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A good little tip is to put a little piece of masking tape on every piece of gear you take. When you use it, remove the tape. Anything with tape when you get home should be re-evaluated. Never skimp on safety gear, true for any activity/sport/recreation

I find it hilarious how many people get upset about a total strangers gear choices. I never knew there were so many “experts” out there.🤣 Great video Steven!🍻

Excellent video. I think there should be one more category when you go through your gear at the end of a trip - the "my day would suck if I didn't have this and needed it" pile. Here's my context: I use camping gear daily because I am a nanny who relies on transit and I need to be able to carry everything that the kids and I will need that day. Over the years, I've accumulated a collection of small useful things that don't weigh much and I rely on always having them with me. Examples: different types of tape, folding scissors, extra hair elastics, S-clips, 8mL Nalgene of dish soap, nail clippers, small ball of cotton yarn. They are the things that you might need just a little bit of to make your day go smoothly, so it's worth the small amount of extra weight.

I like to get home and have 3 piles, “Used”, “Not Used” and also “Would have helped keep me safe if it all went to shit” as an example, I often don’t use my first aid kit, the small bit tenacious tape in case my tent fails, the 4 water purification tablets in case my filter fails or the SOL emergency Bivy ( which I only take on day hikes). Wouldn’t leave home without them though. There are other examples in my pack, not a lot, but there should be pile for “didn’t use it but shouldn’t leave it behind” GPS with sos button and whistle also fall into this category

As i put my kit together yesterday (unfortunatly life dictated that my hiking season was aug and sept this year) i asked my wife the same question...what do i need? My physics inspired brain said "i have stay warm, fed, and watered" thats the who statement...i dont need to be clean, smell good, or have any of the comfrts of home...cause im not there. And you won't stay dry in the rain no matter what you spend...warm only is the goal. How you get there is on you but those three things are what it boils down too. Peace all. Dare to push your comfort zone. Its rewarding not terrible.

I agree with the necessity list with one exception: I would add light source to it. I've never camped without having a light, but it probably wouldn't be a fun time. Might be an interesting experiment.

Decades ago Ray Jardine wrote an article on how to backpack light. He had just completed the Adirondack trail. One thing that stood out was all gear that he made himself for pennies on the dollar. Ray is no fool he is one of the most accomplished climbers to ever climb in Yosemite. You don't do that with cheap gear and live. So if he cut corners to save weight he didn't throw safety out the door. He was pointing out the hypocrisy in the backpacking industry. Alot depends on the climate and terrain as to what is necessary and what you you can get by without. I like that you always look for a balance between needs and comfort. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent video, the 'need' versus 'want' debate is wider than just backpacking

I am an ultra-lightweight backpacker who doesn't even use a "backpack". There is no needed gear. All you need is a way to have shelter, get potable water, and create fire. A lot of stuff is just nice to have. My nice-to-haves are protection and a way to charge my cellphone. And maybe a frozen beer for the first night out. My cellphone is weighted down with e-books.

Good info. To me there are three truths about backpacking. 1. Mors Kochanski said the more knowledge you have, the less gear you need...so never stop learning. 2. Any fool can be uncomfortable...learn what you need and what works for you, never mind the 'fashionable' stuff. 3. Scientifically you can only carry about 30% of your body weight for any prolonged period...so start there with the weight and scale it up or down with your needs and the conditions.

ive done the ultra heavy, cheap miltary surplus camping. brought a bunch of extras, stuck in the 2 is 1, 1 is none mindset. once i became more experienced, i realized if you are 3 days or less from civilization, you technically need nothing but the clothes on your back. youll be miserable, but youll survive. now add the bear minimum, (tarp, quilt, pad, food and water) and youll be comfortable and be able to hike longer see more and enjoy it more.

It's taken me years to get my pack (all in) to be under 50lbs and I'm super happy about that! There are some factors like gear you bring because of the areas you go or the people you're with that will affect what's important to take and what's not. The areas we frequent can get to freezing at night even in the summer, so you end up needing a few extra bits to stay warm and more fuel to heat up food and a heavier sleeping system, but it's worth it to enjoy those areas.

