Who ever thought of going back to our roots and carrying the essentials to live on your back for miles at a time through nature was a genius! Backpacking is grueling, mundane, painful, beautiful, tranquil, calming, allows you to be present and is rewarding. I'll never forget my first backpacking trip was just an overnight trip. It was approximately 23-miles round trip. When we finished and got back to the car, the feeling of accomplishment is an understatement but I can say that I was addicted to backpacking.
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| Not my first trip but one of my adventures with a fully loaded pack! |
I'll save my backpacking trips for other blog posts. What I want to focus on today is what are the essentials in my rucksack?
Yes - that is a lot. But it's really not. Everything that is involved with backpacking is made to be compact, lightweight, and has purpose. I learned about what to bring backpacking by signing up for REI's classes that they host in stores and lots and lots of reading and lots and lots of learning from doing. Side track note - if you aren't an REI member, become an REI member. It'll pay off when you're buying all of your backpacking equipment.
To add to my credentials, to date, I have backpacked approximately 175-miles over the duration of six adventures. So not an expert but definitely have gone enough to know what to not forget.
My essentials for backpacking are:
- Gregory Backpack Deva 60 (ideal for 3-4 day trips)
- Big Agnes Single Person Tent
- Paracord
- Kawatha Hammock
- First Aid Kit
- Toilet paper and tent repair
- Summit to Seat cup and Spoon/Fork
- GSI Coffee Rocket and Mug
- AeroPress Coffee
- Grocery Bags
- Lighter
- GPS
- Water filtration - I have a couple versions but pictured is the Sawyer Squeeze System
- Hydroflask
- Meal favorites
- Backpacks Pantry Pad Thai HANDSDOWN THE BEST freeze dried food
- Oatmeal
- Dehydrated Fruit
- Handwarmers
- Bathing Wipes
- Bug Spray
- Toothbrush/Toothpast or Colgate Wisps
- Hand Sanitizer
- Propane
- Jet Boil
- Sharpie
- Bear Spray
- Carabiner with hair ties
- Old Navy Flip Flops
- Sierra Design Mummy Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
- Seat to Summit Waterproof Stuff Sacks
- Waterproof Phone Holder
- Hydro System
Here is a shout out to my favorite pieces and link a few of them because they are beyond perfection
- Gregory Deva 60L Pack - this is the newest version of the pack. The one photoed is one I purchased 3+ years ago. PLEASE get fitted before purchasing. You want to make sure the pack sits right on your hips, shoulders, and lumbar. Gregory works for me and my back but it might not work for your body type. Ospry is another good alternative
- Kawaartha hammock - this is TOTALLY worth the weight and space. After a long day of backpacking, it is needed to be suspended in the trees. Bonus points because you'll use this for every camping trip you go on, backpacking or not.
- Backpackers Pantry Pad Thai Flavor - bring a packed of sriracha hot sauce and you'll have a perfect meal. This is the best flavor of freeze dried food I have ever tried. I bring one or two of this flavor on my escapades.
- Big Agnes Windy Point 1 Tent - I could not find a link to this tent but I love it! It is a little on the bulky side when it comes to getting it to fit inside the pack. However, for a single person tent, I was also able to have a little extra room to fit my pack and shoes inside the tent to protect them from the elements. Remember bear safety when you bring your pack in your tent. No food inside your tent. Suspend it in a tree far away from where you'll be sleeping!
- Aeropress Coffee - I did put two coffee systems on here. If you're just doing an over night trip, AeroPress is great - think french press style coffee without the giant carafe. However, it is bulky, it's an odd shape and it'll take up room. Bonus points - I use my AeroPress at home to make coffee. Makes one of the best cups of coffee when mixed with freshly ground beans.
- A Carabiner with extra hair ties and my Old Navy $2.50 flip flops - yes, this is essential. Hair ties break all the time. And using the carabiner to clip flip flops on the outside of the pack saves room on the inside. Also, if the flip flops bust, no big deal, they're inexpensive. There is no emotion either when they get dirty since they're just plain ol' flip flops.
- Jetboil - If you don't have a Jetboil, you need a Jetboil. Everything for it packs in on the inside, even their propane tanks can fit. There are measuring notches on the inside of it so you know how much water you're pouring in when you're making you Pad Thai
- GSI Coffee Rocket and GSI Mug - this is the perfect alternative for the Aero Press. It's a single serve drip coffee system that is super compact. The handle on the outside also makes it handy to clip on the outside of the pack to save room on the inside. The lid on it is super secure so don't worry about it opening up. The downfall is that the items are sold separately.
- Therm-a-rest Z Lite Sol Sleeping Pad and Therm-a-Rest ProLite Sleeping Pad - I'm including both sleeping pads that I own. I don't always take two sleeping pads with me when I go backpacking but when I do, I sleep better, have extra padding, and extra warmth from the Sol Sleeping Pad. The ProLite is more compact and fits better in the pack. But by themselves, know that you will feel some pain if you're a side sleeper like I am.
Comment below on what your backpacking essentials are. What can you NOT live without when you're backpacking?
Happy hiking!
-A
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