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THE 10 BACKPACKING ESSENTIALS
Which are the 10 essentials every backpacker should have?
This a tricky questiona s every backpacking adventure is different, but please, when planning a new adventure always consider the days you will spend on the route, the season you are in and how experienced you are. This will help you on selecting the 10 essentials for your trip.
The Asolo Team put together our 10 must to have with you on a multi day trip (up to 10-15 days), are you ready for discovering them? So let’s start!
1. BOOTS
Great boots bring you anywhere!
Always look for the best combination of performance and comfort. Your backpacking boots need to be engineered for carrying heavier loads on multi-days trips and giving you protection, support and stability along the route.
So here we are with our Corax GV! The Schoeller K-Tech and water-resistant suede upper offer the maximum comfort and protection while the Gore-Tex Performance Comfort Footwear lining guarantees waterproofness and breathability. The mono density microporous midsole offers support and stability while the Pu heel covered with a Tpu film offers extreme shock absorption. The Master outsole, designed in partnership between Asolo and Vibram, presents a self cleaning design and assures the best performances and grip on varying types of terrains. The model is completed with an all-around rubber rand and the heel locking for further protection and the hardware lacing system for a fast and precise lace up.
2. BACKPACK
The backpack will be your mate on the trip so always pay attention to its capacity: it may be calculated in relation to the lenght and duration of the route, to its technical characteristics (pockets, attachment points, sleeping bag compartment, raincover, ventilation, padding) and its torso length and waiste size.
The OSPREY Kestrel 68 (man model) and the OSPREY Kyte 56 (women model) is specifically designed for medium and long duration trekkings. The huge U-zip opening on the front panel provides you an easy way to organize your equipment of to find exactly what you’re looking for, which is reachable also by an upper lid access. A sleeping bag compartment with a removable divider is at the bottom, and it also has a fully adjustable backpanel for a better comfort.
3. CLOTHING
Watch out, clothing really changes based on the season!
Our main tip is how we say in Italian “dress as an onion” which means to dress in layers in order to remove or add clothes based on the weather.
For a Fall adventure here are our favourites:
The PATAGONIA Point Peak Trail pants are built for rugged, multi-day trail and travel time and are made of 90% recycled nylon/10% elastane double weave with a PFC-free DWR finish (durable water repellent coating that does not contain per fluorinated chemicals). Additional features of the pants are: pockets in the front and back, moderate leg articulation for mobility and the boot hook (Cuffs have center-front boot hook).
The PATAGONIA Capilene Cool Trail T-shirt is a ultra soft technical top made with quick-drying and moisture-wicking fabric to keep you comfortable when you’re working hard in conditions ranging from cool to hot. Made with 50-100% recycled polyester.
The perfect cold-weather cross-layer, the PATAGONIA R2 Tech Face Jacket provides warmth and breathability with the added benefits of abrasion and weather resistance for extended versatility in shifting mountain conditions.
Simple and unpretentious, the PATAGONIA Torrentshell 3L Jacket model uses 3-layer H2No Performance Standard technology for exceptional waterproof/breathable performance, all-day comfort and long-lasting waterproof durability. Additional features are: the microfleece-lined neck, two zippered hand warmer pockets and venting pit zips and the compactness (the jacket self-stuffs into left handwarmer pocket with carabiner clip-in loop).
Crafted from an innovative eco-friendly fabric, the ODLO Active warm eco base layer set is odour-resistant, made from 100% recycled polyester fibres and features a forgiving stretch for enhanced freedom of movement. Designed with an athletic slim fit, the top and bottom effectively trap body heat while offering ample moisture management. For whatever day brings.
Two designs in one! Comfortable and light hat for fresh weather conditions. The BUFF Ecostretch Beanie hat is made of recycled materials and the result is a highly stretchable hat with sun protection against UV radiation. Reversible and comfortable hat with minimized seams. Ideal as a base layer for protection against the cold during outdoor activities.
THORLO LTH socks are constructed with TORLON blended with THOR WICK COOL fibers for superior softness, resilience, durability and extra moisture-wicking for drier, cooler feet. Cushioned instep and arch for a better fit, more support and less pressure on the feet.
4. TENT
Tent is your home whilst on adventure, barrier to the weather and space in which to recover for the days ahead. Important then to find a design with liveable dimensions, a structure well matched for the conditions you might expect and the weight you have to shoulder every day of your route.
