THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY TO MAKE... THE PIECE OF GEAR YOU MOST WISH FOR
When we think about the number of essentials required to set up a trail-ready, overnight backpacking kit, we can whittle the list down to 10 categories. If you could pick any one of them, which one do you wish could just be...different? What's this crucial bit of gear missing? What do you wish it/they could do that isn’t currently available? Place your vote and jump into the discussion to share your thoughts/million-dollar ideas!
THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY TO MAKE... THE PIECE OF GEAR YOU MOST WISH FOR 8 votes
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Comments
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Dying for a backpack design that I can fill my water bladder without having to remove it from my pack! It always feels like the biggest task when I have everything perfectly packed away....
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Sleeping Pads/Pillows
I've tried so many sleeping pad options — started with a closed-cell foam pad on the AT, but after a few weeks, it made my bone marrow ache (I didn't know it was possible for bones to ache so deeply) so I switched to a Sea to Summit Ultralight (16 oz). It worked well, but it was heavy. I then switched to a Thermarest Neoair Xlite Women's. It's got a super high R value and weighs about 11 oz, but as I continued to hack away at my base weight, that became too heavy, too. So then I tried a short Uberlite (6.6 ounces, awesome!) but after 1100 miles on that, I decided an extra 2oz for my legs is worth it, so now I'm on a regular Uberlite (8.8 oz). The weight is right, but it's so much longer than I need it to be! What I really want is an Uberlite sized between the S and the R, like the Neoair. I've got the Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad and I wish I were one of those people who could just sleep on that. My husband does, but he's insane.
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Sleeping Bags/Quilts
Sleeping Bags! I know the technology is always evolving and changing but why are quality down. light and packable sleeping bags SO damn expensive? Now, if there ever was an item worth spending the money on, I would always argue it to be your sleeping system, after all it should be guaranteed to be the only place your gonna be warm, dry and comfortable. I suppose if I were to make a suggestion on sleeping bags they would be the following two things:
- the zipper and the flap of fabric that prevents cold are from leaking into your bag always catch when zipping in at night. Nothing can be as frustrating as mucking around with the whatever your zipper caught on in the freezing cold dark. Fix that!
- I know Rab has recently come out with a bag that has a breathable goretex like layer over the top, especially around the toe box as moisture from breathing through the night general collects on the top of my bag and I rarely have enough time/ sunshine in the morning to dry it properly. But this should be standard on all high end bag models.
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Sleeping Pads/Pillows
I use a Feathered Friends Tanager and I absolutely love it. It’s ~ $350, has no zippers to get caught, stuffed with 1000+ fill down, and comes in at 16 ounces. I’ve used in it single digits and have been comfortable. It’s the best bag I’ve seen for the price by a long shot. My husband’s Western Mountaineering bag is double the weight and double the price for the same temperature rating.
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Tents/Shelters
I want a dyneema pyramid shelter that works for couples....the pole down the center gets in the way if you have a double sleeping pad and 2 person sleeping quilt.
I cant always hang the tent when in the desert.
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Locus Gear makes a dual trekking pole extender, they call it the DPTE, which allows you to set up a pyramid with the poles in an inverted V.
An example on an MLD duomid in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQRFfF5tIy4
I used to use this setup winter backpacking with my dog, it actually handles snowloading a little better than a single pole in addition to freeing up the interior space.
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Tents/Shelters
@snechemias thanks for the tip thats awesome piece of gear that I didn't know about! I wonder how well that would work with the HMG Pyramid tents!
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Multi-Tools
I would kill for a solution that would allow me to securely attach a camera that is already attached to a UL tripod to my pack strap. Even that little bit of extra effort of attaching the tripod after pulling the camera out means usually the camera gets sat on a rock/log and the framing isn't quite right.
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@tina Couldn't agree more. Luckily, the shorty pad works well for me when paired with a pack under my feet. That said, I've heard this is a technique that might work for your pad. Admittedly, I'm a little afraid to try it myself. If you go for it, I'd love to hear how it goes!
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I used to want to a better way to attach a camera chest pouch to my bag as I found carabiners would distort the looks on the shoulder straps and felt that over time they may come loose or break. However, have no found a better solution for this... :)
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Are you kidding? A super-strong totally silent, mostly invisible female-male always on duty, Master of martial arts, perfect day and night vision,
Bhudist Sherpa apparition. He-She can carry my load, puts up my tent, packs my gear, make my coffee, never go potty or snore, in fact, never sleeps, always watches; loyal; cook; never whistles or hungry; covers me up if I chill, has a clean Kleenex handy. Always knows the way, and vanishes when journey over. Got an extra?
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I wish for a POD that fits perfectly in the bottom of a Prism!
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