Backpacking Gear List

Backpacking Gear List:

 

 Shelter:

REI Joule Sleeping Bag (A)
REI Igneo Sleeping Bag (R)
REI Flash Sleeping pad
GoLite Imogene UL3 Tent

 

BackPacks

Osprey Exos 48
GoLite Jam 50L

 

Camp Kitchen:

Sawyer water filter
MSR PocketRocket
Fuel
Titanium Spork
GSI UltraLight dualist Pot
2 bowls
2 cups
Coffee filter
Water bladder
Lighter

Memorable Clothes:

GoLite Down Mittens
GoLite Down Jacket (Ryan)
GoLite Poncho
GoLite convertible pants

 

Safety/Other:

Headlamp
First Aid pack
Survival pack
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Small towel
Gerber Knife
USB charging

Cody:

Mountainsmith Pack size small
UltraPaws Size 2.25

Cody's Mountainsmith backpack carries her food, food dish and boots

Mini-Review:

Out of all of our gear, I have a few stand-out favorites. First of all, our tent. We originally bought a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2, because it was the lightest 2 person tent on the market. There were plenty of reviews saying that it was too small for 2 people, but I figured  since Ryan and I are small people,  we would be fine. After setting it up in the house and trying to fit the two of us, our sleeping bags and Cody inside, it was clear that we would never actually be comfortable in the tent. I really didn't want to return the tent because it only weighed 2 pounds, and all 3 person tents weighed at least a pound more. After returning the Big Agnes to REI, I headed over to the GoLite store and purchased the Imogene UL3. Despite the weight, I don't regret the decision for a second- this tent is awesome!!!

Prettiest tent in Colorado!

In case you can't tell, this is a picture of the 3 of us spread out in the tent during a rain storm. Cody was not happy with the thunder- but we were very comfortable being stuck inside in pouring rain from 4pm-daylight!

Lots of room- and it only weighs 3lbs 6 ounces! And it kept us dry from the rain...and snow.

First of all, the 3 of us have plenty of room with all of our gear inside the tent. We can almost stand up in it, but not quite- so it makes changing in the morning a lot easier. From what I could tell, it may be the lightest 3 person tent on the market, weighing in at 3lbs, 6 ounces. The Imogene 3 was easy to set up- I timed myself at 11 minutes for my first attempt, without having read the directions.  The poles all stay interconnected and snap together very quickly. I typically hate setting up tents but this is  a breeze. If it ever stops being frigid cold in Colorado you have the option of not using the fly, or of using just the fly + foot print to reduce weight. It is so light that it was fine to carry on a solo trip!

The second piece of gear that I love is our Sawyer Water filter. It was only $25 and weighs 2 ounces, making it the lightest, cheapest, most useful piece of gear we bought. It easily attaches to the supplied water bottle, or a plastic water bottle you can get from the store. After filling a bottle with stream water, you just squeeze the water through the filter in order to get clean, filter water, down to 0.1 microns. Another option for this filter is to cut a splice in a camelback line and put the filter directly into the line- filtering water as you sip. I haven't tried this yet, but I love the option.

Ryan filters water into his bladder using the Sawyer Mini filter

The final piece of gear that is worth calling out are our packs. I originally had an REI pack from a few years back that fit me well, but weighed 4lbs. It was extremely comfortable and on any 4+ day hikes, I will use this pack. However, even when spliting gear with Ryan, my pack weighed 18.5 lbs without water. In an attempt to cut weight, I found an Osprey Exos 48L on sale. I was worried that all the gear for a solo hike wouldn't fit, but it magically fits, and weighs in at 16.5 pounds (solo, with food but no water) which basically felt like I was carrying nothing. On the trail the pack performed perfectly. I will admit that the REI pack was easier to adjust to just the right position, but once I had the Exos where I wanted it, it felt weightless. It was even easy to run with!

All my gear fits into the Osprey Exos 48L!

Ryan went with the frameless GoLite Jam 50L. This pack wins in the overall gear value + weight category- it is only 1 lb, 14 ounces for the amazing price of $110. And it was very comfortable on the trail for him. Just like any pack, it required a bit of adjusting and getting used to, but once it was packed correctly it was great. It is frameless though, so it does require ultralight gear. Ryan says that if your pack weight is around 15-16lbs, then this is perfect, but anymore it may not be as comfortable.

GoLite Jam 50L...crossing a creek

Ryan's pack is very full

Re-packing

The other gear we bought all works extremely well. I went with the REI Joule sleeping bag because there was no other bag that light at that cost, that also packed down relatively small.  I originally thought I'd buy the Thermarest Rest Neo Air X-lite, but when I tried it at the store, the crinkly noise it made was pretty unbearable. For a lower price and only a few ounces more, we got the REI Flash pad, which has been a very comfortable bed for Ryan, me AND Cody (she won't sleep on the ground!)

For cooking I have really loved using the Pocket Rocket. There are a few lighterweight options for cooking that are DIY, but for $35 (+cost of fuel), the ease and lightweight of the Pocket Rocket is unbeatable. We will be using this instead of our Coleman stove for most regular camping outings now too! The GSI cookset works well- the bowls nest and fit in the pot, with the Pocket Rocket, lighter and 1 can of fuel, so it packs well.

Cooking mac + cheese with Tuna using the MSR pocket rocket and GSI ultralight dualist pot set

I am happy with every thing I bought- but I also did a lot of research to figure out what to get. My priorities were (in order)- weight, cost, quality, and ease of use.  As of right now there isn't anything I'd change!