Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2019 (v1.0)

Atom Packs Mo

Pros: Lightweight, comfortable, bottom pocket, stretchy back mesh pocket, accessible side pockets while wearing, carbon frame
Cons: Not seam sealed
29 oz / 850 g / £195

Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 Platinum

Pros: Freestanding, huge amount of space, two vestibules, holds up in rain/wind, can be set up with fly/footprint only
Cons: Large footprint with fly, you probably need the footprint too (purchased separately), expensive
44 oz / 1.247 kg / $600

Montbell Down Hugger 900 #3

Pros: Literally the greatest zipper ever, lightweight, compressible
Cons: Don’t know how I feel about the half zip, only available via Montbell Japan
17.4 oz / 494 g / ¥48,000

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (Regular)

Pros: Lightweight, R-value 3.2, doubles as a raft
Cons: Blowing up and deflating is a pain, it can be very loud at night (sorry, neighbors)
12 oz / 340 g / $170 Detailed Review

Bluffworks Meridian Dress Shirt 2.0

Pros: Great for hiking or for blending in when in town, chest pocket, can roll up sleeves past elbows
Cons: Not available in purple
$98

Montbell Storm Cruiser

Pros: 3-layer GORE C-KNIT, lightweight, adjustable hood/hem, two large chest pockets
Cons: No pit zips
10 oz / 284 g / $290

Montbell Plasma 1000 Alpine Down Parka

Pros: Warm (3.4 oz / 96 g of 1000 fill power down), DWR treatment, elastic cuffs, hem and hood adjustments, lightweight
Cons: Expensive, long and annoying name
8.4 oz / 237 g / $439 / Detailed Review

Patagonia Strider Pro 5″

Pros: Four stretchy pockets (big enough for my Pixel 2 XL with a case), one zippered pocket in back, built-in liner
Cons: You’ll have to use more sunscreen to cover up those sexy legs, the pull string for the back zipper pocket fell off
3.9 oz / 111 g / $65

Patagonia Fitz Roy Bear Trucker Hat

Pros: Big enough to fit my fat head comfortably, there’s a bear on it, very sturdy bill
Cons: Everyone assumes I’m from California (which I am), but it bothers me, hiking buddy bought the same one not knowing I had it (we look cute together now), white front gets dirty
3 oz / 85 g / $28

Outdoor Research Crest Hat

Pros: Blocks the wind, fits snugly, earholes?
Cons: I wish it came down just a little further on my head
1.7 oz / 49 g / $34

Icebreaker Flexi Chute Neck Gaiter

Pros: Warm, wool, stretchy, lightweight, versatile
Cons: I’m probably going to buy a second one
3 oz / 85 g / $25

Sea to Summit Head Net

Pros: Lightweight, adjustable hem, keeps the bugs off your face
Cons: I hate trying to breathe through these things
1.2 oz / 34 g / $10

Montbell Convertible Rain Pants

Pros: Convert to shorts (I only used the shorts), fully seam taped, elastic waist, waterproof (as you would hope)
Cons: The zippers (once the pant legs are zipped off) chafed my knee pits
6.1 oz / 173 g / $120

Marmot Power Stretch Gloves

Pros: Lightweight, touchscreen compatible, can be connected to each other (lose both or lose none)
Cons: Don’t dry very quickly (why am I getting them wet?), touchscreens can sometimes be finicky
1.6 oz / 45 g / $30

Darn Tough 1/4 Hiking Socks

Pros: Comfortable, merino, cushioned underfoot, lifetime guarantee means you can have them replaced
Cons: Nothing
2.2 oz / 62 g / $20 / Detailed Review

Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator Low

Pros: Come in wide sizes, durable, comfortable, insoles actually offer support
Cons: I’m still not blister-proof
33 oz / 936 g / $120

Ray Ban Wayfarer

Pros: Polarized, come in a large size for my big head, customizable colors, free returns/exchanges
Cons: Expensive
1.6 oz / 45 g / $203

Chums Original Cotton

Pros: Adjustable, don’t fall off, and keep your glasses from falling off
Cons: They make you look really cool, they get tangled with my headphones and make putting my gaiter on my face a bit more work
0.6 oz / 17 g / $9

Batman Sandals

Pros: Surprisingly durable (have had these over a year), Batman (obviously)
Cons: They’re slowly (literally) wearing away, get squeaky/slippery when wet
6 oz / 170 g / $10

Thrupack Summit Bum

Pros: An awesome amount of space for such a lightweight fanny pack, one exterior pocket large enough for a large cell phone, two interior pockets, water-resistant, huge sex appeal
Cons: I wish there was a was to affix the waist strap to the pack (I guess I could use a safety-pin)
2.5 oz / 71 g / $45

Thrupack Comfy Strap

Pros: Stretchy, fancy prints, turns your Thrupack into an easy sling bag as well (is that a thing? A sling bag?)
Cons: I should have just gotten the smallest size – it’s very stretchy, doesn’t attach to Thrupack (just buckles through it)
2.2 oz / 62 g / $15

Petzl Actik Core

Pros: Bright, great battery life, red light, two brightness levels
Cons: Not the smallest option available
2.9 oz / 82 g / $70

