In this video, I walk through my gear during a 9-day summer trek in the high mountains of the western US. This was a trip with friends and family – 3 other adults and four children ages 7-11. We moved camps every day but one, and spent 70% of our miles off-trail, with camps up to about 11,600 feet. Scroll down for gear notes and trip photos!
Gear Notes
Shelter
- Locus Gear Djedi Dome – terrific livability for one person with fully-contained gear storage and reprieve from insane mosquitoes, great design for in-tent cooking
- Katabatic Gear Chisos down quilt – a little chilly for sub-freezing temps but otherwise, this is my go-to mid-summer quilt
- Nemo Tensor reg/wide sleeping pad – my choice when comfort is king and I’m not concerned about pack weight too much
- HMG pillow – filled with some open-cell foam and other clothes for height adjustment
Commentary: I was surprised at how much I liked the simplicity of the Djedi tent. I’ve had the chance to use it for most of the summer now, and I appreciate its stability in wind, ease of setup, and confidence in knowing that I’m in a real tent while a storm is raging outside. On this trip, having a mosquito-free haven where I could actually make coffee inside the tent and not have to fiddle with a too-small vestibule was wonderful. The Chisos quilt was too cold. I think my metabolism is changing, and I’m not sure how much longer I can suffer through sub-freezing nights using a sub-1-lb quilt. The Tensor pad was a pretty nice luxury, but I still can’t justify the weight (probably) on long expeditions. We’ll see if it makes it into my kit for the September Whitetail Trek, or if I’ll go back to the XTherm for longer, harder trips…
Clothes
- 5 oz bug-proof, ultralight shirt
- 9 oz bug-proof, ultralight, stretch, durable pants
- 3 oz long underwear
- 7 oz synthetic insulated jacket
- 4.5 oz rain jacket
- 3.5 oz rain pant
Commentary: I only used the raingear for nights where my quilt was too cold (2 nights below freezing). I suppose for 8 oz, it’s not a bad deal to have real raingear in the pack. For trekking in actual rain off-trail, however, I prefer my Arc’teryx Zeta FL. My rain pants are also too bloomy for off-trail scrambling and am on the lookout for something more tailored. The Sun Stretch shirt has been a go-to for me for years, and I’m a huge fun. The Quandary pants are light, but not so durable or warm when the terrain gets hard or the weather turns south. Nights were chilly, and I would have rather had my down jacket than the synthetic puffy.
Day Hiking/Running Gear
I also brought some gear for day hiking and mountain running. This trip involved kids, and short miles, and I’m in the middle of a training cycle for another expedition, so I used the following for mountain runs and day hikes on this trek:
- UL mountain running shorts – I stored mosquito repellent, sunscreen, and snacks in the shorts pockets
- UL mountain running tank
- 4 oz windshirt, ultra-breathable
- 1 oz merino beanie
- 2 oz hip pack – I carried my hat, wind shirt, inReach Mini, BeFree bottle, whistle, phone (maps), and light in this on trips away from camp
Commentary: I wish I brought some light gloves for evening runs. After the sun went down, my hands got pretty cold up high where I was scrambling in the evenings.
Footwear
- Durable trekking socks
- Trekking/approach shoes for alpine rock Class 2-4 and scrambling
- Balm for blister and maceration prevention
Commentary: Very happy with my footwear choice on this trip. The balm helped ease the skin stress when the temps got warm during the day and my feet were closed up in leather shoes.
Packing
- Full Dyneema/DCF hybrid expedition pack
- DCF zippered pods for gear organization and void-free packing
Commentary: I’ve been experimenting more and more with the HMG pods over the last year and they have become an essential component of efficient, void-space-free packing and organization.
Cooking & Hydration
- Small but reliable stove (not BRS)
- 1.8 oz titanium cook pot
- Custom titanium lid for pot
- Carbon fiber pot grabber
- Ultralight, cheap, durable folding utensils
- 2L bottle for in-camp use
- 16 oz bottle for hydration salts
- My hydration salts – stay hydrated w/less water intake
- Fast, instant, reliable, light water filter
- Backup water treatment
- Lightweight food storage for bears
- 5 mil zip mylar food storage bags for odor-proofing
Commentary: The little Fire Maple 300t stove is tiny, reliable, and powerful. But it’s not a great stove for simmering food – its flame/heat distribution is just too tiny. I wish I had my Pocket Rocket Deluxe. The rest of my cook and water kit – no complaints at all.
Food
I brought about 18 oz of food per day (2,000+ Cal):
- 4 oz breakfast – grains, dried fruit, nuts
- 10 oz snacks – fish (salmon or tuna), nuts, rice cakes, potato chips, chocolate
- 4 oz dinner – grains, pasta, potatoes, veggies, spices
Meals were supplemented with fresh trout, which I prepared by poaching, de-boning, and then adding back to my one-pot meals.
I did experiment with fasting on this trip, and fasted up to 24 hours at a time, with no challenges, energy depletion, or ill effects. I left the trailhead with about 10 pounds of food and came out with about 2.5 pounds leftover. I lost about 3 pounds of body mass over the course of 9 days.
