I’ve been using the same camping and hiking gear for a really long time. Now that I’m expanding my experiences, and hoping to do my first through hike next spring, I’ve been focusing on upgrading to more lightweight and durable gear. Here are some of my recent purchases that I tested out this past weekend on my camping trip at Palmetto State Park.

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1. Gregory Jade 63 Backpacking Backpack

I didn’t previously have a backpacking backpack so this wasn’t really an upgrade, just a necessary purchase. The Gregory Jade 63 isn’t ultralight weight, but it weighs in at only about 4lbs, which is light enough for the hiking I have planned.

Pros:

• I was carrying 25.5 lbs in 95-degree weather for about 4 miles and didn’t have any uncomfortable rubbing or pulling on my shoulders, hips, or waist.
• It’s easy to pack and unpack because of the U-shaped zip access to the pack.
• There are a lot of pockets for easy separation, a bungee sunglass holder on the shoulder strap, and enough cinch cables to hold hiking poles and a camera tripod externally.
• It’s reservoir-compatible. I carried 3L this weekend.
• It comes with a rainfly that fits perfectly over and is easy to put on.

Cons:

• It doesn’t stand up on its own. It has to be leaning on something or it’ll fall over.
• The hip belt pockets are not big enough for a cell phone.
• It’s an adjustable pack, but adjusting it isn’t easy because it’s Velcro. Being that it’s Velcro, you could easily make the pack uneven by accidentally velcroing one side too high or too low in comparison to the other side.

2. Tame Lands Sleeping Pad

Sleeping pads are one of the things I’ve always had trouble finding. I haven’t done any backpacking in the last couple of years, so I’ve gotten accustomed to having my air mattress when I travel, but with the upcoming trip planning, I will need a sleeping pad.

Pros:

• Great size. I am 5’2″ and 125lbs and had no trouble fitting on it even while side sleeping.
• Easy to blow up. It took about 6-8 big breaths to completely fill.
• Lightweight at only 1.1lbs
• Comes with its own carrying case.

Cons:

• It makes a terrible crinkle sound when you move around. I move a lot in my sleep so this was very noticeable.

3. Columbia Newton Ridge Hiking Boot

I bought my first pair of hiking boots back in 2012 and this is the boot I purchased. Those boots hiked hours and hours through all kinds of terrains and lasted me until earlier this year, 2023 when I had to finally change them out and get new ones. I purchased the exact same boot in a different color and will stick with this boot as long as I possibly can.

Pros:

• Affordability. These boots range from $75-$100 throughout the year. You can often catch them on sale.
• Instant comfort. There is hardly any time needed to “break” these boots in.
• Water resistant. As far as boots go these are pretty good at being water resistant. I’ve worn them for days out in the rain and walked through puddles (that didn’t go over the ankle obviously) and my feet stayed dry. I cannot comment on wading through higher waters.
• They come in over 10 different color combinations.
• They weigh less than 2lbs (size 6w)
• Over 20,000 Amazon reviewers have rated them 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Cons:

• I genuinely cannot think of a single one.

4. Darn Tough Women’s Hiker Micro-crew Midweight Hiking Socks

I’ve watched an immeasurable amount of hiking videos on YouTube throughout my life and Darn Tough socks have always been a constant among the hiking community. I’ve put off purchasing a pair for a long time because they’re not cheap socks, but now that I’ve bought them, I won’t be going back to any other brand/sock I’ve tried out in the past. They’re 100% worth the price.

Pros:

• Made in the USA (I’m always an advocate for purchasing local (or domestic at least) whenever I can.
• Merino Wool for thermoregulation, moisture wicking, and odor blocking.
• Great fit and overall comfort in boot and in my camp slides
• Unconditionally Guaranteed for Life! <– This is huge. Darn Tough believes in their products and guarantees they’ll last. If they don’t last, they’ll replace them for you.

Cons:

• Cost. I have a hard time putting this here as a con because they are expensive at first, but with the lifelong guarantee and the durability of these socks, I don’t think it’s really a con.

5. Trailbuddy Trekking Poles

I’ve never really been the trekking poles kind of hiker as I’ve mostly hiked flat trails that are well-defined, but I have some trail plans coming up that will include rocky terrains and potentially wet, muddy routes so I decided I should invest in some trekking poles to get me through. I’m also not getting any younger so I need to focus on protecting these knees!

Pros:

• Comfort. The hand grips on these poles are made of cork which is both comfortable to hold on to for long periods as well as moisture-wicking so your hands aren’t slipping in the rain or due to sweaty palms.
• Ease of use. To be honest, I didn’t figure out how to use these on my own. I failed, failed, and then read the instructions, but once I read the instructions, I was able to get them put together in seconds. (probably should have started there, but we all know how that goes).
• Durability. At this point I haven’t tested them out on any harsh terrains, but they feel very durable. They’re made out of aircraft-grade aluminum so I feel confident in their ability to hold up to whatever trek I may embark on.

Cons:

Not a con of the item itself, but I’ve realized I really don’t like hiking with trekking poles. I know they’ll benefit me on some hikes, but I just don’t like having things in my hands all the time. I like to take photos and use my hands to grab my water straw and just have my hands free-willy-nilly by my sides. Having these poles with me for the first time felt uncomfortable and I’ll have to get used to them.