I would just add one thing that I do, and that is I start my checklist before I go, I get the bag packed, take everything out and ask "do I really NEED this", then whittle down my pack until I have what I need, this saves more weight than any light gear I purchase. I light source is also essential, even if you start your hike early morning.

May surprise some of you, but I can’t count the number of times I’ve wished I had a bear canister, especially when surrounded by short trees or pines where I couldn’t easily hang a bag. Several times I’ve had to pass over awesome camp sites and was forced to hike extra miles just to reach a shelter or a place where I could put my food. Just goes to show that needed gear differs for everyone.

As a "mountain leader" this is the one bit of advice that I would give to any of the guys I take out into the hills. I love a new bit of kit but after two trips it comes out of my backpack, but I keep handy. If after two more trips I havent needed it. It gets put away in a storage box once a year I go through the box and either sell the stuff i dont need or donate it to someone who wants it. in the group of peopel i walk with we are constantly swapping kit

I love the mindset on this one. I just came back from the Boy Scouts of America National Jamobree, which was 10 days of camping. As I was unpacking my duffle the other day, I was noticing a few things. I had 3 long sleeve jackets/pullovers that I had never used, a pair of rubber boots, a bunch of rope, 3 pairs of pants, and 1 pair of shorts. None of it I touched. there were a bunch of other things as well. I think I'm going to really start noting what I didn't use since I'm mostly to the point anymore. There's nothing I don't seem to have as I've geared up over the years but plenty I don't need.

A couple of years ago, I bought an expensive titanium mug, thinking I could use it on my stove (when all I want is coffee). Turns out, because of the double wall, that doesn't work (at least not efficiently enough). And after using it as just a mug for a few trips, I decided I liked by very old, very cheap plastic cup better (because of its sturdier handle). And it's only 1oz heavier. So while I will continue to try and lighten my load, I will also keep in mind that sometimes, the old cheap thing is just fine.

My father, an experienced backpacker, never carried a tent. His sleep system was a sleeping bag, no pad. His favorite packs were Adirondek basket packs. So what you need versus want has changed over the decades.

Great reminder. I started doing the same thing after each trip. I go through my gear and try to eliminate things I don't use. There are still some items that I have carried for many trips that I am just not ready to give up. The older I get, the less I want to carry.

Great advice. As you mentioned, I've learned a lot just by going "did I use this?" when I got home. Over the years this becomes easier to remember as you pack, I take very little with me now and I'm so grateful to not carry stuff that I don't need anymore.

I have an google sheet list for my kayaking gear. When I prepare for a trip, I can consider all items with their respective weight. There is stuff I absolutely need for each trip, there is stuff I want to try out or test. And there is "mission critical" stuff, which might never getting used, but can lead to a cancellation of the trip. Certain kind of meds, safety gear, repair kit, emergency dry cloths. Because it is an online sheet and offline available on the phone, I can write on it even during the trip. And doing a short recap and lessons learned leads to a much faster learning curve.

Great idea about going through what you used and did not use. Makes so much sense but I have never formally done it.

I need a packing list and video of the family camp trip! I pack my whole car for a weekend camp trip with my 2 kids and husband!

I'm only doing a little camping each year and hoping to get backpacking with my now 7 year old in the next year or two. She's getting very comfortable hiking a couple miles with rolling hills and enjoyed car camping trips with nice stuff, but not much extra. I think a great example of this is our tent. It's a stormbreak 3 and, with footprint, fly, and stakes, is probably around 7 lbs. But the fly and footprint are fast-pitch friendly and has a bunch of extra options built in. For two people, if we keep the rest of the weight down pretty well, it won't be too bad split between two packs. We have reasonably light sleeping bags and cookware to balance things out and won't be planning high mile days, that's for sure. So for getting into it, it's definitely about finding a good balance based on your intentions/goals and making sure the bases are covered, then going from there

I do the same thing: the used/not used pile. Two categories of things I always take even if I don’t use them is a first aid kit and some basic tools & repair items.

