My Favorite Backpacking Gear: Non-Essentials I NEVER Leave Without

Thank you to Aquatabs for sponsoring this blog post! 

Of course there are plenty of items I never leave without. It should go without saying that I’m not leaving my sleeping bag or really any part of my sleep system at home, but these are items that maybe not everyone has as part of their essentials list, but are certainly part of mine.

When people ask, “what’s your favorite piece of gear?” these are some of the items that cross my mind. And ones that are coming with me on pretty much every single trip.

Some of these items have been with me for over 4 years and 5,000 miles of backpacking — if they’ve made it through that many lighter pack culls, you know they’re good. 

AQUATABS | 0.16 oz.

First up for gear that I am ALWAYS bringing with me are my trusty, ultralight packs of Aquatabs. This blog is sponsored by Aquatabs, and they are actually the inspiration for this list. They’re a piece of gear I take all the time but aren’t necessarily in everyone’s pack, and I genuinely think they should be. 

All you need is 1 tablet to treat up to 2 liters of water. And an entire pack, with 30 tablets, weighs 0.16 oz. So you could essentially treat water for over two weeks. As I’ve mentioned before, I REALLY like having them especially for sketchy water sources where I want to make sure I’m killing everything and not going to be dealing with a nasty stomach situation a few days later. 

Garmin InReach Mini | 3.5 oz. 

*I’ve linked the Inreach 2 since the mini is no longer being sold. 

The next piece of gear on my non-essential, but essential to me, is a satellite communicator. My satellite device of choice is a Garmin InReach mini. I like the mini because it’s 3.5 oz. and does all the things I need it to, which are: 1) send check-ins 2) send custom texts 3) check the weather and 4) access an SOS feature.

Those are the main features I would look for in any satellite device. Honestly, I don’t use much outside of those features. I have loaded waypoints into the garmin before for navigational purposes, but ended up using my phone and topo maps way more (but it is a nice backup feature to have). 

Also, keep in mind that most satellite devices also require a subscription service. I typically do the “Safety” plan from Garmin which is the most basic for ~$15/mo. It allows for unlimited preset check in messages and 10 custom text messages/month which is usually plenty for my needs. 

Personally, I have no reason to upgrade to the mini 2 at the moment, and I’ll probably keep this until it becomes obsolete or I somehow can upgrade to something even lighter.

I’ve heard the Zoleo is another good, more affordable option in this category, although it’s slightly heavier at 5.3 oz.

I haven’t tried the Garmin inReach messenger but I imagine that’s a good alternative as well.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a brand new satellite communicator, try looking for certified refurbished options. That’s how I got mine. It works perfectly and it was cheaper than a brand new one. 

Bug Net | 0.7 oz. 

The next item I will never leave for a backpacking trip without is my lovely little bug head net. 

*Cue my best infomercial impression* For less than 1 oz. of weight, you can save yourself HOURS of misery. Keep out the mosquitoes, gnats, and no-see-ums for just one easy payment of $14.95! 

Okay, but really…for the weight and cost, this is an absolute no-brainer. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve totally forgotten about my head net (it’s always shoved all the way in the bottom of my mesh because it’s so light and compact) when out of nowhere I’m being swarmed by whatever seasonal insect is terrorizing hikers. I remember, relieved, that I never take this out of my pack. I pull it out from the depths of my mesh and hike in relative peace for the remainder of any buggy afternoon.

This little mesh bag can turn a terrible hike into a bearable, and, dare I say, even enjoyable one. 

Trash Compactor Bags | 1 oz.?

*I’ve never weighed one…

Good ol’ trash compactor bags! This is always the very first thing I pack because I use it as a pack liner to all of my packs. Even the ones with water resistant materials. This is my insurance for making sure none of my gear gets wet from rain without having to carry a pack fly. Trash compactor bags can also be used as rain skirts and extra insulation on especially chilly nights, just be careful of condensation.

They’re super light, durable, and waterproof. I like the specific ones I linked below because they are white (which makes things inside your pack easier to see) and I’ve used them enough to know they’re actually pretty hard to put a hole in. 

Bandana | 1 oz. ?

*again, I’ve never weighed one…

Bandanas are one of my favorite multi-purpose backpacking items. I tend to use them more than buffs because I think they are ever so slightly more versatile — your mileage may vary.

