Everyone loves gear—especially ultralight hikers! So, what better time to bring back our beloved “Staff’s Favorite Gear” series to the Journal?

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–– Let’s jump right into it. Show us what you brought in today.

This is a headlamp strap that I made through MYOG (Make Your Own Gear), and it’s also available as a product from my brand−Shelt.

The headlamp itself is from Milestone, marketed as lightweight, but when you factored in the belt, it wasn’t all that light. So, I decided to make my own. All I really did was cut some tape, punch a hole, cut some cord, and attach it. I didn’t even bother adding grommets (laughs).

–– It’s incredibly simple.

To me, this is what MYOG is all about. Sure, using a sewing machine to create something is great, but noticing small things like this and figuring out how to make them yourself is the fun and beauty of MYOG.

–– So, even without technical skills, having an idea is enough. This is sold at Lunnetes right?

Yes, the product version does include grommets, but I just used a lighter to seal the holes for mine (laughs).

–– In our previous episode, Yamatomichi Kamakura staff member Yuko introduced her MYOG version of this. She was thinking of buying the Shelt version, but realized she could make it herself. Then you made a surprise appearance in that episode (laughs).

Yeah, I was so happy about that. Of course, as a shop, it’s great if people buy from us, but personally, I think it’s even better if they see it and say, ‘I can make this myself,’ and then actually do it (laughs).”

–– It’s great to see the idea spreading.

I hope people give it a try themselves, especially for things they don’t necessarily have to buy.

–– This can be made with just 20mm tape, bungee cord, and a cord lock, right?

If your headlamp is bigger than the Milestone, you might want to use 25mm tape. As long as the headlamp has a removable belt, you can do it yourself with any light. Just cut the tape to a length that fits you perfectly.

–– I’m inspired to try making one myself! What do we have next?

The Monk Stove from Flat Earth Equipment.

–– Flat Earth Equipment is a garage brand based in Fukuoka that makes alcohol stoves. They also sell sets that include a dedicated pot stand and a windscreen made from recycled cans (no longer available).

I like their pot stand, but as for the windscreen, aluminum can sometimes catch fire, so I made my own out of titanium. The weight difference isn’t much.

–– There are many alcohol stoves out there. What’s your favorite feature about this one?

This stove is designed to boil 350ml of water with just 15ml of alcohol, and it delivers consistently. With alcohol stoves, the performance can sometimes vary depending on the temperature or environment, but this one doesn’t.

––So, it reliably boils 350ml with 15ml of alcohol.

Exactly. With a windscreen, it stays stable in nearly any condition. It’s also sturdy, with fewer issues like incomplete combustion that can affect performance. I once had a drink with the creator of the stove, and when I praised him for that, he seemed very pleased that someone understood the concept.

–– I actually bought the same stove—set at last year’s Happy Hikers Hokkein Gathering. I hadn’t used an alcohol stove in ages, but having it all as a set made it so convenient and easy to understand. It’s a hassle to gather and adjust things like a windscreen and pot stand yourself, you know? Plus, I fell in love with the look of the windscreen made from recycled cans.

It’s great, isn’t it? I have one with the 7-Up design.

–– It’s rare to see stove-focused brands like this these days

Exactly. Many alcohol stoves are hit or miss with fuel efficiency, but this one is consistently reliable. It’s also super durable with minimal issues.

–– Next up, a sleeping bag cover!

Yes, it’s the Montbell Breeze DRY-TEC Sleeping Bag Cover Wide & Long (), made with Montbell’s breathable, waterproof fabric. A real game-changer.

–– Wow! It’s quite long, isn’t it?

Yeah, this is the wide/long version. It’s designed to prevent loft compression, making it ideal for winter use, while also being versatile enough for summer trips with floorless tents, rainy hikes, or long-distance journeys. Many hikers opt for the SOL Escape Bivy as a sleeping bag cover, but it often traps moisture inside.

