Here's all the miscellaneous stuff that I brought with me, like first aid kit, hygiene items, repair kit, and electronics.
Electronic stuff
Left to right, from the top:
iPhone charger cord (0.4 oz) VERDICT: N/A It's an iPhone charger cord.
PETZL Bindi headlamp (1.2 oz)
VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This lightweight headlamp worked really well for me. It's a rechargeable type and held a charge for a long time. I didn’t do any night hiking but used it around camp and in my tent.
Charging cords x2 (0.5 oz ea.)
VERDICT: N/A Did their job. Brought two so I could charge up to two of the Garmin inReach, the headlamp, and the battery pack during my town stops.
Garmin inReach (8.0 oz)
VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I wasn't sure if I should bring one of these satellite tracking devices but I'm glad I did. The inReach is an expensive piece of gear but I got lucky when a friend lent me his device. I was able to send a text message via satellite to my wife and family when I arrived in camp for the night. That way they knew I was safe. Plus, it provided a little extra comfort knowing I had a way to send an SOS if ever needed (thankfully, not needed!).
Anker PowerCore 10000 battery charger (7.6 oz)
VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So glad I brought this. Not too heavy and allowed me to recharge my iPhone and Garmin for up to five nights before it would start to run down.
AUKEY USB Wall Charger, Dual Port (1.2 oz)
VERDICT: N/A Did the job for recharging everything at town stops.
Fonken Quick Charge 3.0 (1.4 oz) VERDICT: N/A Did its job. Got the quick charge for the battery pack as it takes the longest to recharge.
First aid, personal hygiene, repair kit stuff
In no particular order but roughly from top to bottom:
Homemade repair kit with extra guylines/tape/needles/pins/thread (2.8 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Didn't have to use much of this stuff but the guylines came in handy to hang wet clothes and the duct tape made an appearance in my failed attempt to repair my carbon fiber trekking pole.
Dr. Bronner's Soap (1.3 oz)
VERDICT: N/A Transferred it into a smaller bottle but never used it and ditched it at my first town stop.
American Paper Tissue Coreless Roll (2.5 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked the compact size of the coreless roll.
Wysi Wipe Reusable Singles (1.8 oz) (to wash face, etc.)
VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another surprise hit and a now indispensable item on my hikes. These are lightweight, compact wipes shaped like a large pill that become wet wipes when you douse them with a few ounces of water. Used them to wash my face, legs, and other body parts. Very handy little item. Wet Wipes are heavy so these did the same job but much more compact and much lighter.
Body Glide (1.5 oz) (for chaffing) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Glad I brought this, even if I only used it a couple of times. I had some chaffing issues between my fat thighs after it would rain. Helped a lot.
Leukotape (0.7 oz) (for blisters) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I cut these in little strips and put them on nonstick paper for hot spots and blisters. This tape acts like moleskin but I find it sticks better. I didn't need it for my feet though as I didn't get any blisters, but I did use it to protect the bandaids on my fingers from the blisters caused by my makeshift trekking sticks.
travel toothbrush (0.4 oz) VERDICT: N/A I went to Korea for the Army several years ago and was given this little toothbrush by Korean Air. Allowed me to avoid cutting half the handle off on a regular one like the super duper ultra lightweight hikers do. Did the job.
Colgate small tube (0.8 oz) VERDICT: N/A Did the job.
Homemade first aid kit (Advil, benadryl, immodium, band-aids, neosporin, ear plugs) (3.5 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I used more Advil than I should have but I got pretty sore. I'm not a young man anymore. Never used the benadryl or immodium. The ear plugs came in handy the two nights I stayed in shelters.
TentLab Deuce #2 Ultralight Potty Trowel (0.7 oz) VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Luckily, I only had to use this puppy twice to dig catholes. Most of the time I was on a regular schedule and could use the privies at the shelters. Worked fine.
VERDICT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ These came in a set of two. Forgot which size I used to store this stuff in by I further segregated the homemade first aid stuff and the Wysi wipes in ziplock sandwich bags so it was likely the medium size one. The material is waterproof so I kept in the main mesh pouch on the outside of pack for easy access. It is a drawstring enclosure so I just kept it upside down but the items that couldn't get wet were in the ziplock bags anyway.
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