Backpacking Essentials

Three people wearing backpacking packs walk down a trail lined in ferns.

Backpacking Essentials Of 2024

Let us guide you to a comfortable backcountry camping experience.

Researching backpacking gear can sometimes feel like bushwhacking through willow thickets with no clear trail in sight. That’s why we made this guide. Our Gearhead® Experts have chosen their top picks in each category to give you some landmarks you can use to orienteer through your gear decisions.

Picking The Best Gear

We’ve chosen backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads that prioritize comfort, function, and weight evenly.

What We Look For In A Pack

If you (like us) are looking for an all-around pack for most 3-season backpacking, we recommend choosing one between 55 and 65 liters that weighs between 2 and 4lbs. This will offer the best balance of weight and capacity.

Packs 70 liters and larger are often reserved for winter trips or other multiday multisport adventures like packrafting. Folks with small and dialed kits may get away with ultralight packs 40-liters or smaller.

Many features are subjective, but we tend to agree on a few. Our Gearheads like packs with adjustable torso lengths and hip belts to ensure all-day comfort when carrying heavy loads. We also like having some external storage pockets for water bottles and snacks.

Best Backpack For Backpacking

A woman wears a fully loaded brown backpacking pack. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, adjustable torso & hip belt.

Granite Gear Blaze 60L Backpack

Have your cake-flavored protein bar & eat it too. The 60L, 3lb, 100% comfortable spec used to be just a dream, now it’s a signifier that a pack is simply well-rounded. Side pockets and compression straps offer versatile packing solutions. And with an adjustable torso and hip belt the Granite Gear Blaze 60L Backpack fits most bodies well.

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How We Choose Our Sleeping Bag

We choose sleeping bags based on our body sizes and the temperatures in which we plan to sleep. Sleeping bag temperature ratings sometimes refer to survival, so we prefer to rely instead on fill weights when comparing sleeping bags. A 20-degree bag with 16oz of 850-fill down (like the Western Mountaineering Ultralight below) will be warmer than a 20-degree bag with 13oz of 850-fill down, for example. Check the specs!

20- or 15-degree bags are what we choose for all-around three-season use.
30-degree bags are great for general summer use.
Bags rated for 0 or –15 degrees are ideal for winter.

We recommend bags filled with down for backpacking because of their amazing warmth-to-weight ratios. A quality down bag will be light, pack small, and last more than 20 years. Bags in the 650-fill range offer a good balance of warmth and weight at a reasonable price point. Fill ratings of 850 or higher offer the very best warmth to rate ratios.

Everyone is shaped differently, but fortunately for us, sleeping bags come in a wide range of lengths and widths. Pay close attention to sleeping bag dimensions to find a bag that fits you just right. If you are narrow, for example, look for a bag with a narrow shoulder girth (59” or less). You may be unable to heat up all the air space around your body in a too-wide sleeping bag. The same principle applies to sleeping bag length, too.

Best Sleeping Bag For Backpacking

A very poofy blue sleeping bag. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, conservative 20F rating with 16oz of 850+ down.

Western Mountaineering Megalite 30 Sleeping Bag

The Megalite is our summer adventure bag of choice. It’s warm enough for frosty mornings at 11,000 feet but can also be unzipped for warmer nights. It has a total weight of 24oz in a size regular, and it’s packed with 12oz of 850+ down. That means half of this bag is down! If you’re a little broader in the shoulders or just prefer some wiggle room, you might love this bag’s wide 64” shoulder girth.

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How We Choose Our Sleeping Pad

A sleeping pad’s primary function is comfort, but comfort isn’t just about cushiness, it’s about toastiness, too. A pad’s R-value will indicate its warmth: we choose pads with higher numbers when we know the ground is going to be chilly.

The two main types of sleeping pads are foam and inflatable. Foam pads are durable, light, and inexpensive, but a little bulky. We opt for inflatable pads when we’re after a bit more comfort and warmth. They are much pricier than foam pads, however. We gravitate towards pads weighing between 12 and 20oz for backpacking because they will give us the best balance of weight, warmth, and durability.

