With my first blog item, I would like to show you which gear I use during my photo/hiking trips. I will only show the items I really love and which really amazed me during the past years!
First thing you need when hiking with a lot of gear is a backpack! As a hiking backpack I use the OSPREY AETHER AG 85L. That is a big backpack, which I need because I insert my photography bag on top inside my hiking backpack. But why this backpack :
- lightweight, it is for example more then 500g lighter then the DEUTER backpacks that are 85L
- Raincover inside
- Multiple options for attaching your tripod
Second thing you need when hiking is a tent! I love to go towards northern countries like Iceland and Norway! So it needs to handle strong winds, lots of rain, and off course it has to be lightweight. That is why I use the VAUDE TAURUS 3P tent. So why this tent:
- Allthough there are better tents, price/quality this is a great option, It's under 3kg, it has a strong construction and it really can handle lots of rain and wind. And all this for a price of around 250 euro.
- The set-up is very easy and fast.
- If I go hiking in the mountains, mostly it is together with 1 other person, and with the 3persons tent, you have space for yourself and your luggage inside the tent. (I don't like to leave my photo gear in the front tent)
Another thing I don't like to spend much time on is cooking. And after using multiple stoves and different kind of food bags, I found the perfect combo for me. The PRIMUS SPIDER STOVE SET, TREK N EAT food bags and a KATADYN water filter,. Why this combo:
- PRIMUS SPIDER STOVE SET : pretty expensive for a stove (135 euro), and not that small. But it boils 1L water super fast, so you don't lose much time. According PRIMUS you can boil water in 3.35 minutes. I also did the test, and it indeed boils 1L icecold water in less then 4 minutes. That's fast!!!
- TREK N EAT food bags : There are lots of different food bags, so that's pretty nice if you are hiking a lot of days. You just have to insert boiling water in the bag, so the only thing you need except the food bag is a fork or a spoon. You can close the bag after you had your meal, so if you have to take your garbage with you, your backpack won't get dirty.
- Katadyn water filter : If you hike for several days, taking all the water in advance means you have a lot of extra kg in your backpack. That's why I like to use a water filter, the one from Katadyn works very well and also fast! Extra tip : If you know there is a river close by, set up your tent next to the river, and you will always have fresh water!
So these are a few things I bring with me on hiking trips! Off course you have to bring other stuff (sleeping bag, clothes,...), but the things I showed here are definitely my favourites!