Sawyer Squeeze

Pros: Lightweight, easy to use, compatible with water bottles
Cons: Gets clogged if not backflushed regularly, included bags do not last
3 oz / 85 g / $40

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow (Large)

Pros: My clothing stuff sack and pillow (you can reverse it and there’s a soft cushion bit for your face)
Cons: The material has come apart a lot in places, especially around the zipper (I don’t know how much longer it’s going to hold together)
1.69 oz / 48 g / $47

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack (8L)

Pros: Keeps sleeping bag dry (when inside backpack), lightweight, roll top
Cons: Not intended for complete submersion, not possible to order a specific color online
1.1 oz / 31 g / $22

Ursack Major Bear Bag

Pros: A 10.7 L, animal-proof food bag, there’s a black one now
Cons: Heavy for a food bag, I don’t have the black one (the white one gets filthy)
7.6 oz / 215 g / $85

Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 Platinum Footprint

Pros: Much toucher than tent floor, allows Copper Spur 2 Platinum to be set up with just the fly and poles
Cons: Adds 6 oz / 170 to tent weight, $70 for a footprint for a $600 tent? Fuck you, Big Agnes
6 oz / 170 g / $70

MSR Groundhog Stakes x4

Pros: Haven’t had one get pulled out due to weather, notch at top for securing guylines, red (easy to see)
Cons: Not the lightest option available
0.5 oz / 14 g / $3 (each)

Vargo Ti Shepherds Hook Stakes x4

Pros: Lightweight, take up minimal space, easy to pull out
Cons: The orange at the top chips off if you use rocks to hammer stakes, prone to bending
0.27 oz / 8 g (each) / $22 (pack of six)

Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent Lotion

Pros: I prefer lotion to spray or roll-on repellant, no smell, actually repels mosquitoes
Cons: Washes off easily (rain or river crossings), heavy compared to sprays
5 oz / 142 g / $9

Snow Peak Titanium Spork

Pros: It’s titanium which means I’m really cool for having it (and you can fight bears with it)
Cons: It’s titanium which means I’m really dumb for having it (and everyone laughs at me)
0.6 oz / 17 g / $10

Gorilla Tape

Pros: Very strong (and sticky) tape for field repairs (or envelopes?), waterproof (have washed clothing with tape patch multiple times without tape falling off)
Cons: It’s not available in pink

Smartwater 1L Bottle

Pros: Lightweight water bottle with good structural integrity, easy to get in/out of backpack pockets
Cons: It’s a plastic bottle which means I’m going to hell for using it

RAVPower 26800 Power Bank

Pros: USB-C, quick charge compatible, pass through charging, three USB outputs, large capacity
Cons: Heavy
16 oz / 454 g / $57

Anker SoundBuds Curve

Pros: Great sound quality, comfortable, best battery life I’ve found (~10-12 hours)
Cons: Have to be recharged, can block out nearly all ambient noise, get tangled with my eyewear retainer (fancy, huh?)
0.8 oz / 23 g / $26

Pixel 2 XL

Pros: Excellent camera, quick charge via USB-C, water-resistant, awesome fingerprint reader
Cons: No expandable storage, no headphone jack
6.17 oz / 175 g / $850

Lifeproof Fre Case

Pros: Waterproof, shockproof, compatible fingerprint reader (sometimes), easy to remove
Cons: Distorts audio from speaker and on the receiving end of calls, expensive
1.3 oz / 35 g / $90

Anker PowerPort II Wall Charger

Pros: Two USB inputs (one USB-A and one USB-C), folding plug, quick charge compatible
Cons: A little bulky/heavy
5.3 oz / 150 g / $30

Sony Alpha a6500

Pros: Awesome camera, lightweight, compact (fits in my jacket pocket), in-body stabilization, 4K movie recording
Cons: Expensive, small battery capacity (and funky in cold temperatures)
14.25 oz / 404 g / $1200

Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS

Pros: Great focal length range for hiking, beautiful photos, relatively lightweight (but still no pancake lens)
Cons: Not full-frame compatible (if I ever upgrade), vignetting at wider focal lengths, not great in low light
10.9 oz / 308 g / $999

GoPro HERO6 Black

Pros: Takes fantastic photos, video stabilization is great, touchscreen works well, USB-C
Cons: The battery could always be bigger (buy a spare if you’re going to be filming a lot)
4.13 oz / 117 g / $400

SANDMARC Aerial Filter Polarizer (for HERO6)

Pros: An easy-to-use polarizing filter that fits snugly on a GoPro (5, 6, or 7)
Cons: Noticeably increases the size of the camera
0.8 oz / 23 g / $40

Peak Design Capture Clip

Pros: Makes camera accessible, easy to secure/remove camera, can lock camera in place, can be placed on any strap
Cons: You need a hex key to remove the camera plate (making the transition to my tripod annoying)
3 oz / 84 g / $70

Peak Design Shell (Small)

Pros: Keeps camera protected in the rain when using the Capture Clip
Cons: I always take it off to shoot photos since it makes adjusting the zoom/focus rings tricky
2.4 oz / 68 g / $40

Fotopro UFO Basic Flexible Tripod

Pros: Easier to adjust than “ball leg” tripods, flexible legs that I trust to hold my camera in a hanging position
Cons: Heavy for something that I don’t end up using that much
7.6 oz / 215 g / $21