Hiking Gear that I Loved - After a Year of Testing

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Published 2024-02-15
After hiking 2,200 miles last year across many different environments this is my favorite gear that I tried! From the deserts of New Mexico all the way up into the Canadian Rockies I really got around, and made a point to test and try a lot of new gear. What stood out? What was my favorite?

My Favorite Thru Hiking Gear of 2023:
Smart Watch - amzn.to/3mz7ePp
Tent - tinyurl.com/yc8kdj35
Stove - amzn.to/42wknJS
Rain Jacket - tinyurl.com/msksre8k
Fleece - tinyurl.com/ucd7ypdr
Fleece (Other Brands) - tinyurl.com/2p9d9xkr
Quilt - tinyurl.com/55mxk475
Sleeping Pad - amzn.to/3Jx85cB

Coros makes some incredible watches with outstanding battery life. I enjoyed all the features and felt like it really made hiking even more fun to be able to see so much data from my daily life on trail. The battery would last me three full days hiking, and charging it was never a problem.

The Zpacks Altaplex was really a dream to use. As a tent made for tall people, I felt like I could really stretch out and enjoy my life camping, while many other tents I have to be all scrunched up inside. It felt like a palace, it was easy to setup, it held up to some really high winds and heavy rain. I was really happy with it.

The BRS 3000t stove worked like a charm and for 16$ I really can't complain! Such a budget friendly piece of gear that is so incredibly ultralight. Weighing just 0.9oz I can see why this has been such a staple in the ultralight thru hiking community for so long. The one complaint people have with it is the fuel efficiency. If you want a more efficient stove then the Soto Amicus is what you're looking for.

This year I primarily used the Patagonia Torrentshell as my rain jacket and it was awesome! If you want a rain jacket that will really keep you dry, then this is it. It is a full on 3L robust jacket, meant to stand up to some really heavy storms, and will keep you dry while other ultralight jackets will not. It has pit zips, a great hood, and pockets! The reason I chose this over anything else is the price, at just 179 dollars (frequently on sale) this jacket is cheap compared to it's competitors. For example, the Arc'teryx Beta LT is 450$ and is functionally the same.

The Senchi Alpha 60 hoodie has been sweet, my partner used it for well over 1,000 miles this year and really loved it too. At just 4.1oz you really aren't going to find a lighter fleece jacket anywhere. Great for layering, or great on warmer trips. By far this is my favorite piece of gear to have used last year.

These are the trails and thru hikes I tested this gear on!
- 100 miles of the San Diego Trans County Trail in southern California
- A little bit of the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand
- 800 miles of the Grand Enchantment Trail in Arizona and New Mexico
- 100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington and the North Cascades National Park
- A 70 mile loop incorporating the Continental Divide Trail in Glacier National Park
- 750 miles of the Great Divide Trail in Canada
- 310 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail of Minnesota

All of this testing came from the idea that over the past 8 years I have basically used the same backpacking kit for all of my hikes. From my Appalachian Trail thru hike to my Pacific Crest Trail Thru hike and everything in between. Tiny changes in the gear that I use, but overall pretty much the same kit, year after year. I wanted to try some new stuff out! Maybe I was missing something, or maybe I could better help others by changing my gear list up a bit.

In the process of doing this I found some gear that was really awesome! Like the super ultralight senchi alpha fleece, or how cool the coros pace smart watch is, the comfort and warmth of a neoair. These items really stood out among the rest.

00:00 - Favorite Gear of 2023!
00:32 - Smart Watch
02:29 - Tent
04:11 - Stove
05:13 - Rain Jacket
07:53 - Fleece Jacket
09:43 - Couples Quilt
11:11 - Sleeping Pad
12:30 - Thank you :)

Hiking Essentials Shirt! jupiterhikes.com/product/hiking-essentials/

THE BACKPACKING GEAR I USE:
www.jupiterhikes.com/gear/

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All Comments (21)
  • @JupiterHikes
    You've seen my least favorite gear from last year.... so here is what I actually really did love! Hope you enjoyed the follow up, after having tried a bunch of new things! Thanks for watching
  • @eddavis1832
    Thank you for reviewing practical, sensible, and affordable gear…unlike numerous other YouTube hikers. You’re the best, dude!!!
  • East Coast hiker here, I ended up using the gate wood cape. It's a very good poncho, but as a tent it's spacious for me and I am also 6'2
  • @MrSportdiver
    About 16 years ago i was in the army and i used to sleep on foam pads for weeks! Few years ago i started babkpacking and i was so pleased when i found out about the inflatable pads and i am never going back to foam pads again!
  • @pleok08
    Thursday, February 15th: Interesting that your watch turns out to be one of your most important pieces of equipment. Excellent choice on tent. We make our choices, we take our chances. Happy Trails! Ross08
  • @alyishiking
    I flippin love my neoair and plex solo. Honestly the best gear purchases I've ever made
  • @Shockhikes
    Great video, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one I didn’t like from you. The senchi is great & seems more durable than far pointe. I used the 120 in Joshua tree a couple weeks ago & loved it. I got too hot in the torrentshell, though. Gonna stitck with my versalite. Love that you found a great hiking partner. Happy trails, brother!
  • @jayv.8298
    Another cool video. And just thank you for answering all those questions!
  • @shoppingcart363
    Had the same questions about the senchi as you, and came to the same satisfactory conclusion. spot on lad
  • @PlantPapaJohn
    I really appreciate your videos. You are one of the most experienced hikers with great info. Who better to learn from. :) You have helped me a lot to prepare for the PCT in 2024. Plant Papa
  • @aaronwinter447
    This is similar to the gear list I've eventually landed on. Great stuff
  • @Marche_Nco
    Hi from France , how are you ? nice video with good hiking gear , we have a few items in common and I confirm that they are very good items! Thanks for sharing 🙂👍
  • @crazyscatter
    Thanks for the Patagonia rain jacket recommendation. I want a new one for day hikes that keep out more water than the extra light versions but also vents. I day hike in the rain a lot and something extremely durable for use is important.
  • @KevinSmith-wr1sy
    Thanks Jupiter. I'm totally into the alpha direct hoodie train after seeing this video!