Rebuilding a kit from scratch

I just recently started over. Did a quick inventory of gear I had that was not going to be used or not adding value… did a Marie Kondo purge. Build up my hobby fund substantially from all the gear (hiking, cycling, audio) that I sold.  Then started looking for the best options (for me)  in every category starting with shoes, clothes, gear and accessories.

So yeah, helping the economy. Enjoying the process and hopefully will enjoy using them a lot this year.

Sorry you lost your stuff in a fire, that stinks.

Big3/4

1) Pack – Frameless 40-50L, likely MYOG for me.

2) Sleep system
20 degree 850 fill quilt or bag – MYOG, or a WM or FF offering; add a light Apex over quilt if planning for colder weather

Pad – BA Q-Core SLX, BA AXL, and 1/4″ EVA CCF. These 3 will satisfy all seasons in some combination

3)Shelter – Durston Xmid 2P, or MLD Duomid XL, or my MYOG version of them. I’ve thought about a freestanding, so if I went that direction, I’d do a Big Agnes Copper Spur.

Other Stuff

Water filter – I still like my Sawyer Squeeze – it is cheap, widely available if I need to replace it, and fits a LOT of bags/bottles. I’ve recently rigged it up as a gravity system at camp, and THAT is the bomb.

Cook System – so many stoves out there. I’ve used my Snow Peak Giga for years without fail. I’ve also literally used an empty cat can with zero mods with a wind screen. Both worked fine for what I do: boil water. I recently acquired a 700 Toaks (the UL wide version), and that was a game changer for me coming from a larger Snow Peak pot/pan combo – easier to pack up. The Snow Peak setup was too big for 1 person.

Clothes – making the switch to merino base-layer everything. I start stinking pretty quick, and I like to hike with family and friends, so this is a good option for me rather than packing several pairs of shirts and underwear. Been working so far.

I have a fleece (cheap costco Marmot) and a puffy (cheap Cordillera 700 FP) for warmth and don’t need to change them yet, but I’m not hiking in snow. Whatever can stuff into the top of my pack when I am not wearing it will work. Upgrade as necessary.

I have the 3K CMT poles, and they are a great bargain indeed.

Using a BD Iota for headlamp, but I’d switch to something with a red light on it in the future. I like BDs features though, and the rechargeable batteries have a good life.

I’d do a lot of things differently and have a lot less stuff if I had to rebuild/buy from scratch today.  More knowledge of what works and what doesn’t.  We renovated our garage and mudroom this fall which saw gear storage get completely reinvented.  Even with a family of four the entire bin of sleeping pads, entire bin of shelters, and 3+ bins of backpacks seems quite excessive.

Clothing would be maybe the biggest one, as I have so many redundant pieces.

Have to give this some thought.

Thanks @michael for laying out your list and what you consider essential. Definitely looking at this and other lists to guide me.

@davec I also had too much gear… telling myself that I would share with my daughter and my husband or friends and that happened too rarely to justify the purchases. So much down….

I am hoping to avoid the same mistakes this time around having a better grasp of what actually works for me.
A few members have reached out to me and offered gear to help me get going again. Thank you BPL members, once again.
We are planning a 3 day trip for the last week of March; the location is not yet set but it won’t be freezing nor very far; it should be a good trip to go without a complete kit because we won’t be tested much. My daughter and I and two dogs…we won’t get cold :)

I started my first gear spreadsheet and am keeping track of how my kit is coming along.

I am still interested in what you all would get if you had to start new, given what you know now.

Kattt,

Are you looking for guidance/ideas on individual backpacking items or backpacking item brand names?

If I had to start new, I’d buy me a pack
(That’s the best way, really, to carry stuff on your back).

The fit, of course, would be the most important thing,
Not the cuben or some other pack maker’s bling.

I’d of course want a quilt, Katabatic for me,
Though you’d do just as well with Tim’s quilts at E-E.

An S2S ether pad for a good night’s snooze fest,
Because I don’t wander out for any big sufferfest.

A shelter that works really well just for me
(I like my space and love my Double Rainbow Li).

