Hiking Gear List

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As one typically does not run off naked into the woods when going on an adventure, I spent ample hours debating pros and cons of every item on my thru hiking gear list. What I came up with is by no means universally perfect, but it worked great for me personally on all my hikes (including the Pacific Crest Trail) so far. I tried to find a balance between being ultralight and still having comfort on trail. Below is the result of my labour, with detailed descriptions. Note that I’m not sponsored by any of these companies (wish I was!)

The Big Four

Pack:
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 3400

Description:
My current pack these past 1.5 years. This dyneema pack has a max capacity of 55l, making it perfect for food carries up to 7-8 days. In total it weighs only 900 grams and is waterproof (a pro or a con depending on the climate). Even though it sports a very minimalist design, the exterior pockets and hipbelt pockets easily fit a day’s worth of snacks and 4 smartwater bottles. Besides some wear and tear, the one I have shows little damage after extensive usage, so I’m pretty happy with the durability. I might go with a different brand for my next pack, just to compare.

Sleeping Bag:
Cumulus Panyam 600

Description:
Woe to European hikers! When it comes to gear, we either have the choice of wearing out our backs and knees hauling 20+ kilogram kits or shelling out the necessary cash to buy lightweight gear from across the pond (and paying the import taxes). I did this for most of my gear and was prepared to do the same for my sleeping bag. Cue Cumulus! This polish company makes great ultralight sleeping bags and quilts. I chose the Panyam 600, rated at -6 degrees Celsius comfort. An awesome bag for me, as I’m a pretty cold sleeper.

Tent:
Tarptent Aeon Li

Description:
For my tent, I wanted to go as light as possible, while still having something that doesn’t blow away when someone exhales too hard in its direction. Since I consider a tent the most important thing when going on a multiday or thru hike, this was the item I agonized the most over. The Tarptent Aeon Li, a one person non-freestanding tent, satisfied all my criteria. Coming in at 551 grams, it weighs almost nothing and it has held up in plenty of stormy nights, when other tents around me buckled. There is just enough space inside to put all my clothes, leaving my pack in the vestibule, and the strut system makes it feel roomier than tents with the same footprint. The only con is that it’s quite bulky and doesn’t fit horizontally in my pack.

Sleeping pad:
Thermarest NeoAir XLite

Description:
No originality prizes here. The NeoAir XLite. It’s light, it’s comfortable, it has a small packed size, it just works. Be careful not to get any holes in it though, it’s a fragile thing. One day, I’d love to transition to a foam mat and remove some weight and the ever-present anxiety that I’ll wake up in the middle of the night on a deflated pad, but it is not this day.

Clothing

Worn clothing:
Packed clothes:

Notes on clothing:

  • I used my puffy during the night as well, removing the need for an additional top layer
  • Since the Strider Pro Shorts have a built-in liner, the underpants are backup
  • Gaiters are definitely an optional item, but do yourself a favour and buy them with the fox print. You’ll be an instant standout amongst all the other drab, colorless hikers!
  • I typically don’t carry many spare clothes, I’ll take the extra hiker stink over extra weight any day (except maybe that one week in Washington when I couldn’t wait to take off my clothes at night and free me from the rank stench)
  • The Altra Lone Peaks took a while to get used to (my feet burned like hell at the beginning), but after that they were a game changer. Back when I was young and naive, I imprisoned my feet in big, lumpy, waterproof hiking boots, chafing with every step, marinating my feet for hours in my own sweat, which had no way of evaporating. Since I wear Altras, my feet and ankles feel much stronger and nimble and I’ve yet to have any blisters.

Cooking

Note on cooking: I’ve sometimes contemplated switching to cold soaking, but such thoughts always dissipate at the first bite of a nice, warm dinner at the end of a long day of hiking.

Hygiene

Note on hygiene: I’m a big fan of backcountry bidets. Not only are you cleaner afterwards, it saves you on packing out used toilet paper (yuk). Once you get over the initial hurdle, you’ll never want to change back.

Electronics

Rest

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