I love that half of this video is just them getting excited over having the same gear. You can see the real friendship here, and it is amazing to behold.
Except for the OnX schilling... kind of icky. I'd love a more honest approach, personally. I know they pay the bills, but just a down-to-earth "hey, you should have some kind of navigation.... we use this... but there are free or low-cost solutions as well but if you have the cash or want what we use... then save 20% below"
Timeless classic. Idea for a future video....Battle of the backpackers with Dan, but with only budget gear. Who can come out with the best cheap loadout.
My backpacking set is as follows: The Big 3: - REI Half Dome Plus 2 2020 version with MSR Groundhog stakes - Big Agnus Rapide SL sleeping pad with Nemo Disco 15 semi rectangular bag, Exped mega pillow and Nemo Fillow uninflated for extra comfort...I do want a Zenbivy setup because I am also a side sleeper - Osprey Atmos AG 65 Other Stuff: - Black Diamond Trailback trekking poles - Adventure Medical Kits, Mountain Series Hiker 2/2 kit - MSR Pocket Rocket with separate pizo and bic lighter backup with GSI Outdoors Soloist Hiker pot kit - Black Diamond headlamp - same trowel as you both but I wrapped mine with paracord for emergency uses and better grip/comfort - Sawyer mini squeeze filter and one Lifestraw as backup - Flextail 2 air pump - Nemo sit pad - 2 one liter Smart water bottles - other odds and ends i.e. battery bank/cords to recharge phone, watch, earbuds, etc., deck of cards to keep myself entertained if solo and bored 😂 Things I still need: -Bear Vault/bag -one of those fancy chairs... bad back and all 😢 - CNOC water bag - would also like to replace the Sawyer Mini with a Sawyer Squeeze... I'll never buy a different brand because of what they do and stand for, so thank you for those videos! - Camera or GoPro so I won't have to use my phone 🤷♂️ I know this is a heavy setup but I'm a novice and don't have a ton of money being a single dad to a beautiful 4 year old daughter that is starting school in a few days. It has taken me two years to build this setup, so hopefully I can start getting out there and making videos of my own! But great video and love when you two team up so I'm gonna call it a........ *drumroll*.....A TIE!
it would be cool to see a hike-tuber challenge similar to the amazing race show where a handful of popular youtube backpackers had to hike to checkpoints, complete challenges, and maybe abandon a piece of gear at each location to see how well they would fare over the course of a week or so.
I would watch the shit out of that. Though I think it would be more exciting if they were regular people who team up with legit thru hikers and only receive instruction once before the thru hike. They keep all their gear, it'd be amusing because they'd barely know how to use it anyway. The entire show would be one big commercial if it was RU-vidrs.
Thank you so much for putting out these videos!! It is so rare to see different opinions on gear in the same video. Extremely helpful! Looking forward to the next one!
Eric, thanks for this kind of video. Neither of you won the battle because you both were awesome in showing, comparing, and explaining why each one of you use the gear you carry. It is very helpful to hear unscripted conversations about the equipment, etc. I hope that viewers of your video postings benefit as much as I have. Would I buy that expensive gear? Probably not, but your exchanges with Dan shed a lot of valuable information to help me choose lower-priced gear that has similar or equivalent features and quality. Your other videos about using cheaper gear are also very helpful since most of us are not professional backpackers like you guys. Again, thanks for addressing these topics with your videos!
Oooh ooh I finally get to give some input that Eric doesn't know. Kakawa name comes from Lake kakwa, which is at the beginning of the great divide trail in Canada. The great divide trail is the Canadian extension of our CDT.
I would love a $500 max camping challenge between the 2 of you. And that includes the shoes you wear. Lets make it all the clothes you wear... It all adds up big time and it should be a real challenge for both of you as well as a fun one to watch for us subscribers.
I will never stop singing the praises of the Rainbow Tarp Tent. It's also right around 2 lbs, semi-freestanding, and only costs about $300. And if you're on a platform, you can use trekking poles to make it fully freestanding. I've used it both ways and have zero complaints.
I was shopping for a new mattress and liked the look of the Zen Bivy Flex Air and UL Flex air, but then I found the REI Helix, which has an extremely similar profile, rval of 4.9, similar weight to a ZB Flex Air, and is under $120 when REI runs a sale. The 20" Helix is 1oz heaver than a 20" Flex air, and the 24" version is 2oz heaver than the 25" Flex Air. REI doesn't charge extra for the wider ones, so a 24x72 version is currently $118 on their website, vice $219 for a ZB 25x72. Just a note for any budget-minded mattress shoppers that might see this.
@@sunshinevalley0I’ve seen it first hand. It’s kind of an average because they are working in so many countries at one time, but so much of their profits go directly to the field work that it puts other non-profit organizations to shame.
