The Gear of Py

Clothing

​

Pants - Kathmandu Mens Pants - Kathmandu cop a lot of flak about their camping/hiking gear and I'd tend to agree about their sleeping bags/packs/tents etc but when it comes to clothing they are right up there for quality and price. This is my second pair of pants from Kathmandu because the first pair were so good. The material is stretchy, light, quick drying, comfortable and is perfect for hiking trips where you won't wash for over a week. Every pocket has a zip (great for not losing gear) and there are enough without looking too adventurey.  I cannot recommend these pants enough.

Shirt - TLoP Tri-Blend T-Shirt - I get these shirts through Redbubble because I can get my logo put on them but they aren't bad t-shirts to wear hiking. They dry fairly quickly and are comfortable. Ideally in the future I would upgrade to Merino shirts but I'll get serious about that when these current ones start to show signs of expiring.

Jacket - Again I've gone with Kathmandu here as I find their clothing really great quality for the price. This jacket I actually use as my go-to jacket for most aspects of my life so it is well worn. Out on the trails of Western Australia it is usually worn early on during the colder months and at night around camp. It's comfortable, warm and looks pretty good so I have no complaints about this jacket.

Rain Jacket - Given we mainly get passing showers in WA and you only end up wearing a rain jacket for a few minutes before it starts getting too warm, I just have a basic foldaway Kathmandu rain jacket (it's starting to become a Kathmandu ad I know). It folds away into the size of a drink bottle and makes for a handy extra pillow when you're in your sleeping bag watching movies at camp.

Hat - I used to wear an old Mountain Design lightweight cap but it search of better sun protection I ordered a stylish wide brim hat off Amazon last year. I don't look good in your typical wide brim hat but this one isn't bad and serves to protect my neck and ears from the harsh spring/summer UV a lot better than the traditional cap.

Shoes/Boots - Brooks Caldera 3/Scarpa Boots - After initially only buying big heavy boots because I thought that was the best option for long distance hiking in terms of comfort and weather-proofing, my world was flipped upside down when I converted to trail runners. Lighter, quick drying and more comfortable, I don't think I'd go back to boots unless I was trudging through mud for several days on end. Having waded through several sections of flooded trail on the Bibbulmun, my shoes and feet felt dry not long after, compared to having wet boots for days afterwards if that happened with my Scarpa boots. Gone are the days of sore feet and heavy legs thanks to trail runners. The Scarpa boots were okay but for the extra weight they weren't like walking on clouds and every gram of weight matters when you're taking 20k-30k steps a day.

Socks - Injini Toes Socks - Some people don't like them but I swear by the toe socks as a way of avoiding blisters and keeping your feet happy. I haven't had a blister since wearing them and the initial weird feeling of having each toe wrapped up goes away very quickly so they just feel like any other sock. Small and compact, these replaced my bulky merino socks and I'm much happier for it.

Day Hike Packs - Kathmandu 34L Pack & Osprey Dura 6 - I've had my trusty Kathmandu 34L pack for many years now and it's been a solid workhorse over that time. It can be a bit clumsy to access the main storage area but it does the job and has some weatherproofing features that come in handy. Would I buy another one? Probably not, I'd switch over to Osprey as I think they make some really comfortable packs. Just recently I've added an Osprey Dura 5 into my collection that I'll be using on shorter hikes where I don't need a lot of gear. It is more of a vest than a pack and has enough space for all the essentials plus a few cool pockets that I can use to store my photography equipment for quick access.