I’ve been researching all the new gear coming into the market and making some purchases. I’m finalizing gear, both new and old, and going to update my list with some comments on why I choose to bring each peice with me.
What is new for 2026?
Verve Instant Coffee; I love the Verve, and have used the Aeropress on my trips, but Verve’s instant coffee is simple enough, and can save me multiple ounces by leaving the Aeropress at home, and because Verve is so darn good, I am not sacrificing good coffee in the process.
Nocs Monocular: I’ve wanted one of these for a long time. Compact, weather resistant, and 8×32 field of view. This may replace my Aeropress for my comfort item. At 8.5 ounces, it’s pretty reasonable.
Altra Long Peak 9’s; This is perhaps the biggest change. I have been wearing these as my daily shoe for about 6 months. I can’t get over how comfortable they are on me. They are lightweight and grab onto soil. They may even replace my approach shoes. I loved my Topo Pursuit I’s but the Lone Peaks are perhaps my favorite shoe I’ve ever worn. So much so, that I now own 5 pairs in 3 different colors. I also like the Velcro for the Altra Gaiters is sewn into the shoe so you don’t have to deal with glueing strips on for aftermarket Gaiters. I’ve also added Superfeet Hike Support Insoles as well.
Ursak Major 10 Liter Bear Sack; Most of the time I will be using my Bear-i-kades, but when I can avoid it, I’ll lighten up and use my Ursak along with Smelly Proof Reusable Storage Bags. I just finished using the Ursak on a 3 day trip to the desert and it definitely fits into my backpack a lot easier.
Benchmade Mini-Bugout; At 1.51 ounces, with a 2.8” blade, I went with the bright orange handle because this is so small and light, it’s going to get lost otherwise. But the lifetime warranty on sharpening along with Benchmade’s reputation made this a no brainer.
HumanGear Bidet: Easy to carry and you don’t have to worry about running out of toilet paper. 3.8 ounces.
PACT Trowel: I’ve been a long time user of “The Deuce” but it’s hard to resist the PACT Outdoor Shovel, complete with biodegradable wipes and mycelium tabs to break down your poop faster. All this for 2.3 ounces.
REI Swiftland Running Pants and ¼ zip pullover. These are very comfortable and in the off chance I need to hike in pants, these won’t take up much room in my pack, and most likely I’ll forget about them unless they are needed.
The Big Three and Sleep System
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Backpack: Custom built ULA Circuit. My first Circuit started to fail on me after a few years of use. This was the first time I ever did not go with a different company and instead, ordered a new Circuit. I like it that much. It’s light, shoulders alot of weight when I need it, and is tough.
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Tent: Z Packs Duplex 2p, or Nemo Dragonfly OSMO 2p for solo trips. I really like my Z Packs Duplex. It’s light, easy to setup, and takes up virtually no space in my tent. On top of that, it literally weighs just over one pound. However, I recently met a woman on a day hike who had a brand new Durston X-Mid Pro, 2 person and sold it to me for cheap. I’m going to take that out on a solo trip in May and decide which one I want to keep. The Durston has some advantages, including trekking pole placement. Stay tuned.
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Sleeping Bag: Enlightened Equipment Revelation 0˚ Quilt. I friggin’ love this quilt. It’s tough, is versatile, and is one peice of gear that will be a no-brainer to replace, if and when I have too.
Sleep System
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Ground Pad: ThermaRest Neo Air XLite NXT for summer backpacking and TheramRest Neo Air XTherm NXT for fall and winter backpacking. I also have a Nemo Tensor All Season, still in the box, and I will give that a go at some point, but it’s hard to get away from a ground pad that is as trusty as ThermaRest.
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Pillow: Exped Mega Pillow. This is hands down the best pillow on the market. The Fillo is a distant second, but good rest is absolutely paramount, so why go with anything other than the best? Unfolded, it’s 10″ long and 4″ wide. It’s as close to a real pillow as you are going to get and at 9 ounces, it’s not the lightest, but it’s worth the extra weight.
