Favorite Gear I Used on the OT

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This article is just to share the gear I used on my Ouachita Trail thru hike (click here to read about that trip) that worked well for me. These are items that performed and they were dependable for me on the trail.


Nitecore NU25 UL Headlamp


Favorite Features
  • Lightweight
    • 1.6 oz
  • Comfortable to wear
    • I often forgot I was wearing it
  • Lock feature
    • Prevents unintentional battery drain when not in use
  • Red light feature
    • Preserves your night vision and helps not to blind trail companions in the night
  • Easy to use
  • Rechargeable with USB-C connection
  • Battery life
    • Battery lasted four days on trail without charging
  • Glowing elastic headband
    • Makes it easier to find in the dark
  • Price doesn't break the bank
    • $37
Room for Improvement
  • Storage pouch
    • Minor complaint, but the bungy straps are a bit all over the place. It would be nice to have them contained. I typically store this headlamp in the hip belt pocket of my backpack. The straps get in the way when I'm trying to get other items in the pocket. I can buy a small stuff sack for it, but it would be nice if they included one that was made for the light.
  • Less boxy design
    • Super nit-picky, but I would like the shape to be less boxy and more rounded. Why? It would feel nicer in my hand and in pockets. 

General
I used this headlamp at camp and also on trail. My first day on the trail, I didn't get to my shelter until after dark and this headlamp lit my path. I also used it every night at camp and every morning when I got up and got going. Some mornings, we started on the trail before dawn, so I also used it before the sun got up to light the way. There were several occasions when I was wearing it and completely forgot that it was on my head, so it wasn't irritating.

Pro Tip
I didn't bring a physical book on this trip, but I have brought a book on previous shorter trips. I like to read before bed. The cinch toggle, by default, sits directly on the back of your head. I adjusted mine so it is seated on my right side. This has two benefits. It doesn't irritate the back of my head when I'm lying down with my head on my pillow reading in bed, and having the cinch toggle on the right side helps me to know which side is up when putting it on in the dark. That way I don't put it on only to realize the buttons are not on top because I put it on upside-down.


Garmin InReach Mini 2


Favorite Features
  • SOS button
    • Enables me to call for help and get rescued if I cannot evacuate myself
    • Gives Mrs. Gavagai peace of mind while I'm on trail
  • Satellite text messaging using app
    • Keeps me in contact with wife and family, even if I don't have cell service
  • Pings location when tracking is turned on AND family and friends can see your track in real time!
    • This is a cool feature. My wife and friends could see my path on trail. Here is what it looks like
    • Tracking your trips also allows you to look back at past trips to compare things like mileage, pace, and elevation changes. I would use this feature, even if I couldn't share it.

  • Battery life (when tracking interval is set to 30 minutes)
    • For my Ouachita Trail trip, I set the ping interval to 30 minutes (you can do 30, 20, or 10 minutes). The battery would have probably lasted six days like that. It still had around 50% battery after 4 days on trail.
  • Unlimited canned check-in messages
    • You pay for subscription package services that put a cap on how many satellite text messages you can send, but there are canned check-in messages and you can send as many of those as you want; "starting my trip", "checking in and I'm okay", and "ending my trip".
  • Nice carabiner clip that comes with it
    • clips to loops on a pack, makes it easy to access and easy to clip back
Clips onto my pack with a carabiner



Room for Improvement
These are genuine complaints.
  • Pricing
    • This is an expensive device to purchase ($400) and you have to pay a monthly subscription fee on top of that. Also, there is an activation fee if you want to terminate service. This is my biggest complaint. There are a few less expensive alternatives, but the real time tracking feature for the InReach Mini has me begrudgingly handing them my money. Their competitors don't offer that feature.
  • Device display screen
    • It's tiny and hard to read. I don't wear my reading glasses when I'm on trail. It's a pain to pull them out, but I really can't read the display. You need the device display screen to do things like turn on tracking and send check-in messages.

General
When I am getting started, I power my Garmin on, send a "Starting my trip" check-in message, then start tracking. Sometimes I send a "checking in and everything's okay" message when I stop for lunch. When I reach camp, I try to send a "ending my trip" check-in message, I stop tracking and I power the device off.

Before my OT thru hike, I sent the link for tracking my trip to family, friends, and coworkers. Several of them followed my progress and enjoyed watching me travel. My boss commented on our team chat when I crossed the border between Oklahoma and Arkansas. It's a neat feature.

Pro Tip
If you invest in a tracker, whether it's this Garmin or the Zoleo or whatever other option, practice using it and develop some habits around using it so you get the most bang for your buck. I have short checklists when I'm starting and ending my trip each day.

