As in 2014 we now go out and shop all our dream ultralight gear - but from many different shops and manufacturers!
Disclosure: This article has been supported by no one, but I have good relationships with some of the brands which are mentioned. But as you know: I’m keepin’ it real and tell you how it is - I maintain full editorial control of the content published on Hiking in Finland. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
The idea of One Stop Shop is to buy all your gear at one shop. It saves the hassle of searching many different shops, saves on shipping [which in turn is good for the environment] and also purchasing in many different currencies like £, $ and €. The downside is that if you definitely want to have those Houdini trousers and fleece and the shop you purchase everything else from doesn’t carry them, well, you might just need to pick a pants from Black Diamond, Arc’teryx or Rab instead. Ah well. Here is the list I came up with if I’d buy the equipment and apparel at many different shops instead [please keep in mind that I adjusted the prices in this table to show the actual shipping, where applicable, which I’d need to pay to get it to my home in Finland, and I converted all currencies to €]:
| Item | Name | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backpack | Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Porter | 865 g | 325,00 € |
| Sleeping bag | As Tucas Sestrals Quilt | 658 g | 290,00 € |
| Mattress | Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Uberlite Regular | 240 g | 200,00 € |
| Shelter | As Tucas Millaris Bivy + HMG Echo 2 Tarp | 454 g | 549,00 € |
| Stove | LiteTrail SolidFuel System | 84 g | 60,00 € |
| Pot | 0 g | 0,00 € | |
| Cutlery | Sea To Summit Alpha Light Spork | 12 g | 8,00 € |
| Knife | Mora Eldris | 177 g | 38,00 € |
| Cup | Kupilka 21 | 87 g | 20,00 € |
| Waterfilter | Katadyn BeFree | 64 g | 50,00 € |
| T-Shirt | Houdini Activist Message Tee | 143 g | 70,00 € |
| Longsleeve | Patagonia Cap Cool LS | 133 g | 50,00 € |
| Trekking pants | Arc’teryx Palisade Pants | 300 g | 140,00 € |
| Fleece | Houdini Outright Houdi | 296 g | 170,00 € |
| Insulation | PHD Wafer Ultima K Down Pullover | 155 g | 308,00 € |
| Wind jacket | Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody | 199 g | 150,00 € |
| Rain pants | Rab Flashpoint Pants | 96 g | 124,00 € |
| Rain jacket | OMM Halo Jacket | 102 g | 112,00 € |
| Shoes | La Sportiva Mutant | 640 g | 140,00 € |
| Lamp | Petzl Bindi | 35 g | 50,00 € |
| Trekking Poles | Swix Sonic Pro Trail Carbon 120 | 306 g | 150,00 € |
| Navigation | Suunto A-30 | 31 g | 30,00 € |
Total Weight: 5.089 g
Total Price: 3042,00 €
Price per g: 0,60 €
My thoughts on my own list:
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I picked the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Porter because it’s a pack I really like. It’s super simple yet durable and carries well. It does lack side pockets for my water bottles, but I have used this pack on plenty of trips and don’t mind to stop, put down the pack and get my water out.
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The As Tucas Sestrals Quilt is currently my go-to quilt when I go backpacking between spring and autumn. It’s a tad warm with the APEX 200 insulation I have, but I’m rather warm than too cold. The quilt works well with the UberLite, as I have tested on my trip in the Pyrenees last autumn.
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I chose a bivy + tarp as it is my favourite way to sleep outside. The weight and price is listed together, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo 2 tarp on its own is 264 g and costs $ 355,00. The beauty about this setup is that it’s very versatile and can be pitched in small spaces, and works well with the trekking poles.
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I tend to switch things up stove and cooking wise, and if the weather is good I go for my Esbit setup as it’s tiny and UL. When I go with friends, family or if the weather is crap I like to use a gas stove, too.
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The rest of the kitchen setup is pretty much what I always have with me when I go out. The knife is the heavy stand-out, but as I often need a proper knife for starting a fire I like the Eldris.
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The clothing, with exception of the rain gear and the Arc’teryx Palisade Pants, is what I wear when I’m out. I have used the Palisades pants in the past and rate it high, but nowadays use the Houdini Motion Light Pants, though that one isn’t available anymore.
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For rain clothes I picked what pretty much every shop has recommended, a Ultralight combination of pants and jacket which tip the scales at about 200 g. The rain jacket and pants I currently use are SIGNIFICANTLY heavier so an UL alternative like these listed are very welcome.
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As a La Sportiva Ambassador I picked the Mutant for 3-season use, it’s one of my favourite La Sportiva shoes around.
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And then some tried and trusted accessories to help with hiking and illumination!
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Overall this list has the potential to still cut down quite a bit of weight - there are lighter fleece jackets out there, lighter knives and backpacks, but this is gear I own and would buy again as I know it works well for me.
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What also becomes apparent is that I have created the most expensive list yet, at a tad over 3.000 € it is pretty pricey. Only part can be blamed on shipping costs, but e.g. picking up a bivy and cuben tarp is much more expensive than some other options which we have seen in the series.
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Anyway, this is my Multi-Shop-Stop list! It orders gear from 8+ companies and includes gear from several companies where I am an Ambassador (Houdini and La Sportiva) and companies where I have worked together with [As Tucas, Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Therm-A-Rest, Petzl]. Nevertheless, if I’d need to go out and buy all my gear again, this would pretty much be the list!
Keep in mind that these lists are suggestions! If you are already hiking & backpacking you do not need to buy everything in one go but can replace gear slowly, and this lists merely should show you that you can purchase a complete Ultralight Backpacking Setup from one store - or in this case, from 8 different ones. Check out Carsten’s Multi-Shop Stop list in German at Fastpacking.de.
Disclosure: The One Stop Shop Series was Carsten’s idea back in the day. The 2019 Series we have created together and you can read his take on the different lists in German on his blog, and you can read my take over here in English. Furthermore, we have been remunerated for our time by the individual shops.
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