Backpacking Gear I’ll NEVER Carry Again And WHY
My OG PCT gear layout (some of this never even made it on the trail) ft. my old roommate’s dog!
Inspired by my rants on some of my favorite backpacking gear, today I want to talk about some of the backpacking gear that I will NEVER carry again. Consider this a thru-hiking de-influencing of sorts.
Of course there are many, many items that I will never carry on a backpacking trip, so to narrow the focus for today’s blog, we are going to focus on the word “again” and only talk about items I have previously had the misfortune of carrying for many many miles. Because, let’s be real, there are probably MILLIONS of pieces of backpacking gear I will never carry, EVER.
I feel like I got pretty lucky with my initial research for building my gear list for the PCT back in 2019 (so this list isn’t as wild as it could be). But I’ve definitely learned my lesson on several pieces of gear in the past 4+ years and over 5,000 miles so I thought I’d share some of what I learned.
Subpar Rain Gear:
First up on this list is subpar rain gear. This includes the jackets that are “weather resistant” that for some reason get thrown around on lots of backpacking gear lists, looking at you, OR helium!
A lot of these super light rain jackets are really designed for wind and light drizzles, which makes them appealing from a weight saving perspective, but they aren’t going to help you much in a true downpour. I think people get duped into carrying them JUST because they’re light, not because they’re actually functional for a thru-hike.
I would recommend making sure the rain jackets you are looking at are actually WATER resistant, not just WEATHER resistant (tricky language).
For me, this list of unacceptable rain jackets also includes the UL frog toggs. I know that I sang frogg togg praises for years (and I still think they’re a good cheap solution for a dry, desert trai), but if you are going to encounter any real rain, or require any real level of durability, the UL frog toggs just aren’t it. I replaced mine 3 times on the PCT which I didn’t mind (because again, they are cheap) but from a sustainability perspective, I’ve moved on to investing in rain gear that will last me for an entire thru-hike and then some.
I do still like the frog togg java toad pants which are more durable than their UL line.
If you’re wondering what I use instead? The Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket and Frogg Togg Java Toad 2.5 rain pants.
Sawyer Mini:
The next item I’m never bringing backpacking again is the Sawyer mini. I get why it exists, and I LOVE Sawyer and I LOVE my Sawyer Squeeze, but the mini just ain’t worth it for me.
I started the PCT with a Sawyer Mini and I struggled at so many water sources getting just a little trickle out of the filter I bought because I thought lighter was always better. Turns out, the extra 1 oz. of the Sawyer Squeeze is totally worth the YEARS of your life you will save with a better flow rate.
My Sawyer Mini poking out of my pack at mile 100 of the PCT.
Battery Powered Headlamps:
Another item I started the PCT with in 2019 that I won’t be taking on any other trips, is a battery powered headlamp. While I struggled with the brightness and settings on that particular Black Diamond headlamp, I probably won’t be giving any other battery powered ones a shot any time soon either. I’m already carrying a battery pack for my phone and the weight of extra batteries isn’t worth it for me when rechargeable ones are so much lighter and work even better.
The Nitecore nu25 headlamp is the 1 oz. wonder that totally changed my perspective on this matter.
Camp Cup:
The more I backpack, the more I enjoy a good multi-purpose item. Unfortunately, a camp cup just seems very redundant to me. Why use a cup when you have a perfectly good pot? I know there are answers to this, they just aren’t convincing enough to me.
A camp cup fulfills one very specific purpose, having a separate container for drinking liquids, that I don’t care enough about to make it worth carrying. What I would put in a camp cup I can just as easily put in a water bottle or my pot.
Duct Tape:
In my eager preparation for my first ever backpacking trips, I remember wrapping duct tape around my trekking pole handles. I felt so prepared for my future self, who would inevitably need that duct tape for some very important and ingenious repair.
After wrapping it around my poles, I never touched it again.
Honestly, there are just too many other tape options that are better for backpacking. I’d turn to LeukoTape or Tenacious tape before duct tape for just about everything.
The BRS 300t stove:
The cheap, UL stove that everyone seems to either hate or love. Personally, the quality of the ones I’ve tried have never lived up to the hype. I think this follows a similar line of thinking for me as the frogg toggs. Sure, it’s super light and super cheap, but at what eventual cost? I think it’s kind of hit or miss what kind of quality you receive. On the first one I tried, the valve broke which meant once I lit the flame, I had to unscrew the stove to get it to stop — not ideal. Josh (my fiance) had the prongs of his warp and melt from the heat. I’ve also heard from people who have had theirs last for over two thru-hikes. I guess if you have one that works, hold on to it. But I wouldn’t be able to justify buying several in order to eventually get one that works.
Instead, I carry the soto windmaster with the triflex pot support.
Wireless Headphones:
This will likely be an unpopular take, but I don’t think I’ll ever thru-hike with wireless headphones again. It’s just another thing to keep track of and charge, and maybe because I carry my camera stuff it just has become too much. Plus, if I’m wearing wired headphones, I know right away when my phone falls out of my fanny pack while hiking.
Deet:
This is the only one I fear I might eventually change my tune on. If you’ve encountered mid-July mosquitoes in certain parts of the country, you understand my hesitancy to do away with Deet completely. BUT, I do think I’ve perfected my bug protection to a point where I can finally say goodbye to the toxic, gear-melting substance that is 100% deet.
Between treating my clothes with Sawyer Premethrin, carrying Picaridin, and my handy dandy bug head net, I survived peak snow melt in the Wind River Range on the CDT sans-deet.
I would love to never put it in my pack again, and I don’t think I’ll have to if I stay up to date on treating my clothes.
Those are just a few of the backpacking gear items I’ve carried in the past and don’t ever plan to pack again. I’d love to hear your experience with any gear items you’ve come to a similar conclusion on, and please leave any questions you have for me in the comments!