I am curious about your favorite piece of gear and why.

As I rub shoulders with other paddlers, they often have something that they love that I didn’t know existed or understood the value of, so I thought I would try to learn some more.

Right now, my favorite piece of gear is my Ray Special Fishell Paddle. The strain it takes off my shoulders and the ability for underwater recovery while paddling a glassy lake in those still mornings is phenomenal. I feel like I’m one with the lake and can explore the beauty of the morning or evening without disturbing nature. It has been a game-changer for me and has allowed me to enjoy the beauty and the Boundary of Waters even more.

We're also fond of our paddles--Wenonah Black Light Straights--whose weight have greatly reduced shoulder aches on long paddle days. But we have several other pieces of gear make me smile because of their low weight, their durability, or their functionality. It's hard to pick a single favorite.

TZ

It's hard to name one because there are so many things I appreciate compared to 25-40 years ago. My LuminAID solar lights, headlamps, Soto stove, Astral shoes, Wenonah carbon paddle and Flextail Zero inflator all come to mind. Tents and sleeping bags are also a lot lighter, more compact, and better designed. Permethrin isn't gear but it makes my clothing a lot better suited for being out there and Picaridin is so much more pleasant to use than DEET. Modern camp chairs are also a big improvement.

But my favorite is probably my 4" thick Thermarest NeoAir Topo Luxe mattress. As somebody who has struggled with back issues it's been a game changer and gives me the best night's rests I've ever had in a tent.

My 23 lbs Northstar Trillium and Bending Branches Viper paddle have provided this fossil ease and comfort on and off the water. I wouldn't replace either.

My favorite piece of gear is my Gransfors Bruks Hunter's Axe. This hand axe is super sharp and is capable of cutting through saplings with one swing. It has a 19 inch, hickory handle. I've had it a little over 20 years, back when they Gransfors was affordable.

Another favorite is my Brunton/Optimus Nova stove. This piece of gear is also around 20 years old and I use it on most of my camping trips. Gaskets and o-rings have had to be replaced a couple of times, but otherwise it's bombproff.

A few years ago we went big and purchased a Cooke Custom Sewing Tarp with bug netting down the sides. (RIP DAN).

Its a pricey piece of gear, but its a game changer.

Gives the entire group a huge outdoor room that is completely bug free.

Instead of retiring to individual tents, we can all eat in there and play poker late into the night. really amazing piece of gear that transforms how we interact on a trip.

Without it, you can get eaten alive during early evening hours and into the night. We got the larger model (15x15' I think, with the 1.9 fabric).


Love it! Tarp Tent- CCS

Like many others I go way back to when camping gear was a lot different, so most things are much - tents, pads, sleeping bags, clothing, stoves, water filters, packs, etc. I remember when there was no such thing as a hollow-fiber, back-flushable (hence easily field maintainable) water filter, much less gravity systems and water filter bottles. I like my Jetboil "system stove" for ease, simplicity, and efficiency. Those are things that are used multiple times a day. I also was an early adopter of bear canisters, then Ursacks, which are much easier than hanging and are time-savers. I have very nice tents, sleeping bag, and pad, which are lighter, smaller, less bulky, easier to set up. Better clothing is nice too.

I have done like most everyone who has done canoe tripping for years and slowly upgraded most of my gear as time has gone on. Kevlar canoe, nice bent shaft paddles, St. Croix fishing rods, CCS Pioneer packs and tarps, down sleeping bags, Exped sleeping pads... all wonderful upgrades over their predecessors.

However, my ultimate favorite piece of gear is my Helinox chair. What a game changer! It totally beats sitting on a log or rock, even with a pad. I can fall asleep in my Helinox chair. My wife and I each have one that we take to outdoor music events and other outdoor activities. People see us unpack and set up these small, lightweight chairs and they're amazed. We get asked about them all the time. Definitely my favorite piece of gear.

TrailZen: "We're also fond of our paddles--Wenonah Black Light Straights--whose weight have greatly reduced shoulder aches on long paddle days. But we have several other pieces of gear make me smile because of their low weight, their durability, or their functionality. It's hard to pick a single favorite.

TZ"

I just bought one of these for my father-in-law. I hope he likes it as much as you do.

plmn: "It's hard to name one because there are so many things I appreciate compared to 25-40 years ago. My LuminAID solar lights, headlamps, Soto stove, Astral shoes, Wenonah carbon paddle and Flextail Zero inflator all come to mind. Tents and sleeping bags are also a lot lighter, more compact, and better designed. Permethrin isn't gear but it makes my clothing a lot better suited for being out there and Picaridin is so much more pleasant to use than DEET. Modern camp chairs are also a big improvement.

