Umstead Park - Gear List

 Above is my backpacking gear list, except for food and clothes. If you want to know what to wear when camping or backpacking you can check out my other post here.

If you want to know some tips on how to score some sweet deals on camping/backpacking swag, check out my REI Warehouse Sale post here. 

If you want to know what a gluten free vegetarian eats when backpacking, well I'm glad you asked because here you go. 

Summer Backpacking/Hiking - What To Wear

Summer Backpacking/Hiking - What To Wear 

Especially in the cool and buggy Isle Royale

• Quick Dry T-Shirt
• Pants for cooler days and thick brush
• Running shorts
• Smartwool socks 
• Quick dry underwear + sports bra
• Hat
• Pullover or button up top for cool mornings and evenings
• Rain Jacket (doubles as windbreaker/extra layer)
• Cozy clean sleeping clothes you never hike in
• Buff or bandana 
• Trail Runners
• Camp shoes

Tips!

1. Light weight and versatile pants like the REI Sahara Roll-Up Pants which roll up to several different lengths and are super stretchy and has UPF +50.  Rip stop is important for thick brush. (Zip offs are to heavy and bulky for me).

2. Pockets! Pockets for maps, camera, and snacks are super important so you don't have to keep stopping to pull something out of your pack. 

3. Light color to keep mosquitos away, dark colors absorb heat and attract biting bugs

4. Dries quick and breathes easily. NO COTTON. No jeans either, silly. Anything moisture wicking. (Polyester = Nike DriFits, Under Armour, anything you find in the running section of your sports store.) Quick dry is important for shirts with your pack against your back and socks so you can give them a quick wash at camp and will be dry by morning. 

5. Buff or Bandana - So many uses! Headband, sweatband, ear warmer, dunk in a stream and tie around neck for cooling, cover face incase you run into a swarm of bugs or dust storm. You can even get a Bugs Away Buff. 

6. Trail Runners - Lighter and dries faster than boots. Even if your boots are 'waterproof' your feet will sweat and you'll get blisters. Just give trail runners a try. Less break in period. Mesh is breathable. A pound on your feet is like 5 lbs on your back. Go for a wider toe box or half size since your feet swell with the heat and weight on your  back. I have super wide feet so I go with the Saucony Cohesion TR  for $60!

7. Button ups are nice especially for those of us bug magnets and protects from sun and branches and you can get some in a bug button up. 

8. Camp shoes - depends a bit on weight. I'd rather cary a bit heavier Chacos so I can use it during rainy days/ river crossings/a few stable hours to let my trail runners dry. Some lighter folks go for good old Crocs. Tivas are a good inbetweener. You just want something that you can slip on while setting up camp and let your feet and shoes air out. 

9. Running shorts. I know, not many pockets, but I like the option of having something light weight

and cool for hot days or when a lake looks inviting.

* If it seems like I'll be running instead of hiking, well, it's the same thing essentially. Running gear is light, wicks sweat, doesn't get too smelly, won't stretch, dries quick, and comfy!  I don't like bulky items or itchy wool or cotton. Wear what works for you!

Here is the gear I've gathered so far, all from REI mostly warehouse sales. I should just go work there to get a discount. 

Gregory Deva 60 pack 

SynMat 7 with pump

Snow Peak Giga Power Stove

REI Half Dome 2 tent - tempted to trade in for Quarterdome to cut 2 lbs but got this on close out for super cheap. Always the backpacking battle.... weight vs. price

Outdoors Pinnacle Soloist Cookset

Nemo Nocturne 30

REI Warehouse Sale Items

REI Warehouse Sale Tips:

Call me Type A, but when you're thrown into a tiny room with 39 other people and you're given 20 high intensity minutes, it saves to be organized. 

Here in Durham, NC the way they did it for the over 500 people waiting outside to pounce on deals was divide us into groups of 40 and given a letter. Each letter was drawn from a hat by a cute kid and given a time slot. 10am, 10:30, 11 and so on so you could leave and come back if you wish. The cool thing was they opened the doors at 10 and had clothes and shoes on the floor open for everyone to go nuts on. So the back warehouse was only gear, mostly sleeping bags and sleeping pads. There were some GoPros, watches, sunglasses, a few car camp tents, footprints, I saw a solar system, even a camp towel, no thanks. I was the 4th group (hallelujah) but no backpacks.

Tip 1: Since you likely wont be the first group, unless you have some serious karma built up, talk with REI employees. This helped me tremendously. I straight up asked an REI guy what he thought about my list below and he told me some crucial things. Like the Backcountry bed seems cool but waaay too heavy and bulky. He also told me there were tons of Therm-a-rest pads in the back... which means they were returned the most. He said it was their #1 returned pad. 

