There are lots of backpacking gear lists out there, and one day I may post mine. In the meantime, here is some backpacking gear I have considered and decided against:
- Knife. I like pocket and hunting knives, but to be honest, I don’t need them when backpacking. A small Swiss army knife with scissors and tweezers is sufficient. I sometimes still take a larger knife if I plan to do backcountry fishing or if I plan to cook with wood instead of a camping stove
- Waterproof cell phone bag. I use a ziplock bag instead
- Rain pants: I don’t own a pair of those. Instead, I wear fast-drying pants with a polyester blend fabric
- Rain jacket: I don’t bring a rain jacket in the Sierra Nevada in summer, because even if it rains a bit, I’ll be dry within an hour. I do bring rain jackets when I expect long, persistent rain. I prefer rain jackets that aren’t breathable and have armpit slits for ventilation instead
- Backpack cover or liner: Instead, I pack my sleeping bag and spare clothes into a drybag. For the rest of my gear, I don’t care if it gets wet
- Sleeping bag: I use a quilt instead. The weight advantage of a quilt is moderate admittedly
- Tent: Tarps are lighter and more fun. I have a relatively large tarp (around 10 by 8 foot and weighing 10 ounces), which works well even when it rains a lot. I do sometimes use a single-walled tent instead, but that’s mostly if I want privacy because I expect to camp around strangers, or if there’s a risk of lots of mosquitos
- Trowel: I have never encountered a situation where I couldn’t find a stick or rock to use instead
- Water bottle: By this I mean expensive metal or nalgene bottles. Instead, I buy a disposable one-liter polyurethane bottle, which is lighter and cheaper and will last for at least a week on the trail
- Camping stove: I bring one of those most of the time, but I’ve had several occasions where I ran out of gas and was forced to cook on my campfire instead, which turned out to be easy but takes longer. Now I sometimes don’t bring a stove if fires are permitted, rain isn’t going to be a problem, and I’ll have plenty of time in the evenings
- Battery bank: For any trip under a week, I just keep my phone switched off for some of the time instead
- Coffee making equipment: Instant coffee is good enough for me
Nehaveigur 