But my favorite is probably my 4" thick Thermarest NeoAir Topo Luxe mattress. As somebody who has struggled with back issues it's been a game changer and gives me the best night's rests I've ever had in a tent. "

I just go the Big Agnes UL Zoom and it is about 4 inches too and I sleep almost better on it than I don’t one my mattress at home. (Hmm…maybe I need a new mattress.)

Samsquatch: "My favorite piece of gear is my Gransfors Bruks Hunter's Axe. This hand axe is super sharp and is capable of cutting through saplings with one swing. It has a 19 inch, hickory handle. I've had it a little over 20 years, back when they Gransfors was affordable.

Another favorite is my Brunton/Optimus Nova stove. This piece of gear is also around 20 years old and I use it on most of my camping trips. Gaskets and o-rings have had to be replaced a couple of times, but otherwise it's bombproff. "

Where do you like to buy your replacement O-rings? I have a Brunton stove that I love too and after 16 years it is still join strong but I know I will need a new O-ring eventually.

Jackfish: "I have done like most everyone who has done canoe tripping for years and slowly upgraded most of my gear as time has gone on. Kevlar canoe, nice bent shaft paddles, St. Croix fishing rods, CCS Pioneer packs and tarps, down sleeping bags, Exped sleeping pads... all wonderful upgrades over their predecessors.

However, my ultimate favorite piece of gear is my Helinox chair. What a game changer! It totally beats sitting on a log or rock, even with a pad. I can fall asleep in my Helinox chair. My wife and I each have one that we take to outdoor music events and other outdoor activities. People see us unpack and set up these small, lightweight chairs and they're amazed. We get asked about them all the time. Definitely my favorite piece of gear."

I have the same chair and love it. It was my favorite when I bought it and I still love it, its make camp life so much better.

CanoeViking: "

Samsquatch: "My favorite piece of gear is my Gransfors Bruks Hunter's Axe. This hand axe is super sharp and is capable of cutting through saplings with one swing. It has a 19 inch, hickory handle. I've had it a little over 20 years, back when they Gransfors was affordable.

Another favorite is my Brunton/Optimus Nova stove. This piece of gear is also around 20 years old and I use it on most of my camping trips. Gaskets and o-rings have had to be replaced a couple of times, but otherwise it's bombproff. "

Where do you like to buy your replacement O-rings? I have a Brunton stove that I love too and after 16 years it is still join strong but I know I will need a new O-ring eventually."

I believe the last time I bought O-rings they came in an Optimus repair kit on Amazon. The repair kit comes with various small items which might need to be replaced and I think a small tube of lubricant. I imagine Optimus would sell the same kit on their website.

Since I basecamp, Other than the tent, I use my collapsible rocking chair more than any other item I take. Even more time spent here than the canoe. Number one for me.

My Warbonnet RidgeRunner hammock. I sleep better in the BW than I do at home. It’s been a game changer for me,

Probably my home made solo clamp-on yoke because it's so dang pretty and I get lots of compliments, but it's pretty heavy and I'll probably part with it after this year. In which case, the new favorite item would be my Bending Branches Black Pearl 11. Runner up being Tom Beckbe oilskin field hat (which arrives Monday but I know it's gonna be a top 3 item).

Hands down, it is my Big Agnes sleeping bag with a sleeve for the self inflating pad. No more sliding off the pad in the middle of the night and trying to rearrange myself in the dark.

Helinox Chairs, Luci LIghts, and if I'm base camping a NEMO Bugout.

Such a hard question! I have many favorites....usually starting with the most recent arrival in the herd of gear.
Right now that's a cool little extendable metal gadget for blowing on the fire from a distance. Just used it Tuesdat night for the first time and I'm in love. Targeted oxygen on a fire without a faceful of smoke...what's not to love!

Long term favorites....
Sawyer MantaRay double bend paddle: so light and easy on my wrists and shoulders, good for not aggravating all my repetitive motion injuries.
Helinox Chair Zero: Light and greatly improved comfort around the fire in the evening. My back loves it and I even take it backpacking.
Northstar Magic solo canoe: a world above the old Prism. Light, responsive, less squirrely. A joy to paddle.
Granite Gear tarps: Light, pack small, bag is attached to the tarp, there's loops for a covered laundry line on the underside, and really sturdy for something made out of silnylon.
Darrell the Barrel: 60 L blue barrel with an old school Ostrom Harness. Most comfortable pack I have. Keeps the mini bears out, keeps the ursacks dry and in one place. First pack I named.

