This post reflects the gear setup I used during this chapter of my travels and may evolve over time as my style of travel changes.
Over the past several years of traveling on and off, one thing became very clear to me early on: having camping gear with me changed everything.
The freedom that comes with carrying your own setup is hard to overstate. Whether it meant pitching a tent in the woods, choosing a campsite with a great view, or having a backup plan when a couchsurfing situation did not come with an actual couch, that gear gave me options. On my first long trip through Europe for six months, I traveled without camping gear and regretted it. When I returned home and prepared for an even longer journey through the United States, Hawaiʻi, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, I made it a priority to carry a proper setup with me.
That decision gave me a level of freedom I have never wanted to travel without since.
Some of my best nights on the road came from that setup, whether I was beach camping in Uoleva, Tonga, setting up near the water in New Zealand, or finding a simple place to sleep after a long day of moving. This is the gear that made that possible.
Why Camping Gear Changed the Way I Travel
For me, camping gear has never just been about sleeping outside. It has been about independence.
When you carry your own shelter, bedding, and a few key comforts, you are no longer completely tied to hotels, hostels, or someone else’s setup. You can move with more confidence, say yes to more places, and create your own space almost anywhere.
That kind of flexibility matters even more when you travel long term.
It also changes how you experience a place. Some of my favorite moments were not in a room or a building. They were camped out by the beach, waking up in a quiet part of New Zealand, or setting up in a place where I could simply stop and breathe for the night.
My Tent
If I was going to be solo backpacking most of the time, then I needed to be prepared to camp solo too. The most important things for me were weight, packability, and enough comfort to make it worth carrying.
That is where I found the ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 1-Person Tent. For my style of travel, it ended up being a cost-efficient, lightweight, compact, and surprisingly spacious option. I have pitched this tent in national parks, backyards, on beaches, in the woods, and near cliffs. It has handled cold nights, extreme heat, fairly heavy rain, and moderate wind. I even strapped it to a motorcycle during my time in New Zealand.
Setting it up is easy. If I take my time, it usually takes around 15 minutes. If I am racing the sun, I can get it done in about 10. The two aluminum poles are simple to work with, and once the tent is up, the rainfly adds solid protection from rain, wind, or even harsh sunlight. I was nervous about that at first, but the rainfly never let me down.
As far as space goes, it worked well for me. I am 5’5″ and fit comfortably inside from head to toe. The vestibule is small, so I usually keep my footwear and a few items outside, while my rucksack comes inside the tent with me. Even with the bag in there, I can still sleep comfortably.
My Sleeping Bag
I use an Outdoorsman Lab sleeping bag, which was given to me before one of my longer trips.
Sleeping bags always come with the downside of bulk. They take up space and are not the most elegant thing to attach to your pack, but when temperatures drop, they are worth every bit of that inconvenience. This one has served me well through a wide range of trips and has been one of those simple pieces of gear that I am always glad to have when I need it.
Even on cooler nights that are not especially cold, it adds a level of comfort that makes a big difference.
Sleeping Mat
My Sleeping Pad
For years, I used the Kelty PDa Trailogic Sleeping Pad, and I loved it. It was comfortable, easy to adjust, and let me control the firmness by simply releasing some air. It did exactly what I needed it to do for a long time.
Eventually, though, it reached the end of its life. After enough use, it started developing multiple holes around the upper body area. I tried fixing it more than once, but after a while I gave up. It was no longer worth the frustration of waking up on the ground.
That led me to pick up the Z-Lite Sol closed-cell pad. I had not traveled with it yet at the time of writing, but I already appreciated the simplicity. There is a lot of peace of mind in knowing you are not going to end up fully deflated somewhere in the woods with no backup plan.
My Pillow
One of the smaller things that makes a bigger difference than people expect is having a decent pillow.
Near my home in South Carolina, I used to stop into REI and pick up different supplies before trips. One of the best small additions I bought was the Cocoon Air-Core Hood/Camp Pillow. It is inflatable, easy to pack, and simple to adjust until it feels right.
I have always been able to get it to a comfort level that works for me, and when you are sleeping outdoors or on the move for long stretches, those little comforts go a long way.
My Hammock
Every setup needs at least one thing that feels less like a necessity and more like a reward.
For me, that has been my ENO Sub7 Hammock. It was one of the best last-minute purchases I made before setting off on longer travels. The carabiners were separate, but once I had the full setup, it became one of my favorite things to carry.
There is nothing like finding two perfect trees at the end of the day, stringing up a hammock, and finally slowing down for a bit. After a long stretch on the road, it feels earned.
This particular hammock works well for my style because it is lightweight and compact, which matters when you are already carrying everything on your back. The downside is that it is not built for a proper full night’s sleep, and it is definitely not for two people. I have fallen asleep in it before, but for me it is more of a comfort item than a sleep system.
Still, if there is one piece of gear in this setup that consistently added joy to the journey, it was my hammock.
Why This Setup Works for My Style of Travel
At this point, I have a hard time imagining my travels without some version of this setup.
Once I started traveling with camping gear, it changed how I saw the road. It reminded me of when I first discovered hitchhiking. Once I experienced that kind of freedom, it was hard to go back to relying fully on buses, trains, or rideshares. Camping created a similar feeling. It opened up more possibilities, gave me more flexibility, and often saved me money compared to hotels, Airbnbs, or even noisy hostels.
More than anything, this gear supported the kind of travel I wanted to do. It allowed me to move farther, stay out longer, and be more self-reliant along the way.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, this gear mattered because of what it allowed me to do.
It gave me freedom, flexibility, and a sense of confidence that shaped the way I traveled. Some of my most memorable moments on the road came with this setup beside me, whether I was by the water in Tonga, on the move in New Zealand, or finding my own place to stop for the night.
I am not writing this as someone trying to build the perfect gear list for everyone. This is simply the setup that worked for me and helped support the kind of travel I was doing.
If you are figuring out your own solo backpacking setup, I hope this gives you a useful place to start.
Some of the gear mentioned here may include affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, it helps support my work and allows me to continue documenting these journeys.
