Backpacking’s Best Gear in 2024! My Favorite Picks So Far...

[@christopherch7307]

Sound levels are awesome in your video. Thanks for not having garbage background music. 👍🐿👍

[@uptrail7169]

I agree 100%

[@JarradShaw]

Thanks Devin for taking the time to make this. Everyone I know enjoys that you talk to all of us. This video makes me feel that we all have made comments about so many great gear that has come out and how it could fit in our lives. You really did a great job showcasing a lot of gear and answering those questions that we have asked or even just mentioned. Thank you.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thanks, Jarrad. Your comments are always so thoughtful.

[@dylansansen8741]

Great selection of gear. I have a lot of these, or variations of them and they are all amazing. Thanks for your contribution for the ultralight gear videos. Can't get enough of this stuff.

[@uptrail7169]

Excellent Devin! Anytime I think about gear I look up your videos first. New sleeping pad is next on my list.

[@MattVHulst]

Appreciate you calling out the zenbivy light bed for folks. It's amazing and much better bang for your buck for the people who aren't out doing ultra long thru hikes

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@MattVHulst many of us creators who test and review gear got samples of the UL bed to test and potentially share. A lot of focus went to the UL bed as the new fancy product in town, and for good reason. It’s amazing. But the Light Bed shouldn’t be overlooked from a value standpoint. Huge cost savings, same design and a tiny weight penalty. It’s amazing!

[@Romel718]

Devin great review and video as always! You are always so clear, concise and explicative! I agree with you on the Fire Maple G3 Petrel. I bought it as soon as you reviewed it along with the Greenpeak stove. Fire Maple actually has your video review right on their website! That stove with pot has been amazing! Boils twice as fast as my BRT 3000 and toaks pot at about 10.5k elevation in the Uinta's. Also the safety features of the pot paired with the stove cannot be understated! The paired tines of stove fitted to pot provides such a stable platform/surface along with the easy igniter. As a dad, it just makes me relax as we prepare meals 3x a day. I don't need to explain the danger of boiling water spilling or overturning in the backcountry to you. I also this year bought the Zenbivy light bed after a return to backpacking after 20 years. Absolutely amazing sleep paired with their pad as well. I just turned 54 this summer, and quality sleep in the backcountry is critical. The Zenbivy as been so amazing I bought a second light bed for whichever child decides to accompany dad on a backpacking adventure! The Zenbivy pads are sold out so we went with REI's Helix insulated pad on sale for the kids' pads. Of course the Zenbivy pillows with the clips are ridiculously comfy as well! Thanks again Devin, maybe our paths will cross in the Uinta's some day!

[@yodashaman7991]

Endurance Fuel=sugar, caffeine and some electrolytes. Might as well down some sugar water and just add salt with a magnesium/calcium capsule.

[@wernerkoch2630]

Fully agree on the hype for Zenbivy. So good that the brand is now much more accessible in Europe!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Yeah I understand they have an EU specific presence now.

[@omega4711]

I ordered Zenbivy stuff to Germany from the US website last week, because it was almost 30% cheaper, even including shipping, customs and taxes.

[@Tducks72]

That REI bag is on sale for $139 now til September 2nd

[@elgenerz]

19:40 - I got a Fire Maple Petrel HX pot and I agree, it's great. Water boils in a bit more than almost half the time as it did with my Toaks Ti pot. I use a BRS-3000T stove which I modified to fit the slots in the hx... I bent them all out at 120* so they'd fit. Uber light combo!

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

I like Fire Maple. I have their tea pot and love it. Now I need the pot!

[@agunslinger9349]

Yes. Finally! Pinnacle Foods meals.are amazing. Just so good.

[@Nordictor78]

Great video! I'm getting the msr hubba hubba nx tent tomorrow, and bought sea EtherLight XT Extreme. Can't wait for the planned autumn fishing trip with packraft and beautiful landscape AND test my new gear 😀

[@BackcountryExposure]

Hope you enjoy it! That's fun to get new gear!

