Gear I Use and Recommend

(This page contains affiliate links, which give me a very small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. All of this was purchased with my own money and I only recommend gear that I actually use and love.)

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Send ’em my way: brian@brianwlackey.com

ROAD TRIPS

More and more, my photography revolves around long-term, local projects here in the PNW. If I’m based somewhere for multiple nights in a row, I’ll usually bring my car camping setup (or get a hotel) so I can be more comfortable and have a base to hang out at while resting. But occasionally, a trip has me on the move more and it’s nice to be able to have an agile setup where I can comfortably sleep in my Subaru Outback and not have to worry about packing up a wet tent each morning. I tend to cook less on these trips, but will usually still bring a lot of the camp kitchen setup just in case. There’s a comprehensive video outlining all of this and how it’s set up on the YouTube channel as well.

Exped MegaMat 10 Long X-Wide
Sleeping Bag
Dometic Water Container + Automatic Faucet
CFX 28 Fridge
Clip-On Fan
Tire Compressor
Folding Electric Kettle
Portable Car Safe
Packing Cubes
Toiletries Bag
USB Lights
USB Switch
Jackery 1000 Battery
Folding Solar Panel
Mosquito Nets
Tote Bag
Roof Box
Car Awning
Traction Boards
Window Rain Guards
All-Terrain Tires

WILDERNESS BACKPACKING

Everyone has different hiking gear needs based on their goals, budget, location, and season. I prioritize lightweight gear so that I can hike further while still bringing a decent amount of camera gear, but I’m not counting every single gram, so no need to cut a toothbrush in half like a thru-hiker might.

This is a typical packing list for my summer trips into the Olympic and Cascade Mountains here in the Pacific Northwest. Food is usually a mix of dehydrated backpacking meals, nuts, bars, and other calorically-dense foods that don’t take any more prep than boiling water. As much as I love good coffee, I leave the aeropress at home on these trips and just use the best instant coffee I can find.

This packing list works out to a base weight (which traditionally doesn’t include clothes worn, items carried (trekking poles), or “consumables” like food, water, or fuel) of 23.1 pounds (10.5 kg). Realistically, that usually ends up being around 30 pounds (13.6 kg) total pack weight. Lighter would be nice, but it’s generally a pretty good spot for my trips and photography goals.

BACKPACK AND STORAGE

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 55 (1033g)
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Roll-Top 3L Stuff Sack (23g)
Homemade SilNylon Bear Bag (30g)

SLEEP SYSTEM

Sierra Designs High Route 1 FL (1056g)
Enlightened Equipment 20F Revelation Custom Quilt (584g)
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Large (455g)
NEMO Fillo Elite Pillow (58g)

CLOTHES WORN + CARRIED ITEMS

La Sportiva Bushido II Trail Runners (700g)
Arc'Teryx Remige Hooded Hiking Shirt (157g)
Fjallraven Sormland Trousers (398g)
Icebreaker Boxer Briefs (62g)
Smartwool Short Wool Running Socks (25g)
Leki Trekking Poles (572g)
Sunglasses (26g)
Baseball Cap (94g)
iPhone 15 Pro Max and Case (254g)
Wallet, IDs, etc. (50g)

CLOTHES PACKED

Extra Smartwool Short Wool Running Socks (25g)
Arc’Teryx Atom LT (361g)
Arc'Teryx Beta SL Rain Jacket (352g)
Patagonia R1 Air Zip-Neck Pullover (281g)
REI Merino Wool Thermal Top (209g)
Smartwool Merino Wool Bottoms (204g)
Fleece Liner Gloves (43g)
Wool Beanie (88g)
Costco Long Wool Socks (85g)

COOKING AND WATER

Katadyn BeFree 1L (64g)
1L Platypus SoftBottle (25g)
Snow Peak 700ml Titanium Pot with old Jetboil Lid (115g)
Snow Peak LiteMax Titanium Stove (56g)
Snow Peak Long Titanium Spork (23g)
Bandana (30g)
Fuel Stand from Old Jetboil (27g)
Mini Bic Lighter (11g)

MISC.

The Deuce #3 Trowel (27g)
Petzl Actik Core Headlamp (79g)
Small Battery Pack with Micro-USB and USB-C Cables (160g)
Victorinox Classic Knife (21g)
Garmin InReach Mini (112g)
Mylar Emergency Blanket (45g)
Mini Duct Tape Roll (17g)
Mosquito Headnet (25g)
Microfiber Towel (57g)
First Aid Kit (60g)
Two Bread Loaf Bags (15g)
Toilet Paper (25g)
Hand Sanitizer (81g)
Small Sunscreen and Chapstick (47g)
Folding Toothbrush and Small Toothpaste (46g)

CAMERA GEAR

Sony a7R IV, 24-105 f/4, Battery, and Memory Card (1382g)
2 Extra Sony Batteries (166g)
Sigma 100-400 (1351g)
PD CF Travel Tripod (1327g)
PD Capture Clip (70g)
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (241g)

SOMETIMES

Arc'Teryx Zeta SL Pants (238g)
Arc'Teryx Cerium SV (435g)
Bear Canister (925g)
Ursack (214g)
Gossamer Gear Hiking Umbrella (238g)
Helinox Chair Zero (510g)