I originally bought a packable blanket from Pendleton on a whim, and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces of gear to bring with me on road trips. It packs up incredibly easily and has SO many uses. I throw it over my shoulders when I’m cold, lay it on the ground to watch the stars or use it as a tablecloth over a picnic table. It washes super easily, which makes it all the better.
9. Osprey 46L Backpack
I first saw this backpack on a group trip to Peru when another traveler had it. I immediately was like “I need that in my life ASAP” and ordered it the moment I got home. It is carry-on size, which makes it all the better. This backpack has been with me from Bali to Greece, and a lot of places in between. It’s not a great backpacking backpack, but it is a great travel backpack for places you wouldn’t want to lug around a suitcase.
10. Timberland Hiking Boots
I’m on my second pair of Timberland hiking boots, and will likely buy the same pair again next summer. Yes, I’ve gone through almost two pairs, but I should let you know how much I hike, backpack, and climb mountains in these things. I put hundreds and hundreds of miles on them every summer, which includes a ton of off-trail terrain, shitty rock, and scrambling. They hold up! I’m about to wear them on an 80-mile trek through Patagonia. They are warm, super waterproof, and have great ankle support.
11. Fire Maple Camping Stove
It’s the exact same thing as the Jetboil stove, except it’s half the price. I hate paying more just for a brand name, and the Fire Maple is the perfect off-brand solution for a camping stove. I’ve owned mine for years, and it is still going strong. I bring this one on backpacking trips, but I have another stove I recommend for car camping listed at #16.
12. Rechargeable Headlamps from Amazon
We’ve tried a lot of different headlamps in our life, and we always go back to these ones from Amazon, which is great because they are way cheaper than some of the other brands like REI, Black Diamond, etc. but are much more powerful. We also love that they are rechargable. I bring them camping and also just throw it in my suitcase a lot – you never know when headlamps are going to come in handy!
13. Royal Robbins Wool Hooded Sweatshirt
I’m an affiliate with Royal Robbin, and they occasionally send me some clothing to try out. I instantly fell in love with this hemp long sleeve camp shirt and this wool hooded sweatshirt. It is SO much warmer than I expected, and I will be wearing it all fall and winter and spring…and probably summer.
14. ORI London Backpack
Similar to Royal Robbins, my ORI backpack was gifted, but holy hell, I love it. It quickly became my go-to carry-on backpack. It has tons of space, it’s comfortable, and yet still fits easily at my feet when needed. Right after they sent it to me, I took it on a trip to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and it’s been with me on every other plane trip since then.
15. Amazon Sunglasses (2-pack)
There’s nothing quite like these two–pack sunglasses from Amazon for $12.99. I buy these sunglasses about twice a year because I lose mine quite often.
16. Coleman Camp Stove
I originally bought this stove in 2016 when we decided to live in a van for seven months. We loved it then, but when you moved out of the van, I’m not quite sure where it went. When I built out my truck camper, I bought the same stove again and use it all the time on the road. It’s the perfect size for a van or truck camper or even just cooking at a picnic table at camp. Better yet, it’s super affordable!
17. Topo Design Hiking Pants
These are the ONLY quick-drying, durable hiking pants that I think are worth the cost. I used to wear Vuori because they had a good sizing for my short, 5’2 frame, but they were over $100 and I’d always rip them on some hike, climb, or backpacking trip in a matter of months. I own four pairs of Topo Design hiking pants, and they’ve been battled and bruised for years and still come out of the wash looking as good as new. And I just realized that I am wearing a pair in every single hiking photo I placed in this blog!
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