[@browsman2328]

Agree with you on the Fire Maple Petrel pot. I have been using it with the Fire Maple GreenPeak stove ($20) which unfortunately is no longer available on Amazon the last time I checked. The stove doesn’t have a regulator but is not an issue for me since it rarely gets below freezing where I live.

[@rodoutdoors]

Thanks for sharing. The Hill Zero tent looks cool. Makes me want to make a list 😅. So far my fastpack and tarp & bivy system have been phenomenal.

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@rodoutdoors I’d love to see your list!

[@adamthompson8140]

Good stuff! My only point of contention- I would caution anyone against spending that much money on a quilt with vertical baffles. They are more or less obsolete. Horizontal baffles are the with a differential-cut shell are the present and future of backpacking quilts. I own two Katabatic quilts that offer more temp flexibility than anything with vertical baffles and will never incur down migration issues.

[@Iscontagious]

Thanks for an honest review .

[@MattLutjen]

I have an REI Flash 55 as does my wife. I usually carried around 35LBS with it this past summer. Right before our Timberline Trail circumvention (Mt. Hood) a few weeks ago I noticed some of the stitching getting loose where the shoulder straps meet the adjustable panel. Swung by REI and learned that the Flash55 has a 30lbs weight limit. It IS a great pack, but I opted to go with my old HEAVY arc'teryx 75 on the TT trail. So, just a heads up to some who may go and buy that pack - it HAS a weight limit of 30lbs.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@BrandiB-y4n]

Have you tried Stow Away Gourmet yet? Their meals look delicious too. Just got some Pinnacle meals and I can’t wait to try them!

[@BackcountryExposure]

I haven't had a chance yet. I need to order some!

[@wolfeadventures]

Great video as always! I am going to try the Tailwind electrolyte mix. As a keto/low carb backpacker I have found the lack of dehydrated meal choices a bummer. I recently found 2 though-Adventure Well and Next Mile Meals. Both are very good and have quite a bit of food for the cost-$12-14 meal. I have no affiliation whatsoever. Adventure Well's Carne Guisada is so darn good. Another low carb electrolyte I have used for years and I don't hear any hikers talking about is Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes Fizz tablets. 7 calories per tablet and a great electrolyte profile-very popular in ultra runners and cyclists.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Let me know how you like the Tailwind for yourself. There’s an amazing number of meal brands out there once you really start to dig into it. Glad you found some options. 👊🏻

[@wolfeadventures]

@@BackcountryExposure will do.

[@davidshirley6850]

So glad to see someone give some love to ugq quilts , mine has been nothing but great for the 3 years I've had mine

[@BackcountryExposure]

Agreed. Top tier quilt, excellent quality and just a good sleep. Thanks!

[@Rekmeyata]

There apparently is an issue with the Fire Maple pot, it appears that the slots might be a bit to tight, and trying to remove a pot of boiling water from the stove can lead to problems as the support arms get stuck in the slots. In addition, only a very few stoves will work with the pot. Though I do love my Soto Windmaster, I no longer have to carry a wind screen, and it doesn't burn intensely with a pinpoint flame like cheaper stoves, and that pinpoint flame burns food in the center of the pot. Nesquik chocolate mix is a very good recovery drink and for a lot less money than anything else on the market, plus you can find it at any local grocery store.

[@scottfollmer]

I've been rocking my UGQ Bandit for a few years now and it's great, especially the way it secures down to the pad. I went with the Petrel pot after your review a while back and it's replaced my MiniMo when I go solo since it's so fuel efficient. I already had a MightyMo stove and it pairs perfectly with the pot and I can actually cook it in rather than just boil water. I'll have to try some of those Tailwind products. I make my own backpacking food and highly recommend you give that a try one of these days.

