3 year retro, semi infinite travel, 23l, 10-14lb
https://lighterpack.com/r/b0vm3q
The is an update from my retro a year ago. For the last 3 years I have been mostly a nomad living out of a daypack. Unlikely some nomads, my wife and I own a home which is rented out. We periodically return home to check in and maybe swap items that are stored in our garage. This has allowed me to live out of a bag that has always flown as a personal sized item. If I didn't have a home base / storage I likely would carry more cloths and likely use a slightly larger bag. Since my last retro we have spent time in England, France, Spain, Japan, and Taiwan. In the US we spent time in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Massachusetts, and Ohio. Upcoming is Iceland, Portland, TW, Spain, and maybe Japan. Generally we stay in the same place 1 week to a month. We try to stay in places that have a washer but that's not always the case. Clothing washed as needed (1-7 days of wear depending on item, conditions and activities). In almost all situations clothing dried overnight (less than 7 hours) with the exception of heavier wool socks. Weather has been variable: from 20F/snowing, 40F/raining, pleasant "Palo Alto" days, to >90F with humidity. We are pretty active... the "normal day" we will walk 10 miles and likely some sort of exercise (depending on the day zone 2 - run or row, zone 5, or strength). Additionally try to get some longer hikes / backpacking in. When we settle someplace longer I will get back to bicycling. The following is what I carried in the last year / plan to carry in the coming year. There were a few exceptions which will be discussed at the end of this post.
Bags
I continued to use a Gossamer Gear Vagabond – my review a 23L day pack which is light weight, comfortable to carry, works well for EDC, and is large enough to hold everything I normally take when traveling. I am using the discontinued Trail model. The current Jet model has some nice upgrades. 46x27x15cm (18/10.75/5.75 inch) filled with my normal gear is small enough to squish into every “personal item” sizer I have encountered and under the seat in front of me on every jet I have flown in this year (EasyJet, RyanAir, Spirit Air, and airlines that are more generous). While access is not as easy as a clamshell style bag, I have no problem retrieving items at the bottom of the bag by feel because my clothing has different textures as do the small bags I use. Stands up on its bottom making access on the go easy. I started out using Tom Bihn 1” padded waist strap which gives a reasonable amount of weight transfer, but after a couple of months I determined I didn’t really need them, so the hipbelt is now STORED. I have a list of other good trekking packs.
ADDED: Decathalon Packable 15L Courier Bag Used around town and sometimes to hold items I will use on a flight if I put my pack in the overhead compartment. Unstructured, so care is needed when loading it up. A very inexpensive clone of the discontinued Patagonia Packable Courier Bag which I used for 10 years. Easier to access on the go than a backpack, and doesn’t leave me with a sweaty back. Large enough to hold anything I might need during the day (including a puffy jacket) but small enough not to feel like a burden. If I am carrying too much weight (>4lbs) my shoulder gets sore.
LISTING: S2S Ultra-Sil Stuff Sack 2.5l stuff sack made from silicon nylon. Used in a variety of ways: keep small items together, to hold dirty clothing, as a washing bag, to hold trash collected on trails we were hiking.
DROPPED: NiteIze RunOff Waterproof Pocket Was extremely useful for times spent on a beach when there was no one to watch my stuff while swimming. Large enough to hold my wallet, cellphone, keys, and passport, but not so larger than it interfered with swimming. Never leaked while swimming. Used it as an under clothing wallet when in high crime areas. Stopped sealing after heavy use and when I accidentally closed it over a string and then had to force it open. Haven’t needed to replace it.
On My Person
Flexon Frames with high index progressive lens with Transitions XtrActive Polarized lens. Eyeglasses are an incredible blessing. I used to break frames within a year until I tried Flexon frames in 1995. They last an average of 8 years with lens being changed each year due to prescription changes. The XtrActive lens go from almost clear and unpolarized to 90% light blockage which is polarized.