A pack, and a shelter, and a quilt, and a pad,
That’s where I’d start lassie (‘cause you’re not a lad)

@jason whatever. I am curious what people would do differently if they had to/could start over knowing what they know now.

@doug sounds like that would get you enough places to enjoy for a while

I get the impression some people are walking around with several thousand dollars on their back (and maybe more in the gear closet). But then they can’t afford a packraft or a plane ticket.

If I did it again I’d shoot for “light enough” but a bit cheaper. I’d spend the savings on a packraft, a bike or something else. After a certain point you don’t improve the adventure by getting much lighter. That’s when you look for something else to add adventure (raft, climbing gear etc).

Case in point. Other then rain gear and a tarp I have not gotten any new hiking gear since 2016. Reason is I started spending money on new hobbies and I discovered my old gear worked just fine.

Looking back I wish I’d spent a bit less on backpacking and gotten a packraft sooner.

In Alaska I spent more money than I should have making my rifles lightweight. I probably should have stuck with one “light enough ” rifle and kept the difference for a hunting packraft or a fat bike.

Part of new gear is the experimentation. I totally get that. But don’t reinvent the wheel and discover you missed something more rewarding because you were trying to go from a 8 pound base weight to 6 pounds.

I get the impression some people are walking around with several thousand dollars on their back (and maybe more in the gear closet).

Chasing lightness with your gear will cost you a ton of money; chasing less-ness, however, will save it.  My biggest reductions in both cost and weight have come from having fewer, better layers and pieces of kit, all of which are multi-purpose and multi-situational.  So, yes, although I can easily walk around with a grand or two on me at any given time, I can do it pretty much anywhere on the planet without having to change clothes or pick up a different bag.  That’s actually quite inexpensive, when you think about it.

Okay.  I’m going to give this another shot:

All of my backpacking is into the mountains of the western US-summer and fall.  The length of my trips are usually long weekends: 3 days and 2 nights.  Although, I recently became aware of a couple of 400-500 mile loops near me and I’ve sent my heart on them.  Perhaps I can section hike them until retirement and then go whole hog.  Below is a short list of items I would try to get if I had to start all over again.

Backpack—Gossamer Gear Murmur.  I find 36-40 liters enough.  Although I recently purchased on Gear Swap a Seek Outside Gila which will be for my hopefully longer trips and being able to carry more water and food weight.

Two person tarp—I’ve decided I am a tarp person because many of my favorite memories have been my connection to the wildlife and storms which I’ve experienced while under a tarp.  I’ll like being able to see around me.  I don’t know if I would prefer a tarp made of silpoly or DCF.

20 degree quilt—For the mountains I’ve found a 20 degree quilt to be just right.  I’ve always lusted after the Nunatak made quilts.  I would go with them.

CCF Sleeping Pad—This along with a Tylenol PM has always worked.

Hiking poles—I prefer the flip locking type to twist locking.  Because of MS, my balance isn’t all that great and hiking poles have been a blessing.  I can also use them for pitching my tarp.

Remote canister stove—Because of frequent fire bans I would want a canister stove.  I find the remote canister stoves to be more stable.  I like a stove and pot being lower to the ground.  Although a bit heavy, I like the Kovea Spider.

900-1300 ml pot—Yes this may be a “bit” too big for one person.  However, it means I don’t have to be all that careful when stirring my food over the stove.  Greater volume allows a fill up of a Nalgene water bottle with hot/warm water for a cold night.  It’s broader bottom makes it easier to fry up a small cut-up trout.

Ursack—I recently started using one.  It’s certainly heavier than my bear bag hang kit but the convenience is more than nice.

Nalgene—I like the semi-rigid polyethylene bottles.  A wide mouth makes it easier to fill and easier to use my Steripen.

Steripen—For me this technology works.  I am intrigued by the Katadyn BeFree system.

Handheld flashlight—Fenix.  For some reason I’m not a fan of headlights.

Hooded windbreaker—Mine always comes in handy.  It keeps mosquitos at bay, fights off the wind when I’m up high on a ridge or the Divide.  Wards off a quick rain shower.  Takes off an early morning chill when in my quilt.

Tenkara Fly Rod—I can’t pass by a creek or beaver pond without wetting a line.