Excited to see other flextail products discussed - I have their original pump and zero pillow. My mat is from Sierra made and love it and it is black. But maybe a bit heavier.
I have to say, I have the thermarest pillow in two sizes and for whatever reason, it just seemed to flatten out in the middle of the night and I was always fiddling with it. So I gave the medium to my father and replaced it with an Amazon special blow up that I absolutely love. Plus much smaller to pack.
1st, love you guys. The world needs some network to pick up a series of Eric & Dan just getting into and out of outdoors fun and hijinks. 2nd, we ALL have the same gear as you, because we've been watching you for years. :)
Love your channel, I just came across it few precious ( kept me up until 2am) hours ago. To be honest, I like Dan's gear more 😊 if your sleeping bag is in it, for the fact that it's lighter color and it looks luxurious. I would pack a sheet inserts though, just to keep it clean. Request - Can you please look into the Gazelle tents? I know it's not a backpacking tent, but I would love to know how it withstands rainy weather.
My take on trekking poles: never leave home without them no matter your age. They take weight of your knees and if you've ever gotten swolen hands/fingers while hiking, they do wonders for it. I'm 47 and my kids are 15 and 16 and I make them take them every time we go hiking, no matter if it's 5k or 50k. Use them and thank yourself later.
Love getting talk and advice about carrying camera gear, a lot of the general backpacking forums and sites treat that sort of thing in the "don't know why you'd waste weight on such frivolities" column, but while I'm not a video guy I'm a pretty serious amateur still photographer and a big part of my starting to get back in to backcountry camping has been about reaching nature and landscape subjects that I can't easily get to in a day hike so it is a priority for me (that Hyperlite case is def on my to-save-up-for list)
I like how you guys just say the prices. Unlike alot of other people who show products. Then i dont have to go fishing through links just to check prices.
The ZPacks Arc Haul is nice! Great ultra lightweight pack. I own the 60L and it doesn’t hold as much as my Osprey Exos 58. Thought about getting the 70L but it’s still the same frame and padding. My experience with the 60L is that the sweet spot is under 30lbs. We do longer trips with weights in the 35-50lb range and the Exos is way more comfortable IMO. Still love the Arc Haul but at the lower weights for shorter trips… Ridiculously expensive but dang is it nice at the right load weight!
Your description says DSLR but the Canon R5 is actually a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera but most just call them mirrorless(camera nerd here just couldn't keep my mouth shut lol, great video sir!). Also if you do have issues with overheating the R5II just came out and is much better in the heat, but the R5 is awesome just wanted to let you know since you go to warm places!
I am a hammock camper and the thermarest pillow is the most amazing pillow to have, I have the biggest version and it weighs almost a pound, but man it is comfortable! Worth it's weight for sure!
Love the wide brim hat. IMP it makes you look more like a true adventurer. But, I think I would prefer to backtrack with you both as long as Miranda comes too.
Love talking gear! That Flextail Pad is interesting and no doubt nice and warm. Too big and bulky for me. I’m still a HUGE fan of the Thermarest NeoAir Xlite (older model), 25” wide, its only 2” thick but I combine it with the Thermarest Z Lite Sol (1/2) Foam Pad to boost the R value and it’s been a wonderful sleep setup in temps down to the single digits. Plus the foam pad can be used for many other things, ie, sit pad, gear dump pad, yoga pad, stargaze pad, wedge to level out tent pad, etc. Newer isn’t always better!
Oh contrare'...I bought Durstons Iceline Trekking Poles and they must be made partially of air because they're 4oz each... so add that to an X-Mid1 Pro (15oz) and you're at 23oz...31% lighter than the Hornet setup... I'll take it! The Hornet does not perform well in desert backpacking when it's really windy. You'll wake up with a layer of sand over everything in your tent as the inner can't stop the fine sand. The X-Mid tents can be pitched with the sides touching the ground so in a situation like that you won't have to bring thea can of Pledge and a dustrag! I'm still a huge fan of Nemo but I wish they'd get into the DCF game. C'mon Cam B.!!!!
The Iceline trekking poles are craaazy light! So yeah if you have those you can still be lighter than the Nemo, which can be a bit of a sail in windy weather. But it's still a great tent.
I prefer Eric’s sleep setup, and camera but with Dans tent and backpack. I’d have to go with Eric’s trek poles though and am curious to see the feedback to see if they are going to be a good investment. I’d have to go with Dans zero pump, and puffy, but have to go with Eric’s shoes. They one thing I wish Eric or Dan could recommend is a camp chair that’s goo for 300 lbs +. I’ve crushed so many chairs in the past am in the market for a light HD chair to carry my man bod.
