Ditch This Common Hiking Gear!

In this video, Eric is walking you through some of the most commonly purchased hiking gear, that you may not necessarily need on your next backpacking trip.

Gear tested and recommended:

Overnight Backpacks:

Tents and Camping Gear:

Clothing:

Camp Kitchen:

Trail Gear:

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[josephspruill]

Don’t buy food everyone hangs their food for free every night

[WasatchWill]

I like footprints/groundsheets not just to protect/prolong my tent floor but to keep the bottom of my tent clean. I don't like packing a tent with a muddy bottom which has happened in some of the environments I've had to settle for a camp. I can roll or fold the dirty side of a footprint in on itself to keep the mud or dirt contained and strap to outside of my pack while being able to pack my tent inside of my pack without the extra dirt.

[christ]

Bro, you just convinced me to buy a footprint

[collinlevasseur]

No battery bank is a terrible decision in my opinion, considering you are using your phone for navigation. All it takes is inadvertently hitting a button on your phone like the flashlight and it runs itself out of juice. At least carry a 5000 for Murphy’s law

[michaeldriggers]

I'm keeping my multi tool. I keep my Gerber multi tool in my pocket everyday, whether I am working, running errands, traveling, fishing, camping, hiking, etcetera. I don't notice it or the weight because it is literally part of my everday apparel.

[vilebeggar]

I used my rain fly in scotland with constant downpour and it kept my backpack completely dry. Bonus: you can lay your backpack onto your rainfly inside the tent vestibule to keep it dry in case a puddle forms. So I would say it is an essential item. The outside fabric might look soaked, but the membrane will not let any moisture through.

[DumpTrumpTREON]

I now use a very thin, cheap shower curtain liner as a footprint. Alaska is all roots, talus and scree, and the ground is ALWAYS wet when it is not frozen as it rains or snows more often than it does not.

[xMrBlack]

Funny thing with a lot of gear is, you never really need it until you do. You stop carrying something and suddenly it would be really useful. For an extra bit of weight, I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Light weight alternatives absolutely, but I'd still rather have the gear and not need it. The big 2 are the multi tool and the charger. People forget things, if they forget to power save or put it in airplane mode and it dies and they need help, suddenly they dont have that lifeline to reach out for help. The multi tool has plenty of stuff you'll likely never use out in the sticks but the example of using a knife blade as a screwdriver is how blade tips break and people get cut. Its not the intended purpose of a knife. A regular knife can get a lot done, but if that one knife fails for ant reason, you've lost your ability to complete all the tasks you were using it for. That little extra weight isnt enough of a difference to justify leaving things behind. Stuff like the rain fly for the pack, if it doesnt actually work, then yeah, theres really no point it bringing it if it cant complete the task it was designed for. If you can get a lighter version of something that still functions properly, do that, but dont leave useful items behind.

[Montana-Native]

I always carry a light weight rescue space blanket rather than a footprint because it basically does the same thing and I've used them dozens of times when I've found others in need of warmth or rain protection. I've even used them to sling broken bones. It also works as a rain cover for my pack and is actually water proof not just resistant. I have never used solar or charging pack because the only electronics that go with me are my Garmin Montana 700i (which is turned off unless I need it for an emergency) and my Garmin watch. NO CELL PHONE! I carry a compass and a paper topo map

[kevinj.]

One good reason to have a footprint is for a fly first pitch setup. Makes setting up in a downpour less stressful when you know your inner tent will be dry and cozy!

[everythingnerd]

I agree that you don’t need a lot of extra clothes. You should bring one extra set of clothes though. I think this is a safety item. Having a pair to get wet during the day and a pair to keep dry for the night is the best approach I have found in my experience

[justindukwitz]

Some of this advice is slightly dangerous. Please bring a battery bank with you for anything over two days, especially if you’re hiking solo.

Your phone may not last as long as he claims, even in airplane mode, depending on the size/age of your phone battery, and offline maps can really drain the battery if, say, the trail isn’t as clear as you thought it would be.

A satellite device can lose battery quickly if you’re using it to communicate about a potentially critical situation, and a power bank can help with that as well.

Don’t pack your fears, but don’t be an idiot just to save weight.

Survival/safety > 8 oz.

[neemancallender]

I guess backpacking in British weather is different
A footprint protects from sitting water of sodden ground
A pack cover protects the backpack from getting soaked and I don’t have to bring a wet bag into my dry tent
I still use a dedicated 80 lt liner
A single solar panel weights less than 200g and recharges a 5000mah power pack easily and I never need to worry about running dry
My iPhone 13 gives me 1 1/2 days with the phone on airplane mode
I can go for 5 days with no concern

[BushidoDevilDog]

While I agree that the weight is not ideal, and I am open to smaller/lighter alternatives (others in the comments mentioned the Leatherman Squirt…which seems to be out of production 😡), having my Leatherman literally saved my skin when my hands became almost useless after spending minutes trying to undo my frozen boot laces after a winter hike on Mount Nantai here in Japan. My fingers had lost all strength and feeling due to the cold, and getting my boots off was the last thing I needed to do so I could get inside the tent and get warmed up. With all of the dexterity in my fingers gone due to the cold, I remembered that I had a Leatherman, so I used the pliers to untie my frozen boot laces since my finger tips couldn’t.
Having a Leatherman allowed me to get out of my snow and ice covered boots and leave them in the vestibule, and kept me from getting frostbite from having to dick around with my frozen laces in the freezing cold.

Until I acquire a lighter alternative, my Leatherman Wave is part of my essential gear.

[sheilasunshine]

I just bought a Nalgene bottle because I like it and bonus: it drives the other hikers crazy 😂

[woodsman]

My perspective on battery banks - I hike the Pinhoti Trail here in Alabama. In many places this trail isn't blazed very well or not at all. So I use the Far Out app to make sure I'm still on the trail. Using Far Out drains my pnone battery pretty quickly. So I've got to carry a good battery bank to keep my phone operating. I just got back from a 93 mile hike on the Pinhoti and used 2 battery banks.

[lesliew]

Recommendation for NO footprint/ground cloth - obviously Eric is not regularly tenting in the desert or other harsh conditions, where the ground and plants destroys tent bottoms and gear. 2-4 oz, small price to take care of gear.

[Suojeluninja]

A multitool kit is really practical if you are fishing while hiking though. Not only is it for preparing the fish but its easier to remove hooks and one can fix certain fishing lures that may get damaged.

[schreckpmc]

I never used a footprint. Useless waste of space in my pack. Never needed a battery bank. Never needed a pack rain cover. Never needed solar panels. Never needed a multitool. I bring one change of clothes. This guy is on point.

[OldMountaineer]

A Nalgene is great in the winter. You can put hot water in it and use it for additional heat in your sleeping bag or in your parka. Also, having some small pliers (LEATHERMAN Squirt, Gerber dime) is great for repairs. Trying to put stitches through several layers of webbing in order to repair a shoulder strap or a hip belt is a lot easier using pliers to pull the needle through.