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Backpacking Light

Pack less. Be more.

You are here: Home / Gear Reviews / Gear Guides / Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear of 2015: Our Staff Favorites!

Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear of 2015: Our Staff Favorites!

by Backpacking Light on December 30, 2015 Gear Guides

Every year, we poll our staff to make the hard decision of picking their favorite ultralight gear of the year – the best backpacking gear that makes it into their packs over and again on their wilderness adventures.

What Makes for the Best Backpacking Gear?

What a loaded question! The short answer is that

The best gear is in the eyes of the beholder.

First of all, and this should be a no-brainer for this audience: it has to be light.

Specifically, it should have a high “performance-to-weight ratio”. A 3 oz piece of equipment may seem light, but if it’s a toothbrush, forget it. On the other hand, a 100 pound piece of equipment may seem heavy, but if it’s a rocketship that can take you to a New Zealand Trailhead, then it’s all of a sudden lookin’ pretty light, right?

The longer answer, and one that we often use as a litmus test (especially for our Staff Favorites series) is that the best ultralight backpacking gear is the gear we grab over and again, trip after trip.

The normal qualifiers, of course, must be disclosed:

  • What works for us may not work for you;
  • Hike your own hike;
  • Your mileage may vary.

As we assembled this year’s best/favorite gear picks and talked to others about their best/favorite gear, here are some of the (possibly emerging) trends we’ve been noticing:

  1. There are now no less than four manufacturers of wood-stove-heated-shelter systems that are light enough for backpackers. On paper, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for an ultralight backpacker to carry four to six pounds worth of shelter and wood stove when they could carry a lightweight tent for less than two pounds. But we’ve yet to spend a night with anyone in an ultralight, fire-heated nylon shelter that has yet to exclaim: “OMG: This is awesome.”
  2. Big, interchangeable lens cameras (i.e., DSLRs) continue to fall out of favor among the ultralight backpacking community. Large sensors and quality zoom optics packed into compact camera bodies with sealed (non-interchangeable) lenses have transformed ultralight photography for us, giving us magazine-publishable image quality in lightweight, cheap packages.
  3. Some old standbys still work just fine. When somebody creates a well-engineered version of an otherwise boring product, we notice, whether it’s a titanium tent stake or line (i.e., rope, cord) that glides smoothly over branches for bear bag hanging.
  4. As technology becomes increasingly reliable, new versions of old products are released, and costs go down. That means we’re going to continue to see tech make its way into our kits. This year, it’s water treatment, satellite tracking, and a camera – and in all three cases, mature variations of tech products that have been around for awhile. So while you may not be keen on Version One of some new tech gadget, give it some type and keep the idea in your back pocket.

Summary Table: Staff Favorites of 2015

 
Doug Johnson LiteOutdoors Titanium Stove- 18″ The Epiphany Outdoor Gear V3 Pocket Bellows Lawson Outdoor Equipment UltraGlide Bear Line
Roger Caffin Canon G15 camera Vargo Titanium Wire Stakes SteriPEN Adventurer Opti & Classic3 UV systems
Kevin Sawchuk BPL 1100ml Titanium Pot + Trail Designs Mini Caldera Cone/Sidewinder SPOT Gen3 Tracker ULA Circuit Pack
Dave Chenault Seek Outside BT2 shelter Black Diamond Mont Blanc gloves Patagonia Infant Clothing
Eric Vann Buff Patagonia Houdini Windshirt Oware 10×14 Flat Tarp
Ryan Jordan  Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dyneema Summit Pack  Helinox Ground Chair  Bluewater Titan 5.5mm Dyneema Cord

Doug Johnson

Lite Outdoors Titanium Stove- 18″

Doug Johnson, LiteOutdoors Titanium Stove - 18", 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorites - Best Backpacking Gear of the Year

The Lite Outdoors Titanium Stove – 18″.

