Gear That Has Been Used & Tested
Throughout this page you’ll find our gear and apparel recommendations for the gear we use regularly. Each photo is linked to the specific piece of gear in the caption. If something works well for us, we often try to buy it in multiple colors. We look for apparel and gear that fits well, is comfortable to wear all day if needed, can withstand the elements like overgrown trails, scraping against boulders, overall heavy use.
We will do our best to update these lists and links in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, companies and brands will change a style or color offering even when there is absolutely no need to. So, if you like something consider grabbing a couple while you can. That’s a lesson we’ve learned over the years!
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Table of Contents
Lauren's Gear
We spend a lot of time on trail or at camp, so I value gear and apparel that is easy to move in, breathable, offers some sun protection, keeps me warm when needed, and holds up with lot of wear. I’m a big fan of the Salomon X Ultra low series of boots and have a regular pair and Gore-Tex pair. They also make a mid version too! During warmer months I like to hike in a tank (full blog post here) and will layer it with a short sleeve or sun hoodie depending on the weather. In colder climates I still like to wear a form fitting tank with long sleeve layers on top.
Owen's Gear
I’m always looking for gear and apparel that can fit a more athletic build comfortably. Over the years, after a lot of searching and testing, clothing from Kuhl brand has met my expectations. I want apparel that can hold up well to high use and abrasion, is breathable when need be, lightweight, offers sun protection, and moves well with me. My Osprey pack has really held up well with 100s of miles on it. Like Lauren, I love how the Salomon X Ultra line has fit over the years and handled the tough AZ trails very well. Lastly, you’ll always see me in a pair of Oakley sunglasses. The Oakley Mainlink XLs have been my go to, but I recently added the Sphaera (REI link) line to my rotation; both Prizm Polarized.
Hiking Pack Gear
These pieces of gear are always in our hiking bags. Some we hope to never use, some we use every single hike! Preparation and safety is absolutely critical to a good time outdoors. We do our best to stay prepared for situations that might happen on trail or in remote locations. We have a more detailed post on our hiking essentials that goes over everything in detail, including snacks we bring. We provide more pieces of gear not on this list and insights as to why the gear is helpful to keep in your bag!
Camera Gear
We love our camera! It has held up well to the more adventurous lifestyle we live. We hope to get some more lenses in the future but with the lens adapter listed below we’ve been able to use the ES 100-400mm Canon zoom lens from Owen’s dad which has helped save thousands of dollars. We each have a Peak Design camera clip on our hiking packs and we can easily use the base plate attached to also clip into the Peak Designs tripod.
Recovery Gear
Unfortunately we’ve learned our lesson the hard and expensive way when traveling backcountry roads without our recovery gear. After an expensive borrow of a tree strap from a tow truck, we never travel dirt roads without our gear. Additionally, we’ve come across people in the past that could have used our help if we had the right gear, but now we know! We really like the ropes from Yankum Ropes; they’re made in the USA and are very high quality. It’s not pictured below, but we keep all of our gear secured and dust and moisture free in a Yeti LoadOut GoBox 30.
Camping Gear
We love to camp and we find sleeping outdoors to be very refreshing! Overall, a lot goes into our planning and preparation to make sure we have a great time. We always consider the temperature and weather forecast, fire restrictions, and the meals we want to make. Below we highlight some of our top used pieces of gear and favorites pieces in our collection. However, we have a lot more that we pack and an entire gear post dedicated to camping.
Travel Gear
These are some of our favorite pieces of gear to travel with. We look for gear that is able to withstand a lot of use, protect our stuff from the elements, and of course looks good too. In general, we’d rather buy one higher priced item that lasts a long time over a cheaper item that needs to be replaced more often.
