What small gear do you love?

[retired jerry]

you can use the sciracha sauce to cure leg cramps

[BigBear]

I'm too late for your 2016 dividend, but I can help with your 2017 playlist.

Here are some of the things I like to use while day hiking:

1) notepad & waterproof pen to take notes
2) binoculars
3) folding chair or small Thermarest pad (depends on the conditions/snow)
4) waterproof zip bag for wallet & keys
5) mosquito helmet (especially this year)
6) small water purifier (for those long hikes on hot days)
7) knit hat that covers cheeks and neck (pronounced ba-clelv-a) (light weight for those days a hat isn't quite enough, and mid-weight for those days when a hat isn't even close to enough)
8) Yak-Trax (great on ice & hard-packed snow, not so much on soft snow)


Here are some toys for backpacking:
1) Thermarest chair (fits your sleep pad and great for the legs in camp)
2) Paperback book (not an REI toy, but good value if you buy it used)
3) Headlamp (better than a flashlight)

Most of these items are standard gear for many hikers already.

[forester]

I picked up the 2-pack of headlamps currently at Costco. Coastal brand. They're ~$30. THey aren't the best, but very worth the price. They have already proven more reliable than my Black Diamond. If you're looking for headlamps, they're pretty good.

[squidvicious]

I picked up the 2-pack of headlamps currently at Costco. Coastal brand. They're ~$30.

These are on sale now for $6 off, bringing them to $22.99 for the pair. I didn't note how long the sale was.

[kepPNW]

I picked up the 2-pack of headlamps currently at Costco. Coastal brand. They're ~$30.

These are on sale now for $6 off, bringing them to $22.99 for the pair. I didn't note how long the sale was.

Well, dang it anyway, the sale is now apparently over, as they're out of stock.

I'd have absolutely rolled the dice on these. (Do they have a "safety" switch, so they won't come on accidentally in your pack?) Wish I'd seen this earlier!

[eddiecoyote]

I'll take soldiers out on 12 mile ruck marches, or training patrols, and they are all jealous when I pop up a small Primus stove and make a cup of coffee. Just because I'm walking 12 miles with a ruck doesn't mean I can't sip a cup of coffee while doing it. A lot of my fellow instructors have the large jetboils but I like my smaller one. I can put either a canteen cup, or something larger, on top of the burner. I carry a handful of lighters in many different pockets.

550 cord.

No less than two lights. One is a variable tactical light with a super bright beam. Red light is useful also. The other is a headlamp.

Gerber/Leatherman.

Axe. Yup. I always take a hand axe.

Pistol. Especially if I'm alone. Not that I think I'm going to get in a shootout with a cougar (no, would rather watch them leave them alone), but really more as a signal device. A pistol is louder than a whistle.

Map along with the GPS.

Written out plan (limits of advance, rally points, emergency rally points, handrails, etc...) on waterproof notepad.

Batteries.

[xrp]

Small gear in weight or size?

My:

Enlightened Equipment Enigma 40F @ 13oz-14oz
Therma Rest NeoAir Xlite
Sawyer MiniSqueeze
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1

I've taken my GSI 2 person cookware set out only once or twice. Instead I take a JetBoil (or my backpacking friend takes his, we switch out) + a needed supply of Mountain House and/or trailmix with extra M&Ms supplement. If I don't take Mountain House, we don't take the JetBoil.

[Webfoot]

So, someone gave me a $150 gift card to REI yesterday

So far I've been thinking along the lines of cooking-related, a new knife/multi-tool, a new headlamp, or maybe even a GPS

Although I've only used one once I'll recommend the Snow Peak Bipod Stove. Very small and light, and much more stable than other pocket stoves. Luxury pricing but perfect for a gift card purchase, IMHO.



By the way for headlamps I have a strong preference for Zebralight over the Petzl and Black Diamond style. They aren't sold at REI but before you plunk down your cash for something else you should at least try one if you can. They make headlamps in AA, CR123 and 18650 battery sizes and multiple beam patterns. Assuming you want AA, H53 is the newest series. They feature a neutral white tint and either 80+ CRI (w models) or 93+ CRI (c models), either of which is so much better than the hollow blue light a lot of LEDs give. Each one is available with a frosted glass (F) for a more diffuse beam.

[kepPNW]

The StickPic is best possible way to get those all-important selfie/group shots.

Developed by a PCT thru-hiker, it just doesn't get any more ultra-light than this.

• 
  StickPic provides tripod-like mount on that slides right onto your trekking pole. Set the self-timer and shoot!

• 
  Life's a Beach! See the stick/camera shadow? (Actually, taken on crater rim, last week.)

Works pretty cool with video, too. Shot this a few years ago...

• https://youtu.be/AWN1-8GURM0