Starting for the day
  • Garmin turned on
  • Start tracking
  • **Lock the car doors (if parked at trailhead)
  • **Visual scan of camp for any gear that isn't packed** (if leaving a campsite/shelter)
  • Send "Starting my trip" check-in message
Ending for the day
  • Stop tracking
  • Send "Ending my trip" check-in message
  • Power Garmin off
If you don't start and end your tracking, the tracking feature will not work the way it's supposed to. I have accidentally left the tracking on for the drive home after a day hike and there was a long path from the trail to my house. But I learned from that mistake. I learned that if I make locking my car door an intentional step before I send my "starting my trip" message, I don't get two miles down the trail wondering if I locked the door or not. Scanning around the campsite to make sure you're not leaving gear behind is another good habit. My trail friends, Andy and Tater were good about doing this, whether we were leaving camp for the day or even when we stopped on trail for lunch or a break.

One last observation about the Garmin. In order for the device to send and receive data from satellites, it needs to have an open view to the sky, and it sometimes takes a few minutes to transmit. When I'm ending my trip for the day and trying to power down, the device transmits data. This sometimes takes a few minutes. I don't know what happens if you power down before that data is transmitted. I usually stop tracking, send my "ending my trip" message, then leave the Garmin on to finish transmitting the data for a few minutes while I go about some other camp chores, like setting up my tent/sleeping system, and making dinner. If you try to power down before the data has finished sending, the device gives a warning message that the data hasn't finished sending "Are you sure you want to power off before the data is finished transmitting?". I have always just clicked "No" and waited until it's finished. This is a minor irritation, but I didn't put it on the "room for improvement" section because I don't know that it can be avoided with a satellite signal, or if doing it faster would mean it requires some magnitude of increased power and therefore bigger device and battery required. I'm not sure.


Cook Kit

I published an article back in April about my cook kit. Since publishing that article, I upgraded my stove, and I also determined that I was not doing actual cooking on the trail for my through hike, so didn't end up brining the kuzy I custom made for my cookpot. I also decided I wasn't a fan of the piezo spark lighter and that a mini Bic lighter was around the same weight and worked more easily. I even upgraded my spoon. The long handle titanium spoons are light weight and the long handle helps reduce the amount of food you get on yourself when eating out of the freeze dried meal packages. Here is what I carried for my thru hike. I'm not including a lot of details or photos for the cook kit. If you want more information, you can click through to the links.


  • Light
  • Durable
  • Holds small fuel canister, stove, and lighter
  • Only $20

  • Light
  • Super compact
  • Does the job
  • Only $20
Not super great in strong wind, but you can block the wind with gear if you need to.

  • Light
  • Long handle makes eating out of packages less messy
  • Smooth polished spoon bowl feels better in your mouth


Water Filtration Kit

I published this article back in March on the topic of water filters. I am stilly using the Sawyer Squeeze. I am still using the CNOC collection bag. Both worked fantastic for me. In that article, I talked about having a backup. I got bit by not having a backup on my first attempt to hike the Eagle Rock Loop, but rather than taking the backup treatment tabs, I have just done better about checking my filter before I get to the trail.


...okay, marginally better about testing my filter. When Mrs. Gavagai was driving me to Oklahoma, we did have to pull over on the side of the road where I got my filter kit out of the pack and tested it on the side of the road. It worked, and if it hadn't, I wouldn't have found out when I was desperately in need of potable water on the trail. Improvement!

Electrolyte Options
On this trip, I brought some flavored electrolyte packets (like Propel). I enjoyed drinking those, especially with meals. Some of them have a little caffeine, which I think also helped me to not get headaches from caffeine withdrawal (I'm a Mountain Dew drinker).

Andy, who I met on the trail, introduced me to Saltstick chewable electrolyte tablets. Those were pretty good as well. I will say that I did not experience any muscle cramping or headaches on this trip from dehydration, so I think what I did worked pretty well.

Pro Tip
Most people who use the Sawyer Squeeze or other similar fiber filters know that they require to be backflushed on occasion to improve the flow when it gets clogged. Something I learned from the Miranda Goes Outside YouTube channel is that in addition to just backflushing your filter, if you backflush it until it runs clear, then bang the filter against the palm of your hand and backflush it again, you will get more crud out of the filter and it will work better and last longer. Here is a link to the video, timestamped to the segment where they show how to do the backflush hand tapping.

I had a filter that I thought I had cleaned after a trip. I saw that video, then picked up my filter, tapped it and backflushed again. The water was gross. I do the tapping thing every time I backflush now.




This was a late entry into my backpacking kit for this trip. It's a mid-layer hoodie and it's amazing.


Until you actually feel it, you can't understand how light it is. Until you put it on, you won't appreciate how warm, but still breathable it is.

Go weigh your lightest weight fleece jacket or sweatshirt hoodie or whatever you use as a mid-layer for hiking if you have something like that. How much does it weigh? This hoodie weighs 4.5 oz (130 grams).