  • $250
  • 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg)
  • Buy Now

In 2015, I discovered the joy of backpacking with a wood stove. On a recent trip to the Washington coast with its (typical) cold rain, having a wood stove to keep us warm and dry was a joy!

At just under 2 1/2 pounds, the Lite Outdoors wood stove may not be the lightest wood stove on the market, but it’s well within the range of what we care about here at BPL! At $250, it strikes a balance between weight and cost; plus, it’s voluminous – 18″ deep – which gives room for large pieces of wood. It has a damper and a real door with an adjustable vent that works extremely well. I love this stove, and I can’t wait to take it on more basecamp-style backpacks this winter!

The Epiphany Outdoor Gear V3 Pocket Bellows

Doug Johnson, Epiphany Outdoor Gear V3 Pocket Bellows, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

The Epiphany Outdoor Gear V3 Pocket Bellows.

  • $15
  • 0.75 oz (21 g)
  • Buy Now

The Epiphany Outdoor Gear V3 Pocket Bellows is an effective firestarting tool (and not all are). In a nutshell, it’s an extendable metal breathing tube used for directing air into the infant flame of an early-stage fire. Its length extends from 3.5 inches to 21 inches and it directs air with careful precision (even through the tiny vent of my wood stove).

Lawson Outdoor Equipment UltraGlide Bear Line

Doug Johnson, Lawson Outdoor Equipment UltraGlide Bear Line, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Lawson Outdoor Equipment UltraGlide Bear Line.

  • $15 per 50-foot line
  • 1.65 oz (47 g)
  • Buy Now

Lawson’s UltraGlide Bear Line slides easily across the surface of branches when hanging a bear bag. Compared to my old cord, the friction is significantly reduced, making it far easier to hang heavy bags when using the PCT method. It’s available in both reflective and non-reflective versions. Check it out if you live in softwood (e.g., pine) country and/or have to hang bear bags in the rain, which further softens wood and increases the risk of cord cutting into the branches and getting stuck / damaging the tree.

Roger Caffin

Canon G15 camera

Roger Caffin, Powershot G15 Camera, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Powershot G15 Camera.

  • $450
  • 12 oz (352 g)
  • Buy Now (new model: G16)

I won’t give a technical review of the Canon G15 here: you can find lots of them (e.g., see DPReview). The G15 supports Canon’s reputation for an easy-to-use interface. It has more controls and ‘features’ than I use, but it gives me everything I loved about my old OM-2 SLR cameras, and at 352 g with battery and memory card, it is much lighter.

I will add three of my perspectives about cameras:

First, they are no use safely buried in your pack (where most dSLRs seem to live). Mine rides on the shoulder strap of my pack in a showerproof fast-access pouch (MYOG naturally). I can get it out one handed, turn it on and press the shutter while walking in seconds.

Second, unlike film cameras, taking a photo is FREE. There is no cost for film and developing. So I take lots of photos while walking.

Third, the Canon G15 has some decent glass out front, unlike so many phone cameras (which IMHO produce crappy images – and seem mainly designed to take selfies).

Editor’s Note: The G15 has been replaced by a new model, the G16, as of the time this article was published.

Vargo Titanium Wire Stakes

Roger Caffin Compares Smorgasbord Tent Stakes, Vargo Titanium Wire Stakes, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

A smorgasbord of tent stakes.

  • $3.25 ea.
  • 0.2 oz (6 g) per stake
  • Buy Now

There’s an enormous range of tent stake types, materials, shapes, and weights on the market.

The photo above shows a (rather weird) collection of mine, including the ubiquitous Chinese Tent Stake (CTS) which is mostly copied from the small silver (Salewa) one in the middle (you get bags of them free with made-in-China tents).

But it doesn’t matter, as most of these are just excess weight in comparison with the small orange Ti wire stake at the bottom right-hand corner. That one weighs a whisker over 6 g, and was the very first titanium stake ever to have a powder-coated hi-vis orange coating. The manufacturer? Backpacking Light of course! But now we’re out of the gear making business and other manufacturers are filling in the gap, like Vargo Outdoors.

