GEAR
RECOMMENDED BY JOURNEYERS — CARRIED, WORN, AND EATEN IN THE FIELD
if we wouldn’t pack it, it isn’t here.
Osprey
Osprey≈ $270–320
Atmos AG 65 Pack
The anti-gravity suspension is the difference between finishing a 20-miler and feeling it for a week. Our pick for multi-day loads.
Garmin
Garmin≈ $350–400
inReach Mini 2
Two-way satellite messaging when the trail leaves cell service behind. The one piece of gear we never skip.
Sawyer
Sawyer≈ $30–45
Squeeze Water Filter
Three ounces, filters a hundred thousand gallons. Screws onto a smartwater bottle and never asks for attention.
Merrell
Merrell≈ $130–160
Moab 3 Mid Waterproof
The boot half the trailheads in America are wearing, for a reason: comfortable at mile one and mile hundred.
Patagonia
Patagonia≈ $200–240
Nano Puff Jacket
Packs to the size of a burrito, warm when wet, lives in the daypack from March to November.
Jetboil
Jetboil≈ $110–130
Flash Cooking System
Boils in about 100 seconds. Coffee at the overlook before the crowds arrive is the whole point.
DJI
DJI≈ $750–900
Mini 4 Pro Drone
Under 249g, no registration, and the camera behind most of the aerial shots on this site.
JOURNEYERTESTEDIN THE FIELDCheck Price at Recreation.gov →
National Parks
National Parks≈ $80/year
America the Beautiful Pass
Every national park for a year for eighty dollars. Pays for itself by the second entrance station.
Read our field test →Osprey
Osprey≈ $270–320
Atmos AG 65 Pack
The anti-gravity suspension is the difference between finishing a 20-miler and feeling it for a week. Our pick for multi-day loads.
Garmin
Garmin≈ $350–400
inReach Mini 2
Two-way satellite messaging when the trail leaves cell service behind. The one piece of gear we never skip.
Sawyer
Sawyer≈ $30–45
Squeeze Water Filter
Three ounces, filters a hundred thousand gallons. Screws onto a smartwater bottle and never asks for attention.
Merrell
Merrell≈ $130–160
Moab 3 Mid Waterproof
The boot half the trailheads in America are wearing, for a reason: comfortable at mile one and mile hundred.
Jetboil
Jetboil≈ $110–130
Flash Cooking System
Boils in about 100 seconds. Coffee at the overlook before the crowds arrive is the whole point.
Darn Tough
Darn Tough≈ $24–28
Hiker Micro Crew Socks
Guaranteed for life, made in Vermont. Blisters are a choice you stop making.
Black Diamond
Black Diamond≈ $70–110
Trail Explorer Trekking Poles
Your knees on the descent will send a thank-you note.
Petzl
Petzl≈ $60–75
Actik Core Headlamp
Rechargeable, 600 lumens, red mode for camp. Alpine starts stop being scary.
Hydro Flask
Hydro Flask≈ $40–50
32oz Wide Mouth Bottle
Ice in the desert eight hours in. The dents become a trip log.
Garmin
Garmin≈ $350–400
inReach Mini 2
Two-way satellite messaging when the trail leaves cell service behind. The one piece of gear we never skip.
Patagonia
Patagonia≈ $200–240
Nano Puff Jacket
Packs to the size of a burrito, warm when wet, lives in the daypack from March to November.
DJI
DJI≈ $750–900
Mini 4 Pro Drone
Under 249g, no registration, and the camera behind most of the aerial shots on this site.
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi≈ $180–210
Allpa 35L Travel Pack
Opens flat like a suitcase, carries like a pack, built from remnant fabric so no two match.
Peak Design
Peak Design≈ $30–60
Packing Cubes
The difference between a bag you dig through and a bag you open.
Anker
Anker≈ $110–150
737 Power Bank
Charges a laptop, two phones, and the drone batteries. Airports stop mattering.
Hydro Flask
Hydro Flask≈ $40–50
32oz Wide Mouth Bottle
Ice in the desert eight hours in. The dents become a trip log.
Osprey
Osprey≈ $240–290
Poco LT Child Carrier
The kid rides high enough to see everything, and the trail stays part of family life.
YETI
YETI≈ $300–350
Tundra 45 Cooler
Ice for a long weekend, seats two kids at the trailhead, outlives the truck it rides in.
Coleman
Coleman≈ $150–220
Skydome 6-Person Tent
Sets up in five minutes with kids underfoot. Room for the air mattress everyone pretends is for guests.
RXBAR
RXBAR≈ $25–35
Protein Bar Variety Pack
Ingredients you can read off the front. Trunk-stable through a summer road trip.
LMNT
LMNT≈ $40–50
Electrolyte Drink Mix
Salt that actually replaces what the switchbacks took. No sugar crash at mile nine.
Country Archer
Country Archer≈ $20–30
Grass-Fed Beef Jerky
Summit food that beats every gas-station bag on the route.
Skratch Labs
Skratch Labs≈ $20–25
Sport Hydration Mix
Made for athletes, tastes like actual fruit, works just as hard on the trail.
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THE DISPATCHNew gear picks and field tests, one email a week.
FIELD TESTSGEAR STORIES FROM THE TRAIL
