The "everyday carry" trend has taken over social media, usually as flat-lay photos of watches, knives and expensive gadgets. Backpacker magazine decided to give it a hiking twist by asking its own editors what they genuinely never leave the house without before hitting the trail. The answers are refreshingly unglamorous — and full of ideas worth stealing for your next walk.
The line-up shows how personal trail carry really is. One editor swears by Ombraz armless sunglasses, which strap around the head so they survive swimming and somersaults, plus a Knives of Alaska folding knife, a bandana (marketed as the most versatile item a backpacker can own: headband, hot mitt, face mask, cleaner), a Nocs Zero Tube monocular for scoping routes and wildlife, an ageing Petzl headlamp, and a lighter — preferably one with a distinctive print so nobody pockets it by "accident."
Another editor has turned minimal-tech into an art form. During off hours they leave the smartphone at home entirely, carrying a $15 AT&T flip phone that can run a basic offline map app, backed up by a button compass and a tiny Life Camera S168 for photos. The rest of the kit reads like a lesson in cheap redundancy: a space blanket, a lighter wrapped in duct tape, travel sunscreen, a Leatherman Tread bracelet (discontinued, but TSA-friendly), a 40-lumen Black Diamond keychain light, and a wallet-sized first aid kit with kid-patterned bandages for family hike scrapes.
Quirkiest carry goes to the editor who brings a disposable Pilot Precise Varsity fountain pen and a waterproof notepad — plus a toothbrush, on the logic that being able to brush your teeth whenever you want is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade. Snacks lean thrifty: bulk-buy fruit snacks and granola bars. And the most low-key kit of all belongs to the editor whose daily local-trail loadout is basically an iPhone, dog poop bags, and Nerds Gummy Clusters — with a Garmin Instinct Solar watch for stats and a Garmin inReach satellite messenger added whenever the route gets remote enough that calling for help matters.
Why should a traveller care? Because these kits are basically cheat sheets. The recurring themes — a light you forget you're carrying, a fire source, sun protection, something to cut with, a way to navigate, and snacks you'll actually eat — apply to day hikes anywhere, from the Dolomites to the Lake District. The flip-phone-and-compass setup is also a nice template for anyone who wants a screen-free day outdoors without going fully dark. Backpacker is turning it into a conversation too: readers are invited to photograph their own trail carry and tag the magazine on Instagram with #hikerEDC.