After every trip, while driving home, the passenger takes detailed notes in discussion with the driver, about what we would do differently next time, ranging from Gear to food, location, and so on.

Another great clip :) I also camp with my children and so I end up with a combination of 'UL' stuff that I've bought and then more surplus/military type stuff that I don't mind them dragging through a forest :) That said, I've ended up with the same mix on my solo hikes - some stuff 'milspec' and durable, and other stuff the coolest, 1g gadget from Japan. One thing I've started doing to improve my kit list is I make little videos while I'm hiking with notes about "Left hip pouch is irritating me, sleeping mat too short" etc. which (when I play them back!) helps on my later trips.

The retrospective after a hike is so obvious, yet mindblowing! Definetly going to do that and separate gear that I used from balast I just carried around.

This is something that I have done for mountaineering but don't do as much for regular backpacking. It's a good reminder to continue to dial in the system.

In the past I did the same as you did but I made 3 piles. I managed to get a system that works for me. Will not say how many years it took to get to this stage since gear is always improving. I still do all three after a trip but the third pile is normally empty. Pile 1. Items used all the time. Pile 2. Items used now and then. Pile 3 , Items not used but taken. Pile 3 was put into storage. Piles 1 and 2 taken on the next trip and again all three steps taken when I got back home. Over time I have managed to get my total weight to 10.41 pounds , Clothing is 3.7 pounds of that and my base weight is 6.71 pounds. A short example that helped me cut the base weight. Here in Florida I can get by with light weight clothing and none of the heavy stuff. I hammock camp so the hammock doubles as my chair , lounger and bed. A small titanium wood burning stove , fuel is everywhere. A titanium pot for ( hot water ) cooking freezer bag method.

I love camping because I can take exactly what my family needs. I have a child with special needs who is sensitive to temperature changes and noise among others things and I have spent years trying to figure out the right set up for us. My camping gear list probably would include more “luxuries” than most but since we go camping on our vacation time, my priorities are fun, safety and creating lasting family memories. We are working toward a month long car trip similar to yours. I look forward to more car camping videos. I would be very interested to see what made your list and how you packed it all up for your family. Thanks!

It is a difficulty for me to leave the 'Just in Case' behind. I like the process of coming back and separating into what I didn't need pile. I'll give 'er a try. But I am 30-35 pounds nearly all the time for a 3-4 night trip. And the main stays of my gear are new so I'm stuck with it for a few years. Thx...

Well done I appreciate the change and honesty

Great video. I'm with you. Shed the weight, enjoy the walk outdoors.

Love doing business with Garage Grown Gear AND appreciate you addressing mindset - bottom line, let’s get out on the trail!

I often take notes on my trips. I log the food i ate each day, temps, and gear notes. I am not an ultra lighter by any means but I do normally bring many extras into the woods and that has helped me really reduce my pack weight even without purchasing ultralight gear. Also love GGG!

Per your suggestions, I just bought some stuff from Garage Grown Gear and can attest they do a great job; fast shipping and great customer service. I will be ordering from them again when I'm ready to upgrade some of my items.

Excellent channel, provides very good information. Now, it depends on what you need and where you're going, as well as how long you're planning to stay - that's what you'll need for your trip. For example, I'm from Costa Rica, and here, most of the mountains are of a very high level. There isn't much paramo; the majority of them involve ascents of over 5 kilometers over muddy terrain with a lot of vegetation around and obstacles on the way. Additionally, it's very likely to rain at any time of the year, so going with the lightest gear is important because what goes up must come down, and coming down can be more dangerous than the ascent. Greetings, pura vida!

For me the camping part of a trip is just staying dry and not dying while taking sleep breaks, I have a bivy, tarp-poncho and sleeping bag that weigh combined 2.2lb, and I use a 20 liter pack. The only comfort I need is a small light pack for easy hiking. The advantage is that I mostly hike in Europe and the Swiss Alps and am never more than 48 hours from passing through somewhere to buy food and I can usually get water easily in the mountains with just the Salomon soft flask filter so carry minimal food, no cooking gear and only 1/2 -1 liter water max. I do take poles, head torch, shit kit, first aid kit, camera gear, wallet, phone, keys, chargers but is not too heavy and fits in a small pack.

