(coming soon!) Best Backpacking Packs for Tweens

(coming soon!) Best Sleeping Bags for Tweens

(coming soon!) Best backpacking headlamps

(coming soon!) Choosing a Stove Type

(coming soon!) Best Integrated Canister Stoves

(coming soon!) First Aid Kit Contents

Gregory Wander 70 Youth Pack: A really nice pack for between child and adult.  When adult packs have too big of a waist or back, this is perfect.  If 70L is too much, the Gregory Wander 50 Youth Pack is a good alternative.

56.1 oz (1590 g)

REI Co-op Radiant 20 Sleeping Bag: Water repellent duck down, light, small, and warm.

34 oz (964 g)

Therm-a-rest Z Lite SOL Small: Questionable tween decision making means indestructible pad. Great to sit on over rocks at night. If you get the regular size, you can cut sections off for other uses (or to save grams).

Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp 

Jacob Bromwell 28 oz Stainless Steel Mug: My oldest decided to upgrade to a simple thin-walled stainless steel mug just like Dad.

REI Passage 38 Kids Pack: I’ve had 2 of these packs passed down through 3 kids. They have been reliable, light, and adorable when their little legs are the only things you can see.

35.3 oz (1000 g)

Lafuma GR +35 Junior Sleeping Bag (no longer available for sale)

21.2 oz (602 g)

Therm-a-rest Z Lite SOL Small: Indestructible to handle whatever they do in that tent when I’m not there. Great to sit on over rocks at night. If you get the regular size, you can cut sections off for other uses (or to save grams).

Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp 

GSI Outdoors Infinity Mug/Bowl

Generic school backpack: Nothing fancy needed here. Just put something in there to make them proud to be a part of the adventure.

Kelty Rectangular bag: do you know how much kids move around when they sleep? Yeah. Don’t worry, your child will probably end up outside the sleeping bag and sweating while you are mummied up in your bag.

Thermarest Zlite SOL Small: Indestructible to handle whatever they do in that tent when I’m not there. Great to sit on over rocks at night. If you get the regular size, you can cut sections off for other uses (or to save grams).

Black Diamond Headlamp: I’m actually not sure what model we use. It was cheap, but Black Diamond. Yes, he always shines it in my eyes. I recommend something not super bright for your safety.

GSI Outdoors Infinity Mug/Bowl

REI Flash 65 Pack: 3.6 pounds is not the lightest pack, but it’s a lot better than the 6.2 pounds of its predecessor! This fits the bear can well, and has just the right organizational features to keep me happy.  This works when I can spread the load enough (thanks kids!) to not need more space.

58 oz (1644 g)

Feathered Friends Swallow 20F UL: I am a cold sleeper, so I’ve invested in something that keeps me warm. Coupled with some good strategies to stay warm, I plan to sleep well outdoors. This is my favorite piece of backpacking gear.

30.8 oz (874 g)

Klymit Insulated Static V: I used this for awhile, then switched to the REI Stratus below when I found an air leak. Thanks to Klymit’s great warranty service, this is back in my lineup.

23.1 oz (656 g)

Princeton Tec Remix Pro:  Simple operation that starts at a dim setting, but has super bright options as well. Non-standard battery, but you can get a rechargeable version.

Jacob Bromwell 28 oz Stainless Steel Mug: Simple, indestructible, light, and now with a nice patina that says I didn’t just stop at REI on my way to the trailhead.

Bear Vault BV500: Many of the places I camp require bear cans.  Even when it isn’t required, I still bring it. Jump to this post to see why.

41 oz (1162 g)

Sea to Summit 14L eVent Dry Bag: A solid dry bag that I use to stuff and compress my sleeping bag.

5.2 oz (148 g)

MSR AutoFlow Gravity Filter Kit: Fast filtering, very easy to fill from lakes and ponds.  Not the greatest for shallow streams, but still workable.

12.0 oz (339 g)

MSR Dromlite 2L Clean Water Bag: When paired with the filter kit above, I can carry 6L of water (2L clean, 4L dirty) from a water source to my destination.

4.3 oz (122 g)

Jetboil Flash Stove Kit: Simple water boiling for up to 2 cups.  Igniter eliminates the hassle of lighting the stove, and so far, it just works.  Until it didn’t…

Outdoor Products Dry Bag Set of 3: I use one for clothes (yellow), one for miscellaneous gadgets (blue), and another for safety items (red). A basic set that I wouldn’t risk my life on, but hasn’t let me down yet.

Midland HH50B Portable Weather Radio: Very light, very small, inexpensive, and includes alert functions.  

3.3 oz (94g)

Nemo Dagger 2P Tent, rarely with Footprint. This tent comes along on solo, 2, and 4-person trips. Why those trips?

If I was shopping today, here’s what I would choose.

The North Face Rock 32: Comes along for 3 or 4 person trips. Why those trips?

Mountainsmith Conifer 5+: Car camping only!

REI Mars 85: Its big and heavy. But if you’re carrying extra gear either because the trip is long or your kids aren’t yet strong enough, the REI Mars 85 is comfortable on a long day.

Thermarest RidgeRest Classic Regular:  My old body doesn’t love this option on its own. But as a ground insulator on super cold trips, it’s light enough to roll up and strap to the bottom of the pack. Note: if I chose now, I would get the folding reflective version of this pad.

Nemo Nocturne 15F Down Sleeping Bag: This was a great purchase, and I used it extensively. It has a great hood, a comfortable shape for constantly-moving side sleepers like me. Eventually, it just wasn’t consistently warm enough for me and the trips I do and I moved on. (no longer available)

REI Stratus Air Pad: This pad has been used by many people in our family.  It works well enough, but not the most amazing pad either.  It is reliable and light – almost as light as the non-inflatable pad.

Nite-Ize Reflective Nylon Cord: Reflective for safety, lightweight cord for general purpose around camp (clothesline, tarp guyout, etc). I did have this start to break down after a couple years.