Victorinox knife with a tweezer or toothpick). I suggested that once by e-mail to Victorinox and they sent back a polite e-mail indicating they had no idea why this would be useful.

[rocketsocks]

I wish they had a knife with a tick twister or pointy tweezers for tick removal (should be easy for any Victorinox knife with a tweezer or toothpick). I suggested that once by e-mail to Victorinox and they sent back a polite e-mail indicating they had no idea why this would be useful.

crazy ain't it, and yet every year tooth brush company's come out with a new and improved brush.

[rocketsocks]

Oh and +1 on the tick puller, tha'd be one I'd choose as well.

[Casey & Gina]

bah, the small screwdriver fits the flip-lock adjusters on my hiking poles perfectly. I could do without the cap lifter but the mini carabiner allows me to clip it to the drawstring on my ditty bag so I don't lose it.

the scissors, nail file, and tweezers are the main reason I like this so much. if you have to do foot care there's no safe way to do that with a knife...

and btw, they do make a version of this with pliers and they substitute a smaller scissors for the blade -- https://www.leatherman.com/style-ps-25.html

I have a Squirt PS4 and a Micra. For the odd time scissors are useful, the tiny pair on the Squirt work just fine, and the pliers definitely come in handy, plus the Squirt is smaller & lighter than the Micra, so that's my multi-tool of choice. The larger scissors on the Micra just aren't needed often enough for me. The only thing I like having a bigger version of is a knife - the Leatherman knife doesn't lock which makes it sketchy for some tasks, plus it's very small.

As for the usefulness of a screwdriver on the trail, I think trekking poles must be the only one. I used to appreciate this as well, but then switched to fixed-length poles that don't have or need such adjustments. Just another gear change made over time.

[DuneElliot]

After several trips with my ZPacks Arc Haul I've realized it just isn't going to work for me. The frame sits too much on the bony parts of my hips and causes pain and fatigue. I am currently trying out the ULA Circuit which has a very similar design (all the things I want in a pack) but without the lower frame. It's definitely different and will take some getting used to, but I can feel an improvement in the weight-bearing area.

I also tried out different pads lately to see if I preferred something I already had over my Klymit Static V Lite...that's what all this is about. Even with all the research and such I still didn't get everything right. For short trips I've also realized I don't want to carry a stove or cook at all. It's a constant learning curve