Apple iPhone 12 Mini on T-Mobile. The iPhone mini was the smallest usable full feature phone until it was discontinued. Ease of sharing (AirDrop, iCloud/Photo, iMessage) with family and friends bias me toward Apple. T-Mobile has great international roaming, haven’t needed to pick up a local SIM (physical or e-SIM via Airalo. I did notice that T-mobiles international partners are adequate but not as good as the best local carriers. T-mobile has mediocre coverage in USA compared to Verizon. If/when I spend most of my time in the USA I will switch to a Verizon based carrier (maybe Visible?) for improved coverage and acquire local eSIM when traveling. I wish someone made a phone to size of the original iPhone and a battery that lasts >1 day. When satellite based iMessage is released I will likely upgrade to a iPhone 16 even though the phone is larger than I want.
Apple AirPod Pros are nicely integrated with the Apple eco-system and just works. Bluetooth connects reasonably quickly, is reliable, and switches between my phone and laptop mostly automatically. Noise reduction is “ok”, and the “ambient mode” provides adequate situational awareness. Can adjust volume from AirPods. The case is part of the “Find My” eco-system.
UPDATED: Hanchor Mica a tiny wallet / coin purse which holds my IDs, 1 credit cards, 1 debit card, a few bills, coins when needed. Replaced a ~Flowfold Minimalist Wallet~ which didn’t hold coins. Using a Chase Sapphire Reserve card for this season of life. Annual fee is ridiculous, but benefits have more than paid for the fee last year. Really appreciate that the points can be transferred to the frequent flying programs we use, and the access to airport lounges was a lifesaver. DROPPED Chipolo Card Spot because I determined I was carrying it for my fears, not for any useful purpose.
Swiss+Tech Utili-Key Has made it through TSA checkpoints over 150 times without being confiscated. Isn’t as usable as the Victorinox Rambler which I gave up when flying after losing a couple to TSA. I have some notes about other knives I would recommend when not flying.
Uniball Vision Elite .5mm Pen Writing feel approaching Pilot V5 and doesn’t leak after plane flights!
Garmin 955 Watch accurately tracks my activities and measures my fitness level. Has decent integration with smartphones and notifies me when I have left my phone behind. I find the data I get from Garmin to be higher quality than most other wrist worn sensors I have tried, being close to medical grade when paired with external sensors. Better battery life than iWatch and physical buttons which work with sweaty fingers. The display on the 965 is a significant improvement but I am happy enough with my 955 not to upgrade. There are other good sport watches .
Daily Life
“Tech Kit” items are stored in a small litesmith zipza pouch which is the perfect size, mostly waterproof, light, and a different texture than anything else in my bag so easy to find by touch.
- UPDATED: Nomad 65w Slim Charger is thin so it doesn’t lever itself out of loose outlets. Side benefit is it packs easier than my previous charger and it is 65W to one slot, 45W/20W when using both. Easily charged fully depleted iPhone, Nitecore 10k, and MacBook in a few hours. Replaced a Anker 523 dual USB-C, 27w/20w with both ports, Single port 45w. The Anker is now powering some USB devices in our home. I could have happily continued to use it.
- Nitecore 10000 Gen2 power bank with USB-A&C out. Lightest and most compact 10k battery I have found. Comfortable in my pocket while charging my phone, Enough power to very slowly charge my MacBook or mostly power the MacBook. Supports pass through charging so I can charge this battery while my MacBook is plugged into the unit.
- Cables: 4ft USB-C to Lightning, 4ft video rated UCB-C and 6″ USB-C cable
- Adaptor tips from USB-C to (A, micro, Lighting, Garmin), and 2 USB-C to A converter.
- MagSafe Charger is bit heavy, but useful when Lighting port in aging iPhone becomes unreliable or when I want to charge phone while using the lightning port for headphones.
- Mogics Adapter MA1 is the smallest and lighter power adaptor I have found. For type E remember to unscrew and extended the type C prongs. I worried about its durability but it’s been ok so far. In some UK outlets it had a bit of a trouble making good contact, sparking until I got it set.
ADDED:⠀Etymotic HF3:Great sound isolation, iPhone friendly volume stop/start button, and mic. Provides me with around 40db of noise reduction which is better than any consumer grade active noise cancelling headphones I have tried. Also gives better audio quality on phone calls than BlueTooth earbuds and never runs out of power. I have a lightning and airplane double jack adaptors. I thought the double jacks would be phased out, but in the last year I flew on several newish planes which still had these plugs?! The foam eartips eventually stop sealing, but can be replaced.
