How To - Bring Outdoor Gear Around The World
When you’re thinking of planning a trip around the world, you may anticipate a range of varying activities in different locations, some of which might necessitate having outdoor gear. However bringing this gear is a big decision, it will take up a lot of space in your pack, a lot of weight within your airline allowance, and can be expensive to acquire if you don’t already own the gear. Ultimately you’re going to have to figure out if the benefits of having the flexibility to easily go outdoors outweigh the costs of acquiring it and bringing it with you. To help you make this decision for your own trip, let’s dive into how we approached ours!
How To Decide If You Want To Bring Outdoor Gear
First things first, do we really need to lug several pounds of outdoor gear around the world for nearly 13 months? That was the question we asked ourselves early on in our world-trip planning, way back in early 2021, almost three full years before we left the United States. For us though, it was a pretty easy answer. Even though it was going to make our travel days heavier, we wanted the ability to thoroughly explore some of the beautiful countries we were going to, and the flexibility to camp when and where it made sense.
For you, it may not be such a cut and dry answer. Bringing this gear will likely add between 5 and 25 pounds (2 and 10 kilograms) of extra weight to your backpack or bag, depending on what you end up needing. For some, that will immediately nix bringing outdoor gear, and that’s okay! Everyone’s world trip looks a little bit different. For others, who aren’t willing to give up a little outdoor action, a stripped-down kit may suffice. On another level, multi-day trekkers will be compelled to dedicate a portion of their backpack to specialized gear. And finally, there are the select few serious nature enthusiasts, who won’t even think of missing the chance to hit their nearest REI, or their local outdoor store equivalent, in the search for the very latest and greatest outdoor equipment, which will ultimately occupy the majority of their packs.
Figuring out which group you will fall into during your trip can be more complex than you might think. From previous travels we knew that both of us enjoyed day hikes and other outdoor activities like white water rafting, horse-back riding, or biking. This meant that off the bat we were at least going to need some outdoor clothes and shoes, but we weren’t sure if we would need to bring any more gear beyond that. Our next step was to research the countries on our itinerary, to see if there were any more intense activities like multi-day hikes or long-distance treks that we didn’t want to miss, helping to determine our equipment checklist. For us, there were a few multi-day hikes in New Zealand, and one long-distance trek in Argentina that we wanted to have the ability to do with our own equipment. This put us firmly in the multi-day hiking group, ensuring several trips to REI were in our near future.
We researched and purchased much of our gear nearly a year in advance of our departure, knowing we would make numerous changes after trial and error. Sidenote – REI is a great option for this layered packing approach, as their lifetime membership allows you to return items far beyond 30 days. Anyway: we didn’t want to be in the middle of a 7 day trek in Torres Del Paine and have our tent fall apart or our stove not ignite! Since we were lumping this outdoor gear in with our regular travel items, we also wanted to make sure we were curating gear for an ultra lightweight pack, we weren’t trying to return to the US with permanent spinal cord damage… For you, who knows! These points might not be as much of a concern and checking off your whole gear list might only take one big REI trip.
To help you get an idea of the gear you might need to bring on your ideal long trip, we’ve broken out our gear list below into the three of the four groups we mentioned above. Whichever group you fall into, hopefully these lists help you get an idea for the amount of space, and weight, that you’ll need to account for in your luggage!
Types of Outdoor Gear
Single Day Activities
For many travelers the equipment to easily go on day-hikes and explore national parks in various countries is all that will be required during their trip. This makes your gear list much shorter and means you’ll be saving lots of weight in your bag as well, both big positives when thinking of carrying your life around for a year. To make sure you’re well prepared to conquer any daily challenge we recommend going through the following checklist and expect this will add between 5 and 8 pounds (2 and 4 kilograms) to your luggage or backpack.
Day Pack - A lightweight pack between 18 and 25 liters should be all you need to carry water, snacks, sunscreen, and any other bits and bobs you’ll need for short single-day activities. We love the Ultralight Stuff Pack from Osprey or the Rhune 22 Pack from Gregory.
Day Pack Rain Cover - Most small packs don’t have a companion rain cover but Sarah is using the Thule Backpack Rain Cover for her small pack and it has held up well in the rain so far.
