Essential Gear to Share

While some gear items are personal (like boots and clothing), many essentials can be shared between two people. Here are some key items that make sense to split:

1. Shelter

• A two-person tent is lighter and more compact than carrying two solo tents. Garrett and his wife Rebekah used a Durston X-Mid 2 P on their PCT thru-hike and while both the inner mesh and rainfly together would weigh 38 ounces for one person to carry, for two people it translates to one 17 ounce mesh inner for Rebekah and a 21 ounce rainfly for Garrett saving both over a pound!
• Split the load: One person carries the tent body while the other carries poles and stakes. Usually whoever is the stronger hiker will take on more of the split gear responsibility. At one point Garrett just carried the whole shelter so they had less set up and tear down time by keeping the inner connected to the rainfly. 
• Consider a lightweight tarp setup for ultralight backpacking. Another benefit of an ultralight tarp set up is the variability in set ups. With the X-Mid you can set up the rainfly without having to set up the inner tent, and on something like the PCT or Colorado Trail, where flash hailstorms are not uncommon, a quicker set up keeps you safe and dry.

2. Cooking Equipment

• A single stove and fuel source can serve both hikers. – Again, the stronger hiker should carry the cook kit. As you get used to sharing you’ll get more efficient with your cooking. Be sure if you cook lunches that you and your partner stay close so the one without the cook kit doesn’t go hungry.
• One cook pot is usually enough; opt for a larger capacity if needed.
• Garrett and Rebekah used a 750 mL pot to heat up water and a small thermos type of cup from Walgreens for their meals. Basically you heat up the water and then pour it into your serving cup to rehydrate and heat up your food. This keeps the pot clean.
• Pack only one water filter or purification system. – A lot of this kind of depends on your hiking style and the environment you’re in. If you’re going to be on something like the Appalachian Trail where there are plenty of water sources and you plan on run and gunning and cameling up(drinking a liter or two at the water source before heading out) sharing the filter might not make as much sense if you plan on drinking straight from the filter attached to your bottle. But, generally, dedicating a “dirty” water bladder and filtering into clean water bottles will work just fine for most couples and even worked for a few throuples on trail!

3. Food and Snacks

• Plan meals together and divide the food evenly. Have you heard the good news from our lord and savior Skurka Beans and Rice? Having at least your main meals like lunch and dinner synchronized with your partner takes a lot of the guesswork out of resupplying and food preparation. Another alternative is the larger portioned dehydrated meals. 
• Use one bear canister or Ursack instead of two (where required and practical). – Be sure all of your food fits in one bear canister before heading out. This is more a recommendation for shorter overnighters and weekend trips where you’re not trying to cram 5 days of food for two people into a BV500.

4. First Aid and Repair Kits

• A single first aid kit should be sufficient for both hikers. – Make sure you’ve got a practical amount of supplies for each person and don’t forget that extra imodium weighs less than the diarrhea it’s meant to prevent. That is to say, don’t skimp out on your first aid just to save a few grams.
• Share repair tools like duct tape, a multi-tool, and tent patch kits. – The stronger hiker carries this.
• Another thing to consider is your power bank. Most hikers carry about 5,000 mA battery bank, if you’re the stronger of the two in your partnership, consider a 10,000 mA battery to carry and share with your partner. This is just something to consider and not a hard suggestion. Some people use their electronics more than others.

5. Navigation and Communication

• You could carry one map and compass, this is a personal preference, some hiking couples both enjoy route finding and compass work, sometimes only one person does.
• Share a satellite communicator or emergency beacon for added safety. We recommend following your own intuition and comfort level on this one.  If the person with the SOS device falls off a cliff, the one without it is going to have a hard time. But, for the most part, just one SOS device should suffice.

Tips for Effective Gear Sharing

• Plan Together – Make a detailed gear list and decide who carries what before heading out. Having a game plan of who’s got what and when to implement it is a lot more necessary when there’s two people involved. 
• Distribute Weight Evenly – Balance the load based on each hiker’s capacity and comfort level. Don’t apply the brunt of the load to just the strongest hiker, after a few trips together you should have an understanding of the sharing sweet spot based on your hiking pace. 
• Keep Essentials Accessible – Critical items like first aid kits, navigation tools, and snacks should be easy to access.
• Communicate Preferences – Some hikers prefer specific gear brands or setups; discuss and agree on what works best for both of you. 
• Test Your System – Try a short hike or overnight trip to ensure your shared gear system functions well before a big adventure. This is especially important where your tent is concerned. Some tents claim to be a 2 person tent but are really more like a 1.5 person tent. Be sure to look up total floor space and consider the width and length of your sleeping pad.

When to Go Solo on Gear

While sharing gear is efficient, some items should be personal:

• Sleeping bags and sleeping pads – We’ve heard of plenty of trail couples who opt for the two person sleeping pad and two person quilt. In our humble opinion we do not recommend this. The type of person that willingly subjects themselves to their partner’s stink in these terms never made it in our trail family if you know what we mean. If you’re passionate about your partner’s farts, have at it. This is all an extremely humble opinion from one stinky person to another.
• Personal hygiene items – Cutting your toothbrush and leaving the deodorant at home will be as much weight savings as you need to concern yourself with.
• Trekking poles (if used) – Plenty of couples hike with one pole each and then combine them at night for their shelter set up.
• Extra clothing and rain gear – As pretty as you might look in your wife’s sports bra, you probably should carry your own.

Final Thoughts

Sharing hiking gear with a partner can enhance your outdoor experience by reducing pack weight, saving money, and strengthening your bond. With proper planning and teamwork, you’ll be able to hike further and more comfortably while enjoying the journey together. Whether you’re tackling a multi-day trek or a weekend getaway, optimizing your gear-sharing strategy will set you up for success.