–– Condensation can be an issue with those.

This one, however, is breathable. While it depends on the environment, there’s noticeably less condensation, which I really appreciate. In summer, it works perfectly with a sleeping bag liner (with no sleeping bag) for example; the Static Adrift.

–– Is the weight comparable to the Escape Bivy?

Even though it’s the Long & Wide model, it weighs just 230g, slightly lighter than the Escape Bivy’s 248g. My impression of the Escape Bivy is that it tends to trap moisture and get pretty clammy. Don’t you think?

–– I actually find the Escape Bivy to be quite good, but this sounds even better.

It’s made from a waterproof and breathable material. It doesn’t have the extreme performance of Gore-Tex, but honestly, that’s not necessary—this is more than enough. Considering the price, performance, and features, it hits the sweet spot.

–– So, what’s your final pick?

The Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doors from Zpacks. I think they used to offer a version without the vestibule, but now it seems only the vestibule-equipped model is available.

–– This is a floorless tent made of lightweight, waterproof DCF material. What’s the best feature?

The weight, definitely.

–– It doesn’t seem like there’s anything lighter than this.

It weighs just 159g, so if you’re choosing a shelter purely for its weight, this is the one. It’s a favorite of mine, and I use it often.

— Is it a tight fit when sleeping?

Surprisingly, it’s fine. I feel like it’s more than enough space. That said, the entrance can be a bit tricky to get in and out of because it’s quite low.

–– The zipper-less design is really interesting.

The fabric slightly overlaps, and you just hook it to open and close. The number of parts is truly minimal.

–– Once something gets this minimal, does it make you feel like it’s totally worth it?

It’s great. The compactness allows me to carry a smaller backpack!

–– The weight definitely opens up new possibilities.

Though recently, the price has gone up quite a bit (laughs).

–– Thank you for the awesome recommendations Tomoyuki!

My pleasure!

— Hi Tetsu. Waht do you have for us?

I have shoe laces, made by a company called Nifco, which also manufactures buckle parts for backpacks. It seems they’re marketing it under the name SPLC.

— The type of shoelace you can tighten with a single pull, right? Salomon’s Quicklace Kit is also quite famous.

Personally, I find SPLC to be more user-friendly than Salomon. With Salomon, no matter how many times I explain it, some customers struggle to use it. But with SPLC, you just pinch both sides of the part slightly to unlock it, pull it upwards to release, and pull it downwards to tighten. It doesn’t require any effort at all.

–– Any other reasons on why you recommend it?

With these laces, you might not even need sandals when at camp. With regular laces, loosening them is a hassle, and you have to bundle them up to avoid dragging them around. This system eliminates that bother, and of course, you can tighten or loosen them anytime during your hike.

–– Sounds like you’d want to replace all your shoes with this system.

I’ve already swapped them out for my jogging shoes because it’s a hassle to deal with laces every day. A lot of trail runners also make the switch.

–– I’ve used Salomon’s system before, but I didn’t find it particularly convenient.

This one is definitely more user-friendly than Salomon’s system.

–– Next up is the mobile battery. In recent years, it’s become essential when hiking.

This one is Milestone’s Smart Mobile Battery.

–– It’s the MS-LB3, right? It’s ¥4,950 and weighs only 50g. With 3,400mAh, that’s pretty useful.

Exactly. It’s a dedicated battery for Milestone’s MS-i1 headlamp, but you can also use it as a regular mobile battery. For a one-night trip, this is more than enough, and since it’s so lightweight, you could even bring two. I also have a 5,000mAh card-shaped mobile battery, but this one is just more convenient. It’s also easier to pack.

–– Is this battery shape unique to Milestone?

Ledlenser also produces tubular rechargeable batteries, but this is the first one I’ve seen that can output power. I haven’t done much research, but I think it might be the first one that doubles as a mobile battery.

–– Where do you plug it in to charge?

