Most outdoorsmen focus on the big-ticket items: weapons, navigation tools, maybe a high-quality knife. But three often-overlooked backcountry essentials can mean the difference between an unexpected night in the field and a life-threatening emergency.
Put these three items in your pack before every trip, regardless of the season or region. They’re non-negotiable backcountry gear for anyone heading into the wilderness.
The Puffy Jacket: Critical Backcountry Camping Gear
A quality insulated jacket is the most versatile piece of backcountry camping gear you can carry.
I reach for my puffy constantly in the field: during rest breaks, around camp, sitting under a tree as I wait for daylight to pack out a bull, or behind the glass searching for mule deer. It supplements my sleeping system on cold nights and even serves as an impromptu lightweight bivy during early-season trips.
This jacket traps your body heat and refuses to give it up. Whether you're hunting the desert southwest or grinding through a late-season rifle hunt, a puffy jacket gives you the margin you need to stay cognitively clear through an unplanned night outdoors.
Rain Gear: Backcountry Gear That Shields You From the Elements
No other part of your clothing system shields you from the elements as well as dedicated rain gear.
When torrential rain hits or snow starts dumping, rain gear is the only backpacking supplies category that truly protects you. Moisture-wicking layers and insulation help, but they can't stop water from soaking through when conditions get serious.
Here's where these backcountry essentials work together: combine rain gear with your puffy jacket, and you've created armor against the elements. This combination lets you ride out any storm.
Whether you can't make it back to camp, twisted an ankle, or broke a leg and need to wait for help, you'll stay warm enough to think clearly and avoid hypothermia until conditions improve or rescue arrives.
The Possibles Pouch: Backpacking Supplies That Solve Field Problems
When you pair high-quality clothing with a well-stocked possibles pouch, you've got the trifecta of backcountry essentials.
Your possibles pouch should address seven core capabilities:
- Shelter
- Water
- Food
- Fire
- Medical
- Signaling
- Basic repairs
With these capabilities covered, you can put on your puffy, protect yourself with rain gear, build a fire, and wait comfortably with that quartered bull until daylight makes the pack-out safer.
One-in-a-million emergencies rarely drive us out of the field. More often, common problems cut trips short: diarrhea, blisters, minor cuts, or a tweaked muscle. A properly equipped possibles pouch handles these mundane issues so they don't ruin your hunt or force an early exit.
Year-Round Backcountry Essentials
These three backcountry essentials work in every season and environment. Desert heat drops fast after sunset. Mountain weather shifts without warning. Late-season conditions test every piece of backcountry gear you carry.
Make these backcountry essentials non-negotiable in your pack. A puffy jacket, rain gear, and possibles pouch give you the tools you need to endure the elements, solve common problems, and thrive outdoors.
by John Barklow, a Special Operations Survival Instructor and consultant who has spent decades teaching military personnel and civilians survival techniques in extreme environments.
