Gear

Any discussion of gear has to start with the Ten Essentials. These are things you should bring on any outdoor adventure. The Wikipedia page covers it well.

Boots

Nothing is more fundamental than boots. My approach to footwear has evolved into two general kinds based on the hike I am planning:

• warm weather all purpose boots for most situations
• waterproof for snow and streams

For general all purpose warm weather, I have had good luck with the Merrell Moab Ventilator. It is rugged enough and grippy enough for most situations while remaining comfortable on longer days. Since breaking my ankle at the end of 2023, I've been wearing Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX for extra ankle support. The Salomons have become my main boot.

For snow, I use Merrel Ventilator Waterproofs.

For water/canyons, Salomon Techamphibian.

Rock Shoes

I am on my second pair of Scarpas. They see more wear inside a gym than on rocks, but I use them both places to good effect. I could make a separate page of technical rock climbing gear, but I tend to stick with either Black Diamond or Petzl. That goes for ropes, and everything else associated with climbing.

Socks

I prefer all wool socks for comfort, warmth, and wicking. Darn Tough only.

Pants

I tend to play rough on mountains, or rather the mountains tend to play rough with me. It is not uncommon for me to shred pants in brush, climbing rocks, or sliding down rocks or ravines. My favorite pants are Prana Zion stretch. I have one pair of Columbia shorts. For snow pants, I have one pair of Columbia Bugaboo.

Underwear

If you are wondering why underwear earned a separate section, you might not have done a 15 mile trek in 90+ degree heat. Long hikes mean friction and friction in the wrong places will leave a lasting impression. I like Merino Wool blends. They don't ride up, keep me cool on long, hot days and I am usually unaware that I am even wearing them which is the highest praise I can give. Aquaphor is your friend.

Outer Shells

My light shell is a Marmot PreClip jacket. It is very light, waterproof, windproof, and breathable. It is not designed for warmth, but ideal as a top layer for cool, windy, weather. I wore this on Mt. Saint Helens.

My heavy shell is a Columbia Bugaboo. The Bugaboo is waterproof and has a zip out fleece with an OmniWarm liner. I have worn it with great success in the middle of a winter storm. In this class of winter jacket, it is very affordable.

Traction

Kahtoola Microspikes for moderate, slippery hiking and Grivel G-10 New-Classic Crampons for more serious snow and ice. Although I enjoy it, I don't do a lot of snow and ice hikes. I've only used the crampons a few times and they performed perfectly. For crampons, I think the most important thing is make sure you get steel and not aluminum so you can handle rocks and mixed terrain.

Hiking Poles

I've mostly used Kelty and Black Diamond. I tend to break every stick of every brand. I have a Black Diamond ice ax.

Backpacks

I have a light pack (22L capacity) for stuff shorter hikes. A workhorse pack (33L capacity) for longer hikes, and a larger pack (50L) for epics and backpacking. All Osprey, though I prefer the CamelBak hydration system. I haven't had any problems fitting CamelBak systems into Osprey packs.

GPS

A GPS is optional, but a very useful supplement to topo maps and compass. I have only used Garman eTrex receivers. They are compact, tough, and pretty easy to operate. The eTrex models use a trackpoint for menu navigation and operation, which I like. Higher end models use a touch screen that can't be used when you are wearing gloves, unless they are special electronic friendly gloves, and even then may not work well. It runs on two AA batteries and I always carry spares. I try to upload all my recorded tracks to peakbagger.com to make them available for other hikers to use. I always appreciate it when other hikers share their tracks.

For shorter hikes where I don't want to carry an extra GPS, I use Backcountry Navigator (paid version) on my phone. It has so many features that it can be overwhelming, but I've figured out how to do the basics with it.