My Backpacking Gear: The Rookie List
Given the financial investment and research I've put into hiking and backpacking – not to mention that with each passing day I only grow more obsessed with it – I thought it would be interesting to list all my current gear. My expectation is that as the months and years fly by, my gear list will be subtly revised as I swap things in and out. And if I follow the typical trajectory of most backpackers, I'll probably end up going Ultralight within a couple years! 🤣
More than anything, it should be fascinating to look back on this in the future and see how things have evolved. And maybe it will end up helping new backpackers who are just starting their journey.
My First Backpacking Gear List
Jason Evangelho
So, let's start with all the gear I loaded onto my back for my first backpacking trip into the Yosemite Wilderness.
After some crucial knowledge handed down from my brother Jer, dozens of research hours logged, and 3 hours inside the Fresno REI with an incredibly patient employee, here's what I ended up using on my 4-day backpacking adventure from Yosemite's Happy Isles to Merced Lake and back.
My LighterPack
Please note: none of the below are affiliate links. They are simply provided for convenience. Prices listed are amounts I paid at time of purchase.
Text Version
Just in case the fancy embedded stuff doesn't work.
- Backpack: Gregory Baltoro 65 (Medium, Brick Red) | $329 | 78 ounces
- Tent: REI Co-op Half Dome SL 2+ (with footprint) | $260 | 63 ounces
- Sleeping Bag: NEMO Forte 20 Endless Promise | $200 | 57 ounces
- Sleeping Pad: REI Co-op AirRail Plus | $115 | 29 ounces
- Sleeping pillow: Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Pillow | $20 | 3.5 ounces
- Cook System: Jetboil Flash | $129 | 21.5 ounces (with full fuel canister)
- Jetboil Accessory: Coffee Press (obviously!) | $19 | 1.2 ounces
- Drinkware: Elemental Summit / Custom Yosemite Mug | $20 | 10 ounces
- Bear Canister: BearVault BV450-Jaunt | $84 | 32.5 ounces
- Utensil: Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Spork | $13 | 0.4 ounces
- Water Filtration: Sawyer Squeeze w/ bags | $41 | 6 ounces
- Trekking Poles: REI Co-op Traverse | $119 | 19.5 ounces
- Trail Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 Trail Runners | $155
- Camp Shoes: Crocs Baya Clog | $35 | 13.5 ounces
- Trail Socks: Darn Tough Sunset Ridge Micro Crew | $24
- Camp Socks: Injinji Trail Midweight Crew | $17 | 2.7 ounces
- Trowel: TentLab "The Deuce" #2 | $15 | 0.6 ounces
- Mosquito Net: Sea to Summit Head Net | $14 | 1.3 ounces
- First Aid: HART Outdoor Day Hike Kit | $15 | 3.5 ounces
- Battery Bank: Xtorm Supercharge 10,000mAh | $ Previously owned | 8 ounces
- e-Reader: Kindle Paperwhite | $ Previously owned | 7.4 ounces
- Headlamp: Nitecore NU25 400 UL | $37 | 1.7 ounces
- Tech Bag: Eagle Creek Pack-It e-Tools Organizer Mini | $ Gifted | 3.5 ounces w/ charging cables
Phew! Let's not total up all those dollar amounts.
Totalling up the weight, though, we end up just north of 22 pounds before food gets packed or additional clothes get thrown in. Next time I hit the trail for a few days, I'll measure what my total carried weight will be so there's a record of it.
Through the lens of minimal experience, I would only make a couple substitutions if I were assembling all this gear today, but I think I'll save that for a separate blog post.
Happy trails and thanks for reading!
~Jason
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