"Perfect" Gear

The question was raise on Backpacker.com's gear forum if people owned any perfect gear. Below is my very short list of "perfect", and a longer list of near perfect gear. Please keep in mind that "perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. What is "perfect" for me might be perfectly wrong for you. Also know that over time what I might consider "perfect" can change as new experiences are gained or expectations are revisited. This means that over time items might fall off the list and items that I once didn't like become "perfect" in my eyes. Related articles include bacpacking.net top 5 items, backpackinglight.com staff's picks in 2004, 2005, 2006 , and backpacker.com Editors Choice. If you have found something that is perfect, especially if it is on my Looking for Perfection sublist please send me mail. I might try it out and put it on my list, or add it to the Perfect for Others section at the end of this document.

REI/Evernew Nonstick Titanium 0.9 L pot: Durable, light weight, perfect size for solo trips. Fold away handles stay cool enough to pick up in bare hands after the pot has been on a stove for an extended time. Wide bottom is more fuel efficient than taller & narrower pots I have tried. Anti-stick coating has been effective and seem to be reasonably durable. Just the right size to hold my stove, fuel for 5 days, and utensils. If you never cook (only boil water) then the REI/Evernew Ultralight 0.9L will be lighter and cheaper. The 1.3L is a great size when cooking for two or when boiling water with four people to cook in freezer bags.
Montbell Thermawrap Vest: Moderate insulation layer with a micro fleece liner collar. Just 5oz and very compressible. Gives good freedom of movement while keeping my core warm. When combined with a medium weight base, wind shirt and a warm hat keeps me adequately warm down to around 20F if I am moderately active, and good to 30F if I am sitting completely still. In theory it would be possible to produce something that is the same warmth and slightly lighter weight, but the possibility of dropping from 5oz to 4oz doesn't stop me from considering this vest perfect. Note: Some people might want something warmer. Note: I am not using the Thermawrap Vest anymore. Mine lost enough loft over five years to need to be replaced. I would have purchased another Thermawrap... but I had been given a WM Flash Vest which works well enough that is doesn't make sense to buy a new Thermawrap. If the Flash has a collar rather than a V neck... well it would give the Thermawrap a run for the money.
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags: Very high quality down sleeping bags. Everyone I know who has a WM sleeping bag has been delighted. I am particularly fond of the Versalite which is my winter sleeping bag, mostly used in the sierras when the temperatures are between -10F and 30F. Light and warm sleeping bag with a great hood, the right dimensions for me, and a zipper that doesn't jam. No side baffles so you can shift the down around to control how much insulation is on top. I have always been amazing how quickly WM bags puff up and how I never get cold spots. People who are a bit more narrow than my 5'10" 170-190lbs should look at the Ultralite or the Summerlite. More girth should look at the Alpinlite.. but whatever you choose, you won't go wrong.
Photon Freedom (Mk II): Amazingly small and light weight given the amount of light it throws. I have found that it produces enough light for all my tasks except cross country navigation. The user interface is well thought out, letting you select either dim or bright light when you turn it on. The Freedom is more resistant to accident turn-on that most button lights when put into the push-to-light mode. The Freedom comes with nifty stand that can be clipped to just about anything for hand's free use. Some people place a velcro dot onto the battery compartment which can provide an even lighter hand's free experience. The Freedom is moderately water resistant. If you hold it in your month for extend periods of time, moisture will get in. If you don't take the time to dry it out time-to-time, it will corrode on the inside and then fail. The differ between the standard Photon Freedom and Doug Ritter's Freedom is that it has a bright yellow case making easier to find, and that it has the "covert" band around the sides of the LED which minimizes side scatter.
Sunday Afternoon Adventure Hat: Sun protection while keeping your head as cool as possible. Only downside is that it can look a bit "geeky" on some people... but I can't imagine a hat this effective not being a bit strange looking.
Injinji Tetratsok: Socks made with toes. I prefer the performance line which uses Coolmax to the back country made from wool. Combined with my Inov-8 Flyroc 310s I can go several days with no blisters! This is a first for me. These socks took some getting used to. The first several times I wore them I was very aware that the socks were between my toes and it drove me crazy... but after a number of days wearing these socks around town, and a number of days on the trail I stopped noticing them after the first 30 minutes or so.
Polar Buff: I can configure the Buff to suit my needs. In warmer conditions I double the fleece section over my ears with just the light polyester fabric over the top of my head to avoid overheating. When the temperature is down around freezing I reconfigure the buff so the fleece covers all of my head for some extra warmth. When it gets really cold the buff becomes a neck gaiter / face mask and use another hat to keep my head warm.

