In the spirit of outdoor blogging, I thought I’d make my own ‘best of 2008’ list. The gear in this list isn’t necessarily the newest and shiniest of 2008. Rather, it’s a list of gear that always makes it into my pack for a week on the trail. Some of it is new, some of it is tried and true, not displaced by newer options because they are already perfect at what they do. Maybe this entry would be better titled ‘Best Items in My Pack during 2008, some of which was purchased way back in 2005 and 2006, but Not Necessarily the Best New Gear of 2008’. Or not.
10. Prana Bliss Shorts
These shorts are about as simple as active shorts can get. They are made of a lightweight synthetic material that is slightly stretchy. There are really no features to these shorts, with a simple, non-elasticized waist and a small pocket on the leg. I’ve found them to be perfect for backpacking. They are comfortable under a pack belt, loose but don’t chafe, super lightweight, and dry incredibly fast. I personally own four pairs of these shorts – every time I see them on sale I grab another pair to hoard them in case Prana ever decides to stop making them.
9. Garmont Nagevi Hiking shoes
I’m in love with all Garmont footwear since their size 9.5 women’s mold seems to be a perfect match to my feet. I particularly love the Nagevi shoe – a low cut hiker, slightly more robust than a trail runner but still light and flexible. I love that I can put on a new pair and it feels exactly like my old pair – there is absolutely zero break-in time. My blister problems stopped the day I switched to Garmont. The only complaint I have about them is that they wear out pretty quickly, but then again, I am pretty rough on them. I probably replace them 3-4 times a year. This is something I buy in bulk, stocking up whenever I find them on sale in my size.
8. Enertia Trailfoods
Dehydrated pre-packaged backpacking food sucks. Every backpacker knows this. But, in my opinion, Enertia’s meals are by far the best option out there. I actually look forward to dinner when I have an Enertia option available. Not everything they make is great and tastes vary from person to person, but I strongly recommend the Max Patch Mac and Cheese. Oh yum. Another thing that I really like about Enertia is their packaging. They make their food space-efficient and you can prepare most meals in the package. Easy!
7. Ipod Shuffle
Yeah, I know. Not really backpacking gear. Some people frown on music on the trail, and I know it’s not for everyone. I don’t always like it either, especially when hiking in the early morning and all the animals are out. But on a hot afternoon when I’m trudging up a pass, there is nothing like a blast of the Foo Fighters to keep me moving. The latest version of the ipod shuffle is so teeny tiny and lightweight that it’s something I can throw in my hipbelt pocket (next to the chapstick, map, and snack) for when I need that extra motivation. My shuffle is even engraved with ‘HYOH’ (Hike Your Own Hike).
6. Patagonia R2 Fleece Jacket
There is nothing fancy about the R2. It is a lightweight fuzzy fleece, that’s all. It is the lightest fleece jacket I’ve found with just the right amount of insulation for backpacking in the Sierra in the summer. It’s super breathable and fitted so it’s comfortable to hike in on chilly mornings, plus it dries quickly when it gets all sweat up. If I ever lost this jacket I’d go right out and buy the same thing – no need to research other options since it does its job so perfectly.
5. MontBell UL Down Inner Jacket/Ex Light Down Jacket
If the R2 is so perfect, what’s with the other jacket in my pack? The Montbell ultralight down jackets are the perfect ‘insurance’ layer for backpacking. There is always a cold morning or two where the fleece is not enough, and for those mornings these jackets are perfect. Several years ago, when Montbell was only selling out of Japan, I got my hands on the original Down Inner Jacket. They were only made in men’s Japanese sizing at the time so the jacket doesn’t exactly fit me very well. Just this month I finally have replaced it with the brand new Ex Light Down Jacket in women’s sizing. It fits really well and saved me 1.3 ounces over the original. That insurance layer of warmth is worth the 4.7 ounces!
4. Osprey Ariel 55
A list of my favorite gear wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the pack I carry it in. The Ariel isn’t the lightest or newest pack on the market, but when I’m hitting the trail with a heavy week’s worth of food in a bear can, nothing is more comfortable than this pack. The hipbelt has molded to my body’s shape over the years that I’ve carried it and it fits like a glove. It doesn’t matter how much weight I’m carrying in it – it always feels the same. Sure, for overnighters and quick trips I prefer one of my smaller and lighter packs, but for the longer trips I know this one will do the job.
3. MontBell UL SuperStretch Down Hugger
One of the biggest struggles I’ve had as a backpacker is learning to keep warm at night. I have a slow metabolism and bad circulation, so it didn’t take me long to realize that a sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees is only good to about 35 for me. I’ve also learned other tricks, such as stuffing the dead space with extra clothes so I don’t have to warm up all that dead air. The MontBell UL SS Down Hugger bag has been a godsend in the sleeping bag department. With the stretchy design the bag automatically shuts down a lot of that dead space so I warm up much faster than I do in any other bag I’ve owned. They also seem to rate their bags to a comfort rating rather than a survival rating. Mine is rated to 15 degrees and I’ve had it comfortably into the low 20s – I wouldn’t even try that with my other 15 degree bag (which I’m not comfortable in below freezing). On top of that, it only weighs 2 lbs! Just don’t pay attention to the price (ouch…)
=2. Tarptent Single and Double Rainbow
Everyone who has hiked with me knows my love for Henry Shires Tarptents. I’ve spent two seasons in my Rainbow (single) and just this year bought the Double Rainbow to replace my old Cloudburst (for the two of us). The Rainbows are fast to pitch, incredibly spacious, and weigh in at just over 2 lbs. Not only that, but they are free standing and fully enclosed. I’ve found the Rainbow to be just about the perfect shelter for summer in the Sierra. Although I look forward to the interesting shelters that Henry Shires will come up with in the future, I doubt I’ll be replacing the Rainbows any time soon.