MacBook 12" from 2017 This is the last ultra portable made by Apple. It's 2lb, decent keyboard, and enables me to complete daily tasks with a minimum amount of friction. Apps can be slow to start but deliver acceptable performance thanks to 16gb of RAM. Tablets with keyboards had too much friction when I switch between windows/apps while integrating information. Chromebook aren't lighter and are missing some apps. Tiny PCs like the GPD Pocket 3 have keyboard and screens which are too small for me to be productive. There are some amazingly light laptops such as the 1.4lb Fujitsu Lifebook UH-X, the Asus Expertbook B9 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano which would give me a much more performant laptop, but several of my apps aren't available under Linux, and I don't like Windows due to the security vulnerabilities / fragility / pain of patching and upgrading the OS. Maybe in the future running Linux with macOS in a VM. My Macbook Pro has been left running in a safe location and is accessed remotely via ~Tailscale~ and I can spin up AWS instances when I need more computing power.
LISTING: Garmin HRM-Pro get higher accuracy during interval training than built in optical sensor on smart watches and works when swimming. Can record data without the watch being connected, but I don’t generally use that feature. Also provides running power which has been somewhat useful. Supports ANT+ and Bluetooth. I had been using it earlier, but forgot to list it. I experimented with the Morpheus Training System which was promising, but for the sake of simplicity I am staying in the Garmin eco-systems until we settle someplace.
Nicore NU20 headlamp Just 29 grams when the headband is replaced with shock cords. Adequate regulation on medium and low settings. When closed the power button to covered preventing accidentally turning it on. Use when I need hands free light: repairs, backpacking, running in the dark, and it has been used when I forgot to recharge my bike light. Lit our kitchen during a power outage by bouncing light off ceiling. Can be powered from a remote USB power bank making it useful in extreme cold or when I need very long runtimes (multi-day power outage). I had been using it earlier, but forgot to list it. I have notes about some other good lights.
Zojirushi Double Walled Mug can easily be used one handed, locks, pours at the perfect speed, the mouth is wide enough for ice cubes, and insulates better than every other mug I have tested. When air temp is ~80F and the mug is exposed to the sun, 6 small ice cubes in cool water have just finished melting in around 3 hours – water temp is 35F. In 68F conditions ice lasts most of the day. In many countries you can fill mug with ice (no water) and get through airport security. Once through, add water and you can have icy cold water for your flight. I have a Deep Cherry color mug which is easy to spot. When I want to go extra light weight, I swapped it with a 1L plastic SmartWater bottle (28mm opening).
ADDED: Fold-it-flat Unitensil Spoon/Fork I go back and forth about carrying utensils in urban environments. Last year there were numerous times that having a spoon/fork would have been / was useful so added back in.
LISTING: Tempo Logging Thermometer which lets me keep track of the conditions I experience. Had been carrying all along but forgot to list it before.
UPDATED: 6 Foot Tape Measure I often need to measure things. Replaced a retractable fabric tape measure that broke.
UPDATED: Sleep Mask: helps me get longer / better sleep because it stops external light from disturbing me. Using a new mask was a free gift which replaced a mask that got lost.
LISTING: Current Passport. Typically in my bag, but sometimes in my pocket. Besides crossing international boarders, is often required when checking into hotels, getting cell service, etc. Was carrying for the last several years but didn’t list it.
UPDATED: totobobo mask and extra filters. While not as effective as a professionally fit N95, it was close, and was better than an N95 used by an untrained individual. The cost is higher than disposal N95/KT94, but the mask + replacement filters are more compact than several disposal masks. The disposal masks I like the best are the BOTN KT94 and the classic 3M N95. For other good options see Masknerd reviews. N95 properly worn provides significant more protection than cloth or the basic surgical masks.
DROPPED: Apple AirTags. Used periodically when I had something I wanted to keep track of, but in retrospect I don’t think I actually needed it.