This is the only equipment about which I think I have strong opinions.  I don’t know about rain gear.  And the rest I think is mostly smaller stuff.

So starting from scratch and being prepared for let’s say nice summer Sierra weather and shoulder season where we will see sub-freezing weather with possible light snow. I’ve done both with Kat.

Most of us have multiple items that we use to customize a kit for specific conditions. But what would be a good kit with just one item to cover all trips?

If I could only have one shelter, it would be a TrailStar. But this isn’t good for everyone. What does work well is a classic pyramid. 108″ on each side, 5.5′ center pole. BD MegaLight, Oware, MLD, Seek Outside.

Packs are difficult because they are so personalized. For me it would be my McHale LBP 36, but not everyone is willing to invest that kind of money in a pack. I have used my Kelty D4 external frame pack every year since 1971. My last trip with it was in May of last year. It is fairly light and can carry fairly heavy loads. I would take a look at the Seek Outside offerings or even see what Kelty is still making.

Sleeping bag/quilt. For well over a decade my go to piece has been a Nunatak Arc Specialist. But it doesn’t work well for me in colder weather. I am cold sleeper. If I could have only one sleeping bag, it would be my WM Ultralite. Buy once, cry once. I can open it up and drape it over me in warmer weather.

Stove. I would get another Svea 123, although I hear the newer ones aren’t as good. But for most people a remote canister with a windscreen and the ability to invert the canister will handle very cold weather and windy conditions. I have a WindPro II and it works well. Another option is a MSR WhisperLite Universal (I’m not afraid of liquid stoves).

BTW the way, did you lose your Borde Bomb in the fire?

Pot. 1 liter aluminum pot should handle most needs.

I’ve been using ponchos for rain wear for over 50 years.

Fleece can be had for reasonable prices in “off brands.”

Shoes are a personal item. To be honest, well fitting shoes at Ross, TJ Max and similar stores work  well.

Long handle Sea to Summit Alpha Spoon.

You have a smart phone for map/compass. For 50 years I have been using Cammenga lensatic compasses. I will never change.

Swiss Army Knife Classic.

BIC lighter.

Darn Tough Socks.

You can knit your own wool caps (I have one of yours!) and probably gloves.

Base layers. I like Patagonia Capilene, but I hear Target sells some good stuff.

Windshirt comparable to older Patagonia Houdini.

Thermarest XTherm and Exped pillow. I’m older than you and getting soft.

Montbell Dyanmo wind pants.

Sierra Designs and other more mainstream companies sell down clothing at reasonable prices at times.

I don’t do water filters. CLO2 works fine for me.

I only take my Ursack when I anticipate a good possibility of bears and canisters are not required.

For more ideas on budget minded equipment, check out Paul’s site http://www.pmags.com

The way I see it, every backpacker needs at least 3 sleeping bags (or quilts), 3 packs, 2 pads and 2 shelters.

Even though I’m poor, I own 20, 30 and 40 degree bags, and a 50* quilt. I couldn’t live without any of them.

A day pack,  a 35 – 45 liter and a 55 liter plus backpack are all a must for the gear closet.

UL 3 season shelter and a more robust and enclosed colder weather tent are both essential.

Same with sleeping mats. A summer pad and another one with a higher R value…at least.

If I lost it all in a fire… wow.  What a great opportunity.  It sucks, but many tragedies bring opportunity too.

Well, obviously, I would rebuild the kit with the stuff that I have settled on after experimenting for my entire life.  (I have barely bought any new camping equipment in years, yet my closet is still filled with old experiments.)  A Deuce of Spades.  MSR Groundhogs.  I’d probably also go a lot more dirtbag for a lot of stuff… MYOG, very simple stuff, aluminum cookware instead of titanium, etc.  A Cat Can stove and MYOG Bushbuddy come immediately to mind.

Some of my now long-preferred items would still be expensive to replace, though.  A Western Mountaineering sleeping bag.  Some sort of well-made 2P mid used as a 1P tent.  (I’m not that MYOG!)  Or maybe either a Durston X-mid or Zpacks Altaplex?

And most expensively, I probably would want another all-UHMWPE McHale.  One Pack To Rule Them All!