I agree with the constant re-planning. I've done that myself over the years, and as a hiker/camper/survivalist/prepper, I went in stages. My Get Home bag weighs 1.2 lbs. It sits in my car for emergencies, and is only taken out once a year for inspection. My Bug Out bag weighs 10 lbs. Again, only taken out once a year for inspection. My Hiking Bag only weighs 3.7 lbs. I don't need a lot for a day hike, though the kit is packed for 72 hrs worth. My Camping Gear weighs in a 58.3 lbs. Most of the main mass is the UP-2 Tent and tent stove, but, I admit, at 51 years old, I take a lot of comfort items. I am NOT going camping without coffee. My SHTF Gear weighs in at 62.9 lbs. A bit of the camping comfort gear is replaced by survival gear ... okay, by a LOT of survival gear. With this pack I can survive anywhere, any season, for any length of time. It makes allowances to either travel constantly, or build and farm. I know I went a little off topic there, but my main point IS your topic. You have to balance between Need/Want in any of them. I've seen Bug Out bags that weigh more than my SHFT bag, and campers that have well over 100 lbs of gear (walking in, not with campers or ATVs). It also comes down to what you can carry, and how mobile you're going to be. I used to carry a 60 lbs pack with another 20 lbs of gear when in the military and would cover 20 miles in a day. These days, that would kill me, lol. Though I'm betting I could still cover 15 miles with my SHFT gear if Ihad to, though 10 seems more reasonable to me. I usually only cover 5 miles when camping.

3.44 into the video, and I will say, I agree 100%, but….. and there’s that “but”. A low “base weight” cost a freaking fortune these days. It’s extremely difficult for new hikers to balance base weight vs longevity. My first attempt at the AT was at a base weight of 32 pounds. I didn’t know… I planned a 125 mile hike, and made it 42 miles. A “1 pound tent” is above most new hikers budget, simply because they have no idea if they will even want to do it a second time. By the time you fall in love with it all. You have amassed a fortune in useless gear. “Cottage industry gear” = expensive. It’s a learning curve that most do not understand (and how would they). Just saying…. Your videos are one of the most informative out there, and I wish you continued success!!

I can say I agree...you CAN find light gear without breaking the bank. My current base wt. is 10.4 to 11.1 lbs, depending on which tarp shelter I take. That is without using (or even owning, for that matter) one single item made from DCF, or Ultra fabric...and without a goose down anything. Period. In fact, the MOST expensive item I have, currently, is the 25 litre Osprey pack I just bought...which was priced at $125 (I only paid $100, on sale, though). I have been backpacking for decades...and I have long since learned what to leave behind. The hard way. As well, I have now figured out a few tweaks to my gear, which allowed me to go from about 16.5 lbs...to the number mentioned above. It CAN be done - but you have to learn by experience (usually)...and give up "packing your fears".

This is such a good mindset to have around purchasing things in general too. I always ask myself: do I NEED this, do I need this, or do I want this? And when it comes to splurge buys, I buy it if I can't stop thinking about it for a while and I have the cash saved up. Never with a credit card.

Thanks for mentioning the SMD Lunar Solo. That's my go to 1P tent and IMO, it's the best for cost to weight ratio. I ran into several people that had the GG The One when I hiked the AT and at least 60% of them didn't like the tent. People shouldn't get too wrapped around base weight. I recommend checking your pack weight will all consumables, 4 days of food, and 2L of water. That is more realistically what your trail weight will be and how it feels/rides is what matters.

This was a much needed video in the midst of everyone trying to sell stuff. Everyone does pretty much everything slightly different so reminding people that "you do you" is a solid recommendation.