In all my years of camping, I don’t think I have ever had a Ti wire pull out. Now there have been times when I have plonked a large, heavy rock on top of a stake, but rocks don’t cost pack weight! Equally, there have been times when camping in sand when I haven’t bothered getting the wires out of my pack: instead, I have just used some large dead sticks, burie d as deadmen anchors. But once again, those sticks have zero pack weight.

What I do not like about all of the fancier modern extruded aluminum stakes, apart from their weight, is that most of them (especially the Chinese ones) have sharp (“unfinished”) corners at the top. They hurt my hands when I try to push them into hard soil. Couple that with the fact that they are harder to pull out compared to Ti wires. Ti wire stakes just work.

SteriPEN Adventurer Opti & Classic3 UV systems

Roger Caffin Using SterPEN Adventurer Opti, Classic, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

SterPEN Adventurer Opti (top) and SterPEN Classic (bottom).

  • Weights (3-4+ oz) and cost ($100+) depend on model
  • Buy Now

I have used filters and gotten desperately ill from the viruses that passed through one filter (a long story I won’t bore you with here). I have used chemicals, and had to wait 4 hours for them to be effective (in cold weather), and I disliked the smell and taste anyhow. And yes, I have had Giardia.

Enter UV water treatment, as used by many municipal water treatment plants and the military, and which fully meets EPA requirements. No smell, no taste, no wait (well, 60 seconds), and lightweight. The one problem is that current implementations all use a Philips germicidal UV tube, which is a bit power hungry.

Some of the UV units on the market are a bit dangerous: they don’t protect your eyes. Some rely on embedded rechargeable batteries, which never last as long as they are meant to. But these two units are compact, light and reliable, and I use them. We have reviews of SteriPEN Opti and SteriPEN Classic.

Editor’s note: the excitement we have for this category makes us giddy. Most of the technologies that are around the corner in the UV pen category are very exciting! We have been embargoed from revealing too much info, but you should be able to glean some clues from the headlamp market…

Kevin Sawchuk

BPL 1100ml Titanium Pot + Trail Designs Mini Caldera Cone/Sidewinder

Kevin Sawchuk Camping, BPL 1100 ml Titanium Pot, Mini-Caldera Cone/Sidewinder, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

BPL 1100 ml Titanium Pot (right) and mini-caldera cone/sidewinder (left).

  • The pot is no longer available
  • $34.95 for the Mini-Caldera Cone system
  • 3 oz (85 g) for BPL 1100 ml Pot – 1 oz to 2.8 oz (28 g to 78 g) for Trail Designs Mini-Caldera cone system, depending on configuration
  • Buy Now

Perfect for efficient Esbit or alcohol cooking in a variety of weather and wind conditions, the Trail Designs Mini-Caldera Cone packs away inside the pot for protection and packing efficiency. It also provides excellent wind resistance for fuel efficiency. Although it’s not optimized for wood, wood can be used (with the titanium version) in a pinch by elevating the cone on a couple of rocks to improve airflow underneath the cone.

SPOT Gen3 Tracker

Kevin Sawchuk, SPOT Gen3 Tracker, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

SPOT Gen3 tracker.

  • $99 annual fee
  • 4.0 oz (114 g)
  • Buy Now

I’m not a fan of technology in the backcountry, but the SPOT tracker keeps my family comfortable with my excursions and adds an additional level of safety for me.

It offers two custom programmable messages as well as separate “help” and “SOS” messages. The annual fee is $99/year, and a rebate makes the device cost zero! For an additional $50/year it will automatically send messages every 10 minutes (the “Spotcast” feature). Battery life is excellent, and the weight and form factor minimizes its interference with my minimalist style.

ULA Circuit Pack

Kevin Sawchuk, ULA Circuit Pack, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

ULA circuit pack.

  • $235
  • 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)
  • Buy Now

In my opinion, the ULA Circuit offers the best balance of weight, durability, and features for long trips (including difficult off-trail travel) than any pack on the market today.

