(Please note, there are no affiliate links below and I’m not sponsored in anyway with gear…just sharing what I like to use)
Here is what I bring:
- MSR Hubba Hubba Tent – Call me selfish, but I generally don’t share this tent with anyone. I use all of the space for just me. I love that I have enough room to set up my chair and read when it is raining out. Last year I spent an entire day waiting out the rain in the tent and I was able to sit up and read all day (iBooks and Olive Tree apps to the rescue). I roll my sleeping pad into a big loop and use it for a foot stool. Wow, I was warm, comfy, and it was pretty amazing.
- Katabatic Sleeping Quilt with extra down to rate it at 25 degrees. (https://katabaticgear.com/collections/quilts/products/flex-30-ultralight-quilt). Ok I am a bit late to the game with sleeping quilts. I got my first one this year. I was a worried that this wouldn’t be warm enough. Boy, I was wrong. This thing is amazing! When its cold, I button up the foot box, pull in the sides, and put on my down jacket. I sleep so much better not be confined in a mummy bag.
- Hooded Down Jacket. Technically this is clothing, but it is also a key part of my sleeping. In the past, when the temperatures drop I would have pulled my mummy bag up over my head. Now, I put on my hooded down jacket.
- 1 Pair Micro Wool Socks. Ok, this is also clothing. When it gets cold, I like to sleep with a pair of socks on. I have one very comfortable pair of socks just for sleeping and hanging out in the tent. This is also my backup pair of hiking socks if I need another pair. I really do try and only use these socks in the tent.
- Sea to Summit Inflatable Pillow. Yeah, it is worth having a pillow 😉
- Nemo Tensor Sleep Pad. I love this thing! It is super comfortable and it does an awesome job insulating me from the ground.
There is one more piece of gear that falls into this category. It is my backpacking chair. For years, I didn’t bring one because I didn’t want the extra weight. I would sit uncomfortably on rocks and logs and build my own chairs. But what I found was that having back support really helps my back and if I don’t have my chair, after 2 days my lower back hurts really bad which makes hiking harder.
But that has to be balanced, if my pack weighs over 40 pounds, my back will also start hurting from hiking. So I still need to keep my pack weight under control, but I no longer try to reduce weight at the cost of a good night’s sleep.
Backpacking isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to gear. Find the areas that make a difference for you and make the changes.