Backpacking Gear I Should've Bought Sooner 2022

Other Gear I Use and Recommend:

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Best budget backpacking and camping tent. Best tent under $300. under $200. Under $150. good freestanding tent for 1 person. ultralight freestanding tent cheap.

[WanderingFromKansas]

Good list, Dan. As for the meal pouches.... "pro tip", cut off the top several inches after cooking is complete.

[gerardogarcia-trio]

When I don't go light (only dehydrated food then) I also love cooking outdoors, probably my favourite moment of the journey. I use a Trangia for more than 10 years I love it, you can cook really complex things with it. It's my favourite camping cooking system.

[dustincoy]

Thanks so much for turning us on to the flextail pump. For anyone that has practically passed out from trying to blow up an air pad at high elevation, this is a must have. The ability to suck all the air out also makes packing up quicker and easier. Love the light function too. Hang it in my tent and use it as a beacon to quickly find my way back after a late night pee.

Love my jet boil. After 6 years thing still fires up with just one push of the igniter. But finally gave it up for an aluminum GSI cup and windmaster burner. Cup comes with a foam cuzzie

[connecticutaggie]

I agree with the GPS communicator. The one thing I recommend is considering the best service that matches when you hike. I bought a BivyStick for my son because he does most of his backpacking in the summer and being able to suspend his service when he is not using it and not having to pay a re-start/activation fee saves him a lot of money (only $18/mo).

[Glenbard]

An umbrella. When I first started section hiking the AT I saw several people with umbrellas and I honestly had a chuckle at their expense as soon as I was out of earshot from them.... Game changer! It blocks wind. It keeps you in the shade during really hot days actually makes you cooler and less sun-damaged. I don't need to mention it; but, when it rains there isn't a rain jacket on the market that will keep you 100% dry. Water slowly seeps in through your head-hole. Being pelted with rain in the face is also not fun. Anyway, I went with the Six Moons Silver Shadow Carbon. It is not their lightest one (though it's pretty damn light) but it is their lightest one with a UAV rating (SPF: 50). Umbrella. While Hiking. Who knew?

[Notagain]

Love your videos Dan. However I never get the electric air pumps. I have an Exped Schnozzel Ultralight Pumpbag. It weighs 70g and acts as a dry bag which I would take anyway. It inflates my pad with 2-3 pumps (less than 2 mins) with dry air because you don't need to blow into it. Also adding a single use piece of equipment that needs to be charged to function just seems like a liability. Electrical items fail too, at some unknown future time, normally when you need it most.

[gregorydigiovanni]

plus one on the communicator. they work, and are essential. Not to mention that these lasttwo years or so, more and more crazy and unprepared, or worse, people have hit the trails. Encounters are not as cool as they used to be! Having comms is a must.

[LuckyTown]

Kids got me a Sat device for Christmas...starting to care 😉

[Goobachunk]

Booties are a luxury must for cold weather backpacking!

[shamm]

Pro tip tall bag use knife cut shorter.

[AlwaysReadee]

Dan, You have the best stove in the world in your possession, the Soto Windmaster, and you opted for a jet boil? You should get an Olicamp XTS which is a pot with the same technology as a jetboil and use it with your Soto. It boils faster, uses less fuel, has more cooking surface and costs less than a jetboil. You should review it and tell us what you think.

[BlindShepherd]

James...my better half...had a massive stroke last May. We have been doing short trails locally the last couple months. You brought up the Jet Boil and that’s his favorite piece of gear. It’s been with us since day...well 15 or 20 🤷‍♀️...anyway...now we are planning a summer AT section hike to add to our 250 miles of the GSMNP.
Much love from TN ❤️

[DoseofDirt]

Definitely agree on the Garmin inReach mini! Brings a lot of peace-of-mind to the family at home while I'm out playing in the mountains and forest.
Been meaning to check out pinnacle foods!

[barryslab]

I cook dehydrated meals in my jet boil mini mo. Boil water, add food, then simmer til it has the right consistency. 10 times better than dumping water into the bag. Now I eat the whole meal and really enjoy it, instead of getting over it halfway through. You gotta clean the pot but that’s better than lugging around the gross trash resulting from the boil and pour method.

[justjonoutdoors]

The most useful feature on the inReach Mini for me, is the ability for my wife to watch me/us (when I have the daughter with me) on a map as we hike in real-time. It’s not only huge peace of mind for her, but fun as well.

[stoneyhughes]

Have you ever considered pairing a stove like the Pocket Rocket or Soto Windmaster with a Heat Exchanger pot like the Olicamp XTS? I’d like to see a video comparing the efficiency of that setup vs one of the comparable jet boil models. Seems to be a much more cost effective way for those who already have a canister stove to get the benefits of the jet boil system by purchasing a $28 pot, instead of $100 plus for a jetboil.

[alexjohnson]

I got the flex-tail pump. Game changer. Thanks for the recommendation.

[theonlynikki]

We got the tiny pump for Christmas. I'd asked for it after seeing your many reviews of it. Total game changer!! And we both cannot love our JetBoil more.

[antoniom.andersen]

Good vid Dan.
On what I wish I'd bought sooner I'd say a multi fuel stove. Here in Denmark it's hard to find canisters for the burners when hiking so I eventually bought an Optimus Polaris Optifuel and now, when I'm out on longer hikes, I can get fuel everywhere no problem, even at very small grocery or convenience stores 😁.

[archlau]

Dan I have to say your videos are awesome. I've always enjoyed camping, but hadn't gone since I was a kid. Recently I got my dream motorcycle, and took a trip to Yosemite. It was amazing, and I've planned 4 more trips already. I've been loving your videos because while I am not backpacking, a lot of the space saving recommendations, and gear reviews have been really helpful. I don't like riding with any kind of backpack so all of my gear has to be inside my panniers, or strapped to the backseat, without cramping my riding posture. I had a not so great trip to Yosemite in terms of my camping though. I didn't have a good sleeping pad, or sleeping bag, I overpacked some things and totally forgot others, etc. But it can only get better from here. I've been watching your videos non stop and am stoked for my next trip in a week. Your video production quality is top notch too btw.