Tip 2: Go in with a priority list. If item A isn't there, then go for your backup. 

Tip 3: Don't panic. One of my favorite Jim Gaffigan lines, "Two Big Mac’s for two bucks. I drive by and like, well, I don’t wanna lose money on this. I’ll get 80 of them." Even though the savings are great, don't spend money on something you literally can't return if you don't like it.

Tip 4: If something is missing from the item you picked up (like a compression bag) go ask someone working the room if they've seen it. Things get scattered and thrown about as people tornado through bins.

Tip 5: Test it out before you buy it. I couldn't decide between 2 sleeping pads so I just grabbed both kinds once my time was up and found a corner in the store and inflated them both. There was 0 space in the actual back room to do this. Once I decided the Exped UL chambers were too broken I just gave it the employee working the warehouse door.  

At the end of the day I got... 

1 Nemo Nocturne 30 for $209.83 (orig. $329)

1 REI Radiant Long + Wide for $130.85 (orig. $219)

2 Exped Synmat 7 for $64.83 each (orig. $129 each) 

Totaling $470.34 (orig. total would be $806)

I'd call that a #win. 

Sleeping Bag	Description	Fill	Weight	Price	REI rating
Nemo Nocturne 30	Good for side sleepers with spoon shape; water proof foot bo; blanket fold	700 Duck down	2 lbs	$329-$349	4.5/5 - 23 reviews
REI Igneo 19	Mummy, hood, water-res coat, vertical baffles, wmns zip lright, uni on lft	700 duck down	1lb 15 oz	$299-$319	4.8/5 - 13 reviews
Sierra Designs Zissou 23 (40)	Dri down, roomy footbox, but better for warmer nights	700 dri duck down	2lbs	$239-259	3.75/5 - 33 reviews
Sierra Designs Zissou 12	DriDown, full length zipper, nonrestrictive hood, zippers on opp side = partner	700 duck down	2 lbs 7 oz	$299-$319	4.8/5 - 19 reviews
Kelty Ignite Down 16	DriDown, good value, warm, pretty room	600 duck down	2lbs 7 oz	$219-239	4.6/5 - 26 reviews
Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed 17	Integrated comforter, no zippers, can untuck feet, DriDown, pad not included	600 duck down	3lbs 1 oz	$299-$319	4.8/5 - 6 reviews
Sea to Summit Spark 47	Super light, short zipper, DriDown, compressed	850 goose down	12.3 oz	$299-$319
REI Radiant 19	Water repellent down and coating, relaxed, full zipper	600 duck down	2 lbs 8 oz	$199-219	4.8/5 - 9 reviews
REI Flash 29	Water repel fabric, left zip, not good for side sleepers, lightweight, compact	700 duck down	1 lbs 1 oz	$259-$269	4.7/5 - 11 reviews
REI Igneo 19	Waterproof fabric hood, sides, footbox, compressable, maybe look for long	700 duck down	1 lbs 3 oz	$299-$319
REI Serrana 25 Women's	Roomy, water repel duck down, good for multi positions,	600 duck down	3 lbs 2 oz	$219-229
Sleeping Pads		R-Value
Therm-a-rest Lite Sol	Foam, best of foam pads not good for side sleepers though	2.6/9.5	14 oz	$34-$44	4.2/5 - 66 reviews
Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core	Good for side sleepers, and rocky ground, might leak	5/9.5	1 lb 2 oz	$119-199	4.4/5 - 89 reviews
Expend SynMat 7 Air Pad	Built in pump, good for side sleepers, comes in medium wide	4.9/5	1lb 13 oz	$129-149	4.6/5 - 85 reviews
Therm-a-rest Neo Air XTherm	The best but priciest			$249
Any Therm-a-rest Neo Air
Nemo Astro Insulated Lite	Pillow bump at top of pad, might be noisy, seems like its returend a lot		1lbs 3 oz	$129-$149
Exped SynMat UL	Can be blownup by mouth, seems more durable than nemo,		16oz	$155-$175	4.1/5 - 97 reviews
Therma-a-rest Neo Air Camper	Ok for side sleepers, compact, ~20 breathes, quiet, not self inflating	2.2/9.5	1lbs 8 oz	$99-$149	4.9/5 - 11 reviews

Other things to look for at the garage sale:

1. Sleepingbag

2. Sleping pad

3. Waterproof bags

4. Compression bags

5. Backpack rainjackets

6. GSI Outdoors pinnacle (cook set)

7. Snowpeak giga

8. Knife/camp tool/swiss army

9. Solar

10. Rain gear backpack rain cover

11. Pocket towel

12. Water filter

13. Mosquito head net/Permethrin 14. Footprint