Just finished a 2-day hike and camp in Northern MI. Here's my gear list and lessons learned. Curious what you would add/change, as well since I'm relatively new to hammock camping and backpacking.
Just got back from a 2-day, 18 mile trek in northern MI at the Jordan River Pathway and thought I'd share my gear list and lessons learned for reference and for some input from others on what else could be added/modified or what you all like to bring. The trip was great - We parked our car, hiked 8 miles to a campsite, set up for the night, then hiked 10 miles back on a different part of the trail the next day.
Picture of Gear and Full List:
Shelter:
- Eno Double Nest
- Slap Straps
- Guardian Bug Net
- ProFly Rain Fly
- Paracord (50' with 25' backup)
- 4 Tent Stakes for Rain Fly
Sleeping:
- Columbia Reactor Sleeping Bag
- Backpacking Pillow similar to this one, couldn't find the exact link
- Therm-a-Rest Ridge Rest Sleeping Pad
Food/Drinks:
- Breakfast: 2x Mountain House Breakfast Skillets
- Snacks: 1x Beef Jerky, 1x Bacon Jerky, 1 bag Freeze Dried Veggies, 2x Quest Bars, 2x fruit squeezy packs, and 1 pack of Trail Mix
- Dinners: 2x Backpacker's Pantry Meals
- Flask: Whiskey (not pictured)
- Nalgene water bottle (not pictured)
- Platypus 2L Water Bladder
- Starbucks Via Instant Coffee
Miscellaneous Gear (Not everything is pictured):
- Compass
- Shovel + TP
- 2 trail maps - 1 in my pack, 1 left on the dashboard of my car with our route highlighted
- Ecoxgear Bluetooth Speaker + 10,000 mAh battery pack
- Hiking Boots
- Backpacking Chair
- Knife
- Dude Wipes / Wet Wipes
- Head Lamp and backup mini flashlight
- Deodorant, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Contact Solution/Case
- Long sleeve shirt, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair pants, flip flops, rain jacket, short sleeve shirt, 2x boxers, 2x hiking socks
- Miir Coffee Tumbler
Brought by my backpacking buddy:
Lessons Learned/Things I'd Change:
- Will likely be buying a new hammock if I go on a trip any more than 2 nights. The Eno is fine for short trips, but found it hard to stay comfortable and would like something that allows me to be a little more flat (5'11" 190lb male)
- Probably overpacked clothes - I think I would have been fine with 1 change of outfit, I felt the need to pack a backup just in case and I never touched it
- Our average pace was ~1.75 mph, including stops and I think ~7 miles in was when we started to really get tired and feet started to hurt.
- Bluetooth speaker was probably unnecessary - added a lot of weight and we rarely used it except when we were around the campfire at night
- I would add Sock Liners next year - my feet were pretty sweaty and not in good shape at the end of the trip
- Be more conscious of pack weight. As a relatively athletic guy, I wasn't very concerned and probably way overpacked and regretted it by Day 2.
- Pack more efficiently. I felt like I was digging through my entire bag any time I needed anything. Possibly organize with Stuff Sacks
Some Miscellaneous Pics:
Posted Aug 29, 2016, 11:02 PM UTC
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