Bathroom
REI Micro Shower Bag is the perfect size for my toiletry kit and make it easy for me to find everything quickly. Inside pocket holds a few doses of nyquil and benadryl. Main area has: lip balm, toothpaste, a micro fiber cleaning / storage bag for my glasses, a small HumanGear GoTubb to store aleve, and the bathroom items listed below. Outside pocket holds first aid kit which includes band-aids, single use benzoin tincture, compeed blister pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic cream, superglue, a couple of safety pins. This bag is discontinued… the GOX Organizer looks to be similar.
Matador Flatpack Soap Case to carry a 100senses body bar which takes care of all my cleaning needs without drying out my sensitive skin or making my hair feel like straw. One bar lasts more than six months. If you warm it up a bit in the microwave, it’s easy to cut into smaller pieces if you are doing a shorter trip. There are better shaving creams and detergents to wash clothing, but it’s been good enough and simplifies life for me. The Flatpak lets the soap dry out better than a ziplock bag, but it’s far from magical. Downside is that it doesn’t work very well as a case while showering.
Gillette Mach-3 Razor. Use around 11 blades / year.
PaRaDa Nail clipper are large and heavy but effective and the trimmings catcher is brilliant. I have been saying for years that I will replace it with something lighter and more compact but I haven’t done it yet.
Retractable Bristle Hairbrush Compact and more effective than a comb for me.
UPDATE: Glide Dental Floss. While not quite as good Reach (rebranded Listerine Woven / Ultraclean) for gentle cleaning, Glide is easier to use between closely spaced teeth, travel size are easier to find, and my dentist gives samples to me.
Oral-B/Braun 6000 Electric toothbrush and USB powered charger. A meta analysis concluded that the rotational approach of Oral-B is likely slightly superior to the vibrations used by Sonicare, but both are significantly more effective than manual brushing or electric toothbrushes which relies on a brushing motion. [The study was paid for by the Oral-B parent company, and the authors have been consultants to both Oral-B and Sonicare.] The battery of my Oral-B is slowly dying and will likely need to be replaced in the next year. I love the size of the Philips One and that it uses a standard USB-C cable, but it’s less effective than my Oral-B or the higher end Sonicare, so will likely get another Oral-B.
Crystal Deodorant Simple Potassium Alum crystals. Carrying a 1.5 oz stick which shows little wear after more than a year. It’s best to apply right after a shower since it needs to be wet and works best on clean skin. It’s not an anti-perspirant nor doesn’t cover up existing odor. Rather it produces in environment that is hostile to the odor creating bacteria. Lets shirts go an extra day or two without accumulating odor under the arms.
PackTowel Ultralight Body Size. Dries in less than 3 hours after I dry myself when hanging indoors, faster in sun, is compact, weights just 3oz. Large enough that I can wrap it around my waist like a small sarong. I found the face size sufficient for me to dry my body, but I am willing to carry a larger towel for the added versatility and ease of use.
I acquire sunscreen wherever I am. I try to select SPF >=50, low health risk, and reef safe when near the ocean. The sun screens in EU are way better than in the US because the FDA hasn’t approved newer options which are safe, feel better on the skin, and don’t leave you looking like a ghost. I typically bring a small Neutrogena Mineral stick until I can acquire sunscreen locally. I have use consumerlab and ewg when selecting sunscreens in the US.
Clothing
I have notes about selecting clothing which goes in my thoughts in more details.
Luna Venado Sandals I love the feel of running almost barefoot and the tiny space they take when packed. I can walk 20 miles / day for a month on hard surfaces and my feet are still feel good. They mold to your feet over time. Even after 1500 miles they have a bit of cushion though I have worn the sole through in at least one spot. Not enough traction for back country and the Luna sandals which are appropriate in the back country as “slappy” on urban surfaces.
Inov-8 Trailfly G 270 Zero drop trail running shoe that is a good amount of cushion and a 12mm stack. Great fit for me: enough room for my toes to splay while gripping my heel perfectly. Used for backpacking or trail running when the terrain is too challenging for my Luna sandals or when I need to wear closed toe shoes. They have been acceptable footwear in snobbish establishments and no one has ever commented about them. I wear in transit and pack my sandals. The graphene infused soles are more durable than typical trail runners. At 1500 miles the uppers still look decent (sole near toe starting to separate) and there is still a bit of tread on the highest wear areas of the sole!