I better stop there...LOL

My favorite piece of gear is a simple waxed canvas/wool sitting pad. Great for kneeling on to start a fire, use as a doormat for your tent, place it on a log for a cushioned seat. Use it as a placemat for your dinner, a cushion on your canoe seat. It’s tough, light, packable, easily cleanable, and countless ways to use it. Here’s where I got mine. https://www.coloradobushcraft.com/collections/ground-cloths/products/all-natural-bushcraft-cooshun-waxed-canvas-and-wool-sitting-pad
And here’s a photo of mine in use.

Lots of great responses!

For me, it's my camera (just my cell phone), as I love to capture my daughters' smiles in the wilderness. Now that the three oldest have graduated from high school and moved on, I make postcards out of past trips for weekly snail-mail text messages. :)

Bentpushrod: " Here’s where I got mine. https://www.coloradobushcraft.com/collections/ground-cloths/products/all-natural-bushcraft-cooshun-waxed-canvas-and-wool-sitting-pad "

Bentpushrod... don't forget to use the Add a link to this message function when posting links.

I have a CCS Ridgeline stuff sack that has to be my favorite single piece of gear. I sleep in a hammock most of the time and it is just so great to be able to quickly and neatly stow or deploy the tarp overhead. No matter what I'm doing I know I can grab that bag and have a tarp, rope, stakes, tree straps all ready to go.

I love my GRB Newman Designs 6 degree carbon bent shaft paddle. I do a lot of upstream paddling kneeling and switching sides and the six degree is just as effective as my favorite straight shaft but more relaxing. It's also super quiet. I like it enough that I recently bought another just in case they aren't available forever.

I must like my Mountainsmith Day pack quite a bit too given that I've used it for day trips for 25 years or more and have never considered replacing it with something else.

My Marmot 3 season down bag along with one of several different inflatable pads. Why, because these items allow me to have the best sleep outdoors in over 50 years of camping.

My QT17CL Alumacraft Canoe.

I happened to see it brand new and for sale one day in the early 90's at an Alumacraft dealer as I drove through Dassel, MN. At that point, I had only been on one BWCA trip and had fun even though the canoe we borrowed was crappy (bent frame and a broken portage pad). I wondered that if I had my own decent canoe if I'd maybe want to go again on another Boundry Waters trip or even enjoy taking it out once in awhile on lakes close to home. So I did a U-turn to go look at it closer and then decided to pull the trigger. That impulse purchase put me on this path of 30-plus years of many awesome trips to the BWCA and other canoeing adventures. Even though the lighter-weight kevlar canoes have now become "king", this same Alumacraft canoe is still my go-to and favorite on almost every trip I've ever been on.

Excluding watercraft, I'd also name my good old "Heicke Pack".

Shortly after I bought the canoe, I picked this up used at an army surplus store for about $15. The Austrian soldier this had been issued to apparently was named Heicke and that name was written on the pack, so among my gear this pack acquired that name. This thing has many versatile pockets--some of which are perfectly sized for a few of the odds and ends we like to bring on a trip and it functions well as a catch-all for things like small bungees, tackle, fuel and fire stuff, leatherman tools, flashlights, knives, etc. Sadly, the Heicke Pack is nearing the end of its life and the numerous little repairs it's needing each time before going in the field again are telling me that its days are numbered. I doubt that I will find a replacement that I will appreciate as much as I've enjoyed this little pack.

I must say my helinox camp chair is a favorite. It’s just the right height for me, perfect for relaxing & cooking. My back hurts sitting on logs, and my knees can’t take the really low chairs or getting up from the ground. My husband has the chair one, which is lighter, but too low for me.

My other favorite is our CCS tarp. Goes on every trip with us. After our nephews 1st trip with us last year, they bought one, although they mostly hike in the mountains.

#1: Snowpeak giga power stove (auto ignition).
#2: Klymit Static V sleeping pad (I’m a side sleeper so this is high on my list).

Hands down my Tentsile UNA... The 3 point configuration makes it a completely flat lay and its bomb proof in heavy rain!

Z4K: "I have a CCS Ridgeline stuff sack that has to be my favorite single piece of gear. I sleep in a hammock most of the time and it is just so great to be able to quickly and neatly stow or deploy the tarp overhead. No matter what I'm doing I know I can grab that bag and have a tarp, rope, stakes, tree straps all ready to go."

Last year I had a group and we had unexpected rain and we quickly tried to piece together some bit of shelter and it took forever and was OK at best.

I bought a 1.1 ounce 10 x 14 cc S tarp and Ridgeline stuff sack I will never go back, this thing is phenomenal. This year I took a group and we had rain as well and within 2 to 5 minutes tops we had shelter for the entire group.