Order of priority in wilderness survival: Shelter, heat (warmth), water, food

You said a lot in a few words. My moto is Everything I carry has to serve 2 or more uses. Bulk is a problem on a kayak or bike trip. The equipment you take are not the Tools you need to just survive, But the tools you need to live like a nomad. A nomad carries only what they need to live a comfortable life for years on end. Pick the equipment that will solve the problems for the planned trip. The best tent, stove, sleep system for one trip may be the wrong solution for a different trip. No matter how well you plan your gear list for the time of year, the trip objectives, there will always be something that was never used. The unused raincoat or worse leaving the raincoat home when no rain was in the forecast, and it was five days of unending rain.

Great post my friend. Stay strong, free and healthy.

This is a good way to approach your everyday carry as well.

Having a system to eliminate unused/unneeded gear is really important. Unlike trying to remember, I just keep checklists. I try to keep a bag/bags packed, so if the opportunity to go comes up, I'm gone. Sometimes when I am getting ready for a really big trip, I have a tendency to take a bunch of garbage I don't need and end up never using. I find that having my bag packed at least a week ahead of time, and a printout of my checklist right there gives me the peace of mind to know I'm packed, and not have to worry about the good idea fairy showing up at 10pm the night before I leave to screw up my plans.

Dude your videos are so awesome. Informative without peppering us with too much. Love it love it love it.

Another insightful and well thought out video. Your content continues to be top notch!

I like being a pack rat... and my 17mile hike into the woods had some sholder discomfort, but nothing a small break every hour would help. I did take to much, but i also like the freedom of having 150ft of paracord to bushcraft with or a hatchet/machete to harvest wood or carve with.

i love your pace of speech and the intonation you use it makes listening really engaging

Biggest challenge is cheap and lightweight backpack which you can take with you to the cabin of the plane. 33 - 40 litres. (And test in nearest shop)

Thank you! That's advice for life, not just for hiking. The first 20 years I packed too much and brought stuff I never used. Took a while to get everything adjusted... And: there's a cultural factor (European-American family here...).

When I was a lad in the early 80’s, my friends and I “needed” to take a getto blaster, and 8 spare D size batteries, hiking. Needless to say no one ever wanted to be the one to carry it😂

Great to watch an informative, decision making video... I have a similar issue with my friends cheap vs new expensive equipment (waiting 3-5 years for the price to come down) purchased a supermarket tent for £35 where 5 years ago it was £150 I use it twice a year.. Also the idea of solo camping vs cooperating group..

It took me a few thousand years to ‘learn’ to go lighter. It sorta got to be mandatory to have a 22kg rucksack - after all, if it’s not heavy then it ain’t quality. Thank goodness I’m over that now; aching / sore joints made me reevaluate my gear. I spent a kings ransom (& a heap of time researching) getting replacement gear - most of which I love (been through a heap of tents / tarps, cook systems and footwear). I finally got sorted when I realised that certain things can benefit by seasonal duplication; lightweight for summer and heavier for winter. Moving away from trusty 11kg canvas tent with steel poles was a ‘wow’ moment as was going from a jamb packed 120 litre Bergen to a 50litre Atom Pack. Transformational.

Ok I feel I can weigh in on this because I have quite the unusual kit that might add a new perspective to backpacking. For gear I have a steel water bottle from s’well my backpack is a 16 L trail running backpack from Columbia I carry my knives two folders and a fixed blade I don’t carry much food (because I tend to find foods that pack down well) I sleep on a decathlon foam mat and I have one change of clothes toiletries and a first aid kit. In the end it weighs less than 5kg usually but I don’t really stress about weight Edit: and I wear a north face windbreaker (and a hoodie if its sub ten degrees)

Trip after trip, the piece of gear that I consistently find myself not needing is the puffy jacket. But I continue to take it due to prevailing wisdom…

If you can find it, there’s a great video on lightweight backpacking from Lynn Wheldon (sorry if I misspelled). This video was produced back in the 1990’s when going lightweight required lots of creativity or lots of dollars, the same as today however, we have way more gadgets than were available back then. Most basic gear items are much lighter than the basic ones from that era. My lightest load for a five day trip was 37 pounds, food, water, and everything else. Even with the most basic gear today, a loaded pack could easily weigh less than 30 pounds without breaking the bank. Great video Steve, I appreciate and can relate to your messaging.

