Like many others, I am a sucker for gear. Over the decades I have frequently been intrigued by items of clothing, cook sets, gadgetry etc that may make my hikes easier, more interesting, more efficient, lighter, blah blah blah…
Some items have been good, some excellent, some not quite right for me, in truth, very few have been truly awful. I do research, I make impulse buys, just like most others I suspect. Below are some retrospective musings (always lessons to be learnt), various gear reviews, current set-up and systems plus a little forward thinking. These links get added to on a frequent basis. Some people separate clothing (apparel) from ‘gear’, I do not. It is all outdoor gear as far as I am concerned.
My Gear Lists: Lighterpack lists for just some of my walks in recent years, these include both starting and finishing lists for my 2500+ mile walk across the UK in 2018.
- The Big Three: my shelter, sleeping and pack systems continue to evolve. Links occasionally get added to those below.
- Shelter:
- Durston Gear X-Mid 2P Solid
- Eureka! WickiUp 3- a ‘mid with a history
- MLD Duomid
- Fitting magnetic door closures to my MLD Duomid
- MLD Solomid XL inner
- Zpacks Duplex
- Guys: fitting Ground Control Guy Cords from Sea to Summit to the Durston and Duomid
- Pegs/stakes
- Delta Ground Anchor pegs- the best pegs for windier conditions and sandier, looser ground.
- Fitting caps to the MSR Groundhogs
- Pegs- a selection for the Z-Packs Duplex
- A retrospective glance at some of the tents used by Three Points of the Compass in previous years, there aren’t that many.
- Cleaning and lubricating a tent zip
- Tent mesh repair
- Sleeping:
- Compression Dry Bag- Sea to Summit UL Evac
- FLEXTAILGEAR- A small and light electric pump option for backpackers
- Katabatic Gear: a look at my Palisade and Flex quilts
- Pad-Pal: less than 11g, the lightest electric pad inflator in the world
- Pillows for side sleepers, includes a close look at the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Pods.
- Sleeping bags and quilts, a personal retrospective
- Sleep clothes/baselayers
- Sleep socks– merino, possum down and Primaloft Active Tent Socks from OMM
- Sleeping pads
- Repairing a puncture in a Thermarest NeoAir pad
- ‘Zote closed cell foam pads
- Pack:
- Atom Packs Mo (Prospector)
- Bach 60 litre Cargo Bag Lite
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa
- Gossamer Gear G4-20
- Gossamer Gear Shoulder Strap Pocket
- Gossamer Gear Sit Pads and other lighter sitpads
- Gossamer Gear Bottle Rocket- what fits
- Shelter:
- Cameras on trail: Recording a walk is one of our great future joys; looking back at the visual account. Three Points of the Compass is an indifferent photographer who has enjoyed a range of cameras in the past. A personal account of some good and some very, very poor pieces of equipment.
- Camera or phone mini tripods
- Clothing:
- Arm warmers
- Boxer Briefs
- Buff neck tube
- Gloves and Mitts
- Head gear:
- Head net:
- Hoodie- Alpha Direct
- Insulated jackets
- Insulated trousers
- Electronics:
- Flextail Light Repel. At just 42g this is probably the lightest battery powered mosquito repellent available. But is it any good?
- My 2020 electronics
- My 2023 electronics
- Nitecore 21700 Intelligent Battery System
- Nitecore powerbanks- four lightweight options- 5k, 10k, 20k mAh (2021)
- Nitecore NB10000 Gen2 powerbank (2022)
- Nitecore NB Plus 10000mAh ‘energy bar’ (2025)
- Nitecore Carbo 20000, the world’s lightest 20000mAh powerbank (2023)
- Power Adapters- a look at three UK options, each with USB-C (2021)
- Quad Lock protective case and tripod adapter for the Samsung Galaxy S20+ phone
- Smaller power banks, plugs and leads (2020)
- Solar Panels
- USB-C coupler adapters
- Every Day Carry, or EDC:
- An Every Day Carry– how much can YOU fit into a Vanquest EDC Slim Maximizer? This is what I carry. Not for backpacking though!
