The Gear You WANT vs The Gear You NEED

a while back I did a video about the gear you want versus the gear you need and that video is fine you can go watch it if you want to but ultimately I don't think I'm happy with that video and so I want to talk about it again but this time I want to talk about it a little more broadly you see if my comment section is any indication there are two marks of a real man carrying a heavy backpack and carrying nothing but a knife which I am far from both of those extremes but it's got me thinking what is really needed when it comes to backpacking and what can you do without so I spent a little time thinking about it and I came up with this generic list bare minimum you need some form of shelter like a tent a tarp a cave something to get you out of the elements you need insulation whether it's clothes a sleeping bag quilt or most likely all the above something that will keep you warm during the coldest temperatures that you will face you need food and clean water and you need a way to carry all that stuff everything else and I mean everything thing else is either for your own Comfort or in case of an emergency which if we're being honest is all the stuff you're probably going to want but then you have to be careful because you don't want to go too far and bring too much so how do you tell the difference between what you want what you need and all the stuff that you don't well for the past three weeks I've been on a road trip with my family and we've had to fit a month's worth of camping for five people in the back of my Forerunner and to do this we had to make some choices about what was important and what could be sacrificed even now after 24 straight days on the road I'm thinking about all the things that I probably could have just left at home and save the space which is a tactic I use in backpacking to dial in my gear every time I get back from a trip okay sometimes when I get back from a trip I'll sort through my gear into two piles stuff I actually used and the stuff I didn't if I actually use an item that goes on the list for my next hike but if I didn't use an item I asked myself do I really need this or can I do without it and if I decide I can do without it it gets eliminated do that over several backpacking trips and eventually you will dial in your gear it's the difference between asking what do I need and do I need this it's a different kind of mindset when it switches from a heavy overloaded pack to the stuff that will keep you safe and comfortable and actually get used now obviously I've talked about all the stuff that I take in numerous different videos some of which I will link down in the description below but there is a sort of a checklist that I go through in my mind every time I'm packing for a trip it's the big four the tent quilt sleeping pad and backpack the kitchen which includes a stove pot fuel water filter and water bottles clothing including a puffy jacket a fleece rain gear as well as what I just regularly hike in and miscellaneous items like first aid chair repair kits Etc this includes not just the stuff that I need but stuff I want in order to comfortable while I'm out on trail and most the time no matter what tent sleep system or pack that I'm using my base weight not including food and water is around 15 pounds add in food and water for a week and you're looking at about 20 to 25 pounds all in and I can already hear the comments yeah right five thousand dollars later and I admit I do have some expensive kits but here's the thing you can get a base weight in the 15 pound range without spending big money the biggest misconception ultralight or lightweight backpacking is that it is expensive it doesn't have to be expensive there are really affordable Brands out there like six Moon designs gossamer gear and more but you aren't going to find Brands like that in places like REI but you will find them at garage grown gear and look I know blah blah blah sponsor but you really do need to check them out they aren't like other retailers they specialize in backpacking specifically ultralight and cottage industry gear they have everything that you need or want to go back attacking safe and comfortably without breaking the bank check them out of garage grown gear or through the links in the description and speaking of sponsors that brings up a point as you are asking do I need this you might think do I really need to buy new gear and the answer might be no you might do great with a four pound tent a five pound backpack a six pound Sleep System there's nothing wrong with that at all the mindset is more about do I really need that big knife or that 50 feet of cord or that extra roll of duct tape or whatever else we take with us just in case for me I've decided that I don't need a five pound pack a two pound is just fine and I don't need a four pound tent a one pound tent will do just fine but that's for me only you can decide if you're happy with what you have or if you'll be more comfortable with something lighter no matter what the important thing is getting out on the trail until then I hope you enjoyed this video I decided that I wanted to put something out that wasn't just recommending gear and talk a little bit about the backpacking mindset if you enjoyed this then please like subscribe and do all those other things and as always thanks for watching

Channel: MyLifeOutdoors

Views: 130,157

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Id: PKLxv0trWZQ

Length: 5min 8sec (308 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 31 2023