Trail Shoes - For day hikes you probably don’t want to carry bulky high ankle boots with you everyday. We recommend looking at the Salomon X Ultra 4 or Danner Trail 2650. Sarah has used the Merrell Moab 3 Waterproof for day hikes while I tend to use a simple pair of Nike trail shoes like the Pegasus Trail 4 for anything other than overnight trips.
Outdoor Pants - Columbia’s Prana brand makes some terrific pants that have been great for both short and long hikes plus they’re lightweight! I have two pairs of the Stretch Zion Straight Pant and one pair of the Bridger Slim Tapered Jeans, they are great for the outdoors and blend right in when you’re spending time in the city as well.
Athletic Shirt - For day hikes we typically wear similar shirts to those that we wear at home when going to the gym or out for a run. Some of our staples are from Nike, Columbia, and Marmot.
Rain Jacket - You never want to be caught out far from your car when the rain starts to pour down so it’s always a good idea to bring some light rain gear. Sarah uses the Exposure/2 Gore-Tex Paclite Rain Jacket from Mountain Hardware and I use the Antora Jacket from the North Face, both have worked well for us in both light and heavy rain.
Water Bottle and/or Camelback - The choice between using a water bottle and a camelback is really up to personal preference and whether or not your chosen pack has space for one or the other. We tend to use water bottles for their versatility on trails and on days spent out in towns or cities.
Multi-Day Hikes
For those of us looking for a longer adventure, any amount of nights spent on a trail greater than 0 will require purchasing and carrying a lot more equipment. Suddenly, you need to be able to shelter yourself from the elements, cook food to survive & thrive, and stay warm on chilly alpine nights. All of this will make your necessary gear list much longer, and unfortunately heavier, for me this type of gear added about 18 pounds (9 kilograms) to my bag. The following checklist is in addition to the items already listed above, with the exception of the backpack which will now need to be big enough to hold at least all of your hiking and outdoor gear, or in my case all of that gear plus all of my ordinary around the world items.
Hiking Backpack - For longer trips you’ll need to bring a larger backpack that can handle all of your gear, clothes, and food stuffs. For hikes between 2 and 5 days we recommend having at least a 50 Liter backpack like the Blaze 60 from Granite Gear. For anything over a week you might need to carry substantially more food and gear so we recommend a pack of at least 70 Liters, we’re using the Gregory Baltoro 85L Pro backpacks for our trip and they’ve been good fits for longer treks as well.
Backpack Cover - Most larger packs have a companion raincover that their manufacturer will sell as an add-on. While they can take up some small space and a bit of weight to your pack they’re an essential piece to make sure your gear all stays dry.
Tent - We recommend looking for a tent that’s at least one person larger than how you intend to use it. For example we use the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 tent for just Sarah and I, and I have the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 tent when I go camping alone. The reason to do this is so that you can comfortably get your pack(s) inside with you to keep them off any cold or wet ground you’ll encounter, plus it just makes life easier to have a bit more space.
Tent Stakes - There are tons of options here, many tents will come with their own stakes included, but we went with the MSR Ground Hog stakes in our gear to save an ounce or two of weight.
Tent Tarp - Many, if not all, tents have their own accompanying ground tarp that fits with their pole system, so similar to a backpack cover just look for your tent manufacturer’s own tarp to find the one with the best fit for you.
Camping Cooker - A camping cooker is one of your most essential pieces of gear, because without it you’ll be having a lot of sad, cold, unappetizing meals! We’re using the Jetboil Mighty Mo Backpacking Stove, it’s small but powerful and fits right into our cookware to save space without adding too much weight to my bag.
Cooker Windscreen - When it’s even just breezy a windscreen will come in handy to keep your cooker’s flame lit. We have the Solo Stove Aluminum Windscreen which is super lightweight and folds down to a pretty small size to easily fit in my bag.
Camping Cookware - Our cookware might be my favorite gear purchase of 2023, the Halulite MicroDualist II Backpacking Cookset is so easy to use because the pot fits mugs, bowls, utensils, cooker, and a small gas canister inside of it. This saves space inside a pack and its lightweight construction means that it’s saving us a few ounces of weight.
Camping Utensils - My camping kit came with sporks for each of us, but for when you might want to use more sophisticated utensils for a meal we recommend the Sea to Summit Camp Cutlery 3-Piece set.