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Tent Stakes: MSR Groundhogs
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Compression Stuff Sack for sleep system: Sea to Summit Compression Dry Bag (13 Liters)
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Inflator: FlexTail Zero Pump; I love this little guy. I keep it with my ground pad in a stuff sack so I don’t lose it. After a long day hiking, who wants to blow 25-30 deep breaths into their ground pad or mess with an inflatable bag, when you can just attach this and walk away and one minute later you have a fully inflated ground pad.
Worn Clothing
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Top: OR Mens Echo Hoodie; I’ve researeched and tried may sun shirts: Mountain Hardware, The North Face, Patagonia, and nothing beats the Echo Hoodies. They are light, fit well, have thumb holes, good colors, and do the job.
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Shorts: Patagonia Men’s 5” Baggies
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Socks: Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Midweight; These socks are so darn tough and comfortable that they have become my every day sock as well. And with a full lifetime waranty, why would you not wear them?
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Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 9’s, Gortex
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Insoles: Superfeet Hikers
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Gaiters: Altra Gaiters
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Sunglasses:Oakley Holbrooks
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Hat: Buff
Backpacking Gear
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Backpack:ULA Circuit
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Sit Pad: Therm-a-Rest Z Seat Pad
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Headlamp: NiteCore NU25 UL
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Satellite Messenger: Garmin Messenger Plus
Packed Clothing
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Insulated Jacket: Enlightened Equipment Torrid
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Wind Jacket: Patagonia Houdini
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Base Layer (Bottom): REI Swiftland Running Pants
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Head Net: Sea to Summit Head Net
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Gloves: Ridge Merino Northwind Fleece Gloves
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Camp Shirt: Short Sleeved OR Echo T-Shirt
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Beanie:Zpacks Micro-Fleece Hat
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Camp Shoes: Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes; I highly recommend these shoes for hanging around camp. They have a little string that keeps them secured on your feet and the fsoles are more durable than you’d think. They are easy to slip on and off, weigh almost nothing, and do the job!
Carried/On-body
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Watch: Garmin fenix 8 AMOLED Sapphire (51 mm)
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Trekking Poles: Black Diamond Pursuits
Food & Water
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Water Treatment: Katahdin BeFree
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Water Bottle: Cnoc ThruBottle
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Water Bottle: smartwater 700 ml
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Bear Canister: Wild Ideas Bearikade Scout or The Weekender
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Stove: MSR PocketRocket Deluxe
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Pot: Evolved Supply Co 750 Pot; YouTuber, Darwin On The Trail went and created his own online backpacking company, and in the process created the best pot on the market. I have a ton of them, but this is the best. There’s a ton of thoughtful features you never knew you needed, including a spout to simplify pouring hot water, a bail to cook or boil right on the campfire, and an easy-grip wooden handle on the lid to keep you from burning your fingers.
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Fuel Canister: Fuel Canister (110 g)
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Utensil: Snow Peak Long Titanium Spork
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Lighter: Purchased in Yosemite
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Extra Caps:
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Trowel: PACT Outdoors Shovel
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Stuff Sack (Poop Kit): Hilltop Packs Shit Kit
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Repellent: Sawyer Picardin Lotion
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Pre-Trail Repellent: Sawyer Products Permethrin
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Lip Balm: Sun Bum Mineral SPF 30
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Anti-Chafe Balm: Body Glide for Her (0.35 oz)
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Sunscreen: SunBum
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Toothbrush: GUM Folding
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Toothpaste: Happy Tooth Tabs
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Antibiotic Ointment: Neosporin
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Tape: 3M Medical
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Bandages: Band-Aids
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Wet Wipes: Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes
Electronics
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Power Bank: Nitecore Carbo 10000 or INIU Portable Charger 20000
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Headphones: Apple AirPods
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Phone: Apple Iphone 16 Max Pro
Apps
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CalTopo
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FarOut (if crossing or intersecting a relevant trail)
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Garmin Explore
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Peak Finder
