Gear List

Below is the current gear that I use on hiking trips

Backpacks

Gossamer Gear Gorilla - most comfortable pack - would use every walk if they made a waterproof version
HMG Daybreak Ultra - daypack, perfect size, faulty zipper
​ULA Catalyst - best for bear country with food carries longer than 4 days, BV500 fits inside horizontally in bottom of the pack

Sleeping Bags

Western Mountaineering Summerlite (1lb, 3oz)- 32F most trips, "thin version" of the Megalite bag that weighs 5oz less
Western Mountaineering UltraLite (1lb, 13oz)- 20F very cold trips (high elevations)
Sea to Summit Spark (14oz)- warm trips with lows > 50F

Shelters

Big Sky Chinook 1P tent- trust this tent in any weather. Use with the heavy aluminum poles for strength and added six guylines, useful youtube video on how to attach guylines here
Tarptent Rainbow Li- same shape and quick setup as Big Sky with less weight. Weather protection not as good and zippers will fail and need replaced (tarptent's major flaw)

Raingear

Black Diamond Stormline Stretch - have not been successful in finding a perfect rainjacket, replacing them often is best method once shoulders give out from rubbing against backpack
Outdoor Research Foray Pants (10oz)- heavy but durable enough for off trail adventures
Zpacks Vertice rain mitts (1oz)- for use in colder rain to keep hands dry while using trekking poles

Sleeping Pads

Thermarest NeoAir Xlite (12oz)- most trips, avoid the "Uberlite" -- bought two of them both lost air in few months. Carry the extra couple ounces here.
Thermarest NeoAir Xtherm (15oz)- cold temps, high elevation pad, more insulation
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow (3oz)- esp good when sleeping on your back, curved for your neck, small pack size

Trekking Poles

Black Diamond distance carbon Z trekking poles (120cm)- tend to snap every 18 months but still prefer over heavier ones

Footwear

Altra Lone Peak 8 - Superfeet Run Cushion Low insoles fit the wide toe box
MLD full length gaiters- For places with lots of mud/brush (think New Zealand, Tasmania)
Smartwool PhD Outdoor Low Cut Socks - Have switched between Smartwool and Darn Tough socks, foot health seems better with Smartwool brand

Bear Canister

Bear Vault 450- lightweight, shorter trips 4 days or less
Bear Vault 500- lightweight, larger size, trips with long food carries >5 days
Ursack- most flexible for storage inside pack, but not all places approve its use
Opsak- food storage bag for non-bear country trips (12 x 20)
inReach Mini (4oz)- carry in bear/venomous snake country when solo hiking, use the freedom plan, can text and get weather updates.  Watching the T-Mobile/Starlink deal closely would make this device obsolete

Packrafting

Alpacka Gnarwal- whitewater series major improvement over the alpacka series, especially with stability, velcro system on the alpacka series could not keep water out
Kokatat Swift Dry Suit- paddling suit necessary for cold water runs, can limit layers underneath on sunny days, in warmer water rain gear will suffice with "rolled up sleeves", not rolling up sleeves will eventually cause all layers to get wet from paddling
ULA Epic - packraft secured on the bottom with included straps, use a piece of rope to tie around the bag to keep paddles from shifting on extended walking portions

Other

Suunto M3 Compass- adjustable declination, declination calculator website here, useful video on orienting map & compass here
​Nitecore NU25 USB Headlamp (1.2 oz)- bright enough for extended night walking (360 lumens) and USB rechargable at just over one ounce
Nitecore NB10000 (5.3 oz) - powerbank can charge the pixel phone, camera batteries, headphones for about one week
Sony Rx100 Camera - main camera I use for backpacking (version five)
Sony Rx10 Camera - secondary camera will use if wanting to take photos of wildlife
Platypus Quickdraw 2L- nice upgrade, no longer need a clean reservoir bag saving space, can filter directly into a bottle
Dermatone Lip Balm- does not freeze or melt, SPF 30