I frequently talk bikes and design. I love them both. But, I’m also a frequent visitor to the great outdoors. My brothers and I take off at least once a year (usually two or three) for a long weekend and carry everything we need into the backcountry. Living in Durango, Colorado, the secluded location options available in the immediate area are numerous. This year (as we did last year) we are leaving Memorial Day weekend (tomorrow) to go to one of our favorite spots above Emerald Lake in the Weminuche Wilderness. Last year we were hit with 2 1/2 feet of snow. This year looks like it will be beautiful. Fingers Crossed.

Over the last decade that I’ve been backpacking, my equipment has gotten progressively lighter and better. So what do I bring in my bag with me these days?

Backpacks:

I have two. For two to three day trips in nice weather, I hike in my 40 Liter Macpac Amp Race 40. I love this pack. It’s extremely light and seems to have room and pockets for everything I need. It’s also very comfortable for loads up to about 35lbs.

For longer trips or potentially wet/snowy ones, I carry a 50 or 60 Liter pack (more gear required on those trips). This year, it’s the Osprey Aether 60. I’ve been wanting to try their bags for a while and, as we’ll be in for 4 days, I thought I’d give the new pack a spin.

Tents:

Again, I have two. For nice weather Summer trips, I take my Golite Utopia 1 shelter w/ floor. Super light and great in warm, mostly dry weather.

For potentially wet/snowy trips, I carry my MSR Zoid 2. I’ve had this tent for a couple of years now and the only thing I’m not sold on is the fact that it’s not freestanding. Other than that, this tent is sweet. I’ve even taken it out in a serious snowstorm trip and it held it’s own. MSR just makes great tents, in my opinion. Lightweight, durable and they keep you dry.

Sleeping Bag and Mat:

I’ve had a down Marmot Sawtooth 20 degree bag for a while now. I love it. I just open it in Summer and sleep all bundled and zipped up in winter. Packs down pretty well and is light enough.

My sleeping mat is an Alps Mountaineering Lightweight Series mat. Kind of big when rolled and a bit heavy compared to some other models, but very comfortable. This is going to be my next upgrade I think. My buddy has the Therm-a-Rest ProLite and loves it!

Kitchen:

The kitchen is a recent upgrade. My wife bought me the GSI Dualist set this last Christmas. It looks awesome and it really makes sense how everything fits together and packs up with the Snow Peak GigaPower stove (a separate purchase) and a fuel canister in one nice little bundle that includes a pot, two cups, two bowls, two eating utensils and a wash tub and packing container. Taking it out for the first time this trip, so we’ll see. I also own the Jetboil Flash Cooking System, but I’m eager to see if the convenience and some nice additional features of the new GSI setup makes up for the slight addition in packing size.

Food:

• First Night = I take some frozen Annies burritos, wrap them in tin foil and throw them in the fire for the first night’s meal. Mmmmmmmm.
• Breakfast food = Homemade instant oatmeal packets. Instant oats mixed with brown sugar, nuts and raisins.
• Lunch food = Homemade granola/energy bars and jerky for breaks on the day hiking adventures away from camp.
• Dinner food = Enertia Trail Foods dehydrated food. I’ve tried most of the backpacking food brands and these are the best, in my opinion. Best taste and easy prep. The packaging size is smaller which is nice. They also have great deserts and breakfast meals. All in all my favorite backcountry meals for sure.

Other Misc Items: 

• SteriPen Adventurer Opti Water Purifier. Awesome. Really. Lightweight and easy to use. Also, you don’t get that water filter taste from other systems. Love this thing.
• REI Pack Rain Cover
• Suunto Watch with compass, berometer, altimerter, weather predictions. Good fun.
• Suunto Compass. Because I only trust technology and battery life so much.
• National Geographic trail map of location
• Fist Aid Kit
• iPod. Yes an iPod. I know. I know. I’m in the backcountry. But I still enjoy music for relaxing before I go to sleep. Shame on me.
• 2 Dry bags and rope. One for extra clothing and one for keeping the food separate from the rest of my stuff and putting in a tree at night and when I’m away from camp.
• Extra Clothing (amount and pieces depend on the trip)
• Gerber Multi Tool
• Therm-a-Test UltraLite Pillow Case. You can stuff some clean cloths and a jacket in it and use as a pillow. Simple, cheap and it makes sleeping much more comfortable.
• A plastic flask of Jameson Irish Whiskey
• A frisbee
• Fly fishing Rod and Reel
• Olympus Tough camera or a Canon 7d SLR with mid-range zoom lens. It depends if I feel like carrying the weight in trade for better pictures. I usually do.

Side Note:

My brother says he has successfully constructed a collapsible Beers-bee set for backpacking. I’ll report on this when I get back 🙂

After Action Report:

The collapsible Beers-bee kit was a no go, but, being the creative guys we are, we used our trekking poles to make a very serviceable Beers-bee set out there in the wild!