Costs under $100.
Made of 100% Polyester Polartec Alpha Direct.
Keeps its insulating properties, even if it gets wet.

It's a little odd looking. It's kind of fuzzy. But it is worth every penny. I recommend this 100% for anyone who is doing backpacking in cooler weather. Most days on the trail in temperatures between 30-50° F, this hoodie is what I wore.



It's not the coolest looking, but for a down jacket, you can't beat the price for quality.


  • Light weight
  • Packs into a pocket and compresses smaller than that
  • Warm
I only wore this jacket in the evenings or early mornings at camp, and on the coldest nights, I wore it to sleep in. It's comfortable and warm. It's light. It costs less than $100.

It's European (I think French?) and the zipper zips up on the opposite side of most US clothing for men. It took a little getting used to. If that's a deal breaker for you, then this might not be the right jacket for you. I think I got it on sale last spring and only paid $65 for it. SMH. Similar jackets from the big name brands cost $300-400 or more.

Big Three (Tent, Pack, Quilt)

I have one article each for my Tent, Pack, and Quilt. I used all three of those items on my Ouachita trip. They all performed well. Because I already have articles about these items, I won't go into details, but I will provide a high level overview below.

Tent

  • Light weight (20oz)
  • Simple pitch with trekking poles and 4-6 stakes
When I was camped near a river in a valley on this trip, I did get a bit of condensation inside the tent, but there was a lot of moisture in the air and the air was cold. I don't think many tents would not have condensation in those conditions. 


Pack
  • Light weight (30 oz)
  • Comfortable carry
  • Enough storage pockets to keep things organized
I was surprised how stinky this pack got because of my sweat, but I washed it when I got home and it smells fine now.


Quilt
  • Light weight (2 lbs/910g)
  • Compresses small for packing
  • Rating of 20° F is accurate
    • I slept in temps down to 26° F without a proper sleeping pad and still felt comfortably warm
This was the first camping I have done in truly cold temps and I was very impressed with how well this quilt performed. This was also the first time I used the pad straps. On all my other backpacking trips, the weather was so warm, I either didn't even bring a quilt or I was more concerned about having the quilt open to vent. The straps worked fine and they weren't super hard to use. I will say, there is a learning curve, particularly with releasing the clips in the dark. I'm also still trying to figure out the best position to put the straps and clips. There are different options on the quilt. But overall, the quality of sleep I get using the quilt is leaps and bounds better than any mummy sleeping bag I have ever used. I am so glad for this development in backpacking gear.


Sleeping Pad
  • Light weight (just over 1lb for the long wide version)
  • Great insulation
  • Compact when rolled for travel

I have two sleeping pads and I went back and forth over which one I would bring on this trip. I ended up bringing both after I punctured the Tensor on my first night and a buddy delivered the Nemo Quasar 3D to me on trail. The Quasar is heavier, bulking when it's packed, and not as warm.

In the past, I have complained that the Tensor hurt my back. I think I was over inflating it. In any case, it hasn't bothered me as much. I still think the Quasar is a bit more comfortable, and in warmer weather, I will probably still opt to bring the Quasar instead of the Tensor. But for a long trip like the Ouachita Trail and in cold weather, it's hard to beat the Tensor.

I blame the puncture and difficulty have had patching the leak on user error. The hours of sleep when I was on an inflated Tensor pad were warm and cozy and I slept well. Also, even when the pad was deflated, I still got an impressive amount of insulation from the cold. It's impressive to me how well the Tensor insulates while being so light weight. I have said this in other places and I will say it again here. Nemo needs to come out with a pad that has the contours and comfort of the Quasar 3D but with the insulation of the Tensor. It would still be heavier than the Tensor, but it would be a lot lighter than the Quasar is now.


This was another late addition to my pack, but I was glad I had it. It replaced my cut off section of an old foam sleeping pad that I had been using as a sit pad. The Thinlight pad is 1/8 of an inch thick and made of closed cell foam. I got the folding version, which is one inch wider. This pad works as a sit pad, but I also used it under my sleeping pad to provide another layer of insulation and padding ...which is particularly helpful when your inflatable pad has a big hole in it. I kept this on the outside of my pack, so I could access it quickly and easily when we stopped for lunch on the trail.
  • Lighter than the sit pad I was using
  • Adds to the insulation of your sleeping pad
  • Extra cushion if your sleeping pad fails
  • Works as a wind screen for your cook stove in windy conditions (don't put it too close to the flame)
This is just a versatile, light, and inexpensive piece of gear. Worth it, especially if you're not carrying a chair for camp.


Pillows

Yup. I used two pillows on this trip, and I slept better for it. I probably should have opted for the mid sized Therm-a-rest pillow instead of the large, because even though it's compressible, these pillows still take up a good amount of space, and they're a little on the heavy side. Having said that, it's the closest thing to a pillow I would sleep on at home and it really helped make my sleep peaceful and comfortable.

