My Backpacking Gear List

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All of the gear I use for backpacking in 2020

Backpacking in the mountains can provide one of the purest forms of happiness in our lives. The ability to get out of the city, the stresses of life, to be surrounded by nature and immersed in its tremendous beauty is a wonderful luxury we can all enjoy. It feels this year, more than ever, a backpacking trip to the mountains is sorely needed.

I’m often asked for recommendations on what to bring for day hikes to high mountain climbs, and everything in between. I’ve put together my gear list for overnight backpacking trips. I hope these can help you get a gear pack started, or help you refine what you already have for backpacking your hometown mountains and beyond!

In general, it is important to have these items when backpacking in the high mountains:

• Lightweight Tent

• Tarp

• 60L or more Backpacking Pack

• Sleeping Bag

• Sleeping Pad

• Stove and Fuel

• Utensils

• Food

• Water and Water Treatment Tools/Tablets

• First Aid Kit

• Hiking Boots or Shoes

• Appropriate Hiking Attire

• Rain Jacket and Warm Clothing

• Lightweight Day Pack

On top of this list, you should absolutely have the TEN ESSENTIALS:

1. Knife - very necessary

2. Headlamp - bring extra batteries

3. Navigation - compass, map, GPS device

4. Sun Protection - hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc

5. First Aid Kit - include foot care and insect repellant

6. Fire - matches, lighters, flint, stove

7. Shelter - tarp or emergency bivy

8. Extra Water - beyond minimum expectation

9. Extra Food - beyond minimum expectation

10. Extra Clothing - beyond minimum expectation

Alright, now that we have the basics under our belt, let me show you what I bring to the mountains on any given trip. Of course, this list can be adjusted depending on how many days I’ll be in the mountains, or how difficult the hiking will be. Let’s get to it! My typical backpacking gear for 2020!

Backpack

F Stop Gear Sukha 70L

What I love about the F Stop Gear Sukha Pack is that it is large enough to fit all of the camera gear I would normally bring on an overnight camping trip in the high mountains (see below), because of the ICU’s that keep everything neatly packed inside. With those ICU’s I am also able to bring my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad and any food/cookware that’s necessary.

This is a photography bag for the adventurer. They live up to that. I’ve taken my Sukha pack all over the high mountains of Taiwan, and will even use it on day trips because of how nice and neat everything packs inside.

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A post shared by Ryan Hevern | Adventure (@downtoexplore) on Jul 20, 2019 at 9:20pm PDT

Camping Gear

Kelty Salida 2 Person Backpacking Tent

I have taken this tent up in the high mountains of Taiwan backpacked with it in California and slept very comfortably every time. This Kelty tent fits two people comfortably, and is only 3lbs 14oz. The Kelty Salida backpacking tent comes with a pouch to fit the poles, rain fly, and tent neatly inside. This helps keep everything tightly packed in my backpack, and protects my other gear from the water and dirt that may accumulate on my tent overnight.

This tent has been on countless adventures and has held up spectacularly.

For friends and clients, I have a handful of Quechua two person tents that are very good for very cheap. They don’t pack as conveniently, but they can be attached to the outside of your backpack easily enough.

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A post shared by Ryan Hevern | Adventure (@downtoexplore) on Jul 31, 2018 at 7:32am PDT

Forclaz Foam Sleeping Pad

This isn’t fancy, but it does the trick and is lighter than a feather, weighing only 200 grams. This sleeping pad is also incredibly cheap. You can buy it at Decathlon for 200 NTD (~$7 USD). They have Alu film on the sleeping surface to help against abrasions and to increase thermal insulation. For backpacking, this has worked wonders.

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A post shared by Ryan Hevern | Adventure (@downtoexplore) on Jun 25, 2018 at 7:16am PDT

Sleeping Bags

My choice in sleeping bags is based on what’s easily available here in Taiwan. Typically I’ll bring sleeping bags from Decathlon, or from a local outdoor shop, Prince Outdoors, here in Taipei City. Which backpack you choose will heavily depend on the season, weather and elevation of your backpacking trip to the mountains. In the high mountains, above 3,000 meters elevation, I bring with me a -10 C tolerant sleeping bag. In the summer I’ll bring my…

Camping Feather Down Blanket

This comes in handy on so many occasions. I always bring this to the high mountains, or to normal camp trips. The down blanket stuffs into a malleable pouch, so it doesn’t take up much room at all in the bag, and is very lightweight. I use it as a pillow while its in the stuff sack, and it greatly improves the quality of my sleep!

If the night is too cold, I can stuff the inside of my sleeping bag with this as well, and I’m good to go. Conversely, if I am hammock camping in the summer I will sleep on top of this and the blanket will keep my back from getting too cold at night.

Sometimes this down blanket is enough to keep me warm all night, and I can skip bringing a sleeping bag with me.

ENO Double Nest Hammock

I wouldn’t bring my hammock to the high mountains, due to the lack of trees to hang it from, but I love hammock camping in lower elevation forests. It’s lightweight, easy to pack, and extremely comfortable to sleep in. One downside is no mosquito net, but I combat this by wrapping the hammock around me, like a cocoon.

I also bring my ENO Double Nest hammock when I intend to sleep in my tent. If the camping trip is more casual, I love throwing the hammock up and reading a book while laying amongst the trees. Sometimes there’s no better way to spend a day.