2 Xoskin Toe Socks prevents blisters forming between my toes when walking or running for extended distances. I have worn one pair 30 days in a row (washing ever few nights) doing 15-37 miles of hiking each day without blisters and had pre blisters heal that were forming before I started using these socks. They weren’t stinky after six days of continuous use (and not washing) while backpacking, though they are more prone to pick up odor after several hundred miles of use. They are significantly more durable than my previous merino toe socks. After ~500-700 miles get my first hole when a sandal strap was rubbing or my toenail sliced through. Around 1200 miles I retire them. I expect they would last longer inside normal shoes. On my fourth pair.
2 Darn Tough Socks One pair of no show light socks (I get >4000 miles of use before the first hole) and one pair of light crew which have yet to have worn through.
3 Icebreaker Anatomica Briefs The most comfortable underwear I have worn. They dry quickly and resist odor. Only downside is that they bunch up a bit in hot weather when carrying a backpack. I wash the pair I wore at the end of the day… they typically dry overnight. This year I replace one pair after it accumulated 600 wears… no holes but they were nearly transparent.
UPDATED: Xoskin Compression Shorts have eliminated chafing on long, hot runs, and of course work fine in less demanding circumstances. Wore a hole in the first pair when I used them bicycling without shorts over them. Replaced De Soto Mobius Tri Shorts which started to chafe on long runs in hot weather last year even though they had worked perfectly for a number of years. The De Soto are STORED until we settle and I get back to being serious about bicycling.
UPDATED: Patagonia Hydropeak Hybrid Walk Shorts dry in a couple of hours while hanging, faster when wearing. They are very comfortable, give me good freedom of movement. Not excessively “technical” looking. They can function as a swim suit. Replaced my Outlier New Way Shorts (STORED) which are excellent except they don’t dry very quickly. If I carried a dedicate swim suit I would still be using the New Way Shorts.
UPDATED: 2 OR Ferrosi Transit Pants pass for business casual, dry very quickly, comfortable even in hot weather, and doesn’t swish. Picked up my first pair at the OR Factory Outlet and fell in love with them. I have moved into storage, likely to be DROPPED, Western Rise Slim Evolution Pants I have been using for a couple of years. I loved my first pair of WR Evolution pants, but I have been disappointed with their inconsistent quality / sizing and poor customer service. My second pair of Evolution pants seam separated after only 200 wear and the “coin/phone” pocket on my V2 is coming unstitched in less than 50 wears.
STORED: Outlier Slim Dungarees High-tech nylon pants in the style of jeans. Gives me an almost tailored fit, looks great, good mobility and durability. Thanks to the NanoSphere treatment very stain and water resistant. They are perfect when it’s <75F and I am inactive, <50F when active. When highly active and >70F the seam that runs along the inner thighs chafes. Over time the pants stretch out a bit especially around the knees which make them a bit less slim fitting. I get more than 550 days of use before there is any signs of wear: light pilling at the top of the pocket I use the most. I have yet to completely wear out a pair though I have retired a few pairs after a pen leak created a large stain and after I lost weight and needed to switch to a smaller waist. When paired with nice shirt, and blazer have been accepted in situations which called for semi-formal dress. I have repeatedly had women in the fashion / design industry say “Where did you get those pants? They look great. I want to buy a pair for my husband.” SD seems pricey but it depends what you compare them to. When considering the cost / day of wear ($0.07/day)… they are 5x the cost of mass market nylon pants which don’t fit me that well, 2x the cost of higher quality nylon pants from companies like Prana and Patagonia, and about the same cost per day as Levi 501 jeans if you retired them when the knees are blown out. Maybe an indulgence, but I don’t think them as a luxury item when I see $1390 nylon shorts from Prada. I like these pants a lot, but the Ferrosi are lighter and more versatile. When I stop being a nomad these pants will be back in rotation.
STORED: Patagonia Terrebonne Joggers Very light weight polyester pants which provide a good range of motion, are very light, pack up small, UPF 40. Dry in less than 2 hours when hung indoors, less than 1 hour when wearing after being completely soaked in a rain storm. Very breathable and comfort in hot weather. These are the only pants I took when walking the 800km Camino Frances in 2023. found them good for outdoor activities in cool weather and for sleeping / lounging. Downside is that the pockets are a bit shallow and wide at the top so items fall out when sitting down. The OR Ferrosi Transit Pants are comfortable enough for me to drop these pants, but I have repeatedly found them useful, especially when in hostels.