Best Sleeping Pad For Backpacking

Someone has blown up an orange sleeping pad and they are preparing to put it in a tent. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, 3.1 r-value & 16.9oz total weight.

Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated Sleeping Pad

If you haven’t yet slept on a 3.5-inch-thick sleeping pad, we recommend you remedy that ASAP. With an R-value of 4.3 the Zoom UL Insulated Sleeping Pad has more than enough warmth for any summer backpacking trip and can even be pushed into spring or fall. This pad weighs only 15oz in a size regular, which we find truly impressive considering the thickness and comfort it delivers.

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What We Look For In Tents

The two primary categories of backpacking shelters are hub and pole and non-freestanding. With hub and pole tents, the tent body and rain fly are supported by a dedicated poleset. This sort of tent is fully or mostly freestanding and easy to pitch.

Most 2-person hub and pole tents weigh between 2 and 4lbs. Our top pick, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 is an example of an outstanding dome-shaped hub and pole tent. Reasons we pick this sort of shelter? Ease of set up, double-wall protection, and handy features like pockets.

Non-freestanding shelters rely on trekking poles to set up, and due to their lack of poles and extra features, are often less than 2lbs. Some categories of non-freestanding shelters are flat tarps, shaped tarps, and pyramid tarps. Flat tarps are simple rectangles that can be fashioned into various shelter shapes but require a lot skill to pitch well. Shaped tarps can only be pitched in one shape, and often offer 3-sided protection. Pyramid tarps are easy to pitch and offer 4-sided protection. The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 4 is an example of a pyramid-shaped non-freestanding tarp shelter. We like the modularity of non-freestanding shelters. For example, we can save weight by carrying only the tarp when bugs aren’t a concern.

Best Tent For Backpacking

A woman puts on her shoes in the door of a red tent. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, only 3lbs 4oz.

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2

Topping best-tent lists everywhere, the Copper Spur HV UL2 makes a prominent appearance on our list too, and for good reason. It provides admirable storm-worthiness and hang-out comfort all while still weighing only 3lbs 4oz. If you split that between yourself and a partner, that’s only about 1.5lbs apiece!

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Kitchen

Furnish your wilderkitchen with these stoves, cookware, food and water storage, and water filtration system picks.

How We Choose A Stove

The two main types of stoves are liquid fuel and canister. Liquid fuel stoves like the MSR WhisperLite International Multi-Fuel Stove perform at just about all elevations and in extreme temperatures. Burning both white gas and other liquid fuels, these stoves require some maintenance, but if properly maintained, can last decades.

Canister fuel stoves are more popular because they require no maintenance and are extremely easy to use. Simply screw the stove onto the isobutane propane canister and fire it up.

We can then break down canister stoves into a couple other categories: integrated and non-integrated. Integrated stoves like our top pick, the Jetboil Flash Stove, snap right onto the pot. Heat exchange fins or flux rings surrounding the burner block wind and capture and transfer heat into the pot, making these stoves impressively efficient.

Most integrated stoves can only boil water, while non-integrated stoves have the ability to simmer. An example of a versatile and ultralight backpacking stove that will give you the ability to make a slow-cooked wildermeal is the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove.

Best Stove For Backpacking

A man puts the lid on a pot on top of a stove. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, boiles 1/2liter in 100 seconds.

Jetboil Flash Stove

This is our favorite efficient, fast all-in-one stove & pot combo. Weight isn’t always just about the brute heft of an item (although this stove and pot combo is absurdly light at 13.1oz), it’s also about efficiency. Boiling a half liter of water in just 100 seconds, the Jetboil Flash Stove keeps our packs light by helping us carry less overall fuel.

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How We Pick A Cookset

If your stove is non-integrated you will want to find the perfect cookset to match it.

