I’ll start by saying I’m not sponsored by anyone and I’m not selling anything. These are just my opinions of my backpacking gear, based on 12+ years of backpacking including two thru-hikes. I hope this information helps other hikers make informed choices when selecting durable backpacking gear that will last for many years.

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To start, here are three of the most durable pieces of backpacking equipment I own…

✅Closed Cell Foam Sleeping Pad

My favorite feature of a closed-cell foam pad is that it can never pop. Even if you use it as a sit pad, glissade on it, or lay it directly on the ground. I’ve only owned one closed-cell foam sleeping pad, a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol, and it comes with me everywhere. Over the years, I’ve cut segments off the pad to make it shorter as I’ve dabbled into ultralight backpacking, but it’s still the same pad. True, it looks a little rough now. And all the shiny silver stuff has long since worn off. But I still sleep well on my closed-cell foam pad.

✅Pocket Rocket Stove

As far as I can tell, my MSR Pocket Rocket stove might be indestructible. It works the same as the day I got it, and I have NOT been gentle with it. On both of my thru-hikes, I used this stove every day and then roughly smooshed it into my pot under a fuel canister.

I keep waiting for my Pocket Rocket to break so I can upgrade to the newer Pocket Rocket 2 design, which is a little lighter and folds down a little smaller. But the darn thing is just too well made so I’m stuck with it for now!

✅Fly Creek Tent

I got my first backpacking tent – a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 – as a high school graduation gift from my mom. I still use it to this day! I broke in this tent on the Appalachian Trail (AT) – though often I just used it as a pillow while sleeping in AT shelters. Even though I didn’t bring my tent’s footprint on the AT, the bottom of the tent never got any holes or tears. I’ve also used this tent (or at a minimum, the fly, poles, and footprint) on every solo backpacking or camping trip I’ve taken in the last 12 years.

I have redone the seam sealing on my tent once. I also sent it back to repair a busted zipper and detached guy line. But overall, I am really impressed with how my Fly Creek tent is holding up.

And now, three pieces of backpacking equipment that were less durable…

☹️My First Pack

I got my first backpacking pack in high school: an Osprey Ariel 65. This was the pack I used for the Appalachian Trail. I really wanted to love this pack but it didn’t work out for me. Despite the thick, seemingly durable fabric, this pack was sun-bleached and had several holes by the end of the trip. But more upsetting than the durability issues, the pack’s hip belt was too stiff and chafed my hips and lower back raw! I ended up modifying the pack by taping foam cut from my sleeping pad to the hip belt to try to make it softer. Between the sun damage, holes, and the emergency field-modification, this pack looked pretty rough by the time I reached Katahdin.

☹️Rain Jackets

Seriously, are rain jackets designed for a single use? While I know they’re not, most rain jackets I’ve owned have lost their waterproofing or fallen apart after only a year or two. Do more durable rain jackets exist? Probably. They’re just not in the price range (<<$100) that I’m willing to pay for a rain jacket. In terms of getting the most bang for your buck, I’d recommend Frogg Toggs. While they’re arguably one of the less durable rain jacket options, they’re also one of the cheapest. However, from an environmental standpoint, I don’t feel great about buying a product I know will likely end up in the trash in a few years.

On the other hand, I do love my ULA rain skirt, which has seen plenty of miles and still keeps my legs dry! If anyone from ULA ever reads this: please design a matching rain jacket or poncho and I will be the first to order one!

☹️Titanium Pot

The pot itself is bomb-proof. The lid and the handle? Not so much. The lid made it through only the first ~400 miles of my AT thru-hike before it melted. This could be my fault, for using the pot over an open fire instead of a backpacking stove. But, in my defense, it seems like a design flaw to make a pot’s lid out of non-heat resistant plastic.

Furthermore, the pot’s handle was coated in a rubbery material – which seems like a good way to protect hands from hot metal, right? Wrong. This rubbery stuff was ALSO not heat resistant, and became a hot, gooey mess when exposed to high heat. If you’re looking for backpacking cook set, I recommend going with one that’s all metal, or double checking that any non-metal parts are very heat resistant.

Do you have a favorite piece of durable backpacking gear? What items in your pack have held up the best? Join the conversation in the comments section below!