Icebreaker Anatomica Tee-shirt merino wool with a bit of nylon for durability and a bit of lycra for a body hugging fit. These tee-shirts fits me perfectly, are super comfortable, don’t smell after many days of wear, dries fairly quickly, and my wife likes how these shirts looks on me. UPF between 15-30? I get around 500 days of wear before an Anatomica Tee looks tired, and 600 days before the first small holes appear. While I love merino wool, there are advantages to synthetic technical-tees: absorb less water, dry more quickly, and are more cost effective because they tend to be cheaper and longer lasting.
Arcteryx Cormac Hoodie A casual UPF 50 shirt. Slightly calendared which I find reasonably comfortable when I am hot and sweaty. When using a crystal deodorant resists odor for 3+ days of normal activities, 2 day of vigorous activity. Provides full sun protection. Resists stains pretty well so spills generally clean with a quick rinse, but after 130 days of continuous use (mostly hand washing) there were stains which won’t come out even after being machine washed a few times on heavy duty. Thankfully light stains on the white heather aren’t as noticeable as pure white shirts. I found this shirt dries in less than 3 hours after being squeezed, rolled in a towel and hung in a cool indoor room with modest ventilation. When hung in bright sunlight on a warm day dries in less than 1 hour. Also dries in less than 1.5 hours when I am wearing it in moderate temperatures and humidity. This is my default shirt for “sporty” / “athletic” activities and what I wear most of the summer. The Outdoor Research Echo is a good alternative for many: lighter, cooler feeling, with a slimmer fit, and good anti odor. Unfortunately for me, the Echo’s UPF is 15-20 has resulted in me getting sunburn when I spend all day outdoors in locations which have >10 UV Index.
UPDATED: Outlier AMB Button-Up Shirt is a long sleeve merino wool (Italian super 140 fabric / 16.5 micron) which is super comfortable, good looking, resists odors and wrinkles. I pulled it out of storage when I realized my “dressy shirt” doesn’t need to be super sun protective. I STORED a OR Astroman Button-Up UPF50 long sleeve shirt, which I think of as jack of all trades, master of none. Reasonably comfortable in warm weather, dries quick, so/so odor resistance, and it’s been reported that mosquitos don’t bite through it (can’t confirm this yet). The fabric isn’t as crisp as a typical dress shirt and the breast pocket is on slant, but when under a blazer or sweater can pass for a dress shirt. I started the year using a STORED Western Rise Unlimited Button Down which I liked but my wife felt looked too much like a “office” shirt when going out for a nice dinner or to a party.
ADDED/STORED: Minus33 Mid-weight Merino Mock Turtleneck Picked up as an experiment for cooler days when I want something bit more casual than button down shirt but a dressier than a hoody. Warm enough that I don’t need a sweater when it’s cool, but not overly warm when sitting around indoors during the winter. Have been able to wear for more than a week with no noticeable odor retention. If I was in continuously cold/cool conditions would carrying it, but lacks versatility I need while living a nomadic life in various climates.
STORED: Bluffworks Hopsack Blazer which doesn’t wrinkle, can be washed in a machine, and is light enough to wear in hot weather. Current dress standards make it unnecessary for my life. Several Michelin 3-stars I visited in the last two year accepted men wearing business casual pants and button up shirts or polos?!, not requiring jackets or blazers. It will come out of storage when we stop being nomadic because just because I can get away without dressing up doesn’t mean it’s ideal to be more casual. There are situations that it’s appropriate to wear a suit, or at least a blazer with a good shirt and pants.
Outerwear
The following clothing allows me to be comfortable when I am static if the temperature is >=25F, and can face colder conditions when I am active.