Runner Up: Packs

Granite Gear Vapor Trail (my review): Most comfortable pack I have found for carrying 25lbs or less. I have forgotten I was wearing this pack with 22lb loads. It would be perfect if it's side pockets were more usable, the extension collar was a bit shorter, the back panel was a bit longer (for me), and if the material could be a bit more durable at the same weight.
Osprey Aether 60 (my review) pre-2006: This is the best pack IMHO for transitioning from heavy-weight to light weight packing. The strait-jacket compression systems holds a wide variety of loads effectively. The suspension is one of the most comfortable I have used for less than 40lbs. It would be perfect if it didn't squeak and wasn't quite so tall.

Runner Up: Shelters

Two Person Shelters by Henry Shires. Light weight, easy to set up, good ventilation, provides good protection from rain, reasonably resistant to condensation, provides protection from insects, survive 45mph winds provided you stake them down well, and they have pretty lines. Every commercial design produced by Henry has been amazing. He releases a product, I think "this is great, I can't imagine a better compromise between weight and function" and then a year later a new product comes out which is just as good but services a different application, or is overall superior.
A16 bug bivy (good review): Light weight bug protection. Plenty of room around the head to move around. Makes use of sleeping bag to protect the lower body which minimizes weight and size. Free standing system makes it easy to use in a variety of conditions. Would be perfect is it was a bit more compact when packing.

Runner Up: Sleeping Systems

BA insulated air core mummy sleeping pad: Super comfortable to sleep on, warm enough for 20F temperatures, reasonably compact, reasonable weight. Now available in a petite length to save weight. Some people have reported durability issues, but we haven't had problems since we starting using one in 2003. Would be perfect if it's weight was closer to a closed cell foam mat. I expect there needs to be some advances in material science before this happens.
Nunatak Ghost Blanket: for three season sleeping. Light weight. Not too hot in warm weather because it's easy to ventilate. Good down to 30F wearing light base + a warm hat. Warm enough for year round use in the sierras when combined with high loft insulating garments. One improvement would be 2oz overfill because when sleeping on my side cold spots can develop where my hips are the high point. In colder weather it would be nice for the quilt to be a bit wider to eliminate small leaks.