The Dyneema ripstop fabric resists abrasion and puncturing sticks. The waistbelt pockets keep snacks handy so I can keep moving. The side water bottle pockets keep water accessible on the go. Although I’d love to have a floating lid to keep more small gear handy, keeping a small stuff sack on the top, inside the main pack bag, works nearly as well.  Mine has more than 100 days of use and is still (with a few patches…) going strong!

Dave Chenault

Seek Outside BT2

Dave Chenault Camping, Seek Outside BT2 Shelter, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Seek Outside BT2 Shelter.

  • $229
  • 25 oz (709 g)
  • Buy Now

The Seek Outside BT2 is not the lightest mid, nor the most spacious, but it stands out for its simplicity, aesthetics, ease of use, quality construction, and exceptional weather resistance. I’ve used quite a few mids over the years, and for solo and two-person use, this is simply my favorite.

Black Diamond Mont Blanc gloves

Dave Chenault, Black Diamond Mont Blanc Gloves, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Black Diamond Mont Blanc gloves.

  • $19.95
  • 2 oz (57 g) a pair
  • Buy Now

I loathe gloves, but they’re often a necessary evil, and the Mont Blancs offer the most weather protection for the weight of any gloves I’ve used, with excellent dexterity to boot. Durability is merely average, but the price is reasonable, and for the last year I’ve worn nothing else unless the temps are truly frigid. Get a few pair, along with some big fleece mitts and waterproof overmitts, and you’re set for almost all circumstances.

Patagonia Infant Clothing

Dave Chenault Dresses Kids Patagonia Kids Clothes, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Patagonia Kids Clothes.

  • Various weights and costs
  • Buy Now

Backpacking became more complex and fear-inducing in a way it hadn’t been for years this summer when Meredith and I welcomed our son into the world.

He’s proven to be an excellent hiking, biking, hunting, and skiing companion, and Patagonia’s fabulous line of infant clothing makes that a lot easier. Favorites include the Capilene onesies and pants, off which drool dries quickly, and the sadly discontinued (for the moment?) Synchilla Bunting, whose dual leg zips facilitate quick diaper changes that keep the kid warm.

Editor’s Note: Did you ever imagine Dave C saying the word “onesie” in the context of a product review?

Eric Vann

Buff

Eric Vann Climbing Bonney Pass, Wearing Buff, Wind River Mountain Range, Wyoming, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Using my Buff for both sun and wind protection while climbing Bonney Pass in the Wind River Range.

  • $25
  • 2 oz (57 g)
  • Buy Now

Since getting a Buff earlier this year, it has been an indispensable piece of my ultralight kit. I use mine for sun and wind protection and as an added layer of warmth. It also works well when it’s too hot – dipping the Buff in cool water and wearing it around my neck helps keep me cool.

Patagonia Houdini Windshirt

Top Bonney Pass, Patagonia Houdini Jacket, Gannett Peak, Wyoming, Background, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Standing on top of Bonney Pass in my Houdini Jacket. The wind shirt has just enough fabric to cut the wind while still being very light.

  • $100
  • 4 oz (113 g)
  • Buy Now

Before I owned a wind shirt, I used to think, “Please, a windshirt? Why would I need that?”

I am still not convinced that a wind shirt is needed; however, I do believe that the wind shirt fulfills a unique niche in backcountry travel as a movement layer. I have found that my wind shirt is useful for days when you are moving fast during cool or cold, and windy conditions. The wind shirt cuts wind (preventing evaporative heat loss) and offers excellent breathability (especially if you allow the DWR to wash out!). It is so light (4 oz) and compacts so well that I can stuff it into virtually any pocket or compartment so I always have it handy.

Oware 10×14 Flat Tarp

Eric Vann, Oware 10x14 Flat Tarp, Meadow Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Flat tarps are my favorite group camping shelter. Here, the Oware 10×14 flat tarp set up in a meadow in the Bob Marshall Wilderness shimmers in the morning light and sleeps 5 (easily).

