Backpacking gear I should've NEVER bought

I’ve found that quality but slightly heavier backpacks are so much more supportive that even with the extra weight I’m less tired and sore when I’m done hiking. The ultralight bags are so uncomfortable I don’t like using them even if they’re lighter.

Thanks for the insights Dan. I’m a huge proponent of not skimping when it comes to good sleep. Aside from a passion for backpacking, I spent 24 years in the Army in Infantry and Cavalry organizations: I’ve slept in plenty of holes in the ground, concrete floors, in/on armored vehicles, etc…. When space is tight, it’s easy to think you can make do without a pillow or decent sleep mat, but you will invariably pay for the poor decision (esp. as you get older). They don’t have to be big, bulky or lux, but functional. I have a host of tents for different occasions, including 2 BA Copper Spurs; agree they are pretty much the best all around tent on the market. If someone is getting into backpacking, I’d say make your main initial investment in decent tent, bag and pad; everything else you can go somewhat budget on and work your way to lighter and more hi-performance upgrades as you continue, but good sleep and reliable shelter will either make or ruin your outdoor experiences.

Love my Thermarest Z Lite Pad (1/2 Pad) - 7.2oz. I don’t use it as my primary sleep pad but I love using it as a sit pad, nap pad, yoga pad, wind break for cooking, vestibule mat, double layer sleep pad to increase R value on cold nights, and if my inflatable leaks I have a backup sleep pad. I use this pad multiple times everyday!

I've gone through a bunch of pillow options and I've had great success with the Sea to Summit Aeros pillow. It packs to nothing. It's inflatable, but has a soft shell, so you don't get the crinkle. You can inflate to your comfort level. I've used it on the ground and with great success in my hammock.

The foldable sleeping pads are great when used in a two pad system which is great for when you’re camping in really cold weather helps get your R-value up and in areas where you have a high probability of getting a whole in your mattress

Love your channel and perspective! Personally, I'm a hammock guy but I have a BA Copper Spur for places where hammocking doesn't work. Besides the better sleep I get in a hammock, I also like how I can use it as my chair. I also love the view. On the Vermont Long Trail, I once woke up to a flash of light, thinking it was lightning. I keep my tarp in a "snakeskin" sleeve, ready to deploy -- that way I can sleep while looking at the night sky. As my vision cleared, I saw it was actually a shooting star, not lightning, so I just laid back and watching a cascade of shooting stars for the next 20 minutes. Also, when hiking remote trails in the Northeast, I find it's much easier to find a place to stealth camp in a hammock. I mostly hike solo and can see how my choice might change if I was hiking with others, especially kids.

I love the Thermarest pillows so much I even use them inside sometimes. Totally worth the weight to carry into the backcountry. Very good as a pillow and also as Outdoor gear.

I tried a non-organized bp and hated that everything wasn't organized. Then Osprey came out with the Eja that has all the bells and whistles but is only 2lbs! Great notes though - sometimes I think it's just trial and error and figuring out what works best for each person. It's nice that you always talk about lending out your gear to others so they get that chance before having to purchase their own gear.

I actually like the ZigZag. Not as a sleeping pad but as something I use when I take a break. It's easy accessable since you keep it on the outside of the backpack. Perfect to sit on while you're eating or just to take a short nap during the hike :) Then as a bonus you can use is as an extra sleeping pad below your regular one for extra insolation and comfort! Also it can protect you air matress from getting a hole as you talked about

Most of my experience in camping comes from the boyscouts, and my only backcountry camping experience comes from philmont scout ranch. And until this video that got randomly recommended to me, it never occurred to me that people brought pillows on camping trips. All of us, including the adults, would just stuff an extra bit of clothes, bunch up the top of our sleeping bag if it was taller than us, whatever worked. I did not realize people brought pillows and that was part of camping. It's neat they make low weight camp pillows.

Thermarest pillow is a game changer! I don’t bother rolling it up and just stuff it down in the bottom of my pack with my quilt.

I’m allergic to down so always have to do synthetic. I use a synthetic quilt from enlighten equipment. It’s super light weight and keeps me super warm 🙂 and I’m a cold sleeper.

On the sleeping bags, I agree...HOWEVER, I spend a lot of time camping in South Texas...in the Summer. Sleeping bags that DON'T keep me warm are an asset!!!

Synthetic insulation definitely has it's place. I use synthetic quilts in the summer, paddle trips and as an outer layer in deeper cold to move the dew point outside of my down. We also used them for extended ski touring in Greenland. The down sleeping bags had gained about 5 lbs in water weight within a week and the ones with them were freezing. My 5 lb synthetic bag weighed less than the down bags after a week and it still worked. It isn't the rain that usually gets down. It's the humidity and insensible perspiration. Synthetic jackets are also good when you're hiking into the sweat zone on winter hikes. They just shrug it off.

I really appreciate how you prioritize comfort, since it is a big thing for me. A lot of people focus so much on keeping their things light weight, that they forget that you are out there to enjoy yourself.

Thanks Dan. Reviews like this are a great help for a lot of people, because there's just so many products out there for every single category and for categories no one knew existed! So it's always good to hear honest feedback for what worked for you and what didn't, and that way, others can make a more informed decision... and then blame you later! 😂🤣

I use an inflatable pillow I bought for what would be the equivalent of $5 and I actually love it. Guess it depends on a personal preferance. Pro tip: often you can find much more comfortable position for your head and neck, whether you're sitting or laying down, not inflating it fully and folding in half. Besides wrapping it up in some natural material shirt makes up for the home-like feeling, that is for me at least.

The Thermarest Zsol foldable pads are my go to for years. I have one that has lasted a decade and been on multi day bicycle trips, and everything else and never "popped" or even ripped. They can be folded in so many ways that when you're backpacking you can use them to turn rocks and logs into the most comfortable padded seating in the forest before you take it to bed with you.

As a side sleeper, I use a Trekology inflatable pillow underneath my Thermarest foam pillow. I found that one or the other just isn't high enough and makes my neck uncomfortable over time, but both of them together are the perfect height!

I like the foldable foam pads for cushioning a fragile sleeping pad, fanning flames in winter (or wet) fires, sitting on wet ground - basically as a cheap, dispensable first guard against uncomfortable ground