1. Garmin Colorado 400T
I had to list my best shiny new piece of 2008 gear as number 1. My Colorado comes with me everywhere, just like my Blackberry. I use it for navigation and track recording on the trail, geocaching around town, and routing on roadtrips. With built in 100k topographic maps of the entire United States (and many free 24k topos available for download) I have tons of information available at all times. When combined with the City Navigator to enable road routing and a database of businesses and points of interest, it’s an amazing tool. The Colorado’s unique scroll wheel design is really nice, making menus much easier to navigate through than other GPSr’s I’ve used. Unfortunately Garmin is already phasing these out in favor of the newer touch-screen Oregon.
So there it is, my list of Always-in-my-pack-in-2008 Gear. I plan to do this every year to see what carries over from the previous year, and what gets displaced by newer gear. For hardcore backpackers, gear choice is a very personal thing, and what works for me now might not work in the future, just like what works for me won’t necessarily work for someone else. What is your favorite, can’t-live-without item of gear from 2008?
Some great gear choices there! I like those Tarptents. I hadn’t heard of them before! Very nice looking gear.
Hooray for the ColoradoT! I’ve been very happy with mine since I bought it. If Garmin is phasing them out, then perhaps they can be found on sale in the next few years. It would be a great investment, getting that detailed of a topo map for such a low price is incredible.
I am going to have to check out those tarp tents. They look like they’d make a great bivy for summer alpine trips. How do they do in high wind?
eh, I love this list!
+ my arc’teryx acrux 50 (waterproof alpine pack) has been an amazing fast&light solution for the mountains this year.
+ the Mountain Hardshell + Montbell UL sweater (like yours) saved my muffin a few times above 12.5k’ this year.
+ Smartwool, you know, always needs the head nod [nod]
+ also pretty sure my leki poles have saved my outcome this season as well. I did bend one show snowing near Quandary this year, but that’s fine, gear is meant to be sacraficed to the purpose which you bring it.
+ &yes, TNF haul/expedition bags.
+ oh, finally, those/my arc’teryx alpine harness is always nice. very nice.
@KateTC, the tarptents are great! I’ve had the two Rainbows in some pretty gnarly winds, even a little bit of snow. I left the Double Rainbow pitched at a basecamp at Clear Creek in the Grand Canyon for three days while the wind howled, and did’t even have to tighten the pitch once. You just have to be really careful about pitching them in the best direction so they don’t become kites – the lightweight materials are most definitely not as strong as traditional tent materials.
@selves – oh my gosh, I didn’t even think about my poles or my TNF haul bags, two other ‘must’-haves’. My Black Diamond Elliptical Contour poles have saved my butt a few times, for sure. As for wool, I’ve gotten really hooked on Icebreaker over the past year or two. It’s the only 100% wool I can wear next to skin – so soft!
Great list! I’ll be buying at least 2 of these items this year … though all that ‘cold’ talk doesn’t much apply to me 🙂
Hi, love your blog! I wonder if you could advise: Do you think that a combination of baselayer, microfleece, Montbell Down Inner jacket, and a rain shell will suffice for my upper layering system on the JMT in early September? Any help would be much appreciated – thanks!
That’s pretty close to what I used on the JMT for my upper layers. Generally my summer sierra kit is:
base/hiking lightweight layer (usually a patagonia sport tank and a lightweight synthentic long sleeve top)
lightweight fleece (patagonia R2)
wind/rain jacket (driducks – lightweight and cheap but kind of disposable)
Montbell down inner liner jacket (generally only needed this in the cold early mornings – it’s my ‘insurance’ layer that I don’t often need but am *really* glad to have it when I do need it).
I also had a light fleece zipneck pullover ($5 at the Gap outlet, weighs 3 oz!) that I use for sleeping in, which I also could layer with the tank and fleece jacket in the cool evenings.
Awesome, that’s what I hoped to hear! Thanks again =)
So are these shoes what you wear even for multi-night outings?
I’ve decided to ditch my massive Montrail Torre boots and try something a bit lighter that might not punish my feet so bad. Any recommendations other than the Garmonts? (the men’s version of course 😉
@Randy – yep, I don’t use big old boots, prefer the light hiker/trail runner style. I can keep them on at creek crossings and they dry fast, they’re light weight, and I never get blisters (like I used to when I wore boots).
Footwear is really a personal thing; what works for me won’t necessarily work for someone else. I’ve come to my current foot setup (Garmont shoes, injinji socks, and custom orthotics) after a lot of trial and error (i.e. oddly placed blisters and lost toenails). I’ve learned about the quirks of my feet and found gear that helps. For example:
– My toes fold under each other, and I’ve always gotten blisters between them. The Injinji toe socks completely eliminate this issue.
– The ball of my foot is wide and flat, and my heel is normal shaped. The Garmont shoes are built to best fit this shape of foot, plus they have a wide vibram sole that helps keep me from over pronation.
– At one point my feet would just ache like crazy for about 48 hours after doing any hike over 10 miles. I saw a sports podiatrist who looked at my feet and my stride, then got custom orthotics made so that I am not over pronating and doing damage to my feet, knees, and hips. The pain went away as soon as I started using the insoles.
Now, I can spend 2 weeks on the trail and my feet will be just as fine on day 14 as they are on day 1. It’s nice to not have to worry about my feet like I used to.
Thanks for the tips. Comforting to know I’m not the only one to ever face foot/boot problems on the trail (thought I was just getting old and weak). Guess trial and error is my best bet for finding what works for me. Next up is Merrell Moab Ventilators + superfeet greenies. So far so good, but I’ll have to get a few long treks in before I can claim any kind of victory.