  • $135
  • 24 oz (680 g)
  • Buy Now

This summer, while spending several weeks in the “Bob” (Bob Marshall Wilderness), I used the Oware 10×14 tarp tents extensively. I was amazed at their adaptability and capacity. This tarp comfortably sleeps five plus gear, is very lightweight, and has 20 tie-out points that allow for a stormworthy pitch.  It would not be my first choice for winter or shoulder season camping, or if you are expecting severe enough weather to warrant a full-perimeter shelter such as a pyramid. But for most three-season camping, it’s tough to find a better group shelter at this cost and weight than the Oware 10×14 flat tarp.

Ryan Jordan

HMG Dyneema Summit Pack

Ryan Jordan, Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dyneema Summit Pack, Deer Lake, Montana, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Ryan with a loaded Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dyneema Summit Pack at Deer Lake in the Spanish Peaks Unit, Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Montana.

  • $300
  • 14.8 oz
  • Buy Now

In my quest to minimize the amount of gear I own, and maximize the versatility of the gear I use, I’ve gravitated away from gram-counting in recent years and towards gear that will last a long time and/or can be easily repaired. The Dyneema Summit Pack from Hyperlite Mountain Gear fits this bill. I’ve used this pack more than any other this year: day hiking, biking, climbing, and on short overnight trips. It fits a sleeping bag, pad, bivy sack (or tarp), parka, raingear, stove, pot, and a few hundred cubic inches of food: perfect for my own style of SUL and simple overnight backpacking.

My favorite feature is its durability. I’m hoping this pack will be an heirloom that will be able to tell the stories of adventures that span decades of seasons, instead of the “trip or two” that so many ultralight backpacks seemed resigned to these days.

Helinox Ground Chair

Ryan Jordan, Helinox Ground Chair, Sierra Nevada Sunrise, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Enjoying a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise from my Helinox Ground Chair, High Sierra, California.

  • $110
  • 22 oz
  • Buy Now

“Camp Chair” and “Ultralight” are not usually found in the same sentence. But like a wood-stove-heated-tent that weighs less than five pounds, some chairs offer a performance-to-weight ratio (e.g., comfort level) that almost has to be experienced to be believed. The Helinox Ground Chair is one of those products.

This chair has revolutionized how I manage and cope with back pain from a nagging broken back suffered in 2005, and if I know I’m going to spend any meaningful amount of time in camp, it goes with me. With the Ground Chair, my creative writing (journaling and other forms) has soared in the backcountry, as well as the process of slowing down, enjoying a cup of coffee, and snuggling under a down quilt while the sun comes up. To that end, the Ground Chair has achieved nearly spiritual status amongst its utilitarian equipment brethren in my wilderness camps and has invoked jealous wrath from my campmates. My son likes to steal it when I sneak away to take a poop back in the trees.

Bluewater Titan 5.5 mm Accessory Cord

Ryan Jordan, Bluewater Titan 5.5 Dyneema Accessory Cord, Gannett Peak, Wyoming, 2015 Backpacking Light Staff Favorite Gear

Eric Vann belaying climbers with Bluewater Titan and a Munter hitch; downclimbing the Gooseneck Couloir on Gannett Peak, the Wyoming High Point.

  • $1.30/foot
  • 18.4 g/m
  • Buy Now

Hauling ten pounds of rope and hardware for incidental glacier crossings and the occasional top-rope belay or short rappel isn’t worth it to me.

I’d rather take a different route around the offending terrain, or maybe just take the risk and go ropeless. Which usually works out OK, but I’m no probability dummy either – I know that falls do happen, and could happen to me.