What kind of containers do you use for car camping? I have this want vs. Need with my wife whenever we go camping. The last want vs. Need was blow up kayaks and bikes. We were visiting my parents and I thought we didn't need either. I have a couple of bikes at my parents house to use when we are down there and I didn't think we would use the kayaks. We'll, I talked her out of the bikes and didn't use the kayaks. Primarily because we bought a paddle board when we were down there and had fun with that the entire time. But I still had to lug it all back.

Thanks for a great video, and thanks to all of you that are commenting with further advice... #sharingiscaring What are the black boxes that you pack into your car... looks awesome. Any tips from my European friends on this??

Thank you for adding info about the weight in kilograms! As usual the video is great and real made me think about my choices.

It never fails for me. Everything I dial down to what I absolutely need always ends up being 28lbs, before packing water. 😮

I'm currently rethinking camping I'm a army vet and my gear was more like 40lb pack and 75lb kit my youngest is now joining my oldest 5 and 8 in cub scouting and its a major and welcome reset for my methods car to get there folding wagon to site wash\ and sometimes shower facilities. Still working out chair but I use cots and pads for my boys and I and tent with a covered fly over the front for gear. I'm out of my element a. Bit and out of date on gear. What are things you bring that keep your kids camping. And any suggestions to bribe reluctant non camper to join you in nature.

Always great videos, always great recommendations!! 👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I was a little skeptical of that lightweight Melly alternative, but man, you have that thing on in almost every video. It must be really well made, definitely field tested!

Very interesting video (and thank you for including kg), I was on a hike a few days ago and noticed that I carried a few things that I didn't use

I am a bit of a gear junkie and it's fun to try out new stuff to make backpacking more comfortable. Some of the changes are marginal, while others make a big difference. I bought a lighter pack, so I could bring more comfort items, like a backpacking chair? I bring things I definitely don't need, like a kit to watercolor or simple games, but it makes it more fun so it is worth the extra weight. Deodorant? No. Extra clothes?? I'll be stinky for three days, it'll be fine! I can't get around bringing a bear can and I don't want to spend $600-800 on a super light weight one, so I've just accepted the fact that I will be probably always be carrying 25-30 pounds on trail!

My packs almost always 30-35lbs... but I only hike so that I can then camp. lol. I want the chair, the hammock, eggs in the mornings, the whole bit. I'll turn a 35km hike into a 5day ordeal. I spent 13days doing a one way 162km canoe trip that people have raced "their and back" in something like 36hours. lol It's the little pleasures. Enjoy it while you can.

I know from experience that unless the trail is very technical or I need to log high mile days, I'm extremely comfortable with a base weight up to 16 lbs (depending on how long I'm out - over 4 days, and I'll shave weight to make room for the extra food). So, I look at the trail, determine if I think I need to go lighter than my 16lb luxury packout, and start dropping items - I have a prioritized list. I also have two other default pack lists. One is 9.5 lbs for super technical trail or lots of steep climbs. One is 13.1 lbs for less technical, but maybe needing high mileage days. But I love my 16lb packout - I take a pillow, a backpacking frying pan, etc etc and my time in camp is SO much nicer for it, and I eat a LOT better. For me, that was the dialing in process. Not coming up with one ideal gear load. Coming up with a litany that allows me to customize my load to the trail and the experience I want to have.

I’m onboard with Garage Grown Gear, a great company!

Great video!!! what is the quilt shown at min 2:56?

I don't hike but I do bike tour so I also have space limitations like you do for hiking. I'm finding I want to take all my gear with me like I would for a month long tour when I'm only doing a 1-2 day overnight trip. But I do need to figure out where to store my gear between the 4 bags I'm carrying on my bike. I'm planning a trip next May from Vancouver to SF to meet-up with the AIDS lifecycle ride....which means I have to haul a suitcase for all my gear as they haul it for me on our ride back to LA. I'm using a rollable wheeled 120L duffle bag for this trip which will reside on my bikes rear rack on the month long ride down the coast. Plus it helps when I'm planning on taking amtrak up to Vancouver to start my ride.

