26. BLACK DIAMOND WIREGATE CARABINER
鈥淢y keys are attached to it,鈥 says Kenton Lawson, of Ojai, California. 鈥淚t also keeps my Nalgene bottle from rolling away under the seat of my truck and my hydration bladder from slipping down to the bottom of my pack. I鈥檝e used it to secure a towline for a friend鈥檚 car and to add extra mechanical advantage when pulling a slackline tight. Most important, the wire gate fits perfectly over the top of a beer.鈥 From $6;
27. A WANIGAN
鈥淲e鈥檇 always say, 鈥業t鈥檚 like having mother鈥檚 cupboard with you,鈥欌 says Brook Yeomans, of Jackson, Wyoming. 鈥淎 wanigan is a traditional piece of canoe-camping gear with leather straps for portaging. You don鈥檛 see 鈥檈m around much anymore. My buddies and I built this one to carry our cook kit and other fragile gear. Table, seat, cutting board, wind block, gear organizer鈥攊t was always the focal point of our campsite.”聽
28. MSR DROMEDARY BAG
鈥淚n the desert, water is king,鈥 says Chris Benson, of Moab, Utah. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 expecting to go two or three days between water sources, I usually pack two鈥攁 four-liter and a six-liter. This gives you redundancy鈥攊n case one fails, which is rare鈥攁nd lets you keep the weight in your pack, where you want it. These puppies are durable and make other hydration systems look like fancy ziplock bags. With any new drom, I recommend getting a little bit of plumber鈥檚 tape to seal the threads of the two caps. Side note: a Nalgene lid works as a backup if you lose the original.鈥 From $30;
29. GOOD BINOCULARS
鈥淢y Leitz binocs have been to Africa, the Arctic, Alaska, and Hawaii,鈥 says Rick Derevan, of Atascadero, California. 鈥淲hen I bought them 25 years ago, they cost a small fortune. But I鈥檝e never looked back. For what amounts to about $20 a year, I have a super-sharp, perfectly built companion that brings the world closer every time I use them.鈥
30. THE STREGOR
鈥淔or a rock climber, every piece in the rack has a story,鈥 says Erik Vance, of Oakland, California. 鈥淭he Stregor was a tiny camming device, about a size smaller than a crack my fingers could fit in. I bought it at a store in Berkeley that was so classy it actually sold used climbing ropes. In truth, the Stregor was prone to sticking and hard to use, with questionable ’80s-era print on the slings. It was always my last choice. So whenever we used it, I or my partner let out a familiar cry: 鈥楽迟谤别驳辞辞辞辞谤!鈥 We used to say, 鈥楽tregor makes you stronger,鈥 because the piece was so ugly, you would do anything not to fall on it. And yet that little piece saved my butt more than all of my other gear combined. I came to respect that scrappy little cam and looked forward to hearing that call. And when the Stregor finally got stuck in a crack from which it would not leave, we had a moment of silence. Today, looking at my shiny, refurbished rack, I sometimes think of that crappy little cam that could. And inside I say, 厂迟谤别驳辞辞辞辞谤!鈥
31. SOLAR SHOWERS
鈥淏ecause there鈥檚 nothing like a hot naked shower outside.鈥 鈥揃ear Carlson, Boulder
32. LIMMER STANDARD BOOTS
Limmers were Matt Keating鈥檚 standby kicks in college. Keating, of Littleton, New Hampshire, hiked all over South America in them, traversed the Grand Canyon, and even evaded a landslide on Vermont鈥檚 Jay Peak. 鈥淣ow I teach college courses in backcountry skills,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 own my own gear shop. I鈥檝e been through dozens of boots on hundreds of trips. The Limmers don鈥檛 even fit anymore, but I still can鈥檛 part with them.鈥 $345;