My favorite filling, calorie-packed, quality packaged foods from this trip:
My tenkara fishing rod: (2.5 oz)
Commentary: I’m very happy with Patagonia Provisions soups, chilis, savory grains, and fish. They are some of the best-tasting foods I’ve ever had on a backpacking trip. The packaged meals are surprisingly filling and compact (dense). Adding trout to my menu was a huge bonus, and I can’t imagine leaving my tenkara rod behind when I know I’m going to be traveling through alpine lake country. My experiments with fasting surprised me, but admittedly, I went into this trip riding the wave of two months of an every-other-day 16-20 hour fasting lifestyle, so there was some conditioning. On trips that don’t involve a lot of exertion, I could save quite a lot of food weight by eating fish, foraging, and fasting.
Electronics
- Training/gps/compass watch for recording HR, route, miles
- Watch data integrates with my training software
- RELIABLE and TINY satellite text communicator
- We also brought a sat phone on this trip but reception was terrible (Iridium 9575) and it was difficult to get calls out and maintain connections in this high-mountain environment
- Photo/video taken with an iPhone XS and Moment lenses
Commentary: inReach Mini for the win, as usual. Easy to stay in communications with this tiny device. Not so easy with the sat phone. Pleased with the iPhone XS photo and video capabilities, especially with Moment lenses.
Chair
- 15.6 oz – the most comfortable and lightest full chair
Commentary: Critical item for my back health on trips where I have to spend a bit of time in camp.
Related Content
- Comparing the two most popular chairs – REI Flexlite Air vs. Helinox Chair Zero
- Canister stove reviews, performance comparison, gear guide
- Podcast: tent-bound in a storm
- Gear guide to pillows & HMG pillow review
- Rationale for my backpacking footwear
Disclosure
Updated September 15, 2018
- How we acquired these products: Product(s) discussed in this review were either acquired by the author from a retailer or otherwise provided by the manufacturer at a discount/donation with no obligation to provide media coverage or a product review to the manufacturer(s).
- We do not accept money or in-kind compensation for guaranteed media coverage: Backpacking Light does not accept compensation or donated product in exchange for guaranteed media placement or product review coverage.
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Discussion
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Re: Patagonia provisions, have you had good luck cooking in bag, or bringing water to a boil/dumping in contents/letting sit? Or do you find you have to simmer? I had the chili and liked it, but seemed like it really needed simmering for the beans to soften up fully. Thinking about trying more, but looking for experience before shelling out.
I have never used Patagonia provisions, but I have used a few other brands. I suspect, due to the drying process, that you will ALWAYS need to do just a little simmering to get the food really rehydrated. So? That’s fine by me.
Also search on ‘dutch oven’ here at BPL.
Cheers
I have tried Patagonia’s Tsampa Soup. It is absolutely delicious and it definitely requires some simmering.
Had this meal for three of us two weeks ago on our packrafting trip to Isle Royal National Park. Did not simmer (used a cozy) with NO leftovers!!
0.9 lbs Total Weight of Meal and 486 cal/serving
Ken –
If I’m interpreting your post correctly –
0.9 lbs x 16 oz/lb =14.4 ounces for Three servings which comes to 4.8 oz per serving, and
486 calories/ 4.8 ounces = 101.25 calories per ounce
…. right?
Did you add the Goldfish and/or the cheese to the chile? Or eat them separately?
Did you add the peppermint bark to the chili (peppermint molé?) or treat it like dessert?
(I’m scrutinizing my meals, adapting whatever seems useful.)
I had the pata red beans and rice. Cant cook in the bag for lack of volume. I let mine boil for 2 min (one min was recommended) and simmer for like 15-20 before it was fully rehydrated… beans. The flavor was ahite. Â Almost ate the whole thing even after snacks. IMO not enough for two for dinner.
So I missed in the article, why are you fasting? I skimmed the article and watched the video, but you didn’t really discuss the reasons for doing this. You look plenty slim to me. Is it some new fad, like keto or something?
My son worked as a barista at Starbucks this summer. He tells me many customers come in and order “keto” coffee. They don’t have this as a product, so he suggests black coffee! Sugar free.
The tent reminds me of one i bought a long long time ago made by Todd Bibler.
Ryan, thanks for posting this trip and the gear list. It’s great to see you with your kids on a backing trip.
As for that tent…
Well, in the ’80s I had likely one of the very first wedge tents, a Jansport. I hated how it let rain and snow in as soon as I unzipped the door. To me this type of door is a “failed design”. Re-designing the door with a single or double strut bar holding a canopy over the door is the best answer. I had a 3 man Eureka dome tent that used two struts to hold a canopy over the door that very well protected it and the inside of the tent. Elegant solution.
Eric B.
I found the SOLE heat moldable insole is amazing for keeping me from getting blisters on the ball of my foot and toes. NEVER had blisters there after getting these insoles. They come in 3 thicknesses. I use the thinnest version.
I’ll get some Body Glide ointment and try it on my feet. Thanks for the tip.
Will there be a full review on the Djedi? If one puts cost aside for a moment, could this tent be used anywhere in all environments or is just a mountaineering shelter?
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