How much of your pack out is variable ( don’t know a better term )? Sunscreen vs. Bug spray, water filter vs. Extra water….

The act of dialing down my gear is an adventure all by itself. As much as my hiking and camping 😂

I tried stripping things I didn’t use mid-hunting trip once and regretted it. And what’s worse, it wasn’t because I couldn’t bear to carry it; it was at the behest of my friend’s stupid fudd father, who complained that my pack “was over a hundred pounds”. It wasn’t, of course, but I took out my water filtration kit since I never used it prior. Well, we ended up getting a good haul, but it was late in the evening and we couldn’t get back to the usual cabin. We ended up having to used an abandoned creaky one in the woods. Guess what? It was next to running water, but we had no way of purifying it other than boiling, and I only had one fuel canister. Stripping things is only going to be done *after* a trip from now on.

Six Moons and other gear manufacturers are still expensive. Best way to gear up is buying stuff used. It’s more time consuming but when money is an issue, it’s the way to go.

The dealing-in process you described could be a bit problematic. For example, I'm sure I'd use my portable espresso maker on every trip, but would I need it? Probably not. On the other hand, something like a battery pack can come in handy in an emergency situation. And items like band-aids etc. never get used until they're needed.

Moot in my opinion. The ‘need n want’ debate should really start by first defining the planned trip and who’s going right? … the computation of duration, distance, weather, terrain, fitness, experience, objectives, etc … may differ drastically from outing to outing … and so would ones equipment.

I always enjoy your content. Thank You.

Setting off for a 2 year hike today, can say i have the heavy backpack 😅. Cost me about £600 to get all the basic cheap stuff on a budget.

Thank you 😊

I take inspiration from the ultralight gear, but I find it difficult to have my backpack under 15kg (I'm more practicing bushcraft than hiking btw, and I like to cook). On the other hand the army special forces can carry up to 50-65kg of equipment each during a mission... For now, my priority is more autonomy, camp comfort and adaptability rather than the walked distance. If I couldn't carry comfortably a 15kg backpack (either for just a hike or in case of an emergency situation), I'd try to become stronger/thinner rather than cut on items (but maybe I'll change my mind on multiple days trails). No offense at all, I'm just wondering about this gramms tracking habit, because it seems paradoxical if it's only on the gear, isn't it?

this advise is so worthy also for everydary life

Very thoughtful video!

Sierra Designs Orion AST 2p tent with fly, stakes, and footprint = 6.6 Cabelas Instinct (Klimat) pad, 32 x76, R 4.5 = 2.6 Cabelas hunting pack (~60 L) = 7.9 Marmot Meteor Penguin 700 fill, 20F bag + sea summit compression sack = 2.9 That’s 20 lbs and I haven’t so much as added a spork or a band aid. I have work to do, because my base weight is 30 lbs and I use EVERYTHING in my pack. Ugh.

I see the Nemo Aurora Highrise...would you recommend it? I want a tent with standing height for my wife, myself, and 2 small children. Any drawbacks to this one or something you considered instead?

I’m a “newbie”….having just accumulated ALL THE STUFF I “think” I need to do my first trip so I hear ya! Whew…..sooo much stuff to take along to support our “creature comforts” while refusing to sleep under a tarp on the ground with all the creepy crawlies……

If you have something you used last trip but not this trip, do you do best 2 out of 3 or do you generally treat the latest trip as most accurate?

My needs are food, water, good shoes, comfy clothes that dry quickly and don’t chafe (fit well), a good night sleep, and something to carry it all in.

😊 exactly, and if you wait until there is a sale, you can get the big 3 on sale if you are not too picky.😊

1:24 Product link for these containers?

Great vid!

I appreciate your perspectives, and they are expressed very well. Even if you don't camp with just a knife and a loin cloth. (that last part is a joke). 😀

"Do I really need this?" is a question everyone should ask oneself every now and then in general ;)

Nitecore is my new favorite company, I have about 5 of their products, including the two you listed.