I’m looking more at the gear, clothing, and techniques Joan and I have used. These items seem to skew more toward our camping, with a mix of military surplus favorites we use for backpacking.
Part 3 of an ongoing series looking at gear, techniques, and related Joan and I still use over the years.
- Beater Puffy: First used – 2005, First mentioned – 2014, Used by – Both of us.
A bulky, warm, and thick-shelled puffy jacket works very well for cold-weather car camping. Find an old “vintage” one in a thrift store or eBay, size it up for layering, and enjoy the warmth.
Joan with her L.L. Bean “guide jacket” circa 2005 or so?
- Montbell Thermwarp: First used – 2006, First mentioned – 2021, Used by – Both of us.
It is a long-time favorite for cooler and damp conditions. Extremely comfortable and a jacket, we both grab more than we realize. I’ll use this jacket if I should do another long hike back East or in the PNW. It is also what I take for rafting-centered trips.
I’m a little sleepy before my morning coffee!
- Guide Gear Winter Sleeping Bag: First used – 2007, First mentioned – 2014, Used by – Both of us.
Warm and affordable, if bulk, it is a long-time favorite for colder-weather camping.
The welcome mat makes a practical item. “Live, laugh, love?” Every house needs a tchotchke!
- Frogg Toggs: First used – 2007, First mentioned – 2015, Used by – Both of us.
Light, inexpensive, about as durable as heavy tissue paper, and fits like a flexible box, but it works. It does not wet out and vents surprisingly well due to the said shape.
As I wrote on Reddit –
| I feel like it doesn’t even matter every jacket has some issue
You have achieved Zen enlightenment, which most backpackers take years to achieve.
I am not shitting you.
In a magical universe I’d love Frogg Toggs with pit zips that lasted for regular use.
I also wish I was tall, handsome, and independently middle-class, but instead, I’m short-ish, look like a reject from a 1990s mob movie, and watch my salary have less and less purchasing power with each passing year.
Cheers.
- M65 liner pants: First used – 2008, First mentioned – 2015, Used by – Both of us.
There are lighter puffy pant options, but these military items are a winner because of their versatility, durability, and ease of fitting over footwear and other clothing layers. We also use them for colder weather camping. And you can’t beat the sub-$20 price.
I’d get down pants if I did exclusively cold weather backpacking (vs the cold weather camping mixed in, even on backpacking trips). But I’ve had the same pair since 2008…duct tape and all.
Joan also loves these pants and converted many of her student interns (outdoor-focused job) onto them. At first, these interns get skeptical of these “ugly army pants,” as one person put it. But when they borrow our spare pairs, see how warm they are and how cheap they order many of their own!
- Military style BDU or “tactical” pants: First used – 2008, First mentioned – 2016, Used by – me
I like the military-style cargo pants made of a 65/35 polycotton blend for trail work. They come in solid colors to help mitigate the tacticool look. They work well with reinforced knees, heavier fabric, and pockets when building fences, hauling rocks, and mucking about in the brush. The LAPG brand for under $40 is an excellent bang for the buck.
- Contigo coffee mug: First used – 2009, First mentioned – 2015, Used by – me
I run on caffeine. Preferably copious amounts of black coffee. And I drink it out of a battered Contigo mug. It keeps things hot, does not spill, and does not have an obnoxious logo on it (LOOKING AT YOU YETI !!!!!)
- Bison Belt: First used – 2009, First mentioned – 2024, Used by – me
A $25 item that works well, lasts long, has no futz, and gets made in the USA as a bonus. It’s a belt. It holds up my pants. It works.
- Poncho liner (woobie): First used – 2010, First mentioned – 2019, Used by – Both of us.
Another helpful item for around camp is an adjunct for colder weather camping, and something “borrowed” by people joining us for some of their first camps in this area. You can find them used on eBay for under $30.
- Mesh lined wind Pants: First used – 2010, First mentioned – 2016, Used by – Both of us,
Old school wind pants with a mesh liner work very well for cold and dry conditions, whether by biking around town or ski touring. Mesh layers seem the rage again in certain circles, and it’s the same concept with these lined pants, which I still rock many years later. These older-style wind pants seem a bit obscure now, but these $25 ones from Amazon fit the bill. I also like them for camping, and I can put them over my shorts during the summer when I need some extra warmth.
- Windbreaker Anorak: First used – 2010, First mentioned – 2016, Used by – Both of us,
I do not like wind shirts vs. some of my backpacking peers for three-season conditions, as I get too hot and find them clammy. However, a windbreaker anorak is extremely useful for cold and dry conditions, particularly while skiing. It has lots of ventilation, is durable enough for tree skiing, and is less hot than a hard shell. Amazon still sells the same ~$30 version I’ve used for over a decade.
Wearing a simple anorak with the equally simple windpants mentioned above. PCO Andrew Skurka.
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Part three in a series of articles consisting of longer-term reviews of some gear we’ve used over the years and still use today.
You can read all the articles currently published.
Stay tuned for more articles in the weeks (months?) ahead.