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The Trek: What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

My gear is put together on a low budget having a 15 pound base weight for a total of 30 with food and water.

The Trek: What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Last updated:
July 24, 2025
|  5 min read

The Trek: What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Trek: What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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My gear is put together on a low budget having a 15 pound base weight for a total of 30 with food and water.

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The Trek: What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

In an earlier draft of my article, I realized that all of my pieces of gear fall into one of three categories. The Good, things that I like and plan to keep around, The Bad, gear that I don’t love but can’t replace due to time/money, and The Ugly, which is things that totally work but are super scuffed. Shoutout to my XXXL rain jacket poncho.

A general overview: my gear is put together on a (relatively) low budget. It’s designed to get me through a hike of the Superior Hiking Trail. Eventually, I’d like to upgrade it into a Pacific Crest gear list so some of the gear was bought with that in mind. It was created with the intent of having a 15 pound base weight for a total of 30 with food and water. I don’t know if I even got close to that, but that was the plan.

Continue reading to learn more about gear used to backpack, written by Owen Harries.

The Trek: What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

In an earlier draft of my article, I realized that all of my pieces of gear fall into one of three categories. The Good, things that I like and plan to keep around, The Bad, gear that I don’t love but can’t replace due to time/money, and The Ugly, which is things that totally work but are super scuffed. Shoutout to my XXXL rain jacket poncho.

A general overview: my gear is put together on a (relatively) low budget. It’s designed to get me through a hike of the Superior Hiking Trail. Eventually, I’d like to upgrade it into a Pacific Crest gear list so some of the gear was bought with that in mind. It was created with the intent of having a 15 pound base weight for a total of 30 with food and water. I don’t know if I even got close to that, but that was the plan.

Continue reading to learn more about gear used to backpack, written by Owen Harries.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Hiker
Owen Harries
I'm Owen Harries, a college kid hiking on a budget and a dream.
Media Mentions

The Trek: What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

What Gear am I Using: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

In an earlier draft of my article, I realized that all of my pieces of gear fall into one of three categories. The Good, things that I like and plan to keep around, The Bad, gear that I don’t love but can’t replace due to time/money, and The Ugly, which is things that totally work but are super scuffed. Shoutout to my XXXL rain jacket poncho.

A general overview: my gear is put together on a (relatively) low budget. It’s designed to get me through a hike of the Superior Hiking Trail. Eventually, I’d like to upgrade it into a Pacific Crest gear list so some of the gear was bought with that in mind. It was created with the intent of having a 15 pound base weight for a total of 30 with food and water. I don’t know if I even got close to that, but that was the plan.

Continue reading to learn more about gear used to backpack, written by Owen Harries.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Hiker
Owen Harries
I'm Owen Harries, a college kid hiking on a budget and a dream.
Media Mentions
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