Charging and output use the same port. Pretty smart, right? It’s even called the Smart Mobile Battery. It comes with a dedicated Type-C cable with a USB connector, so you can basically plug it into anything.

–– Does it hold enough charge to power a smartphone once?

Yes, it does. For an iPhone 13 or 14, it should fully charge the battery. The iPhone 15 is a bit larger, but it should still work fine for most cases. At just 50g, it’s super convenient. I’ve been recommending it for about a year now in HLC programs, and there are even people who come to buy just this.

–– A battery this small isn’t common in the industry, is it?

Exactly, and with a price in the ¥4,000 range, it’s not overly expensive either.

–– True. LED and battery technology are advancing rapidly these days.

The headlamp industry is really booming right now, and Milestone is growing as well.

–– Next, is it a product from Yamatomichi?

Yes, it’s the Light Alpha Tights. This one doesn’t even need an introduction—it speaks for itself (laughs). They’re versatile year-round, from summer to winter.

–– There are many types of active insulation out there, but this one is versatile and genuinely warm.

Exactly.

–– Do you use other active insulation tights as well?

I have a few pairs, but I always end up wearing Yamatomichi’s! I think it’s the best in terms of comfort. Y’all have probably done a lot of research into sizing. Even within Alpha Direct fabrics, there are variations in thread counts and such. Personally, I also think it’s quite durable.

–– But with Alpha, the fibers do shed quite a bit, don’t they?

I have a black pair as well, and since it’s newer, the shedding doesn’t stand out as much.

–– I don’t mind it myself, but when I look at a pair I’ve worn for two years, I notice, “Wow, this is completely different from when it was new!”

That’s true, but it also opens up other ways to use them—like as loungewear.

–– Well, you could say it’s just a change in its characteristics, so it’s not necessarily fair to say its performance has dropped.

Exactly. You could think of it as sacrificing a bit of insulation for improved breathability.

–– So it sounds like you’re putting them to heavy use?

The older ones are practically my everyday loungewear now. I even wear them as a base layer when skiing in winter. I was a bit worried at first, but they turned out to work perfectly fine, even in snow.

–– Alright, let’s move on to the last piece of gear!

It’s the Fire Dragon Solid Fuel. It’s a type of solid fuel, but this one is made from plant-based ethanol.

–– It’s ethanol?

Yes, so it can also be used as a disinfectant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I even used it for hand sanitizing. It’s harmless, so it’s safe even if you lick it. Not that you need to try that (laughs).

–– With a name like Fire Dragon, I expected something much more intense.

Everyone says that (laughs).

–– If it were called “Green Fire” or something, it might have been more obvious (laughs).

Exactly! It’s like a greener, more human-friendly, and slightly more convenient version of solid fuel.

–– Solid fuel tends to produce a lot of soot, doesn’t it?

This one doesn’t produce smoke, and the soot is minimal—just some residue at the end. It doesn’t irritate your eyes, though it has a slight unique smell, even though it’s marketed as odorless. According to the manufacturer, a 27g block burns for 11 minutes. It takes about 6 minutes to boil 500ml of water, so you’d only need half a block for that. If you’re just boiling a cup of water, you could use even less. Like with alcohol fuel, after a few uses, you get a good sense of how much to cut off for your needs.

Just to mention, when burned, it turns into a gooey liquid, so it might overflow if you’re using a standard tray for solid fuel stoves like Esbit. Most people use lids from cream containers from 100-yen shops(Japanese equivalent to a dollar-store), which work perfectly for this purpose.

–– You can use it with stoves other than this one, right?

Absolutely. It’s very versatile and lights up super easily—even when wet. That’s one of the great advantages of solid fuel.

–– Wow, solid fuel used to mean Esbit and nothing else, but it seems like things have changed quite a bit.

Fire Dragon is something we often recommend in stores, and I think a lot of people are using it now.

–– Thank you for the very intersting recommendations Tetsu!