Sleeping Bag - There are literally hundreds of sleeping bags to choose from, and the right one for you is really down to personal preference. There are mummy bags, square bags, open-ended ones, and ones that you can zip together to make a couple’s sleeping bag. For our trip Sarah chose to go with the Therm-A-Rest Ohm 32F/0C sleeping bag but has since started to look for a new one because it’s not as warm as she expected. I have had the Marmot Never Winter 30F/-1C sleeping bag for many summer treks and I’m using it again for our around the world trip.
Sleeping Pad - Like sleeping bags there are a lot of options when it comes to sleeping pads, but generally you want one that is rated for the type of seasons you’ll be hiking in, summer vs. all-season and is large enough to support your body with a little wiggle room. For this trip we both have the Nemo Tensor Ultralight Long Wide sleeping pad which is ultra-lightweight, but be warned it is a little squeaky when laying on it, so it may not be the best fit for you if you’re sensitive to sound when you sleep!
Camping Pillow - I used to be firmly in the anti-pillow crowd, I viewed it as an unnecessary luxury that I could save weight by not bringing. After one too many treks where I couldn’t get a good night’s sleep from my head being uncomfortable all night long, I finally caved and bought the Cocoon AirCore Ultra-lightweight Travel Pillow. I’m not going on any hikes without it from now on… it adds a few ounces to my bag but the comfort I get from it greatly outweighs that!
Headlight - Being able to see always comes in handy and for me, I want to be able to see anything within a 100 foot radius of my campsite, especially when I’m camping by myself. I have the Petzl Actik Core headlight in my pack because of its high lumens and the trust I have for Petzl as a manufacturer, having had several of their flashlights before that never let me down.
Emergency Kit - You never know what can happen on a trip, so it’s best to be prepared for all possibilities. For trips that are only a few days away from emergency help at any time, it’s possible to take a smaller, pre-packed emergency kit like the 2 Day, 2 People Kit from Adventure Medical Kits, which each of us have in our packs.
Multi-Tool - When I say multi-tool what comes to mind? Swiss Army Knives, right? They’re ubiquitous as multi-tools for a reason, and I’ve had the Swiss Champ model for years, it’s always had what I need and has held up amazingly well for how often it’s been abused on long trips.
Paracord - It’s always useful to have a bit of string around, you can use it to tie up your tarp as a rain cover, use it as a clothesline to dry items, or to keep your food high up, away from the prying hands of bears. I have a pack or paracord 50 feet long in my bag on any major hike and since it’s small and lightweight, I rarely notice it’s even there unless I need it.
Camp Shovel - When backcountry camping, you’ll likely find yourself far away from a toilet when nature calls, in those instances having a small shovel to dig a good hole can make the outdoor experience much more pleasant. I have a simple plastic shovel from REI but TheTentLab Deuce #2 UL Backcountry Trowel is a good option for anyone looking to keep their bag as lightweight as possible.
Hiking Boots - For longer hikes, you want to protect your feet and ankles from the possibility of injury as much as possible. I always recommend at a minimum an ankle high hiking boot like the Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid Gore-Tex I personally have, but some may like to have an even more robust pair of high ankle boots to stabilize your ankles as much as possible, like the Lowa Tibet GTX Hiking Boots.
Hiking Socks - A good pair of hiking socks can make the difference on a cold or damp day, keeping your feet nice and toasty or dry and improving your mood substantially. I recommend Lightweight socks from Darn Tough and have 4 pairs on this trip with me. They're great on the trail but good for everyday wear as well.
Sun Shirt - Sun protection is key when spending long hours outdoors on sunny or cloudy days as those pesky UV rays will always hit you no matter what the climate looks like outside. I recommend the Co-op Sahara Shade Hoodie from REI as it’s a great layer of protection while still being lightweight and small enough to not take up too much space in your bag.
Rain Pants - For soaking wet days, you want to stay dry from head to toe, that means you’ll need to throw some water resistant pants over your regular hiking pants to go alongside your rain jacket. I have the Hazy Trail Rain Pants from Columbia and they do a great job of keeping me dry without getting me too hot from all my trapped body heat.
