I'm hoping to be doing a lot more outdoors in 2021 than I managed to do in 2020 and I'm excited to start trying out gear. To start the year off, my pack looks a lot like it did at the end of 2020, but I've made a few small changes (most notably, my cooking system). The gear list below is what I
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2020 (v2.0)
It's been a complicated year, but I still managed to get outdoors despite not being able to escape the country as originally planned. My gear list has continued to evolve as I continue to figure out what gear I like best and for what application I most enjoy using each piece of gear. I've
Sierra High Route Gear List
The gear required for a hike of the Sierra High Route (SHR) needs to strike a balance of functional and lightweight. Typically, I am happy to tell people that "if you're happy carrying it, then carry it", but since the SHR calls for a lot of scrambling up loose talus and/or boulder fields, it's nice
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2020 (v1.0)
It's the dawn of a decade and I've made a lot of changes to my three-season backpacking gear list to kick off the twenties. Some of my favorite pieces of gear are still with me and are still going strong (socks and fanny pack) while I'm trying others out for the first time (pillow, anyone?). My
The Ultimate Pacific Crest Trail Packing List
Your Pacific Crest Trail gear list can at times feel like one of your most defining features on the trail. It's been a few years since my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, and I've since learned a lot about what gear works on a thru-hike and what gear is better left at home (or thrown in the garbage).
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2019 (v2.0)
I didn't stop hiking once I left the Pacific Crest Trail this summer, and since my final PCT gear list, a number of things have changed in my backpacking outfit. After hitting the Timberline Trail, Wonderland Trail, and the Wind River Range. Fall is my favorite time of the year to hike - fewer
Pacific Crest Trail Gear List (Round Two) – UPDATED
I've come a long way since my first Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike and my first Pacific Crest Trail gear list. With the exception of my spork, anti-chafe balm, and head net, every piece of gear I now have in my pack is different (this includes my pack). I know I've said it before somewhere, but I'm
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2019 (v1.0)
There's a lot of new gear I'm excited to try this year (like this new sleeping pad from Therm-a-Rest), but these experiments will have to wait until later in the year. For now, I've gone back to what I know and made some adjustments after testing out some new gear in the Japanese Alps. Last year, I