Backpacking gear I wish I would’ve bought sooner

I bought a real pillow for camping because of you, completely changed my relationship with sleeping outdoors

I'm 30 and to be honest, I only recently started to use trekking poles and I love them, they make hikes more accessible and comfortable to me when hiking with fitter people or on harder routes. I have chronic pain and these save me from a lot of additional pain in that aspect too.

I have to say, I do really like your videos. They are lighthearted, honest, very helpful and they don't push the typical "you have to have this high-end high dollar gear" that so many other youtubers push. You give examples of gear and your opinion through your experience and let the viewer decide for themselves on what they want or need. Over the summer I had 2 different people ask me about winter camping. I said I would be glad to help them out and take them. I also told them to watch your videos and Lukes's gear reviews so they can get a better idea of what it's like and what they will need.

My husband and I feel like kings when we hike to the top of something and whip out our chairs to chill and have a snack or meal. They're super handy when packing up to keep things on and keep them clean.

Cheers thanks for sharing. Some good tips here, a number I've already done myself. I've been using trekking poles for years and would never leave home without them.

Straight to the point, great advice and a thumbnail that I could finally click on without cringing thinking about mr beast and other mainstream youtubers, good job Dan

Thank you! Lots of good gear for just a regular camp out. I appreciate all your ideas!

Dan, my man!! Watched and learned from your videos from Dec '22 - Jun '23, where my 2 sons and I braved the Appalachian Trail NOBO from Springer Mountain. I can't tell you how ACCURATE this video is!! Decent tent - a MUST. Chairs for all 3 of us - dude, I fell asleep in my chair after a 10 mile uphill hike in North Georgia. Just passed out. MUST HAVE. Sat comms - absolutely, WITH INSURANCE for the Medivac because I was NOT losing my life savings b/c a 17 year-old decided to be an idiot. I have the Sea To Summit water cell - CAME IN CLUTCH. This was in June - so we drank a LOT of water. You can also hang the water cell from a tree, and just walk up, unscrew the spout, and poor straight into a water bottle. Add some Mio and voila! A good pit stop. We all had the real pillows too - thanks too your previous videos!! We had AllTrails, not Onyx, but hey, nobody's perfect! And thanks for the tip on the Tokes. I need to check that out. Cooking was a struggle b/c I was actually cooking from Chef Corso's cookbook. So better consolidation will help. Overall GREAT VIDEO, and I can attest to ALL OF IT BEING WORTH IT!

I watch your videos all the time. It helps me upgrade my gear all the time. And yes, trekking poles is a huge must. Helped my alot, especially in the winter time. I'm new to all this and recently started my channel. Your Videos have helped me alot. Thank you.

This is great, Dan, lots of solid backpacking and safety advice in this video. One addition might be an annual subscription to an air ambulance service; you got doubly lucky with your Grand Canyon rescue, but Dixie ended up with a big air ambulance bill (the coverage premium is usually around $75/year, far less than a likely $10,000 invoice).

I 100% agree on trekking poles. One of the best purchases. Reduces fatigue for me

I have problems with my neck and worry about the inflatable pillows leaving me stiff and sore the next few days. Now that I know about these small pillows, I feel much better about planning my first backpacking trip

One piece of gear I wish I had bought sooner is the Sawyer adapter that lets me pump water straight into my bladder through the drinking hose! Everyone (that uses them) hates taking their bladder out. I thank God on every hike for this little adapter!

Thanks for the video. I always take a pillow and a Garmin InReach unit when in the woods.

I’ve taken your suggestions before and I’m glad I did. I use the msr pocket deluxe stove and I use the heck out of it and it’s always reliable. Lukko tape (spelling?) will be my next purchase to toss in the pack. I also picked up the Sawyer Squeeze on your recommendation but haven’t used it yet. Thank you for the videos… they help in making decisions on what to get or try next.

Ah yes I too have the thermarest pillow and its awesome. Also have a Durston tent which I used for the first time this weekend and it's brilliant. I like your gear choices and glad to see you upright and looking lively again mate 👍

I used moleskin in the military for some very long marches w/o much of an issue. Applied correctly, it will stay in place for days...even a week. Round your edges and make sure it stays flat and in place when putting your sock back on. Cutting a small hole for the blistered area also helps. But, I'm going to try the tape you recommend. Thanks.

I'm big into hiking/wild camping, just started to use poles (50miles/14hrs) and it really help the distribution load, and forward momentum

Thanks for the gear recommendations! I was wondering what type of Blister Tape you were going to suggest using. A roll of Leukotape was given to me by a nurse after I got really bad blisters on my ankles at the very beggining of a three-month trekking trip in Nepal back in 2008. It saved my trip and I was able to trek all over the Everest, Annapurna and Helambu regions without worrying about my feet. I've had a roll in my first aid kit ever since. 👌

I'm not a hiker but use a trekking pole as my daily walking stick, with a back that's fused in places and bent out of shape plus an ankle with limited movement due to an old fracture and dislocation I've found that a trekking pole is light, I can adjust it to greater height when needed and the handle is more comfortable.