The solo backpackers among us generally opt for pots between 550 and 1000ml. The 900ml MSR Titan Titanium Kettle is the ideal volume for boiling water for freeze dried meals or constructing a gourmet meal for one.

If you’re sharing (possibly large and complex) meals with a partner, choose a pot between 1000 and 2000ml like our top pick below.

And don’t forget your spork! Most of us don’t need more than just a spork or spoon for digging freeze-dried meals out of bags.

Best Cookset For Backpacking

A shiny metal pot. Text overlay reads: Gearhead top pick, 47oz capacity for partnered cooking.

Snow Peak Trek 1400 Titanium Cookset

Sometimes freeze-dried just won’t cut it. Weighing only 7.4oz and holding a 47oz capacity, the voluminous, v-light, and versatile Snowpeak Trek 1400 Titanium Cookset is our go-to for preparing wildergourmet with a partner. The lid doubles as a frying pan so you can sear a trout fillet for dinner while making rice pilaf in the pot. (Just an idea).

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How We Choose A Water Purifier

We always purify all water when backpacking to stave off protozoa, bacteria, and other nasty water-borne pathogens. There are three main types of water purification filter systems: pump, gravity, and bottle.

Pump filters require pushing in a handle to draw water through a filter and into your containers. Due to their weight and the exertion they require, they are not as popular as they used to be, but they’re still widely trusted because they are reliable.

Fill a large bag from a creek, hang it on a tree, and let gravity pull the water through a filter and into your containers. Gravity systems are ideal for groups trips when you have to purify large amounts of water at a time.

We love bottle filters because they are light, reliable, long-lasting, and inexpensive. Scoop water into the integrated bottle, screw on the filter lid, and drink as you walk!

Bring water purification drops or tablets if you expect particularly silty, filter-clogging water or just want backup for peace of mind.

Best Water Purification For Backpacking

A man beside a creek wearing a pack puts a bottle back together after filling it with water. Text overlay reads: Gearhead top pick, flow rate of 10 seconds per 16.9 fl oz.

Grayl UltraPress Purifier Bottle

Potable snowmelt at the ready. Whenever we step over a stream or discover another lake, we simply scoop dirty water into the bottle, screw on the filter lid, and then keep walking, sipping happily as we go. What else do we like? The bottle’s 16.9oz capacity is ideal for hydrating between water sources, and the 12.5oz total weight is nothing considering how durable it is.

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Apparel

Smart layering is not just important for hiking comfort, it’s also key to keeping your pack light.

How We Choose Backpacking Jackets

Along with our hiking and sleep clothes, we always take a rain jacket, midlayer, and puffy on backpacking trips.

Rain jackets are essential for safety. They keep us dry while hiking or in camp and also block windchill on breezy passes. We choose rain jackets between 6 and 16oz.

On chillier trips we wear an active midlayer such as fleece that weighs between 5 and 15oz. It keeps our temp regulated even when we’re pushing hard, and when worn under a rain jacket, it keeps us warm even in a drizzle.

When it’s chilly at night or in the morning (it often is) we want a warm layer to slip into. We almost never go backpacking without a lightweight (6–16oz) insulation layer such as down puffy jacket.

Top Men’s Jacket For Backpacking

A man zips up a jacket as the golden sun sets behind him. Text overlay reads: Gearhead top pick, only 9.2oz in a size medium.

Backcountry Runoff 2.5L Jacket

Smart ventilation in a small package. We designed the PFC-free Runoff 2.5L Jacket with breathability in mind. Instead of relying solely on the air permeability of the fabric, we added mechanical vents on the sides, front, and lower back, because if your perspiration can escape as you hike, you’ll stay drier in mountain downpours.

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Top Women’s Jacket For Backpacking

A woman wears a bright yellow-green jacket. Text overlay reads: Gearhead top pick, only 6.22oz in a size small.

Backcountry MTN Air

We can’t overstate the usefulness of the Backcountry MTN Air for backpacking. The Pertex Quantum Air fabric blocks cold wind while creating a stable microclimate against our skin, so we can throw it on for the final push to the summit or even wear it all day when backpacking in chillier weather.

