Things that just work

Paul,

I’ve tried flexible type hats but it drives me crazy when they flop around in the wind. So I’ve always gone back to more rigid baseball-style caps. Does your “boonie hat” flop around in the wind?

Snow Peak giga power stove

Darn Tough socks

Goodwill running shorts

Arc’Teryx Thorium AR down jacket

Platypus Big Zip LP bladder

Leukotape

There’s plenty of other gear that I *like* (such as my NeoAir) and would buy again, but I can’t say it hasn’t given me problems.

Nick’s Svea 123.

And Nick, for that matter.

somewhere I must have a Svea 123

maybe I threw it away

@Casey

It does not. A classic boonie is a stiffer-brimmed hat vs a floppy sun hat.

• MSR Titan Kettle & Folding Ti Spork….just works and nice wide bottom for esbit cooking
• Leki Hiking Poles….one pair…1 set of replacement tips….few hundred miles of memories
• 2008 MLD eVent Soul Side Zip Bivy in bright yellow and lime green silnylon 2.0 bottom….immaculate after all these years and just bomber
• Sunday Afternoon Hat….serves as natural birth control as it is just dorky looking, but nothing better to keep the sun off my head and face. Just replaced my 15 year old hat with another one.
• Gossamer Gear Torso Pad….one pad and 8 years of service and still works fine
• Katabatic Gear 30F & 22F quilts…pricey, but always warm and welcome at the end of a long day
• Goosefeet Down Socks…2 to 3 oz of luxury (over stuffed to 200%) that makes my feet happy
• My friend, Jeremy, who has graciously invited me on so many of his backpacking trips….I just show up with my pack and food. I barely ever look at my map…I just follow him where ever he goes and my life has been so enriched with memories that has transformed an ordinary one to something that is a little more special and memorable…..thank you my friend.

Tony

Most everything in the kit works well, or it wouldn’t be in the kit :-) But a few things stand out for exceptional utility or how long they hold up:

• REI Sahara convertible pants – handles brush, bushwhacking and mosquitos and just keep holding together, even after multiple repairs. Can take off the legs in warm, non-buggy, hornet-free conditions (rarely happens in WA state).
• Eddie Bauer Rainier long sleeve woven shirt – keeps the sun off the arms, protects against most mosquitoes, good for bushwhacking, drys fast, is well ventilated and looks great on the trail or in town.
• EE Hoodlum – keeps the head and neck warm while sleeping and works well for hiking in cold weather because it’s synthetic.
• North Face Binary wind jacket – amazing how warm it is for its weight. Too versatile to leave behind on any trip as it’s perfect for cool weather hiking and bug protection in camp. And it’s nice and slick as a sleeping outer layer in summer. Still holding up reasonably well after 3 years, despite how thin it is.
• Fizan Compact 3 trekking poles – light, non-carbon fiber (dependable), sleek and ergonomic poles that save energy and save the knees, hold up the tarp, serve as a camera bipod, keep spider webs out of your face while hiking, and can be used as splint for first aid.
• smartwater bottles – light, strong, multiple sizes, good shape and study caps – what else could you want in a water bottle?

This is an excellent thread of gear recommendations!

Zpacks (goose gear) down hood – Improves my sleep ’cause I can roll around and the face opening follows with me. MUCH better than a mummy bag setup.

Montbell “Superior ” down jacket – Warm, pack-able, not terribly expensive.

Marmot Driclime Windshirt- Now, this piece “should” not be so useful,. After all, wouldn’t a separate wind breaker and light fleece be more versatile. The answer is “yes,” but somehow this jacket just hits the spot for me so many times that I keep bringing it along.

So if we’re gonna make lists of Gear That Works I have to include my Mchale packs—and won’t bother you with a long list of crap—

The McHale Demo in blue!!  Used for 4 trips and 80 days.

The finished McHale in Red!!

As David mentioned, my Svea 123, which I have been using since 1971 along with my Kelty D-4 external frame pack. Also have to include BIC lighters and my Cammenga Tritium 3H compass.

Although I still use the old Kelty on at least a couple trips each year, my number one gear that just works are my McHale packs, especially the LBP36.

Note that all my old stuff still works fine, but most of it is a bit heavy (or very heavy):

My pioneering UL Alpine Designs frame pack (early 1970s), later my Gregory Snow Peak, now my GoLite Trek.

My Svea 123 (original), later MSR XGK (original) and Coleman Exponent (original), then Coleman PowerMax, now my FireMaple FMS-117T remote canister stove.

Ensolite and blue foam pads, later Thermarest 1.5″ 3/4 length pad, now my Thermarest Original NeoAir 3/4 length pad.

My REI Crestline double A-frame tent w/expediton fly, later my Sierra Designs Dome tent (original), now my RayWay 2P and 3P tarps and my 6P pyramid.

My REI sewn-through duck down 30 degF sleeping bag, later a Marmot GTX down bag with 2P coupler, now my RayWay 2P quilt.

My Raichle all leather heavy duty mountaineering boots (could be used with non-rigid crampons), later Eddie Bauer early lightweight mid-height fabric boots, now low-cut Merrell Chameleons.

US Army surplus wool pants (light and heavy versions, both very windproof), now Columbia zip-off pants.

LLBean wool jackets, now fleece.  Also wool balaclavas, now fleece, or wool for really cold weather.

LLBean and Sierra Designs down booties.

Dachstein mitts.

Mountainsmith fiberglass Expedition sled.

Coleman single-burner liquid fuel lantern from the 1980s, (n.b. rust in the tank clogs it up and is a pain to remove).

Solid steel Boy Scout hand axe (for car camping).

Craftsman full-tang leather handled 6″ hunting knife (for car camping, from the late 1960s).

Aluminum nesting Billie pot set (1Q, 2Q, 3Q from the early 1970’s), now various Titanium pots.