This is my complete Lightweight Hiking Gear list. This gear list enables me to hike almost anywhere in the world in anything but the most extreme of weather. In the last 3 years I have hiked almost 13000km (8075miles) and feel very comfortable about my gear. I carry all this gear with me as I cycle around the world. Fortunately the same gear for hiking also works well as my adventure cycling gear.
Click here to read about all my hikes
My Lightweight hiking Gear list base weight is normally around 6kg (13lb), but in very cold weather that weight can increase to around 9kg (20lb), specially if I am carrying snowshoes and winter clothing. My selection of gear does not put me in the ultralight range but my gear is both lightweight, strong and dual purpose. Not all the gear listed is carried with me on every hike, but it is a list of all the gear I carry with me as I Cycle and Hike the worlds most amazing places.
Note:- Most of these items have been very well used by me and I’m in the process of updating my gear. Check back in a couple of months to see what has changed.
Table of Contents
Lightweight Hiking Gear List
Shelter + Pack + Sleep System
- Nemo Hornet 2 Person Tent– 910 gram.
- Osprey Packs Exos 48– 900 grams (minus the brain lid).
- Nemo Nocturne 15F / -9C Down Sleeping Bag = 1060 grams.
- Thermarest Neo Air – 350 Grams
- Nemo Elite Pillow– 78 Grams
- Sea to Summit Stuff Sack – 78 grams
- Pack Liner/Garbage bag – 60 Grams.
Related Posts:
Best Lightweight Tents
Best Lightweight Backpacks
Best Lightweight Sleeping Bags and Quilts
Best Lightweight Sleeping Pads
Best Lightweight Pillows
Footware
- Vasque Breeze III GTX Shoes with custom orthotics – 982 grams.
- Darn Tough Merino Wool Socks 48 grams x 3
Related Posts:
Best Lightweight Hiking Boots
Best Lightweight Hiking Shoes
Best Trail Running Shoes for Thru Hiking
Clothing
- Outdoor Research Filament Hooded Jacket – 281 grams.
- PrAna Stretch Zion Convertible Pants – 430 grams.
- Smartwool Base Layer Pants – 150 grams
- Smartwool LS Shirt– 255 grams.
- Reebok unpadded Cycle Shorts – 85 grams.
- Merino Wool Midweight Balaclava – 60 grams
- No name running shorts – 100grams
- Nike Short Sleeve Running Shirt – 150 grams
- Gloves – 65 grams
- PCT Sunhat 55 grams – A great lightweight sunhat
- Sunglasses – 50 grams
Related Posts:
Best Down Jackets
Best Down Pants
Raingear for Hiking
- Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket – 180 Grams
- Outdoor Research Helium Pants – 153 Grams
- Six Moon Design Hiking Umbrella – 227 grams
Related Posts:
Best Lightweight Rain Jackets
Best Backpacking Rain Pants
Winter Hiking Gear and Trekking Poles
- Leki Micro Vario Carbon Trekking Poles 413 grams (pair)
- Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe with Grip = 485 grams
- Kahtoola MICROspikes = 340 grams
- Petzl – TIKKA Headlamp = 85 grams
Related Posts:
Best Ultralight Trekking Poles
Cooking and Water Treatment
- Evernew Ti DX Stove Titanium 86 Grams.
- Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium Cookset with homemade aluminum foil lid 114 Grams.
- Sea To Summit X-Mug – 78 grams
- Titanium Spoon 12 Grams
- Gerber STL 2.0 Knife 28 Grams
- Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System 85 Grams
- Steripen rechargable– 140 grams
- Katadyn Micropur Water Purifier Tabs 20 Grams.
- 2 x Platypus Bottle 2-Litre 72 Grams
- Nalgene Water Bottle 1 litre – 178 grams
- Bic Lighter – 20 Grams – A necessary item, obviously.
- 600ml Coke Bottle to store alcohol for stove – 27 grams
Related Posts:
Best Backpacking Stoves
Best Backpacking Cookware
Best Backpacking Water Filters
Best Water Bottle with Filter
Cameras and Electronics
- Samsung S9 Plus+ headphones + cable 114 grams.
- Sony RX100 + spare battery + case + spare memory card – 299Grams.
- GoPro Hero 8 – 117 grams.
- PETZL Tikka Headlamp – 82 grams
- Anker 20000mAh battery pack – 354 grams.
- Anker 24W Dual USB Wall Charger + Cables 65 grams.
Related Posts:
Best Lightweight Backpacking Headlamps
First Aid and Misc
- Plastic zip lock bags
- Money / ID / Credit Cards
- Blister pads
- Strapping Tape
- Giardia anti-biotic
- Foot infection anti-biotic
- Ibuprofen
- tweezers
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste
- Safety Pin
- Needle
- Deet insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Lip Balm
- Toilet tissue
Total 13oz / 375 grams
The Best Thru Hiking Trails in the World?
