Check out our favorite backpacking gear for our base packs. See what our ultralight picks were, plus what we splurged on.
Shopping for backpacking gear can be overwhelming!
What's best? Should I go ultralight?
Here’s our current favorite gear, plus some gear we're going to try out soon!
Backpacking Packs (For Tall + Short People)
We tried quite a few backpacks, and have settled on our favorites.
My husband, who's six-foot-one, loves his REI Flash 65. It's a basic pack that fits him well, and it has held up to heavy use. More recently he's testing out the ZPacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L. More on that will come after we test it out!
At five-foot-two, I had a much more difficult time finding a comfortable backpacking pack. Here are my top choices in a post entirely dedicated to finding backpacking packs for petite women!
If you're flying to your destination, backpacks can work as a carry-on or personal item! Here are more tips for how to pack for backpacking when flying.
Water Backpacking Gear
Having clean water should be one of your top priorities on any backpacking trip!
We each carry an Osprey water bladder. I've used other brands in the past, and I really like the way these bladders open up wide on the top. I also like that you can buy replacement parts for these bladders instead of tossing the whole thing when something breaks.
I like the magnetic hose clip you can add to your pack to keep the mouthpiece within reach, and I always add a bite valve cover to keep the mouthpiece clean.
We also carry this Sawyer squeeze water filter, along with a Cnoc water container. We find the Cnoc water container makes collecting dirty water easier, and you can filter a larg amounts of water at once.
Our Backpacking Sleep System
We use a sleep system for two instead of carrying separate sleeping pads and bags. It's more comfortable, and ended up being lighter.
For our sleeping pad, we've been loving this Exped Duo 3R Sleeping Pad for warm backpacking trips. For colder trips, we use this Exped Duo 5R Sleeping Pad.
We've been using a Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 Quilt, but have found that we still get cold when the temperature drops below 30. Adding these Sea to Summit sleeping bag liners helped a lot, and the combination of quilt and liners worked really well!
To help prepare us for colder camping, we recently tested a quilt from Enlightened Equipment, and were thrilled with how warm it was! We plan to bring it along for any cold weather adventures.
We really like these Outdoor Vitals ultralight pillows, and used them on our recent Colorado backpacking trip. They pack down to almost nothing, and are incredibly comfortable.
More recently, we've picked up some Nemo Fillow Elite pillows, which seem almost as tiny and possibly even more comfy. We'll test them out more and let you know if these are our new favorites!
Our Favorite Backpacking Tents
In the past, we used this River Country trekking pole backpacking tent. For the price, it's still one of my top picks.
However, after using the tent in rainy weather, we discovered it let through quite a bit of condensation. Also, after a porcupine chewed my trekking pole in the middle of the night, I began to reconsider trekking pole tents that left the whole pole out in the open.
Our current favorite tent is the Durston X-Mid 2, although we also really like the TarpTent Double Rainbow. Check out our side-by-side comparison and review of these two ultralight tents and our thoughts on buying a tent.
Our Backpacking Cookware
We usually bring along some of our favorite freeze-dried meals when backpacking.
For cookware, we bring along an MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove (with fuel), plus our Toaks titanium pot, Toaks titanium cup and titanium sporks.
We also bring this hand-pump espresso machine to start our days off right. With the addition of a barista kit, we make double espressos.
Electronics We Take Backpacking
I carry an Anker battery bank. This is not a lightweight option, but it's worth it to me to be able to recharge things.
We also carry a Garmin InReach mini 2 (with an active subscription). This tiny GPS device has been so helpful, because it allows us to send our location and messages to family back home when we're in a wilderness area. Even more importantly, it includes an SOS button.
We always carry a headlamp when we're backpacking. Our most recent pick is this Nitecore NU25 ultralight headlamp.
Practical Backpacking Gear We Carry
It's helpful to be able to organize your backpacking gear! We love these REI ditty bags, as well as this Osprey ultralight zip organizer.
I can't get over how much I love carrying these Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles. They are so lightweight and the cork handle is extremely comfy.
These Black Diamond women's trekking poles are also a favorite, and I recommend them if you find that your normal trekking poles are almost too long or if you find the handle too large.
Another item we carry is this hatchet multitool. It's helpful for getting campfires started in backcountry camping areas.
I also carry this ultralight trowel, these pee cloths and these compact towelettes. Where required, we bring a WAG bag.
Backpacking Gear We Splurged On
We definitely splurged on these Helinox ultralight camping chairs.
And it was so worth it to be able to sit in a chair (instead of on the cold or wet ground) after a long day of hiking. I highly recommend.
Is there any gear you love that we left off our list? Let us know what else we should try!
Leave a Comment: