Undeniably THE BEST Backpacking Gear TODAY!

[@annonone93]

i bought that trowel on Amazon, and the guy gave me a hand written note. I felt so special (knowing full well everyone gets the same note) lol; it's the little things.

[@ACiDGRiM]

"Hope you poop clean, enjoy"

[@terryelam7010]

If i were to buy another Enlightened Equipment quilt, it would be the Enigma. I bought a Revelation and discovered that i like having a closed foot box. It was a great starter quilt. On sale, it fit the budget.

[@crowonthepowerlines]

I would be interested to see what the results would be if you surveyed people who work in the outdoors professionally. Guides and outdoor educators often spend more days in the field each year than many people will in their lives. They may also help you find gear which is more appropriate for expedition type travel in remote areas that require a different approach with more robust and field repairable gear.

[@techguy9023]

Getting sales data from Garage Grown Gear appears suspect

[@exyou-fd7eu]

been upgrading my gear lately and I have 4 of the things already on the list, probably thanks to this channel. i

[@armourbl]

I'm not a thru-hiker, and I love my Revelation quilt.

[@sk-wx1cf]

I enjoy your data-oriented videos. I have tried so many of these items. I have the Duplex and an Enigma quilt. I wanted to love the Gossamer Gear Mariposa and was very excited when I finally got one, only to find it absolutely did not fit for me. I've had 3 Thermodrops and they're very unreliable and very slow to respond to changes in temperature. Didn't like the BRS -- too small; I prefer the Soto Amicus. My CNOC always leaked around the threads and the closure but I used it anyway and finally got a new one because they're so easy to fill. My preferred filter is the Platypus Quickdraw.

[@Stoitism]

Tried my friends neoair and didnt like it at all. Ended up with an Exped Ultra 5r wide, which is heavier but its a little warmer at r4.8 and so comfy with the full length baffles. I absolutely love it.

[@tanvach]

The trick to get revelation quilt foot box not to feel cold is to 1. Cinch the foot box closed and have the shock cords go inside the quilt 2. Bundle the seam that has the shock cord and pull that inside, maybe by 2-3 inches. 3. Wrap the shock cord around the bundle to keep it from unraveling. The seam where the shock cord cinches down has little down. The foot box is now as warm as my enigma quilt.

[@Get_Some_Nature]

I thruhiked the PCT this year with a Hyperlite 3400 southwest. It caused shoulder pain/ache every day no matter how I adjusted it. I used a ULA Ohm 2.0 for my AT thruhike and didn't have any issues. I just purchased a ULA Ultra Circuit a few days ago from ULA's black friday sale. I'm going to seam seal the inside of the pack before using it. I'll still use a trash compactor bag as a pack liner.

[@techguy9023]

Use what you like and works for you. I only section but my Exos is hard to beat. Tried a ULA and just didn’t like it.

[@lt2246]

Nice video. As a senior citizen on a fixed budget it would be nice if you could do a list of reasonably priced, light weight, good quality gear. For example best tent under $200/ under 3 lbs; best backpack under $250 / under 3 lbs; and best sleep system (mat under $150 and quilt under $175?) I am in my 70’s and lightweight affordable gear would be great.

[@CN-zi7cr]

Paria Bryce tent, REI flash 55 backpack, REI helix sleeping mat, Paria thermodown quilt.

[@invaderjoshua6280]

This isn't exactly to your budget, but this would be a good list for close to your budget... Tent: Nemo Hornet Ultralight (not elite) $280 Pack: Vargo Exoti Bog Backpack $299 (You can put whatever ultralight drybag you want in this, plus with the titanium frame you can carry a lot more, more comfortably.) Sleeping Bag: Nemo Disco Endless Promise Long $198 (Most quilts in your price range are terrible, this bag offers good turning room and has vents to increase your temp range buts while being good to 15f.) Sleeping Pad: Nemo Tensor All Season Ultralight Long Wide $172 Extra Pad: Nemo Switchback $60 (I would highly suggest a foam pad for warmer days, or to extend your inflatable pad out to a lower temp. Plus it works as a quick deploy sitting pad)

[@timmo971]

There’s a new contender for best headlight I’ve seen recently to challenge the Nitecore NU 25. From Flextail and it’s 600 lumens. Haven’t got one (yet) but it looks the goods.

[@jahb0b420]

The thing I think people should remember is how these videos/influencer's are a big reason for popularity of certain items. One mention of an item and all of the sudden everyone has it...even if its not the best. Kinda why Zpacks and Durstons are so popular....and Zenbivy...etc.

[@maxkraus7063]

true

[@Orange_Tang]

Durston gear is so popular because for the price it's incredibly good value. That and Dan is super active in all the ultralight and backpacking forums and stands by his gear. I won't act like it's not more popular because of some social media boosting, but of all the cottage companies I think Durston gear is the most organically popular through word of mouth. I don't disagree a lot of other stuff is popular because of coverage though. There is almost no reason to buy EE quilts or HMG packs anymore, there are cheaper and better options for both and they have both been riding off name recognition for years now. HMG also gets the boost by being the only real UL pack available at REI.

[@xungnham1388]

Even the survey list itself creates an echo chamber effect. There are people who choose the gear they do because they start their search from the survey.

[@Gitgudm9]

Same thing with EE. There are a number of cottage brands out there that make better quilts for comparable prices - Katabatic, Nunatak, Hammock Gear, just to name a few. It's also fairly well-known that EE's temp ratings are more for limit than comfort, their quilts lack a lot of important features like differential cut and edge tension control, which competitors do have.

[@Orange_Tang]

@Gitgudm9 Yup. EE even added to their description that they recommend buying 10 degrees lower than the temp rating. No one should buy their stuff, it's among the most expensive if not the most when you look at the actual down weights. Their baffle system is worse than most of the competition too and allows the down to migrate between the baffles over time. I went with hammock gear and waited for a sale. Very high quality quilts and were customized to exactly how I wanted it. And the temp rating was dead on for me, if not warmer than advertised.

[@alexwbanks70]

Nitecore now has the Original NU25 but with a USB-C. Its called the NU20. I do have both the Original NU25 and the newer NU25, but still want to get the NU20, lol. I actually emailed Nitecore in the past as I'm sure a lot of others have as well, to suggest they have come out with the original design but with the USB-C port. Then I went and lost my Original NU25, so I bought the newer version. I've been a little disappointed in the newer one. Well, I found my original tucked in the footbox of a quilt like a year after i lost it.

[@tarekith]

NU 20 Classic

[@mikesalasek3603]

Z-pac has been around a lot longer than the Durston Xmid so this is subjective. As for thru-hikers being pros I find that to be a stretch. I have been backpacking over 55 yrs. While I have done thru-hikes PCT, JMT, CT, Tahoe Rim Trail and 90% of the CDT, I consider myself a backpacker. I use different gear for each.

[@eric55406]

Yeah I had the same thought. I don't personally own any Zpacks tents but I really liked the Durston Xmid design and I'm happy with my Xmid.

[@zacharylaschober]

the other limitation is most thru hikers I know have done one, or rather a few sections of one, and any knowledge sharing is often about particular circumstances which would've adjusted gear for in hindsight. However, would say this probably is the closest hiking gets past the recreational category, this or content creators or the manufacturers themselves. It is worth mentioning as a useful data point, but it is not a decisive one by any stretch.

[@KrizAkoni]

The new NU20 headlamp is most like the old NU25. I see this becoming a best seller. Solid list!

[@ISuckatHiking]

The AT thru hiker survey you used was 2023 data the 2024 hasn't been released. I seen 0 Gossamer Gear backpacks on trail.

[@ACiDGRiM]

I had two nb 1000 batterie banks fail in less than a year. Cant believe they are "the best"

[@Get_Some_Nature]

Video suggest: can you research adding boiling water to a freezer bag? As a double crown thruhiker, I've seen other hikers eating out of freezer bags and definitely though it was unsafe. Does boiling water release micro plastic into backpacking meals when eating from a freezer ziplock bag?

[@MyLifeOutdoors]

I can look into that. I would need to know what I’m looking for. Microplastics for sure, but are there any other chemicals that get released?

[@Get_Some_Nature]

@MyLifeOutdoors yes a chemical lab analysis of the boiling water once it's added to the freezer bag would be great to see what the bag released into it, if anything. Is it safe or not?

[@DubTDub]

Awesome!!! Would there be a clothing review? Shoes/boots, jackets, hoodies??? Might be too much now that I think about it. But I’m sure there’s some interesting items. Maybe? Love your channel!

[@davidcooper8390]

Thanks for the great round-up Steven. I think the only head scratcher is the Therm-a-rest Xlite NXT. I get the warmth to weight ratio argument, but it just isn't that comfortable of a pad.

[@eric55406]

"Best" is subjective, as always.

[@Direction.origin]

Love and appiciate your research skills man! Much Love from sweden 🔥.

[@sethwhite4155]

Bought the NB10000 and didn't like it. The plastic is very brittle so if you drop it, it is more likely to shatter. I had to throw mine away after dropping it on granite once. Don't want it possibly exploding if you drop it. Edit: Other heavier options I've used have a different plastic that seem less brittle.

[@daranadine7711]

Accidentally the earliest I might’ve ever been for any video

[@shawnbrennan7526]

Confirmation bias is a thing, so it’s incredibly important to buy what works for you. This is a nice start though.

[@Chrizatch]

HI there, great reviews! What is your drinking tube setup that works with the lifewater bottles? Thanks,

[@JustinOutdoors]

#TeamEnigma

[@CombatBanana]

Popular does not = best; almost everyone who has tried both EE and Katabatic quilts prefers Katabatic. Marketing has a huge effect on gear popularity. New innovative gear is also at a disadvantage compared to tried and true gear. The Nitecore NU25 in this video has actually been sort of replaced by the new NU 20 Classic which is lighter and can run for much longer, similar to the original.

[@freespeech7747]

Undeniably

[@completelyrandom8150]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@Orange_Tang]

EE is definitely not the best quilt available on the market. They have been riding off their name recognition for years now and are one of the only cottage venders to use a survival temp rating rather than a comfort rating on their advertised temperature ratings. They say it's in between survival and comfort, but it's not. They are more expensive than much of their competition too, especially when you consider you need to buy a much lower temp rated bag compared to other brand. My personal quilts are all hammockgear, they are custom made in the US, have a better baffling system to stop down migration over time (which is a known issue with EE quilts), and if you wait for one of their many sales end up being basically the cheapest option out there among the US based cottage venders. Hammock Gear has 25% off sales at least once a quarter so I see no reason not to just wait for one. There is even a 20% off sale right now, same as EE, but the HG burrow 20 degree is cheaper right now than any of the EE 20 degree quilts, and they are actually comfort rated at 20. EE's own temp rating details say they recommend buying a quilt 10 degrees under what temp you need it rated to. I'm really not a fan.

[@josher887]

4:52 Ngl I’m not a committed viewer I only watch 1/3 of your uploaded videos I’ve only ever hiked with trail infrastructure once, but I’m considering buying the peak design hiking bags with their new outdoor line, might be of interest to you as a hiking gear connoisseur.

[@ericb40380]

I've been looking for a new trowel. I had the deuce of spades. Bought a Bogler and while I do the the design, I find it to be too flimsy in dirt with a lot of roots, etc.

[@RandomCryptoHodler]

Just eat cold or dry food. Those stoves weigh too much. But that's just me. But you could just get go and start a fire in a no burn zone to cook your food.

[@techguy9023]

Caldera cone is a very efficient alcohol stove that weighs grams. Very wind resistant design.

[@RandomCryptoHodler]

@techguy9023 nice. I just like my food cold. I'll check it out. If it seems good I'll show some people.

[@Riomojo]

What is your opinion on the Yeti Panga 100? I bought one and absolutely love it but it is completely different from all my other standard camping backpacks.

[@CDL_Gaming]

So just out of curiosity, what ended up being the most popular trekking pole? Seems like between the Durston and Zpacks tents people like buying trekking pole tents, but what trekking poles are they using to prop them up?

[@kerrywilliams8100]

Having just done a section of New Zealand’s Te Araroa, I can say that the most popular tent is far and away the Xmid from Durston gears.what you are showing here isn’t ’The Best Gear’ just the most popular. One persons best gear is another persons worst.

[@ArtificialDjDAGX]

NGL, Southwest seems like the better deal compared to the Mariposa

[@outdoorgearguy6823]

Make filtering water great again 😅

[@ajprabhu]

Anyone know what sweater he is wearing?

[@TheCosmicGuy0111]

Neat

[@ĐặngÁiNhihi]

Each video is a fascinating journey into the world of knowledge and new ideas. Thank you for your hard work!🏙‍♀️🌷

[@jaggster]

Is it just me or are none of the gear links in the description working (except the backpack one for some reason)?

[@MyLifeOutdoors]

I just double checked the links and they are all working for me. 🤷‍♂️

[@jaggster]

@@MyLifeOutdoors I guess if no one else is complaining, it must be a problem on my end. Sorry for the distraction. Love your content!

[@johnmccarron]

Is this in America ????????

[@MatthewOnAMissionFromGod]

Where do you think it would be?

[@NBM397]

most popular is not the same as best. "Lowest common denominator", despite high prices.

[@eastkyoutdoorstuff1983]

First view yay

[@MNmostly]

Not meaning to trigger a debate, but for those like me who carry one, the most popular chair has to be the Helinox Chair Zero?

[@MyLifeOutdoors]

I agree. But it wasn’t on any of the lists I looked at.

[@jbradkilpatrick]

Best and most popular are two different things. Being the most popular doesn’t mean it’s the best. Items get popular for a variety of reasons.

[@Slidtesko]

Naaah- popular doesn't equal the best...

[@gareth449]

Why are they called Quilts instead of sleeping bags ?

[@MyLifeOutdoors]

A quilt lays over the top and is open underneath more like a blanket. A sleeping bag zips up and wraps all the way around. Quilts use your sleeping pads insulation to keep you warm underneath, weigh less, and a lot of people (myself included) think they are more comfortable and less restrictive than a sleeping bag.

[@eastkyoutdoorstuff1983]

Hell a poor painter get some gear brother lol

[@Wakeup314]

It’s the Indian not the arrow. An old saying that still rings true. The majority of people don’t have the money for all that stuff. You’re paying for the brand name for almost everything shown here. Do a little research and you’ll find all the same stuff for half the price and unless you care about some hiking snobs criticism about your gear then in the end you can do everything the overpriced hiker can do and still go out to eat after.

[@rishijoshi7127]

Outside the zpacks tent these were all pretty cheap items if bought on sale.

[@Yeagizzo]

You sound bitter

[@itsallthesametome]

Cnoc. Listen, it's pronounced 'crock', not 'cnock'. The word is Scots Gaelic, it means hill, like the picture on the bag. Crock. With a 'r'. I know, it makes no sense, but neither does English, so..........crock.

[@invaderjoshua6280]

Ultralight gear looks so flimsy. I will never understand why people don't look for backpacks with better frames first before going ultralight. Kifaru has a carbon fiber frame that's universal among all their packs and its awesome, and Vargo makes a cool titanium frame system that works with any drybag. With a good frame you can make 40lbs feel like your carrying 15-20lbs in an ultralight crappy frame or frameless bag.

[@AlejandroRodriguez-nr2bk]

First comment and Like!

[@mrjones8256]

I dont garagegrowngear i bought a hoodie didnt like the color sent it straight back and they refused to take it back cause they said smelled like smoke 👎👎

[@JavierFlores-tt7tp]

This channel has become an advertising agency. Nothing but "gear" or equipment related stuff. I have 40+ years of experience in the outdoors and never used the kind if "gear" you talk about. I cannot find comparison between the rucksack you talk about and almost any Deuter, Salewa or Lowe's rucksack. I enjoyed the Pando video very much (excapt advertisements) but I am beginning to get tired of your advertising channel.

[@AnnaLinhnh-j2p]

Thank you for your hard work and diligence. Your videos are true art.🛞🍧🔹