I like to tie a bandana onto my backpack to use as an easily accessible snot rag, my sinuses flow a ton when I’m hiking which I think means they actually work really well to protect my nose from the dry air, but it’s really annoying. So, I like having a bandana on hand to clean up after snot rockets.

I also use a bandana to clean my cook pot (don’t worry, I USUALLY don’t use the same one I use for snot). I’ve also used it to cover the back of my neck by tucking it into a hat when I’m not wearing a sun hoody.

It’s also great to clean up small amounts of water or as an emergency towel after you let yourself drip dry for a bit at the trailer park shower.

DJI Osmo Pocket 2 | 4.1 oz.

This next item is something that maybe won’t apply to everyone, but if you have ANY interest at all in filming your hikes, even if just for your own memories — I LOVE this little camera. I was turned on to the DJI Osmo Pocket by Elina Osborne whose videos I absolutely love, and this little camera is so versatile and perfect for thru-hiking. 

It’s super easy to pull this out when there’s a nice view without even stopping to set it up. It has an internal gimbal, which means it can partially stabilize the shot so it isn’t shaking all over the place while you continue to hike. 

I also like that it has separate memory and battery from your phone, so you don’t have to worry about keeping a ton of space for 4k videos or running down your phone battery in between towns.

Garmin Instinct Solar Watch | worn

I am admittedly not a tech-y person. But if you like tracking your days on trail and maybe want to avoid checking your maps every 5 minutes to see how far you’ve gone, I highly recommend a sports watch. 

Personally, I have the Garmin Instinct Solar and have really really loved it. 

I use it to track all my hiking days, and I tracked the ENTIRE CDT with it. 

Because it’s solar, I find that it lasts for about two full days of tracking before needing a charge (and that’s without me being super diligent about sticking it in the sun to charge on breaks). 

If you aren’t using it to track full days, the battery can last for weeks. 

Full transparency, I signed up for the Amazon credit card to get a $200 gift card and bought the watch that way if you don’t feel like spending a bunch. 

Mini Bamboo Brush | 1.3 oz.

This mini bamboo brush has made many appearances in my gear lineups throughout the years, and it belongs in this one as well. 

I have fine hair that gets tangled really easily and combs are kind of a nightmare (although a good lightweight hair maintenance option for others).

I love this mini bamboo brush because it’s super light and has lasted for YEARS. It makes managing my hair on thru-hikes so much easier. 

LeukoTape | 0.13 oz. (mini roll) Mini rolls & Regular 

Another frequently lauded item in my setup — Luekotape! The tape that can do anything. I think it’s more effective than just about anything at sticking to skin, which makes it great for patching up blisters and hot spots. You have to be CAREFUL with it though, because what makes it so good — it’s ability to stick to skin — can also make it dangerous. If you peel it off too soon or on a weaker area of skin (a blister) it can pull the skin off too. So, place it with caution and maybe leave it for a few days before you try to take it off.

It’s also a great gear repair tape because of its adhesive abilities.

I like to get the mini rolls from litesmith to take backpacking because storing the big rolls can be kind of a pain while backpacking. 1) it’s more tape than you probably will need 2) if it gets smashed the adhesive can sort of leak out and 3) I don’t think rerolling it yourself is as effective.

Mini Swiss Army Knife | 0.7 oz.

I picked up this mini swiss army knife with scissors kind of on a whim at Two Foot Adventures in Julian on the PCT and it has been with me ever since. At just 0.7 oz, it’s versatile, useful, and a permanent staple in my first aid kit (and sometimes even branches out into being part of my kitchen setup).

I use the mini-knife to cut cheese, the mini scissors to cut LeukoTape (and strings and whatever else comes up). The tweezers admittedly aren’t great but can work on some things and the toothpick is also a nice-to-have for random occasions of needing to poke at things in small places. 

Nitecore Head Lamp | 1 oz. 

I will tell anyone who will listen about this little Nitecore headlamp. I’ve had this exact one since the PCT in 2019 and it’s still going strong. It’s incredibly bright and just 1 oz. It’s also rechargeable which I highly prefer to battery powered headlamps. This headlamp has single handedly made me way more comfortable with night hiking and it has a red light too which is great for camp. The red light even has two brightness settings which is nice depending on how close you are to other people while you’re in camp. 

I hope sharing these items provided a little insight into some of my absolute favorite backpacking gear and helps you prep for your next trip! I’d love to hear about some of your favorite backpacking gear in the comments or any questions you have for me!