Here’s a crazy – or maybe not so crazy – idea.

Kat: Post a list of specific items you would like to have, with any size requirements and brand preferences.

BPL Community: Kat is a long time, thoughtful, generous, contributing member of this community. We did some great things for Kat right after the wildfires that took so much from her. Anyone who has an extra bit of kit that matches her list PM her and see if she could use it. She asked me about buying one of my saws, and after thinking about it, I sent her one gratis.

Let’s keep it going, pay it forward. It’s one of differences between BPL and Reddit or similar.

(Kat had no idea I was thinking of suggesting this)

I’m with David on this one.  I have several pieces of stuff that I don’t use and that I would be happy to box up and drop in the mail, from backpacks to bags to a titanium spork that I really hate, even though I collect sporks.  The laws of probability dictate that others on this forum are in similar positions… about the gear, at least.  Not the spork collection; it would be against the laws of probability for someone else to collect those, too.

In my experience, collecting (but NOT using) sporks is about the only thing they’re good for.  I’ve received a bunch of titanium sporks as gifts and have sent one as a “bonus” item with everything I’ve ever sold on Gear Swap just to get rid of them.    A spork collection, really?  I thought I knew you better than that ;)

Back to Kat’s issue – I too would be happy to pass on some of my extra/redundant gear or even to buy something new for her.  We almost need some sort of “Signup Genius” so that she doesn’t get 6 of something when she only needs 1-2.  The last thing I would want to do is to burden Kat with trying to figure out what to do with six 700 ml titanium pots when she just wanted one.

A spork collection, really? I thought I knew you better than that ;)

I’ll have you know that I never know better than that about anything, thanks very much! 😉

We almost need some sort of “Signup Genius” so that she doesn’t get 6 of something when she only needs 1-2. The last thing I would want to do is to burden Kat with trying to figure out what to do with six 700 ml titanium pots when she just wanted one.

Keep the good one, unload the rest, use the cash to get life back together and nobody complains if she does so because we’re not absolutely awful human beings?  I mean, the only thing less useful than a spork is a 700ml pot, so she can get thirty of them and sell them all, as far as I’m concerned.

But yeah, seriously: how do people handle baby shower and wedding shower gifts?  I don’t get invited to those kind of events, but I’m sure there’s something that’s done to arrange gift choice…so the same method should apply to a House Fire Shower.

People use registries for shower and wedding gifts – Even REI has a gift registry.  The idea is that people sign up for what it is they’d like – including specific brands or specifications.  As they’re ordered the items are flagged to say “complete” so the next person to look at the registry doesn’t buy the same thing.

Sounds good…now how do we do that?

Thanks @david so much for the saw and the overall help. I have received a number of offers for gear and appreciate it all but I think I have a lot of what I need to get going at this point. All I can think right now of are some sleeping pads, one inflatable and one closed cell, trekking poles and a couple of carabiners .

Maybe we can create a shared spreadsheet where everyone can add what they could use? I have received a lot already but others could benefit from this generous spirit as well.

I’m happy to ship you some Cascade Mountain Tech carbon fiber trekking poles – can you please PM me your address?

I’ll take care of carabiners; PM me a list of exactly what you’re looking for.

Kat: Great idea. Very cool. I have a regular size Nemo Tensor Insulated with a nano-leak somewhere (it goes from firm at night to soft in the morning). Probably kinda big for you but available.

BPL Community: Can someone please create and post such a shared spreadsheet?

Kevin and Bonzo: You are mensches! Too bad y’all are so far away (although I guess we are all technically in the Virgo Supercluster).

Had to look that word up…and I appreciate the compliment, but no, I’m actually a pretty deplorable hominid.  I just happen to like Kat.  And yes, we all live in the Supercluster…so if I ever wind up closer to your corner of it, I’ll stand you to a beer and you can teach me more words that I don’t know. 👍

Being of the”tent persuasion” I would add a 4 season solo tent to Ryan’s list.

Mine is a Tarptent Moment DW with optional crossing pole for high winds and heavy snow. It’s small volume heats up nicely in winter with vents strategically opened downwind and closed upwind.

(My X-ing Pole is shortened 6″ to run under the fly, giving more support to it.)