• The cost varies on color, which is annoying. I ended up buying yellow ones because they were the cheapest option, but I don’t really like yellow. There was a $12 difference among color options which I felt to be absurd.
• The bag that comes with the poles for storage seems inconvenient. It has a backpack-type strap vs. a drawstring closure. As I’m backpacking, my poles are most likely going to be strapped via some kind of bungee to the outside of my pack so a drawstring top closure bag would be more beneficial as the backpack strap got in the way of the other straps on my bag and I can’t imagine a time I’ll be carrying the poles the way the strap is intended, backpack style.

6. Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System

This is probably the best investment I’ve made in all my hiking gear. I love the Sawyer Squeeze.

Pros:

• Incredibly lightweight. Weighing in at only 3.2oz this water filtration system is a gem.
• Ease of use. You simply fill the dirty water bag up, twist the sawyer on top like a bottlecap, and squeeze the water through to another bottle or straight into your mouth.
• It works! <– the most important thing right?! I filtered some pretty gross pond water through here on my trip and it came out crystal clear.
• The storage bag is convenient, small, and easily packable.

Cons:

• None at all so far. We’ll see how long the bags and filter last and I’ll have to update you later on that one.

7. Sea to Summit Alpha Cookset 2.1

I had been borrowing a cookset from a friend for quite some time and when I returned it, I didn’t have much time to look around, read reviews, and make an informed decision on the cookset I was going to buy. I just hopped online, found one with good reviews, and went with it. Sea to Summit is a trusted brand so I figured I was good.

Overall, the cookset worked well for camping, not convinced on the backpacking field yet. I’d still like to eventually purchase a Jetboil Flash for backpacking, but I haven’t been able to take that financial leap just yet.

Pros:

• Very light. Just 1.12 lbs altogether. Typically I travel alone and I pack light so I only use 1 bowl and usually leave the cups and the other bowl at home for even lighter weight.
• Easy to use. The handle folds off of the top of the pot to the side and there’s a latch to clip it into place for stability.

Cons:

Not necessarily a con yet, as I haven’t tried, but by looking at the pot, I don’t think I’d be able to insert a propane tank in it for storage when I’m traveling with a small propane tank.

• A bit pricey for what you get. Knowing the cups and bowls are both plastic, it doesn’t come with utensils, a $75 price tag on a pot seems a bit outrageous. With more research, I’m sure I could have found a more affordable set that has just as much value.

8. Jetboil Jetset 3 Piece Utensil Set

I actually got this set from work, it was part of a giveaway and it’s actually exactly what I needed.

Pros:

• Weight. The three-piece set only weighs 1.2oz which is incredible.
• Fit. These items all fit inside my cookset, which is what I wanted.
• Easy to use. They have a little button-like thing you push and you pull the handle out to extend and it snaps into place. Easy. Peasy.

Cons:

Not a con yet, but as these are so lightweight, they are a little flimsy, so I don’t know how durable or long-lasting they’ll be. For the first use, I was impressed and they met expectations, we’ll have to wait and see on long-time use.

9. Nemo Women’s Disco 30 Sleeping Bag

I’ve had a super heavy 50-degree sleeping bag for as long as I can remember and I’ve not upgraded because there are just so many options I get overwhelmed. I was also shocked at the price tag of sleeping bags when I started looking so I said NOPE I’ll work with what I’ve got.

However, I want to start getting into some longer backpacking trips and my sleeping bag just won’t work for that so I finally did some research, looked at a LOT of YouTubers and bloggers that I follow to see what gear they use and I finally decided on this one.

Pros:

• Weight. This bag weighs in at just 2.3 lbs and comes with its own compression stuff sack.
• Super fluffy. Despite packing down small in its stuff sack, it rolls out thick and fluffy.
• Roomy. I’m a side sleeper, but I also just move around a lot so having a bag that isn’t super constricting was really important.
• Nemo, as a company is dedicated to sustainability and they are transparent about ways in which they are making an impact, which is something I can get behind.

Cons:

None so far. I was worried about the fabric getting caught in the zipper and tearing because it feels so thin, but the way they have their zippers made won’t allow for that and I’m impressed.

10. BONUS- Tent Fan

I live in Texas, and it gets HOT here. I asked for a tent fan for Christmas last year and my bf came through with this gem. I’ve used it to circulate air while car camping as well as tent camping. It’s not small enough for backpacking, but it’s great for general camping. This wasn’t a new product I tested out, but it got me through this past weekend when it was 85-95 degrees!

Pros:

• Noise. Even on full blast, this fan is quiet so not to disturb neighbor campers.
• Power. I typically travel alone, but this fan gives off more than enough wind to keep me cool in the car or tent even on the hottest nights.
• Battery life. Although not the BEST, this fan has a pretty good battery life. It’ll definitely get you through a whole night of constant use and then some. For something running at full speed, without being plugged in, one night is about all I can ask for.

Cons:

This isn’t a con of the product itself, but, if I didn’t have a tent fan and was searching for one, I’d consider purchasing one that has solar charging. There’s been a few times I’ve brought this fan camping, ran it for a night, and realized on night two, I forgot the charger (which differs from my iPhone, headlamp, and watch chargers). This has made for a couple of hot nights I wasn’t hoping for.