The Nemo Fillo was a late addition to my pack. I had the Fillo Elite and I liked the feel of that pillow, but it's just too small. The Fillo is an inflatable pillow with a side with soft padding. The padding helps it to not feel like a balloon. The Fillo also packs much smaller than the Therm-a-rest pillow, which is nice.

Having both of these on the trip forced me to really have to compress my quilt and other items in my bag liner portion of my pack so everything would fit, but I made it work. It wasn't so bad, especially after I reduced things down to only one sleeping pad instead of two.


Poop Kit

You have to poop on trail. It's not glamorous, but having the right gear helps. Here is what I used.

  • Super light weight
  • Sturdy
For the uninitiated, when you poop in the woods, you dig a cat hole, squat and do your thing (hopefully dropping your business in the hole, but if not, nudge it in with a stick) then clean up. The requirements vary depending on the specific wilderness area, but on the OT, you don't have to pack out your toilet paper, so that can go into your cat hole. When you're done, you cover it up and do your best to not make it look like someone dug a cat hole (cover it with whatever leaf litter or whatever else is covering the forest floor).


These are just moist wipes to help keep you clean. They say they are bio-degradeable, but you are not supposed to leave these behind. I kept a small ziplock bag in my poop kit and that was enough to store used wipes for the 3-4 days between stops on the trail. I also used wipes to freshen up and keep my face, neck, and pits a little cleaner. The travel size with 8 wipes was plenty for four days on the trail for me.


Toilet Paper
I just packed partial rolls from home. I let our rolls get down to around 1/3 of a full roll and that's what I packed. I saved about four rolls like that and that's what I put in my resupply boxes. It was just about perfect. I had enough to spare at both of my resupply stops, but not a lot.


Miscellaneous Items



  • Light weight
  • Compact
  • Scissors for cutting things like
    • electrolyte drink mix packages
    • bandages
    • sleeping pad patches
  • Tweezers
  • Toothpick
  • File and small flathead screwdriver
I have a larger lock blade knife that I thought I would be carrying on this trip, but when I carried that larger knife on other trips, I never used it. I used this knife, and the scissors in particular multiple times. The package on my meal pouches would get on my nerves. I took out my little scissors and trimmed it down. Problem solved. I can open those thin drink mix packages sometimes along the perforation at the top, but pouring it out gets messy. When I cut it with the scissors on this knife, it made the pouring so much easier. And this knife is so much smaller and lighter. If I was doing actual cooking on trail like some people do, the larger knife might come in handy, but this was all I needed.




USB-C rechargeable flashlight. It comes with a magnetic clip that can clip to the brim of a hat and magnetically stick to metal. The light has three different brightness settings with the beam mode, but it also has a lantern mode with two brightness settings as well as a red light mode. It also has a lock mode so you don't accidentally turn it on in your pocket.
  • Light weight
  • USB-C rechargeable
  • Glows in the dark
  • Works as a headlamp when paired with a ballcap
  • Works as a lantern if hung or magnetically stuck on metal
  • Lock mode
I used this at camp and also in the shelter a couple of times. It's nice to have a backup light in addition to your headlamp and phone. This one weighs so little and charges up with USB-C. Another late addition to my pack, but I love it. It was a little pricy, but worth the money in my opinion.



These were yet another late addition to my pack, but I was glad I had them. They helped keep my hands warm on the trail on also on the coldest of nights at camp.


They do work with touch screens, but not amazing. It was clumsy and I often got irritated and just took the gloves off to use my phone. 


Software

The FarOut app was extremely useful for me on my OT trip as well as my Eagle Rock trip. FarOut does not have every Arkansas trail on it, but it does have
  • Ouachita Trail
  • Eagle Rock Loop
  • Buffalo River Trail
  • Ozark Highlands Trail
These guides can be purchased for $20 as a package (Arkansas Hiker). I got my money's worth out of it already, just on the first half of the OT and on the Eagle Rock trail.

FarOut shows where you are on the trail. It shows elevation gains for the upcoming trail. I has waypoints and (very important on the OT) water sources. In addition to those features, users can leave comments and information about conditions on the trail when they were there and you can see the date they passed through.

I first used this app on the Eagle Rock trips. I learned a lot there, but I learned more on the OT. I highly, highly, highly recommend it for anyone who is thinking about hiking any of those trails. 

This isn't an app I used on trail, but I used it to help prep my gear list, to weed out unnecessary items, to identify where I could trim some weight, and perhaps most importantly, it allows you to print out a checklist of your gear that you can go through as you pack to ensure you don't forget important items.


It's also free.




Well, I think that does it for this post. Helpful? Interesting? Do you have questions? Let me know!

Thanks for stopping by,
Gavagai



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