Here I wanna give an overview about my bare necessities when I’m out and about. Of course there are many ways doing it. You might have different needs than I have and will pack and plan accordingly. Let’s dive in.

Gear:
What you want in general is as light as possible, while still giving you the comfort you desire combined with a small pack size. Don’t save money here, you’ll regret it. You can save money elsewhere, I’ll let you know further down.
I bought my tent in 2011 and I still use it today. It’s the Vela I extreme by Exped. It gives me enough comfort on each hike and by comfort I mean a vestibule, where I can store everything I carry, and don’t have to take my bag inside the inner tent where I sleep – more space and no dirt and grime in my “bedroom”.
Of the same brand is my sleeping mat, the Synmat UL 7m. Not manufactured anymore you can still browse and find an equivalent I’m sure. It’s light and really comfortable, has a small pack size and gives great insulation from below. However you have to take better care of it than just a ground pad. Since 2011 I’m on my third mat.
For a sleeping bag I’m using the western mountaineering MegaLite. It’s cut to suit larger folk, meaning I have space like in a cave.
I’ve been warm and comfortable at night with these three pieces of equipment in temperatures below -10°C / 14°F.
My bagpack is probably the oldest bit of gear I carry around. As of 2023 the Lowe Alpine Frontier ND 55+15 is 20 years old. Incredibly sturdy and comfortable at the same time. There are way lighter packs out there today no doubt, yet it comes at a price, figuratively and literally. I’ve met people buying great bagpacks for a lot of money just for the bars in the back to break after some days. I’d choose sturdiness over weight if I had to choose. I don’t want my things to break in the middle of nowhere but that’s just me.

The last essential thing in my opinion where you shouldn’t save money is your shoes. I wear the Adidas Terrex Fast R / Swift R (Fast R is sadly discontinued). For a trekking shoe pretty rugged and I hike aound 1000 km with one pair before they are worn out. Doing 40-60 km/day over a long period of time, your feet and bones are gonna hurt regardless of equipment. “Fast on any hike. The Terrex Swift R3 combines the lightweight design and cushioning of a trail running shoe with the versatility and stability of a hiking boot”. This shoe hits this sweet spot for me. Furthermore I’m no fan of Gore-Tex on my treks. In my experience the material takes too long to dry and when it rains, I’m soaked anyways. But we get to that next.

Maybe you already noticed in my pictures, but for clothes I really don’t have fancy stuff. I used to have a decent rainjacket but did not really use it. The reasons are simple: I was sweating like a pig in these clothes and was soaked by sweat after the rain. I’d rather have a shower in the rain than being trapped in my sweat. Therefore I bought a cheap poncho that keeps me just as dry, while still providing the best airflow possible.
I’m usually rarely cold, so even when the temperatire is dropping I tend to stay warm. After all I carry a bagpack on my shoulders and hips and am moving constantly. Hence I wear my short running shorts and a sleevles shirt and pop my poncho over when it rains. That’s it.