Hiking Hat - On a yearlong trip you may not want to use space in your pack to carry one hat for the outdoors and one for city days, but many hats have the big issue of glaring sweat stains that form over time. To avoid this I have the Melin Odyssey Hydro Hat which is great for both city and trail days and never gets any sweat stains, keeping my options open!
Poncho - There are many poncho options out there, but for really rainy days we both have the Outdoor Products Backpacker Poncho rain poncho to help keep us as dry as possible.
Serious Trekking
Not many world travelers fall into the “Serious Trekking” group but for those of you who are thinking of doing long-distance hikes over 7 days, the following few items can be game changers. Either for increased comfort or to keep hold of your own sanity, this small list can go a long way towards making your time in the outdoors an experience to remember.
Hiking Poles - For longer treks (even for those of just a few days) hiking poles can make a huge difference in weight distribution and body weight control. Pulling yourself up a mountain with poles, versus without, is a much more enjoyable affair. I use the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork hiking poles because of their durability and lightweight construction out of carbon fiber and real cork.
Camping Cup - On a long hike it can be nice to have a small cup to act a bit more civilized when drinking during a meal instead of always using your water bottle or camelback. Of course this comes with a weight tradeoff but the TOAKS Titanium Single Wall 450ml cup is a good lightweight balance of comfort and weight.
Camping Chair - This is another luxury item that will add more unnecessary weight to your bag but a camping chair can make a huge difference to your campsite after long trekking days. I have a pair of Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 Longback camping chairs that have come on multiple long-distance treks and added substantial comfort to evenings around a fire.
Large Emergency Kit - When going on a long trek it’s a good idea to trade out a small emergency kit for one that can sustain you for 3+ days such as the 2 People, 4 Days Kit or 4 People, 7 Days Kit in case help is further away than you would like it to be.
Soft Knee Brace - Over many days there will inevitably be a lot of downhill and you never know when injuries might happen, just ask Sarah. It’s never a bad idea to carry some additional emergency materials with you, and since there will be a lot of pressure put on your knees, we like to carry a soft brace with us just in case.
LifeStraw - We recommend packing a lifestraw to ensure you can always stay hydrated regardless of what your water supply looks like, within reason. Please read the information provided with a lifestraw to understand when it is and is not safe to use one.
How To Pick Your Gear
Now that you’ve got a good idea of the gear you’ll need to think about bringing for your trip, the next step can be far more daunting; picking out your actual gear! We’ve linked out the items we either have or recommend in the lists above, but the gear you choose is up to you. There are dozens of major outdoor brands and even more niche or small-scale brands to consider for each of these items and figuring out what works best for you can almost seem overwhelming when you start.
The first step for many of us, similar to many other purchases in the modern world, is to research gear online and read reviews from various sources around why they like item X, why they don’t like item Y, and why they actually ended up buying item Z. There are a ton of gear reviewers out there, but I find Switchback Travel, GearLab, and GearJunkie to generally have reliable and detailed reviews to consider. Instead of researching through a screen, some people prefer to go into one of their local outdoor shops and talk to their experts (weird). In my experience, these stores tend to employ people who know the outdoors like the back of their hand, and they typically have useful insights into what gear would work well in any given situation. With years of their own adventures and historical experience, they can help you widdle your options down to what’s best for your trip and best on the market. Of course it also never hurts to seek advice from outdoorsy friends or family. Since they know you better than someone on the internet or in a store, they might be able to give you the best personalized recommendations for your specific trip and situation.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to make sure your gear makes sense for you and your itinerary. Regardless of where you found recommendations for your gear, just make sure you have everything you need. You don’t want to be a few miles down a trail or a few days into a long hike and think to yourself “wow it would be great if I had ____ right now!” If you have time it’s also a good idea to do a test run with your gear, which can mean going for a walk in a nearby park or sleeping in your tent in the living room or backyard. Whatever it means for you, making sure you’re happy and that your gear functions as expected is crucial for a smooth trip.
Summary
Deciding what types of outdoor gear to bring is an essential piece of planning for a longer trip or around the world. In traveling around the Earth, you may not want to miss immersing yourself in the natural wonders it has to offer. We know the outdoors isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine! Yet, for those of you who want to do day hikes, intense alpine through hikes, and anything in between, we hope the above checklist and guide helps you narrow down what you’ll need to pick up from your local outdoor shop!
Download the full checklist here.