The freestanding 2-person Alvar UL 2P by MARMOT maximises internal space and comfort with Zone Pre-Bend Construction, creating vertical side walls and strategic clip placements of the inner that further increase interior volume. A seam-taped, full-coverage fly sits low to the ground giving high level protection in bad weather, with multiple guylines ensuring stability. Two D-shaped doors with mesh and fabric panels make it easy to get in and out or adjust the ventilation just as you like it. Settled inside there are multiple pockets that keep small gear organized, a lampshade pocket which spreads the beam of your headlamp for more ambient light in the evening as well as easy access to two flysheet vents that allow additional airflow. Fast-Pitch construction with external clipped poles is favoured in changeable conditions and ensures a quick setup.
5. SLEEPING BAG
A good and comfortable sleep is essential after a long day hiking on trails. While choosing the sleeping bag consider the temperature rating and insolation, but also some extra as pockets and adjustement features.
Made with a footbox that follows a more natural position, the by MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR Bishop Pass 15 is shaped draft collar and adjustable down-filled face gasket which effectively keep warm air in and cold air out. It guarantees a high-performance insulation, with an optimum performance about the warmth to weight ratio. A construction for easy entry and exit is helped by the main YKK zipper and the two-way zipper for ventilation options. Thanks to the stuff sack and mesh storage, it guarantees a performing packability in the backpack. This precise sleeping bag is for temperature of 15 F/-9 C.
6. CAMPING KITCHEN
Beeing a great chef in the outdoor is challenging, but not impossible! Choosing the right material are fundamental as the conditions when you cook and prepare the food vary daily.
Winner of the Backpacker’s Editor Choice in the 2015, the X-Set 31 by SEA TO SUMMIT is a collapsible set, perfect for two-person cook and dinnerware in the outdoor. This set includes a 2.8L X-Pot with a hard-anodised aluminium base and silicone side walls, two X-Bowls and two X-Mugs, that all nest neatly inside the X-Pot creating the perfect disc-sized set that fits anywhere.
7. NAVIGATION TOOLS
Wherever you go, stay safe! Contemporary navigation tools include five essentials for traveling in the backcountry: a map, compass, altimeter watch, GPS device and personal locator beacon (PLB).
GARMIN GPSMAP 66i is the most advanced tool for orienting in the mountains but useful also for sending SOS message to GEOS (a 24/7 search and rescue monitoring center) in case of emergency while hiking thanks to inReach technology. It has a high-durability rechargeable lithium-ion battery, it is equipped with a preloaded cartography, specific for outdoor and detailed and has inside, in addition to the GPS sensor, also a barometric altimeter and a compass, which also works on the move thanks to GPS.
8. FIRST AID KIT
If an emergency occurs, be prepared!
For this, it’s vital to carry on with you - and mainly to know how to use the items – a first-aid kit. Pre-assembled first-aid kits help you to not forget anything essential.
The Mountain Backpacker Medical Kit by ADVENTURE MEDICAL is the perfect kit for adventures and multi-day trips; it is provided of high-quality materials and stored in waterproofed bag which also allows you not to give too much additional weight to the backpack. Inside, the kit includes bandages, syringes, trauma pillows and basic medicines for pain, fever, allergies, stomach pain, nitrile gloves, adhesive tape and disinfectants.
9. HEADLAMP
Being able to find your way through the wilderness at night is essential, so you always need to have a light source with you. A headlamp is the preferred choice of most backcountry travelers because it keeps your hands free, whether for cooking dinner or holding trekking poles.
Our favourite one is the Actik Core by PETZL which is the rechargeable headlamp, with a power of 450 lumens, offers a red lighting that guarantees to see in the night, without glare and suitable for outdoor activities. In addition, the elastic band that you can adapt to your head is reflective and it allows you to be seen as well. Thanks to the Hybrid Concept construction, it is possible to replace the supplied Core rechargeable battery with three AAA batteries.
10. TREKKING POLES
Get an extra support and stability thanks to the trekking poles! At Asolo we love the ones that are packable, light and height adjustable.
Here are our choice:
The LEKI Micro Vario Carbon trekking poles are made in carbon, and so assuring lightweight and supreme performance, while thanks to the AERGON Thermo Long Grip technology, which anatomically shapes the handle, more hands comfort is given. More, for adjusting the pole lenght, the Speed Lock 2 Adjustment System has been integrated and more stability is given by the ELD External Locking Device.