Runner Up: Clothing

Cloudveil Four Shadows Beanie: Wonderful hat in cool. incidental conditions (30-50F). Protections without being too warm and it is very breathable. Doesn't interfere with hearing. Would be perfect if I could get it in a slightly smaller size. Use it as a "base layer" under an insulated hat or hood in colder conditions.
Outdoor Research Deluxe Bug Head Net: Metal bands keep bugs away from my face and stretches the material enough that it's easy to see through. Would be perfect if it didn't impact vision at all.
Patagonia Micro Puffball Pullover: Ultra simple and clean insulating jacket. The warmth / weight: synthetic jacket I know of: just 11oz, I used it when the temperature was below 20F. Layers well over other clothing. This would be perfect if it had hand warmer pockets. I sold it because my winter trips these days rarely go below 0F and this jacket is overkill. I used a Montbell Thermawrap Vest + jacket which is more versatile in warmer weather.
Patagonia R.5 Zipper Pullover Top: For high aerobic activities in the winter. Medium-to-heavy base layer made from PowerDry. Very comfortable, extra trunk length so it stays tucked in, moves moisture really. Zipper for good venting. In theory it would be even better with X-static for odor control, but I have not had significant problem with odor on winter trips.
Rab Vapour-Rise Smock: Great all around jacket with fold away hood. It can be worn as a base, as an insulation layer, or as a shell. Durable while still having a soft hand and quiet movement. Highly wind and water repellent, I have be able to use it without resorting to a hard shell in cool, rainy conditions. Snow doesn't stick to it. When I am highly active it has kept me comfortable in 20-50F temperatures wearing nothing but a technical tee on my torso. If it dries as quickly as the Driclime jacket (e.g. if the liner was bipolar) it will move to my perfect list. Runs narrow. If you have a big chest or wide torso, size up one.
Patagonia Houdini Windshirt: Windshirt with a full length zipper and hood. Very light, reasonably durable, great size for me (I like my shells to have extra long torso). Great at blocking wind. It would be perfect if the material was a bit more water resistant... like the original polyester Marmot Chinook while being at least as breathable.
Marmot ATV Pants: The original version made from Schoeller Dryskin Extreme. Beyond Fleece's ColdPlay Pants might be a good substitute but I haven't tried them. Comfortable over a wide range of temperatures (moderate-cold). Very breathable. Reasonably water resistant and moderately wind resistant. Soft and comfortable against the skin yet very durable. I have found these pants comfortable over a larger range of temperatures and conditions than any other pants I have tried. I have found them to be perfect for skiing and snowshoeing in the Sierras. They are not water resistant enough for snowboarding or other activities which spend a lot of time being pushed into the snow, nor wind resistant enough to be used in cold conditions which regularly face high winds.
Cloudveil Spinner Pants: Light weight soft shell convertibles pants. More comfortable, over a wider range of conditions than the classic supplex hiking pants. Only downside is cost and maybe longer term durability.
Inov-8 310 Flyroc shoes (my review): Extremely light trail runners with a very aggressive sole. Extremely flexible which takes some getting used to but then is very comfortable. Would be perfect if more durable (starts looking pretty tired after around 400 miles).
Inov-8 Mudsoc: Coolmax sock with variable thickness to add cushioning where its helpful and yet maximizing breathability. If I tape up my one ill-formed toe I get no blisters after days in these socks and a pair of Inov-8 310 flyroc shoes. This may move to perfect but I need to use it for a couple more years before I will move it to that list.
WrightSock Double Running Socks: Light and thin socks which prove good blister protection and dry fairly quickly. They would be perfect if they were more durable. Mine lasts less than a season of common use.
Pearl Izumi Encore Gloves: Light weight gloves which are wind proof, highly water resistant, reasonably durable, moderately insulated, and good fitting. When active, I can use these in 20-40F temperatures. Would be perfect is waterproof while maintaining it's breathability.

Runner Up: Misc

PrincetonTec EOS Headlamp (good review): Enough light for night time navigation. So/so regulated power which makes slightly more consistent output and enables using Lithium batteries. Good battery life on lowest power setting. Water resistant. Light weight and comfortable to wear. It would be perfect headlamp for me if it had a built in diffuser like the Petzl Tikka XL and the regulation was better, and it had an ultra-low intensity setting.
Adventure Medical Ultralight Kits: Great starting point to build a fire aid kit. For solo trips I use the .3 kit. Just needed to add aleve, pro-tick remover, a few Spyroflex bandages, some small band-aids, superglue and duct tape (which is on my hiking poles). On group trips (especially with kids) I bring a a .7 with some additional items.
Aqua Mira in backpackinglight.com droppers: Super light water treatment effective against pretty much all biological containments and doesn't have the awful iodine taste. Would be perfect if you could drink the water immediately after treatment rather than waiting and if there was not change in the water's taste.
Platypus Water Containers: Light weight and durable water containers which can be easily configured with a hydration system. Perfect if there was an easier way to fill them / clean them. The small opening can sometimes be a problem, and have had trouble with the "zip" versions opening when I didn't want it to.