Macpac Nitro Pullover Made from Polartec Alpha Direct (90gsm). Highly breathable and dries super fast. Very light insulate without a shell, surprisingly warm under a shell. Great when active in cold conditions. I can feel air flow at walking speed in still air. Worn whenever my shirt isn’t warm enough. I am comfortable sitting in 68F wearing the Nitro and a tee-shirt, but when I pull up the hood and layer on a shell I am comfortable down to 40F doing light work (walking 2mph on level ground). There are lots of good options for an insulation layer.
Montbell Plasma 1000 Down Vest Incredibly light weight vest which provides moderate insulation for my core. I have the Japanese version which has pockets. With a long sleeve shirt and shell I am comfortable down to around 45F. When combined with a tee-shirt, Macpac Nitro, and a shell allows me to be comfortable down to 25F when standing. More acceptable looking over button down shirt or under blazer than my hoodie. Less than perfect for me: cut is a bit too boxy the neck doesn’t seal well. I think the cumulus minilite would have been a better choice but the Plasma is working well enough than I am not going to change it.
Montbell DryPeak Jacket made from Shakedry. I can actually wear it and not be soaked by sweat when active! I have done zone 2 runs for 2 hours in 48F rain with just 1 gram of water accumulating in my running shirt. Waterproof and doesn’t wet out. Works well as a wind shell. Alas Shakedry is somewhat fragile and is now discontinued… hope something equally performant comes out soon. In the mean time I have picked up several Shakedry jackets for my “stash”. Other options are discussed in my post about rain gear.
STORED: Zpacks Vertice Rain Pants (2018) are simple, light, breathable, waterproof rain pants. Have used them occasionally in cool rain when commuting by bike, hiking, or backpacking. After a few years of light use I am getting some minor leaking in the seat, and the bottom cuffs are fraying / delaminating. In the last year I found myself leaving them in my pack. I found that I was adequately comfortable wearing Terrebonne or OR Ferrosi in the rain and then allowing them to dry on my body. I started this when walking the Camino and it continued when facing spring rains in Portland. My rain pants are now in storage until we stop nomadic travel. At some point will likely replace them with rain pants made from a more durable material, GoreTex Pro or maybe Columbia Outdry Extreme Mesh.
Enlightened Gear Visp Rain Mittens Super minimalist protection from hands. Keeps my hand comfortable from freezing to around 50F when engaged in modest activity up to zone 2 workout.
ADDED: Foam Visor Keeps sun, rain, and sweat out of my eyes when running. Often combined with a hood which protects neck and ears.
Montbell Umbrero Rain Hat – More $$ Via US Site is a 1.8oz folding hat which fully shades my face, ears, and neck. It’s fully waterproof but still provides the best ventilation of any hat I have used. It deforms but usable in <25mph winds. Coated the inside with a paint to block UV. I think it’s silly looking, and periodically have people point and laugh… but I have also received compliments and have had people chase me down to ask where they could purchase one for themselves. When walking the Camino we had around 90 people ask us where they could get their own.
Below is is a picture with everything packed inside the pack, though normally sandals would be in one side pocket, and water bottle in the other.
Camino
When walking the Camino Santiago we added a few items specifically for the pilgrimage, and shipped more than half our normal items to friends in the UK to minimize what we carried. How we packed for the Camino.
Backcountry “Wild” Backpacking and Urban
There were two trip segments in the last year that planned to mix urban life with multi-day backcountry / wild camping.
For these segments I switched to a 40l Hanchor Tufa which weights 26oz and carries up to 20lb with great comfort, usable up to around 27lb. The Tufa uses a full length foldable foam pad to provide structure. I found it more comfortable than a HMG SW2400. When the roll-top is fully cinched down qualified as carry on for most airlines. When I was able strip down to just my back country items it was able to scrunch into Spirit Air personal bag sizer. The pack is beautifully made. I carried my laptop in the “pad pocket”.
Fuel and food was acquired at the destination. Metal stakes I normally use were replaced by wooden chopsticks, and swapped my dual purpose hiking poles for some carbon fiber “tent poles” for pitching my shelter.
On some of the backpacking outings I was able to leave my “purely urban” gear behind. On other outings, I hauled everything with me. I think a detailed list of items I used for back country is beyond the scope of this subreddit, but here is a lighterpack combining urban and wilderness camping that I used for several months when we were in the Pacific Northwest earlier this year.