Bentpushrod: "My favorite piece of gear is a simple waxed canvas/wool sitting pad. Great for kneeling on to start a fire, use as a doormat for your tent, place it on a log for a cushioned seat. Use it as a placemat for your dinner, a cushion on your canoe seat. It’s tough, light, packable, easily cleanable, and countless ways to use it. Here’s where I got mine. https://www.coloradobushcraft.com/collections/ground-cloths/products/all-natural-bushcraft-cooshun-waxed-canvas-and-wool-sitting-pad
And here’s a photo of mine in use. "

I’ve never heard of these before, I love multi use equipment. I will look into these.

DMan5501: "Hands down my Tentsile UNA... The 3 point configuration makes it a completely flat lay and its bomb proof in heavy rain!


"

Honestly, this post is the first time I have been tempted to consider hammocking again. I have tried several others, and I don’t know if it’s my weight and height which I don’t feel is unusual. I have slept weeks on hammocks, but they just haven’t seemed to work for me, but this one makes me curious to try again.

One other piece of gear I forgot to mention that I am really enjoying is my Durston Xmid-2 tent. My last group and I could not believe how fast I could get the tent up and be bombproof. After a couple practice tries, I can have it up in about two minutes.

My paddle is still my favorite piece of gear right now, but this is definitely in the top 3.

3 favorite pieces of gear:

1) Enlightened Equipment rain jacket: It is so light and incredibly comfortable to wear. I don't get all damp and sweaty like with Gortex jackets and it takes up almost zero room in my pack which is especially important on my solo trips.

2) Enlightened Equipment quilt: I own 2 of them, a 30 degree and a 20 degree. They actually keep warm to much lower temps than similarly rated sleeping bags, mostly because of the incredible quality of their down and quilt construction. I don't get any gaps or cold spots, the foot area is extra plump, and it fluffs up so nicely I just want to stay cozied up all day.

3) Durston X-Mid 1 tent: I LOVE this solo tent. It has headroom and vestibule space more like a 2P tent. And unlike most 1P, there is actually room inside for me to keep a lot of my stuff due to the unique floor plan.

By far my favorite piece of equipement, and it goes on my canoe trips as well as my backpacking trips, is my Alite Monarch chair. Not a chair for everybody as it only has two legs and you provide the 3rd leg by balancing on it. But it is super light and comfortable. I can pretty much sit anywhere with it and rock back and forth a bit with it.

Alite doesn't make it anymore, but Grand Trunk took over the design ownership and is making them still. I like this chair so much I recently bought two of them as backups. https://www.grandtrunk.com/products/monarch-chair?srsltid=AfmBOopYZUmYhz4oCnL9saPfHXrldcfTVgeOsSsCzWFjjtROl2ur_pxE

Minnesotian: "
By far my favorite piece of equipement, and it goes on my canoe trips as well as my backpacking trips, is my Alite Monarch chair. Not a chair for everybody as it only has two legs and you provide the 3rd leg by balancing on it. But it is super light and comfortable. I can pretty much sit anywhere with it and rock back and forth a bit with it.


Alite doesn't make it anymore, but Grand Trunk took over the design ownership and is making them still. I like this chair so much I recently bought two of them as backups. https://www.grandtrunk.com/products/monarch-chair?srsltid=AfmBOopYZUmYhz4oCnL9saPfHXrldcfTVgeOsSsCzWFjjtROl2ur_pxE "

I prefer low slung chairs for the efficient size and weight. I also find the low to ground beach style sitting position both comfortable and convenient.

The Alite Mayfly chair is my favorite. It is lightweight, compact,comfortable and works well both outside and inside my tents.

Not just my favorite piece of gear, my favorite anything.
Well over 100 years old. I've had it since I was 17, about 45 years.
My kids joke it's the only thing I've ever loved more than them, which is of course untrue. I had a really good dog.

Tough call but I thought about it and I say my Bell Magic is my favorite as it has the right balance of capacity and proper tracking. The piece of gear that has got me into the BWCA for quite a few years now.
Second would be my Tarptent Rainbow 2 tent. Very light weight and roomy.

CCS lean 3, it's one of the original that didn't have netting, so after many years I finally did some custom work and put no see um on it. It has saved many rainy trips, cooking under, late fall trips playing cards under and hiding from the sun, now we can escape the bugs! All our gear stays dry under it. I take it every trip.