Looking for Perfection

The following are things that I would love to find, but don't seem to exist anymore.

Solo Shelter: Something that is ~1lb, more headroom than my spinnshelter when in a lockdown pitch, as protective in a storm, setup as easy/fast as tarptent squall, bug protection. The Gossamer Gear The One is close to what I am looking for.
Pack: Weight less than a 2 lbs (ideal 1lb), durable enough for off trail use (spectra or dimension-polyant x-pak), handles 2000-3200ci volumes well, will hold a bear canister, carries up to 25lb as comfortably as the Vapor Trail does (35lb as well as the Osprey Aether 60), and provides convenient access / organization features.
Rain Jacket: eVENT with Pit Zips with a feature set like the Montbell Peak weighting 12oz or less.
Modular Gloves: Ten years ago several manufacturers made these but no one seems to anymore. My updated specifications would be an a light weight gauntlet style, completely unlined outer shell, eVENT membrane with sealed seams, and a grippy palm. Inner gloves would have thermolite or fleece insulated palms which provides some insulation when compressed and primaloft insulated on the back of the hands within a highly breathable shell. This would provide gloves which could be used in a wide variety of conditions and easily dried overnight in a sleeping bag.

Perfect for Others

The following are items that others have found perfect. Some I haven't tried, some I have tried and didn't work for me... but I still really like the product's design and know others who think they are perfect products:

McHale Packs: Reported to be the some of the best internal frame backpacks made today thanks to the thoughtful design, well designed waist strap, and bypass harness system. Plug&Go lets the pack easily transition between a pack used for approach and then turn into a summit pack.
Luxurylite Backpack: Ultralight external frame pack with an innovative modular packing system which can turn into a comfortable reclining chair. For whatever reason external frame packs just don't work for me.
Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus: This ultra-light pack which has removable carbon fiber stay and uses a sleeping mat as part of the suspension system. The Mariposa was quite comfortable and was easy to use. I found the stays make a huge difference in the way this pack carries. This would be a great pack to use when transitioning from light weight to an ultra light approach.
Hennessy Hammock: Especially the Hyperlite Backpacker. This is a complete shelter system and sleeping "pad" weight less than 1.5lbs. No worries about ground water or finding a flat spot to camp. You just need a couple of trees. I don't sleep comfortably in hammock, but many people do.
Warmlite Down Air Mattress: Amazing comfort, warmth, while weights about the same as much thinner therm-a-rest. If I spent a lot of time in sub 20F weather on extended / long distance trips I would purchase one of these.
Nuatak Arc Alpinist: All weather version of the Ghost blanket that I use. Personally, I prefer a quilt that is more option at the bottom, rather than the mummy style of the Arc Alpinist which comes up nearly to my hips... but maybe people love them, especially is colder conditions.
Feathered Friends Light Flight Sleeping Bags: Similar in quality to Western Mountaineering. Semi custom made. Better selection of shells than most anyone else.
JacksRBetter No Sniveller Quilt: Nice looking down quilt with a head hole so it's easy to use as a poncho around camp to stay warm.
Montbell Super Stretch Sleeping Bags: Light weight down sleeping bags with elastic sewn into the baffle which keeps the bag snug against you, but leaves plenty of room to move. I don't like the feel of the elastic "gripping" me, but maybe people, including my daughter love this line of bags.
Marmot DriClime Windshirt: Many people seem to live in this jacket. Highly effective wicking base + a high quality DWR polyester shell is incredibly useful. It can be worn as a base, as an insulation layer, or as a shell. BiPolar liner moves moisture away from your skin making it less clammy when wet. Polyester shell which absorbs little water and dries very quickly. Some people have called it the ultimate soft shell. My daughter's jacket is called "The Amazing Blue" or sometimes "The Magic Blue" jacket because it always seems to meet her needs from a cool evening around town, or downhill skiing in the sierras.