- An Urban Every Day Carry– a more practical twist on the concept of the ‘Altoids Survival Tin’, this is a collection of gear suited to the commuter and urban traveller.
- The Spyderco Bug- is this the perfect EDC knife?
- The Zebra F-701– is this the perfect EDC pen?
- Favourite gear: An annual retrospective of five items of gear that were especially appreciated on longer trails.
- Feet:
- Arch Angel replacement insoles
- Camp shoes– why I stopped wearing them
- Camp shoes- Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes
- Lock Laces
- Microspikes
- Sealskinz waterproof socks
- Silverlight socks
- Skinners– waterproof sock-shoes
- Trail shoes
- First Aid:
- Handwarmers:
- Hydration:
- DIY bottle hangers
- HydraPak Ultraflasks
- Nalgene bottles
- SIGG Traveller bottles
- Source Storm Valve- probably the best push/pull bite valve
- Water filters
- Converting a 42mm neck HydraPak to fit a 28mm water filter- Plug-N-Play
- Converting a 42mm neck HydraPak to fit a 28mm water filter- a hack
- HydraPak 42mm Filter Cap
- Katadyn BeFree water filter
- Katadyn BeFree with HydraPak Seeker bladder- my current system
- Pure Clear- a lightweight water filter that removes viruses
- Pure Clear- Pure Explore Water Filter Bottle, with improved mouthpiece
- Renovo MUV water filter with Cnoc Vecto bladder
- Renovo MUV water filter
- Salomon XA water filter
- Hygiene on trail: ‘Embrace the funk’ or make some sort of effort at a periodic clean up? Your choice, this is what I do.
- Matador FlatPak Soap Bar Case
- Nail Clippers
- Packing for the trail: my hygiene kit for two weeks of wildcamping, ‘soft’ camping, hotels and hostels
- Teeth:
- Bamboo Brushes. There really is no need to cut off the handle!
- A look at lightweight brush, paste, tabs and floss options
- Kitchen / cookset:
- Gas lighters
- Liquid fuel lighters
- Ferro rods
- Firefly- the lightest of ferrocerium rods
- Matches
- The perfect spoon
- Orikaso fold flat tableware
- Stoves and windshields:
- these have their own page, found here
- Mugs:
- GSI Infinity Backpacker Mug
- GSI sipper mug
- Sea to Summit X-mug, a collapsible silicone mug
- Pots:
- Heat Exchanger pots, expensive, heavy and bulky, what do they have to offer?
- Fire Maple 600ml G3 Petrel heat exchanger pot, and stove compatibility
- Fire Maple 900ml Petrel heat exchanger Ramen Pot
- Knives on trail: Smaller and lighter knives and multi-tools suited to lightweight backpacking, there may be exactly what you require.
- Light:
- BRS-55 Dream Candle, a gas-powered candle
- Coleman F1 Lite Lantern. Probably the lightest gas powered lantern ever produced
- Cool Camp gas-powered candle lantern
- Light diffusers– small silicone shades that create a 360° spread of light
- Montbell crushable lantern shade, converts a headlamp beam to a 360° spread of light
- Nitecore ML21 magnetic lantern for attaching to Nitecore 21700 series HPi batteries
- Nitecore NU25 headlamp, 2017 version, lightening the headband
- Olight Obulb, battery-powered 360° LED globe lantern
- Olight Perun 2 Mini, right angle-flashlight with headband
- Primus Micron gas lantern, with steel globe, an ‘almost’ unbreakable gas light for plenty of light and heat in camp
- RovyVon Aurora A5x Red, what was probably the best handheld ‘glow-in-the-dark’ keychain light there is for backpackers, until…
- RovyVon Aurora A5R, third generation handheld ‘glow-in-the-dark’ keychain light (2022)
- Silicone light diffusers
- Sofirn BLF LR1 2.0 lantern. The best battery powered lantern available. Not for backpacking though
- UCO Candle Lanterns, old school light and heat
- USB-A LED lantern– minimal 360° lighting in a small tent
- USB LED lights– there is nothing lighter, nothing smaller!
