What gear makes you happy?

[Kattt]

Mostly my hammock, because I know it will help my back while catching up on my sleep. It's also great for just enjoying time at camp in comfort without disappearing under a tent or tarp.

[Brandon Richards]

"a mini BIC lighter"

Haha… silly thought popped into my head too. Possibly for different reasons, but nevertheless quite handy. ;)

[Daniel D]

Montane Featherlight Smock/Windshirt etc. I use this for walking a cycling, it packs into a tennis ball size, so it fits perfectly in the back pocket of a cycling jersey.

http://www.montane.co.uk/range/men/windproof/featherlite-smock

Montane Prism Jacket. I've got two down jackets but this jacket gets the most use, not overly light or packable but super versatile, especially with the hood.

http://www.montane.co.uk/range/men/insulation/prism-jacket

Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Daypack. This is a multi-purpose item, not only do I use it as a daypack but often as a front pack when carrying a bit more gear or water in platypus bottles, also as a pillow with my day clothes stuffed inside and for washing clothes.

http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/outdoor/ultra-sil-day-pack/

Tarptent Moment. One peg each end is a winner, just spent 13 night in a rocky environment, often the ground was too hard for pegs so one large rock at either end did the job, otherwise the Easton pegs got the crap beaten out of them.

http://www.tarptent.com/momentdw.html

[Paul Magnanti]

Maps are my favorite piece of gear and consistently make me happy. They show possibilities, new places to explore and new moments to experience.

http://www.pmags.com/maps-my-favorite-piece-of-gear

[Jay Wilkerson]

A IPOD and mini speakers make me very happy in camp. Jazz, Blues, Electronica and Rock & Roll

JMT 8/12!!!!

[Jonathan Chin]

1. Foot powder! At the end of a long day, washing my feet, hitting them with a little foot powder, and putting on a fresh pair of socks just makes the world feel right.

2. Tenkara rod. Enough said.

[Billy Ray]

I'm the most happy with a piece of gear when I discover I don't need it at all and can leave it out of my pack at home !!

Billy

[M G]

+1 to maps.

[Kerry Wilson]

+1 to footpowder

[Justice Baker]

The piece of gear that makes me happiest is not exactly light. I love my new Gitzo tripod with Really Right Stuff head. It weighs in at close to 3lbs but is half the weight of my previous tripod and is alot nicer, especially the head.

[Matthew H]

Which ball head and legs did you go with? I'm trying to find a much lighter weight tripod than I currently have (RRS BH-55 + Manfrotto aluminum legs).

[Serge Giachetti]

I got really into buddhism in high school and had some pretty strong (hippyish) ideas that material objects had little to do with happiness. Meditation and Buddhism is still pretty cool to me, but I have some pretty strong associations these days between certain 'things' and happiness, and I mostly embrace it. The obsessive nature of gear nerdery is when it gets to be somewhat negative.

I'm beginning to associate backcountry skiing with happiness, so clicking into my DYNAFIT BINDINGS usually brings some sort of inward smile.

Definitely, UL puffy jackets, because of the instant comfort they bring. They're one of the key things that help me feel more at home in the mountains. I'm not a comfort-monger, but the mountains have their share of cold and its nice to be able to to relax when you you're stopped, weather to slowly take in a summit view or enjoying a conversation during a snack break. Currently, its the ARC'TERYX NUCLEI. Besides being quite warm for the weight, its also very protective in a way that most light puffies aren't.

Not backpacking related, I love my MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR FUID RACE VESTPACK I prefer to go without a vest, but for long and (or) leisurely runs in the mountains, I like to have a shell, camera, food and sometimes a light puffy. It took me trying on and testing a lot of vests to find something I liked this much. The others, I just kept fiddling with straps trying to get a stable fit or messing with how I pack. Through superb fit and simple but effective features, this pack just feels like its made for that job. Besides having to loosen for ascents and tighten for descents, I pretty much don't think about this thing even with a full days kit. Also, I much prefer to use a vestpack like this for day hiking and peak bagging, since it gives you the option to run.

[Kate Magill]

"crampons. because when I need them, that means there will be fewer people."

Why no "LIKE" button, BPL?! :-)

Nothing makes me happier than a shiny new map, because it means I'm going someplace I've never been before.

[Justice Baker]

The Gitzo GT1542T with RRS BH-30 with screw clamp.

[Alexander S]

My compass – triangulating my position and strangely enough, my pot cozy.

[Elliott Wolin]

I think someone already mentioned, anything I made myself that still qualifies as light or UL.

On kayaking and other non-backpacking trips, the roar of my old Optimus 111B stove, a veritable blowtorch able to boil group-sized pots of water in no time. And my very large Walmart-type plastic tarp w/poles on a rainy day…just duck under the tarp and enjoy the rain while staying dry and comfy. Finally my packable metal table, you can cook standing up!

[Peter Boysen]

Both of my things are mentioned above. 1. Anything I made myself, usually even if it's not that great. There's a much larger sense of ownership that way. And 2. Maps. There's just something about wandering through possibilities my tracing a route along a map.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

1. Tarptent Moment DW
2. CC Sidewinder stove for ESBIT & wood
3. Thermarest Prolite reg.
4. REI Sahara convertible pants & polyester L.S. shirt
5. Olympus TG-1 camera
6. Merrill Moab Mid GTX boots & Moab low cut shoes

Ed, like your Zimmerbuilt pack I'd be much happier with a new Osprey EXOS 58 pack instead of my old REI Cruise UL 60.

Maybe when REI has their next 20% off sale…

[Anthony Meaney]

This:

And this:

This (well more-so because my wife likes it):

And the Rough Wear Pallisades Pack (so the dog carries 5lbs of gear! Yippee!)

[Brian Phillips]

1. Arc Slim Backpack-The most comfortable pack I have ever worn.
2. Sawyer mini paired with Nalgene canteen and Jetflow adapter.-Easy to fill/quick to filter.
3. Back Country Boiler. There is just something about a wood fire. An extra water receptacle is nice too.

-Brian

[Jennifer Mitol]

I like shelters. They remind me of the forts I made as a kid. I feel so cozy in there…………..

[Billy Ray]

Condoms that come back used… on a solo trip!!!

Billy

[Ian]

whiskey
tango
foxtrot

[Matthew H]

Billy, you mean used on a solo trip, where you saw no people right?

[Ian]

Hey, I guess as long as the marmot was consenting… but damn.

[Author]

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