Gear Not Stuff: Hiking and Outdoor Gear
The 13 best hiking and outdoor items, selected by three wilderness savants.
Housekeeping
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The post
Today is the second Friday of the month. Which means it’s time for Gear Not Stuff.
The concept for Gear Not Stuff is simple.
We live in a world of mass consumerism and have more stuff than ever. As I explained in Scarcity Brain, the average home contains 10,000 to 50,000 items.
If we want a new thing, we no longer have the pause of traveling to a store to buy it—we can buy it right from our computer, phone, TV, or even yell to Alexa.
Our shift to material abundance has changed our relationship with our possessions—and curious forces are now leading us to acquire more stuff than we need.
For example, online retailers stole tactics from casinos that lead us to buy more faster. (Fun fact: These tactics have probably worked on you if you’ve ever bought some crap and immediately regretted buying said crap. More on that here.)
When we get overwhelmed by how much we own, we often seek minimalism.
But minimalism has failed us (you'll know this if you read Scarcity Brain). Luckily, I found a smarter way we can get more from less.
In thinking about how we can make smarter purchasing decisions, I’ve begun delineating between gear and stuff.
Stuff is a possession for the sake of it. Stuff adds to a collection of (too many) items. We often buy stuff impulsively to fix boredom or stress or to solve a problem we could figure out creatively with something we already have.
Gear, on the other hand, has a clear purpose of helping us achieve a higher purpose. Gear is a tool we can use to have better experiences that make us healthier and give our lives meaning.
This month’s Gear Not Stuff: Hiking and Outdoor Gear
We Two Percenters like to go outside. We practice the 20-5-3 Rule.
But the longer you’re out, the more important your gear becomes. The right gear can, at minimum, make a stint in the wilderness far more fun. The right gear can also save your life.
That is to say, the right gear allows you to practice our motto of “Have Fun, Don’t Die.”
I’ve spent a good amount of time in the mountains exploring and covering ground with a pack on my back.
But nearly as much time as the people I tapped for today’s post.
Today’s Gear Not Stuff picks come from three friends who have spent more time in the wilderness than just about anyone. I’d venture to bet only trees spend more time out there than them.
They’ve tested more gear over more miles and in more sketchy situations than just about anyone. Which means their 13 picks will work for you.
Matt Sherman. After spending a decade at war for the U.S. Government in Iraq and Afghanistan, Matt started hiking. He’s since backpacked 25,000 miles around the world. He’s completed a Triple Crown and hiked everywhere from Pakistan to New Zealand.
Laura Zerra. If you read Scarcity Brain, you know Laura, who held down Chapter 9. As a child, Laura befriended a pack of coyotes and has since mostly lived in the wilderness. She spends about 90 percent of her nights in the mountains. By some freak twist of fate, she happened to be within cell reception when I messaged her for this post.
Glen Van Peski. Glen is a pioneer in the ultralight backpacking movement. Backpacker magazine called him “the ultralight hiker” while Outside referred to him as “mythical legend” of ultralight backpacking. When he’s not outside, he’s perfecting gear for Gossamer Gear, an ultralight backpacking gear company he founded or writing books (like take less. do more.)
I asked each of them for their favorite gear picks.
They delivered epic recommendations for critical items ranging from a tent, sleeping bag, pack, and pad, to inexpensive accessories that make your time outdoors far more enjoyable and safer.
Let’s roll …