Since we had been camping over the previous years, we had a lot of the gear already, but we did have to buy some items. Below is a list of (mostly, as I’m sure I forgot a few items) everything we had for the trip, listed in order of our favorites. Let us know if you have any favorite camping gear items or other recommendations!
This was one of our favorite pieces of gear and necessary since we were sleeping in our tent for almost 80 days. As comfortable (and Patrick claims more so) than our normal mattress. Has an interior structure and can be hand pumped up to your own preference. We purchased the duo (queen size) but couldn’t feel each other move during the night!
This tent has served us well over the last several years and continued to do so on our trip. Plenty of space inside for two people (could probably fit 3 adults comfortably). The fly, even when staked, doesn’t do a great job at shedding water away from the tent (dripline is not far enough from tent).
The tent that we used for backpacking. Not the lightest or the smallest backpacking tent but did the trick. Plus, we were able to get this on discount during REI’s annual sale event. Fits only the two of us, sleeping opposite directions. Could not fit our bags inside, which was fine for us (we tended to hang these in trees to keep away from animals, specifically rodents). The fly has a vent on one side, which helps with air circulation inside the tent.
We purchased this cooler because Yeti is just too expensive. This cooler served us very well on the trip! Ice typically lasted about 5 days and longer if we used block ice (vs. cubed). We also purchased two Engel cooler baskets to keep items in the cooler above the melted ice. The gray color did not show dirt unless it was out in the rain/mud, in which case, it washed right off.
We got great use out of our hammock when we were in campgrounds with trees. Nice to have a place to lie down and relax outside of the tent. We both could fit in this but found that lying opposite directions was the most comfortable. Patrick even carried this backcountry a few times when we knew there would be trees to hang it in – great substitute for carrying camp chairs.
We loved our backpacks – good size and very comfortable. These bags were a purchase we made prior to starting our trip (obviously essential for backpacking). The straps did pinch me a bit in the chest area, but not too bad. Hiking poles helped with this. One of Patrick’s straps tended to fold onto itself, which he had to adjust while hiking. No other complaints!
- Get rain covers for your backpacks – we purchased REI Co-op Duck’s Back Rain Cover (60L) because they were on sale.
We both have pairs of these, and we wore them all the time. Great grip for low-key hikes and perfect for lounging around the campground. We also carried these into the backcountry (a little heavy, but worth it).
I got these shoes for our trip – I was looking for a hiking shoe vs. a hiking boot (although these come in both versions). Comfortable from the first wear. Still look new after 3 months of hiking in them.
Patrick loved these shoes – he thought they were more comfortable than any hiking shoe/boot he tried on. He wore them like a hiking shoe, and 3 months of intense hiking is about all these shoes can handle. That being said, he would do the trip again in them.
Boils water very quickly (less than a minute), even in windy conditions – great for backcountry! Packs and stores all within the Jetboil container; note that the traditional open-flame burners pack much smaller. We could not use a pot or pan with this apparatus, which worked for us since we stuck to freeze dried meals (just add water and let sit). In hindsight, the flash java feature was probably not necessary as using this for coffee in the backcountry proved very difficult to clean (getting the coffee grinds out of the Jetboil was difficult, especially in bear country). We quickly switched to instant coffee.
We cooked all of our meals (except for the occasional hot dogs over the fire) on this stove. Very durable (dropped it a few times) and would recommend to others!
I love my sleeping bag – keeps me plenty warm! Patrick’s seemed to lose a lot of down feathers so he is often cold during the nights now with temperatures under 40 degrees. He’s had it for a few years, otherwise we would have returned it for a different one. Obviously sleeping bags are essential camping gear!
- REI Co-op AirRail 1.5 Self-Inflating Sleeping Pads
We use these for our backpacking trips – not as comfortable as our Exped mattress, but much more comfortable than the standard egg carton pad. We’ve had them for a few years, so ours don’t self-inflate anymore, but easy to blow up ourselves. Patrick has a size long. It appears that REI sells an updated version now.
Great for backcountry camping. Patrick even used his for front country camping (preferred it to a regular pillow). Consolidate relatively small, so easy to pack in the backpack.
We each carried one of these for all hikes (long or short). Robust, survived all 101 days without a scratch on them. Absolutely necessary for our trip!
Great for keeping drinks hot on our drives – we used every time we made coffee.
- Tarps
We had multiple tarps, which came in handy when it rained (could swap one out while the other dried). In addition, we had a smaller, lighter tarp that we used in the backcountry.
In theory, this was a great purchase. Very helpful when it was raining (we could still cook and sit outside beneath it) and in the sun (particularly the southwest where there were not many trees for shade). However, the quality of this porch isn’t great. The poles are made of aluminum and bend easily (I bent a couple just trying to put it up the first time, which Patrick was able to bend back enough to make it usable). Also does not stand up to wind (poles bent again). Fortunately, we got this during the REI annual sale, so it was under $100. Otherwise, would have been disappointed with the quality. Again, the canopy/porch was really helpful for us, just would pick a different one to purchase.
We each had one of these filters, but we only needed one for our entire trip (filter still flowing well). And we didn’t get sick, so I would say it worked well! We did heed the advice of others and always brought a cup to fill the squeeze bags (difficult to fill these by themselves).
If you want to have eggs in your cooler, this is a necessity.
Fold up when not in use (great for backcountry hiking). Patrick swears by his – I don’t think he will ever use another water bottle again.
- Camp Chairs
We had two camp chairs that we used while front country camping. Ours were nothing special but did the trick. Not all campgrounds had picnic tables, so these really come in handy. And always more comfortable for sitting around the fire!
We always made sure to have this filled in the car – we stayed at many campgrounds where there was no potable water.
Required to backcountry camp in many of the National Parks. Some parks lend them for free, but others charge a fee, and some don’t supply them at all. It was easier for us to have our own so we didn’t have to worry about returning it. Plus, we could practice packing it in advance of our trips to make sure everything fit! We could fit about 3 days worth of food for 2 people in our bearvault this size.
Collapsible, so great for storing in the car. We used this to wash clothes a few times, but probably could have gotten away without it.
Other Miscellaneous Items
- Kitchen gear
- Cutting board
- Knives
- Eating utensils
- Handheld can opener
- Chip clips
- Small containers (store leftover food)
- Ziplocs (sandwich and gallon)
- Aluminum foil
- Pans (one large and one medium sized)
- Pots (one large and one small sized) and lids
- Strainer
- Two plastic plates (purchased at Target for $1)
- Two plastic bowls (purchased at Target for $1)
- Two plastic cups
- Two collapsible cups (for backcountry)
- Koozies
- Nook or kindle (we each own one)
- Firestarters
- Fire gloves
- Headlamps
- Matches/Lighters
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray (DEET and non-DEET for when you have to put it in the bear box)
- Percolator
- Toiletries
- Skin Cleansing Wipes (for when you don’t have running water to wash your face)
- Lanterns (we had a rechargeable one)
- Car charging ports
- Propane
- Batteries
- Journals, pens/pencils
- Fishing gear
- Hiking poles
- Sunglasses
- Blankets (for those extra cold nights)
- Pillows
- First aid kits (e.g., band aids, blister patches, Advil, Claritin)
- Day backpacks (we used our zip-off daypacks from our other Osprey Fairview and Farpoint bags that we left at home – might have been better to have packs with waist straps)
Thanks for posting this. I love gear lists. If you haven’t already done this, try washing Patrick’s bag with a tech down wash. It may breath new life into it. Dirt, sweat etc make down limp. Safe travels.
Good suggestion, thanks! We will try this when we return to the US and report back.