The Gear You WANT vs The Gear You NEED

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A good little tip is to put a little piece of masking tape on every piece of gear you take. When you use it, remove the tape. Anything with tape when you get home should be re-evaluated. Never skimp on safety gear, true for any activity/sport/recreation

I find it hilarious how many people get upset about a total strangers gear choices. I never knew there were so many “experts” out there.🤣 Great video Steven!🍻

Excellent video. I think there should be one more category when you go through your gear at the end of a trip - the "my day would suck if I didn't have this and needed it" pile. Here's my context: I use camping gear daily because I am a nanny who relies on transit and I need to be able to carry everything that the kids and I will need that day. Over the years, I've accumulated a collection of small useful things that don't weigh much and I rely on always having them with me. Examples: different types of tape, folding scissors, extra hair elastics, S-clips, 8mL Nalgene of dish soap, nail clippers, small ball of cotton yarn. They are the things that you might need just a little bit of to make your day go smoothly, so it's worth the small amount of extra weight.

I like to get home and have 3 piles, “Used”, “Not Used” and also “Would have helped keep me safe if it all went to shit” as an example, I often don’t use my first aid kit, the small bit tenacious tape in case my tent fails, the 4 water purification tablets in case my filter fails or the SOL emergency Bivy ( which I only take on day hikes). Wouldn’t leave home without them though. There are other examples in my pack, not a lot, but there should be pile for “didn’t use it but shouldn’t leave it behind” GPS with sos button and whistle also fall into this category

I agree with the necessity list with one exception: I would add light source to it. I've never camped without having a light, but it probably wouldn't be a fun time. Might be an interesting experiment.

As i put my kit together yesterday (unfortunatly life dictated that my hiking season was aug and sept this year) i asked my wife the same question...what do i need? My physics inspired brain said "i have stay warm, fed, and watered" thats the who statement...i dont need to be clean, smell good, or have any of the comfrts of home...cause im not there. And you won't stay dry in the rain no matter what you spend...warm only is the goal. How you get there is on you but those three things are what it boils down too. Peace all. Dare to push your comfort zone. Its rewarding not terrible.

Decades ago Ray Jardine wrote an article on how to backpack light. He had just completed the Adirondack trail. One thing that stood out was all gear that he made himself for pennies on the dollar. Ray is no fool he is one of the most accomplished climbers to ever climb in Yosemite. You don't do that with cheap gear and live. So if he cut corners to save weight he didn't throw safety out the door. He was pointing out the hypocrisy in the backpacking industry. Alot depends on the climate and terrain as to what is necessary and what you you can get by without. I like that you always look for a balance between needs and comfort. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent video, the 'need' versus 'want' debate is wider than just backpacking

It's taken me years to get my pack (all in) to be under 50lbs and I'm super happy about that! There are some factors like gear you bring because of the areas you go or the people you're with that will affect what's important to take and what's not. The areas we frequent can get to freezing at night even in the summer, so you end up needing a few extra bits to stay warm and more fuel to heat up food and a heavier sleeping system, but it's worth it to enjoy those areas.

Great advice. As you mentioned, I've learned a lot just by going "did I use this?" when I got home. Over the years this becomes easier to remember as you pack, I take very little with me now and I'm so grateful to not carry stuff that I don't need anymore.

Great reminder. I started doing the same thing after each trip. I go through my gear and try to eliminate things I don't use. There are still some items that I have carried for many trips that I am just not ready to give up. The older I get, the less I want to carry.

ive done the ultra heavy, cheap miltary surplus camping. brought a bunch of extras, stuck in the 2 is 1, 1 is none mindset. once i became more experienced, i realized if you are 3 days or less from civilization, you technically need nothing but the clothes on your back. youll be miserable, but youll survive. now add the bear minimum, (tarp, quilt, pad, food and water) and youll be comfortable and be able to hike longer see more and enjoy it more.

I love the mindset on this one. I just came back from the Boy Scouts of America National Jamobree, which was 10 days of camping. As I was unpacking my duffle the other day, I was noticing a few things. I had 3 long sleeve jackets/pullovers that I had never used, a pair of rubber boots, a bunch of rope, 3 pairs of pants, and 1 pair of shorts. None of it I touched. there were a bunch of other things as well. I think I'm going to really start noting what I didn't use since I'm mostly to the point anymore. There's nothing I don't seem to have as I've geared up over the years but plenty I don't need.

I have an google sheet list for my kayaking gear. When I prepare for a trip, I can consider all items with their respective weight. There is stuff I absolutely need for each trip, there is stuff I want to try out or test. And there is "mission critical" stuff, which might never getting used, but can lead to a cancellation of the trip. Certain kind of meds, safety gear, repair kit, emergency dry cloths. Because it is an online sheet and offline available on the phone, I can write on it even during the trip. And doing a short recap and lessons learned leads to a much faster learning curve.

Good info. To me there are three truths about backpacking. 1. Mors Kochanski said the more knowledge you have, the less gear you need...so never stop learning. 2. Any fool can be uncomfortable...learn what you need and what works for you, never mind the 'fashionable' stuff. 3. Scientifically you can only carry about 30% of your body weight for any prolonged period...so start there with the weight and scale it up or down with your needs and the conditions.

The retrospective after a hike is so obvious, yet mindblowing! Definetly going to do that and separate gear that I used from balast I just carried around.

I am an ultra-lightweight backpacker who doesn't even use a "backpack". There is no needed gear. All you need is a way to have shelter, get potable water, and create fire. A lot of stuff is just nice to have. My nice-to-haves are protection and a way to charge my cellphone. And maybe a frozen beer for the first night out. My cellphone is weighted down with e-books.

Great idea about going through what you used and did not use. Makes so much sense but I have never formally done it.

As a "mountain leader" this is the one bit of advice that I would give to any of the guys I take out into the hills. I love a new bit of kit but after two trips it comes out of my backpack, but I keep handy. If after two more trips I havent needed it. It gets put away in a storage box once a year I go through the box and either sell the stuff i dont need or donate it to someone who wants it. in the group of peopel i walk with we are constantly swapping kit