Everything listed below I’ve purchased with my own money and used.
Gear I own
Gear I got my eye on
Backpacks
Hyperlite Mountain Gear - Southwest 3400 (Lg/Black) - $375 -
34.9 oz 899 g
My dyneema obsession got the best of me and this purchase hasn’t disappointed. Would I have been fine with a similar cheaper backpack like the ULA CDT ($150)?? Yeah , but this one is like buying the premium insurance plan for your gear inside, it won’t get wet during a downpour *sigh of relief. No rain cover needed. Even though I also usually carry an umbrella. The waterproofness of backpacks can backfire potentially because if it stays wet for too long it can start to stink so beware of that. Don’t want your super dope dyneema backpack to smell like a dirty kitchen trash bag. Nope, not fresh. That’s actually a good reason to buy a cheaper ultralight backpack if you’re doing the ultralight route with your gear. Even if it’s not waterproof there’s the ol’ plastic bag liner trick, which is pretty smart honestly, even though I don’t do that ever.
https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/products/3400-southwest?variant=7376490463277&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAiAsNKQBhAPEiwAB-I5zeIa6feiTr9hdpQs9wnuJVhmG9egtfNOPDY49Bsx5_E5nffIILNxhhoCbV0QAvD_BwE
Sleeping Bags
Feathered Friends - Raven 10℉ YF $539.00 regular
Bought this. Big investment for me but I have been very satisfied with it’s performance, I’ve never once been cold using this bag. And I’ve used it down to 8℉ . It weighs 36.5 oz / 1036 grams and compacts to the size of a football shaped volleyball. Very nice, soft material feel. Dries out well if it collects moisture on the footbox from the tent.
Sleeping Pads
NeoAir - XTherm - $229.95 - 17 oz 482 g
After freezing my butt off camping not far from my house in Tucson, in. the Sonoran Desert, I froze in my tent from 2am til 4:3am til I finally had enough and packed up camp, walked home and ordered an expensive 4 season top-of-the-line sleeping pad from NeoAir. It performs well on the snow during winter, so well that now I never even worry about the temperature of the ground anymore, just the smoothness of it. At just 1 oz over a pound it can be overkill for most of the year, I’d probably recommend the Xlite even though I have yet to try it out, but it is lighter at 12.5 oz(4.5 oz less) and the R-value is 4.2 instead of 6.9 but it’s still probably warm enough. Also it is $30 cheaper, which could buy you the sick ultralight light NEBO Torchy. ;) The durability has been good, I’ve tried to be careful to not have any sharp rocks or deatly thorns where I set it and I usually have at least a tarp or dyneema tent floor between it and the ground, just to be safe.
https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-xtherm-sleeping-pad/neoair-xtherm.html
Tents
Zpacks Duplex 2 person tent - 19 oz 539 g $599
This tent be the shit.
Essentials
NEBO Torchy
$30 on amazon, rechargeable, clips on to hat bill, 1000 MAX lumens, it’s great
Anker Rechargeable Bolder P2 LED Pen Flashlight
This thing I bought on amazon for $18.99 and the battery lasts forever it seems. I’ve had it over a year and I think I’ve only charged it about 5 times. It’s bright and has a low light mode. to save battery. It’s simple, has a clip and is rechargeable with micro-usb which is super convenient for me.
Clothing
Smartwool Merino 250 Baselayer Pants $100
These have been working out good for me, keeping me warm and not getting stinky due to merino wool’s properties. During winter, I wear them pretty much everyday at work under my work pants and they’ve been keeping me comfortable. One con about merino wool clothing is remembering to not dry them in the dryer, they will shrink. I’m 6 foot tall and the Large size fits good.
Smartwool 150 Baselayer Long Sleeve $85
Use this to sleep in. I like that it can be worn multiple times and not stink. It does have the not quite itchy feel to it, I’ve grown to like it now but at first I noticed it was kind of itchy feeling. Any shirt works, as long as it’s comfy and dry.
Smartwool 250 Baselayer 1/4 Zip Long Sleeve $105
This is a really warm baselayer top for colder conditions, 0℉-35℉. I like that it can be vented easily if you zip it down. Can be overkill for most of the year, unless you live somewhere cold all the time. If it gets weight it gets super heavy so I wouldn’t recommend bringing to somewhere where rain is expected.
Smartwool Hiking Heavy Crew Socks $16-25
Warmest socks I own, nice to wear when going to bed in my tent. Useful piece of gear for when it’s cold.
Darn Tough Men’s Hiker Boot Midweight Hiking Sock $27
They perform well, no rips, feel good when I put them on. If they ever go bad, I can use the famous Darn Tough lifetime warranty and can get a brand new pair.
For Your Dog
GoTags Personalized Dog Collar
I found this on amazon for $18.95 and thought it was a great idea because it’s good to have a collar on your dog in case it runs off, someone can find it and recognize that it has an owner and even get to read it and call your pup by it’s name and call you up like “I found (insert your dog’s name) over here dniffing a dead deer carcauss.
RuffWear Palisades Dog Pack
This cost me $150 on rei.com, pretty pricey but after 2 years of use it’s been a good investment. I’ve only tried one other dog pack for my dog, a cheap amazon one made by VIVOI, and the reocurring problem was the pack sliding off to one side, especially if it was loaded with weight. This Palisades pack performed better with the fit, and if you balance the load on each side, it will ride good and secure. Plus it’s durable, can handle getting repeatedly wet from a creek crossing. Also really like that you can take the saddlebags off and have a good sturdy harness. I like that the buckles and build seen decently strong. It has a handle so you can lift your dog like he’s a purse and set him up on the ledge that he couldn’t jump up to. The sturdiness is important for situations like that so that it can withstand your dogs weight if you have to lift or lower your dog. Even though it’s not meant for that, it’s good that it has the ability.
ME.FAN Collapsible Dog Bowl $13.99 for 6 pack on amazon
This comes in handy so much, I have ti dangling on my backpack for quick easy use when my dog’s getting thirsty. Careful if you buy this one exactly, the carabiner and the plastic that it’s attached to is super cheap and will break off, I just cut a little slit in the silicon and ran a better carabiner through that.
Musher’s Secret Paw Wax $14.99 on amazon
Did some research and bought this for for snow travel for my dog’s paws. His paws are used to rough trail in the desert but he doesn’t have much snow walking experience, so I bought this in case. From my research and experience, I’ve hardly used this on his paws, you apply the wax as a thin layer to their pawsand it dries and creates a film. I haven’t truly tested it but if you have a dog with sensitive paws this might help.