Backpacking

Backpacking 101

Once you have selected your gear and route, the most important backpacking skill is navigation.
We use our iPhones in conjunction with Gaia GPS to follow our routes. We like Gaia because it includes mapping layers including USGS maps for the US and various Google and OpenStreetMap options. In addition, we always bring a paper map and know some basic navigation skills using a map and compass. In addition, we’d recommend developing some basic wilderness first aid skills in case you or your partner experiences an illness or injury. We have created a separate article on this topic.

Backpacking Gear

Here is some of the most important gear that we bring on our backpacking trips. We’ve included some of the specific gear that we really like.

Backpacking gear

• Backpacks
• Camping chairs – Helinox
• Camp Zero Camp Chairs
• First aid kit
• Sunglasses
• Trail running shoes
• Trekking poles – Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Trekking Poles

Clothing

• Bathing suits (optional)
• Down jacket
• Fleece jacket
• Long and/or short sleeve merino shirts – Icebreaker Merino Sphere II Long and/or Short Sleeve T-Shirts
• Merino socks
• Quick drying pants and/or shorts
• Rain jacket
• Rain pants (optional)
• Sun shirt
• Underwear
• Warm gloves (optional)
• Warm hat (optional)
• Wind breaker

Cooking system

• Bowls/cups – Sea to Summit X-Bowls and Cups
• Coffee filter – MSR Mugmate Coffee/Tea Filter (optional)
• Cooking pot – Sea To Summit X-Pot
• Knife – Opinel No 8 Knife
• Sporks – Vargo Titanium Sporks
• Stove – MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove

Electronics

• Headlamps – Black Diamond Storm 450s
• iPhones
• Power bank – Goal Zero Venture 35 Power Bank
• Satellite communicator – Garmin InReach Messenger
• Speaker – JBL Clip 3 (optional)

Hydration system

• Filter – Hydrapak Stow Collapsible Water Bottle and Sawyer Products SP128 Mini Water Filtration System
• Water bladders for our backpacks – Gregory 3D 3L Hydro Hydration Reservoirs
• Water storage bag – MSR 4L DromLite Bag
• Water treatment – Aquamira Water Treatment (optional backup in case our filtration system fails)

Sleeping system

• Pillows – NEMO Fillo Pillows
• Sleeping bags – Western Mountaineering sleeping bags
• Sleeping pads – NEMO Tensor Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pads
• Tent – Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 with a Bear Paw Wilderness Designs Pyranet 2 Insert and a Ruta Locura 710 Pole

Other

• Cash and a credit card
• A clothes line
• A cord for hanging our food up at night (optional)
• Ear plugs
• Dry bags for our clothes
• Eye covers
• Mosquito repellant (optional)
• Sunscreen
• Toilet paper and a trowel
• Toiletries
• A towel (optional)