To that end, thin static cordage made with a Dyneema core has completely changed how I look at mountain and canyon travel. When the risk of a fall is low, and when the impact force on the rope is minimal (low angle, top-roping, etc.), I grab either a 25m or 50m hock of Bluewater Titan 5.5mm Dyneema. It has expanded my route options, and when I bring it, increases safety for myself and my companions. At 2.2 lb per 50m, it’s as ultralight as you can get for a cord that is reasonable for glacier travel and incidental belays. I used it this summer on a glacier trek and Gannett Summit climb in the Wind Rivers and on a Class 3 variation of a Sierra High Route section in California.

More Staff Picks

Click here to view previous years’ archives.

What is Your Favorite Gear of 2015?

Share your favorite gear of 2015 in the comments below!

black diamond, bluewater, buff, canon, helinox, hyperlite mountain gear, lawson outdoor equipment, lite outdoors, new feature, Oware, Patagonia, seek outside, spot, Staff Favorites, steripen, trail designs, ULA, vargo outdoors

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  • Dec 6, 2015 at 12:19 pm #3368961
    J Dos
    BPL Member

    @damager

    Locale: Redwoods of Santa Cruz Mts

    Editor’s Note 12/30/15: This awesome thread was created on December 6, well before we published our 2015 Staff Favorites article, but we want to recognize @damager and say thanks for starting the topic!

    Greetings fellow BPL’ers!

    Another great year in the outdoors is coming to an end. So what piece of gear has most impressed you this year? The one (or two) indispensable pieces that always seem to end up accompanying you on trail, bike, mountain, ski, etc? Cheap or wildly expensive. Lowly undies to a flashy new shelter.

    I’ve been using the Icebreaker tech-t lite merino baselayer now for almost 3 years and have been blown away by their performance and durability. I own 2 shirts (recently bought a 3rd on sale) and use them every day, ranging from trail runs, dayhikes, overnights, longer trips, bike tours, and day-to-day wear. In fact they still look good enough to wear around town on their own. I wash them infrequently, air dry them, and they never seem to smell. I guess they just work with my body chemistry.

    Dec 6, 2015 at 3:08 pm #3368994
    Jeffs Eleven
    BPL Member

    @woodenwizard

    Locale: NePo

    Mine are:

    Arcteryx Solo Hoody.  Really warm.  Good with being wet.

    Soto Windmaster lighter.  Smoke a bowl anywhere!  reliable.  (as reliable as a piezo can be)

    Eberlestock Mainframe meatshelf.  I use it for carrying firewood.  I strap on whatever backpack I want to use and it does all the heavy lifting.  Here my Catalyst is sideways on top of a bundle.  It was actually not uncomfortable.

    Highwaters!!  What a nerd!!

    Dec 6, 2015 at 4:52 pm #3369018
    Christopher Yi
    Spectator

    @traumahead

    Locale: Cen Cal

    Arcteryx Squamish windshirt.  Replaced my 2012 Patagonia Houdini, lost some weight so the Houdini was a bit big.  The adjustable cuffs and non floppy hood on the Squamish are worth the extra 1.5 oz weight increase.

    Zebralight H600w Mk II and H600Fw Mk II headlamp.  Heavy at 4 oz each, but can’t beat the run time with the 18650 battery or the overkill 900+ lumens.  For trail running using the flood on my waist and spot on my head work really well.

    Runner up: Injinji toe socks.  Had a lightweight Coolmax version develop a toe hole after one hike and a midweight Nuwool develop a toe hole after one trail run.  Never developed toe holes in my regular socks.  If they didn’t have durability problems they’d be my favorite piece for sure.

    Dec 6, 2015 at 5:09 pm #3369021
    Cayenne Redmonk
    BPL Member

    @redmonk

    Locale: Greater California Ecosystem

    Vasque mindbender : nice and stiff, good for using the edge on rocks and ledges.

    Torsolite sleep pad :   I’ve used this for many years and never slept all that well on it.  It’s finally worn out beyond patchability and I’m getting a new pad for the first time in 6 or so years.

