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 tried out a pyramid shelter and a bivy. I wasn’t a huge fan of either. The shelter, an Ultamid 2 from Hyperlite Mountain Gear, I like, but I don’t think it’s best suited for the type of backpacking that I’m doing. I still really want to like my bivy, so I might try it out with a tarp or something later in the year. For now, it’s back to my palace, the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 Platinum. If you want to read my detailed review of this two-person, freestanding tent, you can find it here.
Another big change is my backpack. I am now using a pack I built myself (i.e. I watched it get built) in England’s Lake District while visiting with Tom Gale of Atom Packs. So far, I’m very happy with this pack and I’m excited to see how it holds up over the long-term. You can find out more about Atom Packs on their website, atompacks.co.uk (and if you want to see the kinds of packs and customizations they do, check them out on Instagram).
I’m always looking to try new gear and am curious to hear what everyone else has to say about their own setups, so if you’ve got something to say be sure to leave a comment or get in touch.
The Big Stuff
Clothing
Carried/On Body
The Backpacking Gear
The Electronics
Power Bank

The Camera Gear
Pole

THE BATHROOM
- Toilet paper, wet wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, sunscreen
THE OFFICE
- Credit/debit card, rubber bands, notebook, assorted Ziploc bags, pen, dice (for Yahtzee!)
DETAILED VIEW
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Pros: Comfortable, merino, cushioned underfoot, lifetime guarantee means you can have them replaced
Cons: Nothing
2.2 oz / 62 g / $20 / Detailed Review
Pros: Come in wide sizes, durable, comfortable, insoles actually offer support
Cons: I’m still not blister-proof
33 oz / 936 g / $120
Pros: Polarized, come in a large size for my big head, customizable colors, free returns/exchanges
Cons: Expensive
1.6 oz / 45 g / $203
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
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
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
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
Pros: Bright, great battery life, red light, two brightness levels
Cons: Not the smallest option available
2.9 oz / 82 g / $70
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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