Gear Recommendations
This is the BEST pack I’ve ever owned.
backpack: Osprey aether pro 70
If you know me, you know I hate a heavy pack and especially uncomfortably heavy packs. (Yes, I’m the guy who cuts off his toothbrush handle to save grams…) The solution? Osprey’s Aether Pro 70. I got this pack in 2020 to replace my Black Diamond Speed 40 for hiking on the Appalachian Trail, and I’m glad I did. Osprey did a masterful job thinking through this pack. Comfortable as a Space Shuttle seat, it has everything you need and nothing you don’t.
A good morning along the AT in Pennsylvania, 2020
hammock: warbonnet blackbird xlc
In 2019, Kate and I started experimenting with hammock camping along the Appalachian Trail and it changed everything - we no longer needed flat ground to camp. We now use hammocks for spring, summer, and fall camping and I've never slept better in the woods. (I still prefer a tent in the winter.) Warbonnet has designed the perfect hammock - complete with a small interior shelf. I use the double layer version and put my Thermarest in between the fabric layers to hold it in place. #ProTip: make sure where you are going has trees.
The best stove I’ve owned.
Stove: jetboil minimo
Do you want a light-weight stove that boils water super fast? Yes? Get a Jetboil. No? GTFO!