- Monoculars: a small optic can be extremely useful on trail, despite an inevitable weight penalty.
- Music: Three Points of the Compass has been hiking enough years that the pack used to include tape, CD or MiniDisc players. Then MP3 turned up and changed everything for a few glorious years. Dip in to this backwards glance, sigh, and be thankful for your phone.
- Navigation:
- A-Z Adventure Series For Walkers map booklets
- Harvey maps
- ‘The right tools for the job‘- map, compass, map case, pacer beads
- Making a set of Pacer Beads
- Map measurers: not for use on trail, but may have a use while planning. Deep dive!
- Ordnance Survey (paper) maps
- Slope Cards
- Writing on maps
- Scales– revealing the lie!
- Small Stuff: Beside the Big Three, clothing and kitchen etc. there are always the small items that sneak their way into a pack, this is how Three Points of the Compass defines and cope with them.
- Day Bag
- Ditty Bag (and 2020 updated version)
- Recording the trail:
- Mirrors
- Pouches on trail:
- Repair tape and patches, deciding what to carry on trail
- Screwdrivers, micro options
- Making an expedition Sewing Kit– probably overkill for a lightweight hike, but gives a closer look at exactly what sewing materials are best for backpacking. A great kit for round-the-world motorcyclists…
- Swedish cloth– almost an essential item in my gear list
- Thermometers:
- Tick removers
- Tin Openers
- Watch– my needs are simple, this is what I use
- How to use the Sun Clock on the Silva Ranger SL compass
- Whistles– what is the best emergency whistle? Includes sound comparison files
- Trekking poles:
- Waterproofs:
- What gear wears out on a long hike?– experience from a five-month hike
The manufacturers are very good at what they do, that is, convincing us that we need to buy the latest, greatest incarnation. I am very aware that a decent product can come out, simple in design and perfectly functional. Then, rather than refining it, or leaving it as it is, all sorts of extra buckles, straps, pockets, bi-functional panels, go-faster stripes et al get added in response to both customer feedback and the marketing teams. The result being that the simple little item of gear I once had, that was perfectly good at what it did, quite rightly eventually wears out and I have to go on the search for the nearest equivalent because what I had and was happy with, is no longer available. Footwear is a prime example. I spend far too many hours every year looking for what fits my feet and works, simply because what I had been using for the past few hundred miles has been replaced by what the marketing team think I now want.
Certainly I am getting better at it; refining my gear choice and buying less. I think more before I buy. As many are doing, I look to replace good with better, light with lighter, only very infrequently is it shiny being replaced by shinier. This is all just ‘stuff’ of course. It can be helpful to periodically review what is working and what is not. If it isn’t quite right, or is never used, perhaps it is time to replace with something better or lighter, or remove it entirely. I carry out this mental exercise on every long distance hike. Conversely, some items of kit are stand out performers on trail and I think very carefully before not including them on the next trail.
Three Points of the Compass 
Do we know of anyone who modified Sigg bottle tops to pour spouts, with a small hole to dictate flow of the fuel? I realize this is not a new invention but I’m in a need for several of these or at least the instructions and materials and instructions to fab my own. Many thanks, John in Tennessee email: jg0386296@gmail.com
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Hi John. I do not know if someone has modified or fashioned some sort of third party pouring spout for SGG bottles. It would have to be a pretty tough object if they did, as the narrow neck creates a lot of torque on the cap being screwed in. SIGG did make their own pour caps a few years ago. I showed one in my post on SIGG Traveller bottles, linked HERE. But they haven’t been around for quite some time now. You might be able to find the odd one or two on the second hand market, but I doubt in bulk.
You imply that it is specifically SIGG pour spouts you want, but if you can move away from their products, the Trangia fuel bottles, in three sizes, with dedicated and very good pour spouts are excellent (linked HERE). I have a few of them and use them with meths/alcohol, white gas and Aspen 4. Best wishes
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