What ONE piece of gear makes you smile and why

My DIY hammock. It means that I'm going to get a comfortable night's sleep, regardless of what the precipitation or ground cover is like.

My Solomon Fastpacker boots. My old boots (Solomon full grain leather) weigh in at 51.0 oz and still get occasional use for sharp Pennsylvania rocks but weigh a ton. I bought 3 pair of Fastpacker boots on closeout @ 35% off that weigh 32.0 oz. Very comfortable the second I put them on, and 3 years later, not a single complaint. Holding up much better than expected. Love them.

Hmmm…basically all of my gear makes me smile.

To narrow it down:

My locus gear trekking poles with the GG grips. They are a thing of beauty and just feel so darned good in my hands when I'm walking.

My caldera cone with the starlyte stove. I am so attracted to the simplicity of it.

My EE enigma quilt, GooseFeet pillow case and booties. It's just so darned comfy and snuggly!!!

OR Ferrosi Hoody.
Short of rain, it always seems like the perfect thing for the conditions any time temps will allow it, and often comes along even in the summer for wear at night after it cools off.
It's being worn in every pic of me(outdoors!) from fall through spring for the last 3+ years, and one of my friends who noticed that asked me if I ever wore anything different.
"No."

I've done alot of research on gear the past winter and I have a big grin thinking about all the cool gear I got few weeks ago :)

Few of the things that standout the most are Westcomb's Shift LT jacket in bright yellow! Also I love my new Inov-8 Trailroc 150's and Under Armour thights I got, makes me feel more free while walking :)

Interesting thread, let's keep it going!

I really smile, or smirk once my foot hits the trail. I do get proud and smile when I complete one of my MYOG packs, down bags or quilts, many hours put into those. My custom Camo cuben Zpacks solo plus puts a grin on my face, so does the WM Terralite…. I just love it all!

Definitely my MYOG polycryo tarp. Everyone I meet on the trail or go hiking with either:
1. Ask me where I bought it
2. Think I'm an idiot for 'sleeping under a plastic bag'

Both make me smile. The latter usually are the people carrying 5 pound 2 man tents, and it makes me smile when I'm hiking twice as fast as them and having twice as much fun. One time a guy I camped near that fell into the 2nd category had a Kelty tent that leaked like crazy in the heavy rain because he didn't seam seal it. I was completely dry, my tarp doesn't have any seams ;)

But it's my trail notebook, where I keep track of where/when/how far I've hiked. Lots of memories scribbled down there for later. I guess my iPhoto collection goes along with that too.

Maps make me smile.

I pore over a map and I see passes to climb to, vistas to see, streams to ford and woods containing trails full of fallen leaves.

Maps fuel my outdoor dreams. Places to see, experience and savor.

I look at a map and I see the trail I'll be walking down. Those topo lines guide to me an obscure off-trail alpine lake or perhaps a route that connects two different wilderness boundaries.

To quote a favorite book of mine:

"I am an agnostic on most matters of faith, but on the subjects of maps I have always been a true believer. It is on the map, therefore it is, and I am."

Maps make me smile because they lead to possibilities and those possibilities become reality.

hurts to smile with dry lips and has a lot of multi-use tool, chapstick keeps me smiling on the trail. :)

I love my Altra Olympus shoes. Zero drop yet I feel like I'm walking on air.

My Fallkniven S1 knife. Just knowing that it is the antithesis of UL backpacking makes me smile.

Nice one Dave :-)

my trailstar, has kept me dry in very bad weather.
my neoair, my back say thanks,
my bpl cocoon hoodie, i look like a clown after adding some length to the arms, but it feel warm as soon as i put it on.

My Maine Coon Cairo

Oh wait, no, wrong forum.

My multi-use trekking pole stand/camp intruder alert (squirrels only model)/beer porter/space heater/humidifier/navigation sounding board/freezer bag cleaner/stream crossing scout, Buddy.

No one would ever call Maine Coons ultralight! Ultra plush, ultra lovable, but not ultralight!

Really like my Gossamer Gear The One tent. Bought it well-used so I don't even mind if I get a scratch on it.
Kelly

makes me smile because my wife is right next to me on the trail :)

Some ten years ago, I bought one of my first pieces of "hiking" clothing. A white EMS hoodie made of "techwick"–like knock-off Capilene. It was cute, great for summer sun, and I wore it a lot. I wore it on dayhikes, I wore it on overnights, I took it on the Long Trail, I took it on the Camino de Santiago. I took it to college, it's moved all across the country with me, it still hangs in my closet. And it STINKS. I can't wear it anymore, not even on hikes, not even to garden in, not even to take the trash out. The smell is baked-in and funky no matter how many times it goes through the wash, and makes me smile every time I take that hoodie out of the closet and try to wear it. It reminds me of great great trips and the hard work that goes into every adventure. It may be retired gear now, but it always makes me smile. That's why it hasn't gone in the trash yet.

The REI dog pack brings a lot of smiles to me because I don't have to carry dog food, water, bowl and leash, but it is a real conversation starter on the trail. Although the dog (Cyrus) was resistant to carrying it at first because it felt a little odd, he now gets excited and happy because he knows we're going out to have some fun!