Love your stuff - always great info. I would love your input on base camping. I backpack in 3 to 5 miles and stay 3 to 5 days at a fishing spot. So my gear is more on the comfort side. I also cook real food plus what ever we catch. It is different from through hiking. What would be your gear picks for something like that. Heavy but short
Hey Eric, the name Kakwa comes from a region in Alberta, Canada. Iirc its the northern terminus of the GDT and right in my back yard. Kakwa wildland park is a beatiful area in the rockies with a ton of hiking and equestrian trails.
Hopefully that flextail zero mattress doesn’t fail as quickly as my flextail zero pillow did. I bought it for a 6 day hike in Teton next week, inflated it brand new, never used and left it inflated to test it before my trip. When I came back after 30 minutes the pillow was totally deflated, found a leak at the inflation gasket but even worse a 1” long area at the seam on air bag failed, I repaired it, re-inflated it then came back 30 minutes later, a second spot in the seam of the airbag in a different area of the repair failed and now there was 1/2” hole that needed repair. Currently waiting for flextail to respond to my email but now I’m not sure if I would trust it if they sent me a new one.
@@addictedtobass8232 maybe I got a bad batch, I’m hoping flextail will just send a replacement so I can attempt to use it because it was very comfortable for the 1st couple minutes I laid on it.
Eric wins because of the Zenbivy ultra light sleeping system and Dan wins because of Nemo tent. So then it will be a draw. I like your sense of humor and your post is very entertaining.
I know it’s a touchy subject so NO SHADE or disrespect meant AT ALL!! We’re you guys using on X when y’all camped out of boundary? I’ve been wanting to get OnX but question it’s accuracy , definitely pretty important
I think this question was answered when you almost killed poor Dan. All joking aside (too soon?) I love ya both and really enjoy this series. Thanks EH and DB!
Very good point Cornwall. Very few of these backpacking channels talk about fitness as an important factor in backpacking, because for some reason that topic is not as interesting as talking about titanium cook pots and down quilts. No matter what gear you buy, or how light it is, if you can’t walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded, your experience will suck.. and the cop out is to blame it on the gear. No. You my friend are out of shape. Accept it, then get in shape, then spend the hundreds or even thousands of dollars it will cost you to start backpacking. Once you’re physically capable of carrying a backpack over miles of trail, then you can worry about buying the pump nano x because it saves you .3oz over the pump ultra x. 🙄
Not to mention, most sleeping pads sleep much better when you’re tired, in shape and not over weight. Most people complaining about sleeping pads are too heavy
What this means is the rest of us can buy cheap stuff and because we don't carry camera gear, be just as light as the rich person stuff. Carry the same weight. Just as comfortable. That makes me feel a lot better.
I bought a Mystery Ranch backpack because of your review and it ripped the bottom on the FIRST trail. And it wasn't even misused... just abrasion :( A $375.00 backpack :(
Not sure how you guys are with germs, but it would be cool if you guys went on, at least, a two night trip and swapped gear day two and then critique each other's gear. I know not all gear could be swapped because of size, but that would be a good/fun comparison and entertaining video.
Hi guys, I so want you guys to make a vidoe with some of the Chinese brand kit. For example i bought the large square Naturehike R 5.8 mat for $110 (£86). It weighs about the same as the large flextail but its easily one third to half the pack size. I also just checked and i could get the square Flextail delivered here in the uk for $105 (£83) so baaaaargain.. Loving the colab films you guys are both doing. PS, can I challenge you to try and not like a big 3 Chinese brand list I send you that will blow your mind price wise for the quality.
The reason why "Pellow" is a strange way to say "Pillow" is because no one ever has printed "Pellow" on the packaging/advert etc. Pillow is made of two syllables "Pill" and "Low". If you take a pill, people don't say I've just taken a "Pell" When you say "Willow" do you pronounce it "Wellow"? Or do you pronounce "Billow" as "Bellow"?
Can someone please explain why you would pay $550-$650 for Dan's tent when you can get a Big Agnes Copper spur 1P for $200-$300 less and they both weigh the same?
The 2P Nemo weighs 2 lbs 1 oz, the 1P BA Copper Spur weighs 2 lb 2 oz (2P Copper Spur is 2 lb 11 oz) So you get more space with slightly less weight. But the Copper Spur is a super cool tent too!
Right. I sometimes feel like a jerk when I raise similar questions. And I don’t mean this with any kind of snark or elitism. However, these guys are getting mad sponsorships left and right … I legitimately want to know if the people trying to sell me on expensive gear and other products are actual real backpackers or not. Eric certainly is. Justin Outdoors as well. A couple other big names I’m not so sure. Like, do these influencers ever go on backcountry trips for the love and fun of it, or is it all just business decisions? Legitimate questions.