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How We Choose Backpacking Pants & Shorts

We look for backpacking pants that are lightweight, typically between 5 and 16oz. Our pants often get wet, so we look for ones made of quick-drying materials such as polyester. Backpacking is a rugged endeavor, and our pants often bear the brunt of the thrashing, so we consider durability, too.

Comfort is subjective but there are a few main things we Gearheads always consider. We prefer narrower pants because they don’t swoosh together as we walk and won’t snag on brush. We also recommend pants with low profile waistbands that sit either above or below the pack’s hipbelt to prevent hip-gouging pressure points.

If the weather is warm, there’s no harm in throwing in a lightweight pair of shorts to make hot hiking days more comfortable.

Top Men’s Shorts For Backpacking

A man carries a loaded backpack and wears blue shorts. Text overlay reads: Gearhead top pick, UPF 50+ fabric.

Men’s Free Fly Breeze 8in Short

Cool legs, cool miles. There may be frost in the morning, but by noon, delayering is in order. When we backpack through hot sunny days we like to wear this breathable, quick-drying short. With an 8-inch length and a UPF 50+ rating, this short keeps our thighs safe (and cool) under that brutal high elevation sun.

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Top Women’s Short For Backpacking

A person wearing cargo shorts, fun socks, and leather boots walks on a trail. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, swoosh-proof cinchable cuffs.

Backcountry Women’s Wasatch Ripstop 5in Short

Summer is about here, so it’s time to closet the cargo pants and reinstate the shorts! The Wasatch Ripstop 5in Short is ready for anything and in it for the long haul. It’s built with an emphasis on movement, so it’ll remain comfortable all day long on those 100-mile trips. And it’s constructed out of a tear-resistant fabric so you’ll be able to do multiple long trips or maybe even take it on a thru hike.

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Footwear

Some prefer supportive boots while others choose light and nimble shoes for backpacking. We’ve got tons of excellent options in both categories right here.

How We Choose Backpacking Footwear

We choose backpacking footwear based on the particular needs of our feet, the amount of weight we’ll be carrying, and the types of terrain through which we will be walking.

If our ankles have been prone to rolling or if our pack is guaranteed to be hefty and unwieldy, we opt for supportive mid- or full-height footwear such as our top picks below. If we’ve never had ankle issues or if our pack is light enough that we can move swiftly down the trail, we often reach instead for lightweight, low top footwear such as trail runners.

For most three-season backpacking we look for non-waterproof footwear that will drain well and dry quickly. If we’re getting after it early in the spring or late in the fall when the days are cold and there could be snow at higher elevations, we hike in waterproof footwear.

Your footwear is where the rubber hits the trail, so it’s got to be comfortable. If you are near one of our stores, please stop by! Our Gearheads would love to help you fit your perfect backpacking shoe.

Top Men’s Shoe For Backpacking

A man wearing new boots squats on a trail. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, secure heel & roomy toe fits most feet.

Salomon Men’s X Ultra 4 Mid GTX Hiking Shoe

Pack-hauling support of a mid-height boot paired with the trail runner-like weight of only 14oz. The X Ultra 4 Mid shoe is constructed with a GORE-TEX membrane, so it’s ideal for shoulder season backcountry camping when there’s still a bit of snow at higher elevations. It’s super secure in the heel and roomy in the toe for comfort without heel lift, mile after mile.

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Top Women’s Boot For Backpacking

A person walks on a trail wearing pink and leathery boots. Text overlay reads: Gearhead Top Pick, sneaker-like weight of 12.5oz.

Merrell Women’s Speed Solo Mid WP Hiking Boot

Merrell figured out how to make a fun-looking, sneaker-like boot in an eco-conscious way, and we love it. While the Speed Solo Mid WP Hiking Boot has ankle support, it doesn’t inhibit the boot’s lightweight feel, so we can crush mile after mile wearing a full pack in any terrain.

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