[@prophet4320]

Hey man, big fan. Top-tier content as always. This is going to sound super random, but have you tested the Petrel pot for lead? I ask because I got one of Fire Maple's 1L pots and was really excited by the performance, however I noticed that the anodizing was pretty rough and left an odd smell on my hands, so I used the Safe Home DIY test swabs to test it for lead and they came back positive. The ones used on the outer surface of the pot definitely moreso than the ones from the inside, but even after scrubbing thoroughly with soap and water, the swabs still showed a bit of purple. I don't live in an area that has issues with lead in the water, and the lid of the pot didn't show anything, so I'm pretty confident that the pot got contaminated somehow, probably during the anodization process. Hopefully it's a one-off!

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@prophet4320 hey thank you! That’s a good question. I’m actually going to look into this and even reach out to Fire Maple about it.

[@krj6584]

You’ve got me curious about the Kilos Gear pad, I saw that they make a UL version of it! Have you tried that yet?? Seems like a good option for summer. I also love my Bandit top quilt, got the long/x-wide and that was definitely the right choice!

[@dangerpudge1922]

I just discovered that there's an Aerocloud UL pad; pretty good specs from what I see. It'd be good to see you do a compare of those. I own both a UL and Light Zenbivy; I really appreciate the UL's ability to pack small and that it is lighter, HOWEVER, the Light bed has a convertible footbox option, which IMO is way more versatile and way more cozy feeling, but the fabric on the Light is just INCREDIBLE compared to ANYTHING else on the market. There's a reason I didn't replace my 10F Light Quilt with a UL version. Now if you do get a UL Zenbivy Quilt, I'd say go with the Light version sheet; the weight/size pack between the two is miniscule but there's a huge cost saving there, and since that's the big area where you'll be touching fabric with your bare skin, it makes the most sense to get the best fabrics possible.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Yeah im currently testing the Kilos UL pad and will share an initial review after a few more nights on it. :) Yes, the convertible quilt is a nice touch from Zenbivy. I hope they keep that in the rotation for the Light Bed and don't discontinue it when stock runs out.

[@karmahavok]

To be clear, you have to buy the Soto TriFlex separately (at least as far as I know). Generally it comes packaged with the 4flex. The TriFlex weighs around 20grams less and is more packable. Cool that the TriFlex works with that FireMaple pot. I'll have to grab one. Thanks Devin!

[@BackcountryExposure]

At some point Soto changed how they packaged that stove. I bought mine with the 3 Flex and added the 4 flex later. Either way, it’s a stellar stove. Thank you!

[@ddff5242]

Zpacks comes with the triflex......

[@Colby168]

@@ddff5242second this. I bought my Soto Windmaster from Zpacks website because it comes with both for the same pice.

[@heartattackhiker3527]

Used the flash55 for my thru-hike of the AZT. Good pack didn't like the hipbelt set up because the pack doesn't fold up and was difficult to put in my one person zpacks tent.

[@therestorationshop]

Great video, thanks! Have you tried the Kilos Gear AeroCloud UL pad? That sucker looks a lot like the Elite, lower R value (3.8) but only 16.7oz. Might be super good for the warmer months. I'm giving it a try.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thank you! Actually yes, I am in testing process right now. I have a few nights on it so far. Had it in low 40° temps and been warm. I’m getting a few more nights on it this week and will be putting together an initial review video of it. I’ll be interested to see how it does as the ground temperature gets colder moving into fall and find out where its limit is. So far I’m enjoying it.

[@henriknilsson6020]

@@BackcountryExposure Looking forward to that review... I always vary when it comes to "cheaper" mattresses and performance... Im used to pay premium money but eventuelly it seems they all starts to leak...

[@outdoorgearguy6823]

I was going to get the TEAKS 750ml titanium but the Fire Maple with heat exchanger comes out cheaper, and the heat exchanger with space for the three legs of my MSR Pocket Rocket 🚀 2 is an added bonus.

[@alpenfuel6525]

Thanks for the shoutout on our meals!! 🎉

[@skidrx]

What's the best selling one?

[@alpenfuel6525]

@@skidrx Our top seller is Caramel Apple Granola by a fair margin. It's made with gourmet caramel :) Number two is Lemon Berry. For our snacks, the best selling trail cookie is the Monster flavor.

[@Matthew-px9nu]

Just brought some to the Sierra and they were excellent

[@alpenfuel6525]

​@@Matthew-px9nuthank you, glad you enjoyed them!

[@lyvynfree]

Try Outdoor Pantry freeze-dried meals. So far, they’re the best I have tried. And like you said about Pinnacle, it doesn’t wreak havoc on my stomach.

[@davidcooper8390]

The Kilos Gear pad is at such a good price point compared to other pads. I really want to check out the UL version of it. I have the Soto Windmaster and the Petrel pot. It is nice to have the tri-flex stand for the petrel pot and the 4-flex support for bigger pots when i am sharing with others.

[@anninwhack1998]

Hey thanks for the good reviews and recs! I’m struggling between the TT Dipole DW2 and the Double Rainbow DW2. Any chance we could get a head to head? Thx for all the TT content!!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Ahh that’s a good question. I haven’t yet ordered the dipole 2 DW. I’m a little overwhelmed with some other tents I’m in process of testing. So I haven’t made that a priority. I think the TT 3D models they provide are a great representation of comparison. If I’m comparing the Rainbow 1P to the Dipole 1 DW, I find the space inside is quite comparable.

[@scottgephart9749]

Hey Devin, thanks for sharing. I noticed that you didn't mention any kind if water filtration. However, in your "3 basin, alpine lakes loop" video with Brigham, I saw a Katadyn Befree. Have you gone back to using that filter system? If so, can you share why?

[@kegelschneckenmett2026]

sharing experience is caring, greets from Germany,ty!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thank you for being here! 😊

[@semo7566]

The pot is outstanding- saves tons of fuel to the point that i need to completely revise my fuel planning for multi-day. Tailwind has too much sugar, i believe. You r better served to have protein bar with some sugar, aided by sugar free electrolyte like LMNT. Gearskeptic video on that topic

[@glyngibbs9489]

You and i have very different views on the meanings of budget, value and several. However, thanks for the comprehensive review of this ultra expensive gear that makes ne appreciate what my kit does for a fraction of the price.

[@BackcountryExposure]

You’re welcome?

[@nickwestin8444]

7:48 youre sacrificing NOISE, this is by far one of the noisiest pads ive experienced. It is comfortable and holds u p well down to 55°F. But the noise

[@JoshSweet]

Thoughts on REI helix pad? $120 on sale

[@BackcountryExposure]

It's a great pad. For that price it would be an excellent buy.

[@everythingpony]

Just bought the flash 55 large torso small hip belt!~ thanks~

[@everythingpony]

It was on sale for a limited window this morning, lasted 2 ta 3 hours then sold out

[@joker2100]

I really like your gear choices. Glad you put them all in one video to reference to.

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@joker2100 thanks for being here!

[@TheBabadush]

Did you film this at Great Sand Dunes NP? Looks very familiar

[@BackcountryExposure]

Nope, just an area near my house.

[@Colby168]

Love the reviews! Thanks

[@JLipshutz971]

Hey Devin, thanks for another great video. Where are you at on chairs these days? Are you still standing by the Big Agnes Skyline UL? I recently tried a friend’s standard Moonlite which I really liked but definitely would want something lighter for backpacking. The Skyline doesn’t seem like THAT much of weight savings and maybe a bit bulky too? Perpetually debating it against the Chair Zero and Moonlite Elite. 😵‍💫 Also any thoughts on the Green Peak stove? Sounds like you just got it but may not have tested yet?

[@BackcountryExposure]

Skyline is still my favorite chair, but a close second is the Moonlight Elite. I’d try to find a store that has the elite so you can try it first, but I do love that chair. Only a pound and it’s really comfy. The kicker for me is I want just a little bit taller sitting height. Been testing the green peak quite a bit at home and out on one trip. Hard to believe that stove is at or under $25! I think it’s worth it for sure.

[@chongching]

whats your take on the light quilt vs the light quilt convertible?

[@BackcountryExposure]

I have never been one to use the convertible style foot boxes to open them up. So I prefer the standard foot box style over the convertible. But it at least gives you the option if that's something important to you.

[@26parma]

I still think more videos need to be done about the best gear in the market vs. the best new gear in the market. When looking for gear I don't care if it's new or carried over from previous years. I'm looking for best overall or best value available in the store now.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thanks for the suggestion and idea. I did a video once about best and worst tents for the year. A few of the tents were discontinued and no longer available, but could be found on eBay/marketplace. I got a ton of comments from people annoyed that I talked about discontinued tents. Even though they were amazing options at the time. ha ha ha

[@ashleymcmains3592]

Please try the Desolo UL pack and let us know what you think. It is on sale for $87 and looks impressive

[@BackcountryExposure]

I wasn’t familiar with that pack, by name at least. I’ll give it a look. Thanks!

[@gdude7397]

I'm looking forward to seeing how the Yuka app rates those Pinnacle meals, because almost everything on the market right now is utter crap - poisoned with chemicals and way too much cheap sodium.

[@damenjacobs]

What are you using for water filtration?

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@damenjacobs sawyer squeeze! Forever and always!

[@aw1008]

Did waymark go under, or was it bought out and called something else?

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@aw1008 went out of business

[@aw1008]

@@BackcountryExposure well damn, thats a bummer. Ive had my eye on the mile for a while now. Was gonna be a Christmas present. Now I wish I should of gotten it sooner.

[@dirtyrandy1120]

Im just a little weary about buying the kilosgear pad as i have not heard great things about their customer service

[@stevenpeterson8444]

surprised you’re not using Redmond’s Re-lyte, being out west. getcha some of that ancient Utah salt!

[@bradl2636]

Are you an 80%+ side sleeper?

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@bradl2636 yes I’m a side sleeper and back.

[@DerekMellottphoto]

*brought to you by Zenbivy

[@BackcountryExposure]

🙄🙄

[@HungAF]

Fr 😂 bro gave a recommendation to a $1,000 comforter with 1/2 a sheet.

[@christianmartel5247]

Aroud 1000$ in Canada the zen bivy is just for fancy bourgeois hikers

[@needtokeepwalking]

I'm going to say a pack brand that seems to have been banished from youtube reviewers knowledge or lack of sponsorship maybe. The opsrey exos 58 is my new gear of the year, I know it's not new but new to me. It's so bloody hot where I am, yes, australian break dancer here. But in all honesty I have tried light to ultralight packs and when you get heat rashes in winter with them, I'll give it a miss. The exos is the best hot weather pack I've been able to find.

[@BackcountryExposure]

I have had the Exos in the past. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my favorite. I’ve been looking at the Exos Pro, but it’s a bit large on capacity for most of my trips, in fact the REI flash is even a bit big for my personal backpacking needs. A 40L is a perfect sweet spot for me.

[@needtokeepwalking]

@BackcountryExposure I'm going to trust your experience here,I will see if I can get REI gear shipped australia. I want to say I agree with the pack size, 40 litres is perfect for a nice 2 or 3 day hike. So challenge. What's your pack of choice for your viewers who aren't able to shop at REI.

[@griftin]

I have an older version of the exos and I think it's far superior to the new one. I removed the brain immediately and I think the weight sits it right around 2 lb. it has very comfortable hip pads and pockets, and two top shoulder pockets for sunglasses or phones. it seems like they tried to go ultralight with that pack but when they updated it the weight was essentially the same and they removed a bunch of good features. I know later they had the exos air and wonder if they made it worse so they could make it better in the future? mine was the series that was black and green or blue and gray. I'm not sure the year, but I'm going to guess 2013, maybe 2015. Great pack though and I prefer it over most of my ultralight packs

[@Elloy90]

Still blows my mind on what people think is a budget item! Still love the thoughtful reviews!

[@BackcountryExposure]

I try to differentiate between value and budget as much as I can. Thanks for being here!

[@chrislesner]

@9:20 you put a quilt into a hammock yet if you climb on top you will compress it and lose the insulation value. When used with a hammock the quilt must go under and around hammock so it not compressed. With an ordinary quilt you can nest it around your hammock using a second hammock slightly underneath else you get yourself a hammock quilt to hang under you hammock. Your demo @9:20 makes it look you have no experience with use of hammocks in cold weather.

[@lyvynfree]

He doesn’t show himself getting in top of it. Maybe he’s using as a top quilt and has an additional UQ.

[@ZeberkoPoland]

a bit heavy this Rei flash 1275"kg"😉

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@ZeberkoPoland ahh nuts! That is mighty heavy! 😂

[@ego_sum_romeo]

What happened to waymark???????

[@BackcountryExposure]

Waymark went out of business.

[@ego_sum_romeo]

@@BackcountryExposurethey had the best packs. Love my 50 liter. The best.

[@paulmphoto]

I would bet most of the gear your reviewing is more expensive than your viewers can afford.

[@EZPrAnCs]

I'm poor as heck but camping gear/outdoor gear are the most expensive things I own because I do so much of it. If I can't afford some of it, I find a cheaper alternative or Chinese alternative. If you make 50+ thousand dollars a year and don't have kids......you should be able to afford these things

[@BackcountryExposure]

Eh possibly. I do share a lot of gear that’s affordable and great value.

[@dajo2824]

No. He starts with the flash 55. If you can’t afford that, you need to reconsider several things in life.

[@lapp2]

I got to be honest; would you supply the list of given equipment? I find it a bit strange, that KZbinrs surprisingly all switch "favorite gear" roughly at the same time...and all for the same gear?! Almost magical. You guys are about to ruin it. Watching this video, kinda start to show the cracks.

[@garycase1790]

You better start thinking about War in our land

[@kmichaelp4508]

It’s bound to happen sooner or later. And that’s sad that a few can destroy it in such a short time.

[@browsman2328]

That’s news to me, what are you talking about?

[@johncramer9564]

Well, I watched your video but honestly I am not really feeling it. I'm getting the vibe that a lot of the comments are due to the relationships with your sponsors, instead of genuine unbiased evaluations.

[@wayneeshelor639]

So much bs at the beginning

[@BackcountryExposure]

What is?

[@user-he8qc4mr4i]

Best gear, really! The Nemo Tenso  Extreme is way way better than those pads! It seems like you got paid by those companies to put them in your 2024 list

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@user-he8qc4mr4i did you miss the whole section at the beginning of me explaining that it’s not sponsored, no money was exchanged, etc? The Tensor is an awesome pad. I love the all season. But these two pads, for me, are more comfortable sleep than the tensor. I’ve said many times in various videos that I don’t feel the Tensor is as comfortable as it could be. At the end of the day, I’m just sharing my experience and opinion. You’re 100% entitled to your own experience, which may include liking other products more. Just don’t accuse or make assumptions that aren’t true because it doesn’t line up with your own opinion.

[@mikePNW]

Have you tried those two pads?

[@truepaulesko]

I also don't find the tensor comfortable. I very much prefer thermarest neo air. It's not so much wether a pad IS comfortable but how a person feels in it. This is a very personal matter imo.

[@benhazell470]

I’ve tried nemo and thermarest and don’t find either comfortable. Instead I like my sea to summit comfort light, not the most expensive or the thickest and only R3.5 but I’m a warm sleeper, combined with a closed cell Matt in winter it works perfectly for me, it’s not all about spending heaps of money. The amount of dimples means it supports you really well, even such a thin pad supports me as a side sleeper

[@jaunathang]

Says the guy who also suggests one very expensive pad...

[@goog01]

I’ve never understood where the trend of carrying a woven bag with no support system in the outdoors came from.