    Dec 6, 2015 at 5:21 pm #3369024
    Justin W
    Spectator

    @arcturusbearv3-0

    Well, i really kick myself when i forget my pee bottle during late fall, winter, and early spring trips, so it must be one of my more favored pieces of gear–of all time.  I’m really digging the Six Moons Designs Fusion pack that’s still fairly new.

    Kovea Spider is my first ever canister stove, and gotta say, i’m hooked. Previously, i would either use alcohol or go cookless. I still do cookless often on trips by myself (unless it’s more extremely cold), but when i go with other people i always bring the Spider.  And in combo with same, really like the ceramic non stick Evernew pot i got recently on clearance at REI.

    Dec 6, 2015 at 5:57 pm #3369026
    Lester Moore
    BPL Member

    @satori

    Locale: Olympic Peninsula, WA

    Fancy Feast can DIY alcohol stove. Used one all summer and Fall and can’t believe how light yet effective it is. There’s no going back to white gas or isobutane for me (at least for 3 season use).

    Dec 6, 2015 at 6:14 pm #3369029
    Bob Moulder
    BPL Member

    @bobmny10562

    Locale: Westchester County, NY

    Zpacks Arc Haul

    Dec 6, 2015 at 6:31 pm #3369035
    Brad Rogers
    BPL Member

    @mocs123

    Locale: Southeast Tennessee

    I did two big trips in 2015, Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico and two weeks in Brooks Range Alaska and my top gear for 2015 is:

    Seek Outside Unaweep 4800:  I bought this pack for Alaska as I didn’t have a pack that could carry my gear plus a Bearikade Expedition.  I started the trip with 40 pounds with packrafting gear and the pack carried like a dream.

     

     

    Dec 6, 2015 at 6:37 pm #3369037
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Still love my ULA Ohm version 1 all these years later. Recent Altra Lone Peak shoes. Why haven’t shoes been made like this before? For me they are awesome.

    Dec 6, 2015 at 7:40 pm #3369050
    Jenny A
    BPL Member

    @jennifera

    Locale: Front Range

    I have become very fond of my Black Diamond Distance carbon  FLZ trekking poles.  I purchased them in order to save a bit of weight and because they compact so small, thought I would only be using them occastionally.  Have found them to be very robust, plenty durable, and they have become my favorite poles.  Expect that someday I’ll nick the carbon fiber and that will be the end of them, but so far so good.

    Dec 6, 2015 at 9:00 pm #3369062
    Barry Cuthbert
    BPL Member

    @nzbazza

    Locale: New Zealand

    Gear-wise, my kit has been pretty stable for the past 4-5 years, and I don’t expect that to change unless something wears out or breaks and can’t be fixed. The only gear I have purchased in the last two years has been trail running shoes and the pick of those for me has been the Saucony Xodus, a highly grippy, stable, protective and tough shoe for the rivers, roots, rocks and muddy technical terrain I tramp on. A much underrated and under-publicised trail shoe.

    In reality though, the people I’ve gone tramping with have meant far more than any of the gear. In particular my two kids aged 13 and 9, who want to go on longer harder tramps, who read guidebooks and study maps and dream up challenging plans. And their mum and my wife who allows us to take some risks to experience those dreams.

    Dec 7, 2015 at 12:38 pm #3369171
    Bob Steele
    BPL Member

    @bobsteelephoto

    Locale: Eastern Sierra (Aspendell)

    ZPacks Arc Haul +1.  What a fantastic pack.

    Altra Lone Peak 2.5 +1.  Years of metatarsal foot pain gone in days.

    Dec 7, 2015 at 1:01 pm #3369179
    Joshua Abel
    BPL Member

    @aberrix

    Zpacks Duplex. I held out for a long time since I’m 6’4″ and wasn’t sure I’d fit comfortable, I do! it’s amazing! so much space and so light!

    Dec 7, 2015 at 3:33 pm #3369226
    Stephen M
    BPL Member

    @stephen-m

    Locale: Way up North

    McHale Sarc pack and Paramo Valez Adventure Light smock and Cascada trousers.