Hmmmm. Let’s see:

Magic w/E6 trim -ZRE-Aqua Bound 260

Lean 1

CCS 10x14

Bush buddy stove

Helinox chair

If I have to pick 1 then it is the boat as it gets me farther/faster with little weight

RTurner: "Not just my favorite piece of gear, my favorite anything.
Well over 100 years old. I've had it since I was 17, about 45 years.
My kids joke it's the only thing I've ever loved more than them, which is of course untrue. I had a really good dog.

"

I must say it must be pretty awesome to paddle an old canoe like that. The stories and places it has been would be fun to hear.

ubbenholdthekraut: "A few years ago we went big and purchased a Cooke Custom Sewing Tarp with bug netting down the sides. (RIP DAN).


Its a pricey piece of gear, but its a game changer.


Gives the entire group a huge outdoor room that is completely bug free.


Instead of retiring to individual tents, we can all eat in there and play poker late into the night. really amazing piece of gear that transforms how we interact on a trip.


Without it, you can get eaten alive during early evening hours and into the night. We got the larger model (15x15' I think, with the 1.9 fabric).



Love it! Tarp Tent- CCS "

I may eventually have to get one of these. More so for my family and friends than for me. I am one of those weird individuals who gets no allergic reaction to any bug bite at all. I’m not allergic to poison ivy or anything else. so I don’t think anything of mosquitoes or flies or knats unless they’re getting in my nose and ears. My family and friends on the other hand, I think would enjoy the bdub more if they had a shelter like this.

Helinox chair zero large, CCS Tundra tarp (RIP Dan), Platypus gravity filter system. Wenonah carbon paddle (would love a Zaveral paddle),Eureka No Bug Zone screen tent (about 4# after swapping out stakes),Kevlar canoes, Portage North Trailblazer day pack (56L , large side, front and top pockets) really awesome pack, and I've owned a few. Man, I guess I have a lot of favorite gear, lol. Guess that is what happens over the years!

CanoeViking: "

RTurner: "Not just my favorite piece of gear, my favorite anything.
Well over 100 years old. I've had it since I was 17, about 45 years.
My kids joke it's the only thing I've ever loved more than them, which is of course untrue. I had a really good dog.


"

I must say it must be pretty awesome to paddle an old canoe like that. The stories and places it has been would be fun to hear."

It had been owned by an old girls scout camp and was pretty beat up, patched with roofing tar and caulking, so I imagine some of it's stories would be horrifying, and some hysterical. It's the nicest paddling canoe I've ever been in.

I forgot one since it's summer. I absolutely love my Gerbing heated sock liners (with rechargeable 7V batteries). I paddle Michigan rivers year round and they completely eliminate any concerns about cold or sweaty feet. 3 settings (low, medium, high) and I usually use low.

My favorite piece of gear is not functionally designed for canoe travel, but it gets the job done. My Gregory hiking pack was a gift in high school from my folks that has since been covered in patches from various national parks, trails, wilderness areas etc. I have traveled to. It fits better in my solo than my Duluth packs and prevents me from overpacking so it doesn't interfere with the yoke/pads. It also functions well as an overhead bag for air travel.

While it may not be a game changer for canoe country, I am more comfortable traveling with it, and I am still surprised I have it as it has disappeared twice. Once while traveling up to the BWCA and spending a night in Duluth, my truck windows were smashed in, and everything was stolen. Most of the stolen items were apparently deemed of little value and later found in a ditch by Duluth PD and somehow found their way back to me. It was lost once again while unexpectedly transferring flights, later found in a different city and returned by the airlines. It has only needed some minor repairs, but It'll be a tough day if I end up having to retire it.

Interesting Question and hard to answer by simply stating a piece of gear. I feel the need to list a few, but if I had to list just one;

Bell Rob Roy for the speed, stability and versatility.

Honorable Mentions
Kelty Noah's Tarp for the ease of use and setup.
Estwing Hatchet - There are lighter hatchets out there today, but this one has been on every trip i've taken and is super comfortable in my hand.
Savage 410/22 Over Under for grouse on October trips. It's small and compact, straps right to the side of the pack.
NRS Boundary Boots - Way better than the old Chota's. Love these boots.

I have many favorites among my gear collection; hammocks, tarps paddles and stoves. However, the gem in gear closet is also nearly the cheapest. The Light My Fire Swedish Firesteel Army_ . I have spent thousands of dollars on gear but these essential pocket tools only cost about $20. With a Swedish Firesteel, I have no need to carry matches, lighter or any other fire starting tool. The Firesteel lights my stove, my charcoal and wood fires easily and reliably. The "Army" version is just a bit more robust than the "Scout". It has taken a decade of camping to wear down the firesteel by about 25-30% so the Scout would have likely been sufficient, but again- Top of the line was Less than $20.

Definitely the best value in my gear collection.