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking the Appalchian Trail
Hiking the Continental Divide Trail
Te Araroa Trail
Thanks for all the great resources and inspiration! I noticed you switched to a Samsung from the iPhone. Any reason for the change? Also why go with an unlocked phone? As for your stove, what would you take on the PCT now?
Thanks,
Mary
Hi Mary, I switched to Samsung due to the cheaper price for a better quality product a couple of years ago, specially the camera which was much better than iPhone. However, a couple of weeks ago I switched back to iPhone when I got the opportunity to purchase a near new phone at a great price. As for stoves for the PCT, I love the Jetboils. They are popular on the PCT as they are very fuel efficient and boil water very quickly. If you are only boiling water then any of them are great, if you are cooking or simmering meals then get any of the Jetboils ending in mo, such as the MiniMo is best. The flame is variable on any of the mo models. Hope that makes sense. I’ll be writing a review on stoves in the coming months but at the moment, I think Jetboil is best for the PCT.
I look forward to your review on stoves. Sounds like canister over alcohol would be your choice nowadays. I have my older Soto micro regulator but heard good things about the newest jetboil.
Probably going to stick with my iPhone but could use an upgrade. Will research battery issues/ life on various models. Thanks!
Hi Brad,
Seems we’re on similar paths, though you’re way ahead ;-) or I’m a little more free-form …
Enjoying some of the insight and intel.
Wondering if I should return the favor and blog so others can learn from these humble experiences as well. So far it simply seemed too time consuming. Uploading daily gps-tracks and selecting/sharing from several hundred daily photos with families and friends usually take all the remaining time in the evenings and often more, resulting in many a shorter-than-healthy night and time spent the next day in some WiFi hotspot and/or recharge place. Time not spent on having more great moments out, biking/hiking/meeting.
I similarly saved up enough to continue this cheapskate lifestyle indefinitely, so far didn’t want to spend time on generating travel income with blogging, reviews, etc.
That said, it might be a motivation: could you indicate (or if its private send me a PM) how much income you generate from ads, from affiliate links, from free gear and other sponsoring, from donations, etc.
I’ll let you know when it seems our paths might cross. Currently taking a break in California, starting to bike to Patagonia sometime this winter.
Cheers!
Sorry for the slow response, I’ve been taking an extended break from Blogging and Social Media, time to recharge the batteries.Starting a blog is a personal thing and maybe question your motivation. For me it was easy. I wanted to give back and combine a story of my travels with information that would assist others who might want to do the same. Often I didn’t want to due to fatigue or wanting to chat with people late into the night rather than write. But I enjoy the creative process so it was an easy decision.
Over the years the writing and photos turned the blog into something that made a small income. Ads, affiliate links and some free gear has not been enough to call an income. It is enough to offset the cost of running the blog but not enough to live off. There are many times it could have been better spending more time biking, hiking or socialising but no regrets from me. There is always the opportunity to take a break away from the blog as I have the last couple of months. Now my motivation and inspiration has returned and I’ll be doing more writing soon which might lead to more income to live off in the future. Might see you on the roads and trails one day. Take Care.
On your hiking gear list, I noticed the pack weight comment indicates it is without the lid. Do you detach the lid/ prefer not to hike with it? Is this to reduce overall weight? Do you pack a pack cover? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, I detach the lid because I don’t really want to use it. Just a personal preference, the result is it saves weight. I have a pack cover but I rarely use it, only if I’m heading into some really rainy weather.
Hi Brad,
Been enjoying your blog for a while and really liked this list, especially as we’re both looking for new (lighter) backpacks!
We nominated you for the “Sunshine Blogger Award” if you’re at all interested – we kinda had fun with it. Details here: https://gonefloatabout.com/2017/01/16/sunshine-blogger-award/ Be fun to read your responses if you decide to do it, but no worries if not!
Cheers!
Thanks Ellen and Seth. I plan to buy a sailing vessel after I have finished hiking and cycling the world. I was actually looking at cruising forums when your comment came through. I’ll have fun looking at your journey on your site.
Wonderful! We love sailing (obviously… ) – both cruising and the sailing itself. Hope you enjoy our site and if you have any questions about boats, routes, preparations, etc. feel free to ask!
nice! have you heard of richard jones convertible backpacks?
I looked at them, great idea. A great compromise for many hikers and cyclists but I couldn’t see myself hiking with them for 2000+ miles.
Great list! Thank you for sharing. I’ve been meaning to ask you how your feet are holding up. Hope you are doing well!
Thanks Heather. The feet are getting better week by week. The plantar fasciitis is all but gone. In about 14 weeks I’ll be hiking the Appalachian Trail, it should be perfect by then.