    Dec 7, 2015 at 4:18 pm #3369233
    Paul Magnanti
    BPL Member

    @paulmags

    Locale: Colorado Plateau

    100 weight fleece pullover. Use it in all four-seasons.  Simple, light, effective, durable and inexpensive.

     

     

    Dec 7, 2015 at 5:11 pm #3369247
    JCH
    BPL Member

    @pastyj-2-2

    1. ZPacks Arc Haul
    2. EE Enigma 10 deg Hyperdry
    3. Merrell AllOut Peak trail runners
    4. ZPacks Duplex (ok, 2+ years old but still beyond awesome)
    Dec 7, 2015 at 8:45 pm #3369300
    matthew k
    Moderator

    @matthewkphx

    I finally drank the kool-aid and tried an Esbit stove. It’s wonderful. Switching to a Toaks 550ml cookset with a Brian Green tray stove and a little wire potstand pulled about a half a pound out of my pack compared to my old alcohol stove for a price of about $50. It’s so simple and easy to use!

    Dec 7, 2015 at 10:24 pm #3369328
    Kyle Meyer
    BPL Member

    @kylemeyer

    Locale: Portland, OR

    Seek Outside Divide pack. Carries light loads like a dream, compresses well, and carries beastly loads when necessary.

    Dec 8, 2015 at 12:54 am #3369343
    D M
    BPL Member

    @farwalker

    Locale: What, ME worry?
    1. ZPacks Arc Haul
    2. Duomid
    3. Melanzana hoodie
    4. My WM Alpinelite and Antelope bags
    5. Buff
    Dec 8, 2015 at 7:28 am #3369366
    Serge Giachetti
    Spectator

    @sgiachetti

    Locale: Boulder, CO

    Katabatic Artemis–Probably the best all around pack I’ve owned so far.

    Not for backpacking, but I’ve been very happy and gotten a lot of use out of my Mountain hardwear fluid vest pack for trail running and day hiking over the last couple of years.

    Dec 8, 2015 at 1:13 pm #3369430
    todd
    BPL Member

    @funnymo

    Locale: SE USA
    1. Zpacks Arc Haul – Everything I loved about the Arc Blast in even more durable fabric!
    2. Montbell Ex Lite Anorak – Crazy light, warmer than it looks
    3. Icebreaker BodyFit 150 Relay Crew  –  thinner than my other baselayers and the thumb loops are a nice touch.
    Dec 8, 2015 at 5:07 pm #3369460
    Mordecai _
    BPL Member

    @mocai

    Katabatic Helios 55

    Pearl Izumi trail n2

    Merino, short sleeves with arm warmers in the early AM

    Dec 8, 2015 at 5:10 pm #3369461
    William Kerber
    BPL Member

    @wkerber

    Locale: South East US

    For temps 45F & below I’m liking my Railrider Bushwacker Weather pants and a SEKRI GEN III Level 2 grid fleece from eBay.

    Dec 8, 2015 at 5:31 pm #3369467
    Peter H
    BPL Member

    @stickler64

    Locale: Sacramento

    I sold almost all of my gear, this year, in order to pair down and keep my closet UL :) The things I did not and will not sell:

    EE Enigma

    Zimmerbuilt Quickstep

    As far as “new for 2015” goes, I made no great discoveries. Although, I’ll give a +1 to the Vasque Mindbenders.

    Dec 8, 2015 at 7:03 pm #3369483
    Logan Kidwell
    BPL Member

    @logan

    Locale: Florida

    I made 3 significant gear discoveries/ game changing changes this year:

    Seek Outside Unaweep.  I bought the 4800 and it is a bit heavier than what I was using prior, but still light and carries like a dream. 1 pack quiver!

    Seek Outside LBO. It is a lightweight tipi with double doors, plenty of room, and a very wind- sturdy shape… And a stove jack.

    Lite Outdoors titanium wood stove. Cold weather camping will never be the same.

    Happy Holidays,

    Logan

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