Gear Round-up: Fi’s Faves
Fi is a nonbinary outdoorsperson who has worked outside for a decade. They enjoy backpacking, hiking, camping, swimming, mountain biking, bikepacking, skiing, boogie boarding, and did they mention swimming?
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are Fi’s own unpaid thoughts.
As someone who has worked and played in the outdoors for over a decade, I am not messing around with my outdoor gear. That isn’t to say I spend a million dollars on every new piece of gear that comes out, quite the opposite really, but I have rules and strategies for finding my optimal gear bits, and I stick to them!
First off, I have a lot of outdoor interests, so I try to buy items that are going to work for multiple things.
Second, I make a list of what attributes I am looking for in the item I would like and do serious research to pick the right thing.
Third, I generally do not pay full price. There may be a time when this changes, but at this point in my life that is key. Check out Lettie’s article on finding affordable gear for more info.
Fourth, whatever I get needs to last. When I get things I really use them, and so they have to go the distance with me.
Fifth, I am after both fit and a style that feels okay to me. This means I shop both sides of the aisle to find something that is going to fit me well, but I am absolutely not going home with something girly. With my body shape and size, I usually wear men’s clothes, but not always.
Oh, and I almost forgot number six! I like to be prepared for a swim on almost all occasions (unless skiing, generally), so I do like my clothes to be easily turned into swimwear or dry quickly!
Without further ado, here are my favorite outdoor items:
This is by far the best $11 I have spent for a gear item (yes, I did break my no full price rule, but uh, that seems reasonable given the nature of the item!). I had heard from other friends who worked outside that this type of device was legit, but it took a backpacking trip on the Tour du Mont Blanc to convince me it was necessary. Squatting with a heavy pack is always flirting with the danger of completely tipping over with your pants down. The TMB, like many alpine hikes, does not have many good hiding spots, and heavy traffic, so the possibility of not only tipping over, but having a parade of people see your lovely bum became a pretty annoying gamble to take multiple times a day.
I have friends who use different versions like the P-style and have good success. I personally like the peebella because it does not have an open top, so it keeps everything contained. It is small, lightweight, ambiguous looking, and comes in a waterproof little zippy bag. I havent been caught with my pants down in a glorious three years and I am not going back!
Now, if you are someone who does not have exterior plumbing and are thinking I have convinced you to get something like this, my only word to the wise is definitely give it a few practice goes in the shower or something before you whip it out on the trail. After a few tries you will understand where it needs to go to work and it will work reliably, but those initial goes may bear some risk of pants wetting!
2. Smartwool Midweight Crew Socks
To be completely honest with you, these are the only socks I own. Actually I have one other pair in case it is insanely hot out, but other than that, these are it for me. I have tried a lot of other types, and my Vermonter other half thinks I am very dorky for only wearing these, but hey. They work.
Currently the pair of socks that I am wearing have been through over 2,500 miles of walking, and over 1,000 miles of skate skiing, not to mention bike miles, and the weird quarantine activities they have gone through, and there is nary a hole to be seen! Miraculous. For $20? Less with a pro deal? These people work magic. They are warm for skiing, not too hot for summer hiking, and I rarely get a blister in these bad boys. Call me a dorky dad all you want, I don’t know if I will part with them!
If I was going to nitpick, it uber annoys me that the Smartwool site makes you pick a gender for your socks, especially since I am fairly certain the men’s and women’s are the same sock (of this type) and so it is just a size thing. Smartwool, why? Just do it by foot size!
3. Osprey 3L Hydraulics Reservoir
I love this thing so much. It comes with me everywhere. There is a nice slot for it in my backpacking bag and my day pack and it comes with me everywhere. The amount of water that I drink when it is right there on my shoulder versus in a bottle is astoundingly more and so that fact alone makes this worth it. Plus it can carry three litres! With two Nalgenes that makes for a nice load of water to carry if you have to go a long stretch without a source. The bag is very durable as well.
My only complaint is that the nipple bit tends to tear. I have had mine for four years now and am on the third nip. Honestly, it could just be me, and the upside is that you can replace the part rather than getting a whole new one, which is awesome.
4. Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody
If you are feeling wary reading this one, I understand. Arc’teryx stuff is pricey and sometimes it seems like there is a bit of a clout thing about it, so I wasn’t really sure if it was worth it. However, after living and adventuring with my sister, who wore hers for literally everything for approximately one million years, I decided it would be a good addition.
It is so light and packs down small, which is important to me. It is slightly water resistant, though I am on year four with mine and it is decidedly less so (I could respray, though), and pretty warm. I went with a men’s small because it fit me nicely and the women’s does have a flared shape, which I don’t like.
It has been warm enough for winter wear in high desert and southern England (probably wouldn’t stand up for a Russian or New England winter on its own) and I use it year-round as a hoodie. It is probably the most used item I own. I wear it every day, for every activity I do. It is breathable and dries quickly, and can be used as a midlayer if you need to put a shell or a warmer layer on top. It is worth the investment as it holds up, especially if you can find one at a lowered price.
5. Craft Nordic Ski Pants
I cannot say enough good things about these pants. They are made for nordic skiing, and I use them for that, but I also use them for everything else. They are so, so, so warm, but also breathable. They are also water resistant on the front.
I use them for nordic skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, biking, and wearing literally every single day of this past year. The downside is they are a bit heavy if you are trying to go lightweight for backpacking or bikepacking, and they can be a bit warm in summer if you are at lower elevation. I pack them anyway, and they are long lasting. I bought a women’s large, which is not my normal size range, but they run a bit more like tights and I wanted a more comfortable looser fit. These fit me like joggers or sweatpants instead of tights.
6. Patagonia Baggies
Well, I am a copycat from Lettie’s gear round-up, but what can I say? I like these. I have a women’s medium because they are a decent length, have good pockets, all the colors, and also Patagonia makes you pick a gender with your pro deal which kinda sucks.
I like these because they allow you to go from hiking to swimming to hiking all easy peasy in a matter of minutes, and that is my jam. They pack up super light and small and dry incredibly fast. These are my go-to shorts for hiking. The only caution I have here is that I have found them to sometimes not stay up in strong waves, so if you are going to do some aggressive ocean swimming, tie those strings up tight!
7. Adidas Microclimate Underwear
I hope that one day Tomboyx or Rodeoh or another queer owned company can make a pair of underpants that hold up as well as these do. For now, these are the most durable, affordable, quick drying, comfortable underwear I have found. They can do it all, and they do it all well! They have outlasted any other pair of underwear I have ever owned. Worth. It!