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A post shared by Ryan Hevern | Adventure (@downtoexplore) on Dec 7, 2016 at 9:38am PST

So there you have it! This is just about all the gear I use while camping and backpacking in the mountains and forests of Taiwan. This doesn’t even cover my camera gear that I bring with me on every trip as well!

Get out and enjoy the outdoors, always Be Adventurous!

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Shuiyang Hiking and Camping

Shuiyang Forest

Geographically, Taiwan may be a small country, but for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers it has an overwhelming appeal. Shuiyang (水樣) is a perfect example of Taiwan’s many natural hidden treasures. Having been greatly affected by the Jiji earthquake in September of 1999, it created a cluster of dying trees and a lake (which was originally a small stream) in between Sun Link Sea and Alishan National Forests.

As Ryan put it, “It looks like the type of place where you should be seeing alligators”. And he wasn’t wrong. There was a beautiful eerie feeling to being surrounded by dead trees and fog. What made this location exceptionally beautiful, however, was the sunset.

In the last hour as the sun was setting, campers gathered around the lakeside to take pictures of the incredible silhouette of the trees in the still water. The beautiful reflection of the lake along with the prime real-estate was the icing on top of our trip. For dinner, we built a small fire, cooked up some pasta, and played a few games before going to bed for some well-deserved rest.

Those wanting to retreat to this haven in central Taiwan might be deterred, however, when they know the requirements it takes to get here.

We departed from Taipei at 9:30pm driving three hours south to a beautiful campsite just outside of Sun Link Sea. The site was ideal as we only needed to park and set up our tents. It also provided some faint lighting so we weren’t entirely blind. When we woke up the next day, the view from the mountaintop was breathtaking.

Our campsite was surrounded by tea farms and bamboo forests. We could see for miles and the sights, sounds, and smells were out of this world. We ate some breakfast burritos, drank some coffee, and departed south for the National Forest.

Upon entering Sun Link Sea, each person needs to pay approximately 300NT for entry. Some may gripe about the cost, but I can understand why the fee after witnessing the pristine condition of the forest. We parked our van by the Sun Link Sea hotel and walked 20minutes to the trailhead which began as an old logging road. Logging in the area is strictly outlawed and is heavily fined which is extremely apparent due to the dozens of signs hanging up along the way.

When beginning the hike up to Shuiyang, you have the option of taking the wider logging road on the right or start off climbing up the trail behind the pagoda. Along the logging road, there are several short cuts eventually leading to the same location. Eventually, you will encounter a fork where you can choose climbing to Mt. Luju on the right (approximately 2,200meters) or going left for a more flat and direct route. Wanting to arrive at Shuiyang with plenty of time to rest and relax, we chose the leftmost route which was narrow and filled with dips, bends and silvergrass for several kilometers (as pictured below).

The final two kilometers of the hike brings you to a steep climb up to the coniferous forest above. The route is split to help hikers who don’t want to use ropes exclusively. It was a brief, but fun climb.

After arriving at the top, we were surrounded by beautiful lush pine trees covered in moss and monkeys off in the distance. The air felt cleaner and the scenery was otherworldly. This was the kind of place I would want to hang up my hammock and relax for hours.

The experience was short-lived, however, as we began our final descent back down the mountain on the other side. We were greeted with more silvergrass, thin trails, and steep rope climbs. When we finally made our way down, we were rewarded with the beautiful Shuiyang forest. It felt very much like the forest opened up and provided a perfect camping spot.

This awesome location, however, has become widely known and becomes very busy late in the evening despite the rigorous journey to get there. Hikers began setting up tents a few hours after our arrival and the campground was rife with laughter and conversation. If possible, I would suggest that visitors come during the weekdays to avoid and unwanted noise. Pictured below is the full campsite after everyone setup camp.

Later that evening, the noise died down which allowed for some excellent sleep. We woke at 6am for sunrise and to make breakfast before packing up and heading home. Due to the initial steep descent, the climb back up was even more arduous, but a great workout nevertheless. By the time we got back to our van everyone was exhausted and ready to head home.

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube for more photos and videos of Taiwan’s adventurous side!

Sileng Wild Hot Spring Camping

Driving over the gorgeous Highway 7 will bring you to the locally revered, unique waterfall hot spring of Sileng. It’s an adventurous hike down the mountainside, passing and setting up a wild campsite surrounded by birds and nocturnal mammals, before reaching the chilly river with a relaxing hot spring on the bank. Enjoy the jungle while the hot springs flow from above.

For those leaving form Taipei you can expect to drive along the beautiful Highway 7 to the outskirts of Sanxia, for 2-3 hours. Once at the trailhead off the side of the highway, park and begin your descent. It is a steep climb to the campsite below for roughly 30 minutes. The climb down to the river from the massive campsite is a bit more steep, and will also take roughly 30 minutes.

The climb down entails ropes and roots to the river below. The river gets louder as you get closer, and roughly 30 minutes down the mountain you will get your view of the brightly colored orange and green painted rocks across the river. It’s a brief, chilly traverse across the flowing river to reach the spectacular waterfall hot spring.

Relax. Climb back up for dinner and a campfire once you have soaked to your satisfaction.

Wake up with the sun and the birds to brew coffee and make breakfast. After walking around the campsite searching for wildlife, you can always descend back to Sileng hot spring. One last relaxing hot spring session to wake up, before returning to the campsite, packing up and heading back towards Taipei.

This hot spring is one of the most fantastic camping sites in Taiwan. When winter rolls around be sure to experience this hidden gem.