After a long day, one of the things I look forward to most is sitting down with a hot meal and diving into another adventure with Luke and his family. There’s something so wholesome about it.
What makes these videos special is how raw and unfiltered they feel. Luke Nichols comes across as bold, honest, and completely himself. There’s no pretense—what you see is who he is.
It’s amazing seeing The Outdoor Boys channel explode in popularity, reaching millions of subscribers in such a short time, and if there’s one takeaway from all the videos I’ve watched, it has to be;
“Mmm, is there anything better than warm fresh bread? YES, warm fresh bread with honey butter!”
Beyond the adventures, I’ve also found myself drawn to Luke’s selection of gears. He has clearly put thought into what he takes on these trips, and he’s refreshingly honest about what works and what doesn’t. If something holds up, you’ll see it pop up in video after video.
As a fellow outdoor enthusiast, I decided to put together a list of the gear Luke uses—things that have been tested in the wild and proven to work. Hopefully, it inspires you or helps anyone curious about quality outdoor equipment.
Backpack
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment |
Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Backpack-1 | HMG | Windrunner 3400 55/70L View at HMG |
425.00 | 879g | 1.94lb | video | 45:40 | |
| Backpack-2 | Zpacks | Arc Zip Ultra 62L Backpack View at Zpacks |
449.00 | 668g | 1.47lb | |||
| Backpack-3 | HMG | Porter 85 View at HMG |
475.00 | 1.13kg | 2.5lb | |||
| Shoulder Pocket | HMG | Shoulder Pocket View at HMG |
49.00 | 42.5g | 1.5oz | |||
| Stuff Sack | Frelaxy | Ultralight Dry Sack View at Amazon |
to keep down jackets/sleeping bags dry from rain/snow and free from abrasion with other gear | 29.99 | 60g | 2.11oz | ||
| Trekking Poles | Black Diamond |
Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles View at Amazon | View at BlackDiamond |
209.95 | 482g | 1.06lb | |||
Hydration
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Description | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Water Filter | Katadyn | BeFree 3.0L Microfilter View at Amazon | View at BackCountry |
143.00 | 100g | 3.5oz | |||
| Water Bottle-1 | Nalgene | 1.5L – Sustain Graphic Wide-Mouth Water Bottle View at Amazon | View at REI Co-op |
18.95 | 198g | 7oz | |||
| Water Bottle-2 | Nalgene | 1L – Sustain Tritan BPA-Free Water Bottle View at Amazon |
29.00 | 178g | 6.3oz | |||
| Hydration Pack | CamelBak | Arete 18 (black) View at Amazon | View at CamelBak |
63.35 | 300g | 10.6oz | video | 0:23 | |
Safety
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Beacon | Garmin | InReach Mini 2 GPS View at Amazon | View at Garmin |
A must have – seen in all videos. This is how Luke communicates with his family in remote camps. | 399.99 | 100g | 3.5oz | ||
| Flare Gun | Orion | Alerter Basic 4.12-gauge Launcher View at Amazon | View at Orion |
89.99 | 454g | 14oz | |||
| Bear Spray | Counter Assault |
32-Foot Bear Spray (8.1 oz.) View at Amazon | View at Counter Assault |
We recommend you buy at least two 8oz bottles, as each can only contains a few seconds of spray.
|
453g | 1lb | video | 0:08 | |
| Knife | Gerber | 950 Fixed Blade View at Amazon | View at Gerber |
Fixed blade. Luke uses a similar, a gerber 950 fixed blade. | 37.00 | 204g | 7.2oz | ||
| Gun | Remington | 7mm 44 Magnum View at Remington |
link | |||||
|
Garmin |
Essential (14.99), Standard (29.99) , Premium 49.99) View at Garmin |
For insurance cover where SOS is needed. This video highlights the importance of being covered. |
14.99 – 49.99 | – | – | video | ||
| Useful to Have: | a couple handy considerations that will greatly improve your overall safety and experience. | |||||||
| Digital Map | AllTrails | AllTrails+ Subscription View at AllTrails |
Comprehensive map and tracking. Navigate on the trail Favorite trails and create lists Download offline maps Get alerts for wrong turns Live share your activities Access 200+ guides Know conditions before you go Preview 3D flyovers Find trails by distance from you Unlock more map details Print maps for backup |
35.99 | – | – | – | – |
| Survival Kits | Survive Outdoors Longer | Scout Survival Kit & Waterproof Bag View at Amazon |
* make my own on Amazon | 31.44 | – | – | – | – |
| First Aid | Adventure Medical Kits | Ultralight Watertight Medical Kit View at Amazon |
Compact Multi-Sport First Aid Kit Perfect for Hiking, Kayaking, Climbing & More | 22.95 | – | – | – | – |
Wearables
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Head | ||||||||
| Hat | Grunt Style | View at Grunt Style | A rare loot on an Alaskan beach |
25.00 |
85g | 2-3oz | video | 8:44 |
| Sunnies | Zenni | Harbor View View at ZenniOptical | View at Amazon |
Similar frame | 27.95 | 30–50g | 1.1–1.8oz | video | 22:48 |
| Balaclava | Carhartt | Knit Insulated Face Mask View at Amazon | View at Carhartt |
keeps the head warm in windy conditions, during sleep, can be worn as a neck gaiter | 29.99 | 113g | 4oz | video | 5:57 |
| Torso | ||||||||
| Base Layer | Patagonia | Capilene Midweight Crew (green) View at Patagonia | View at REI co op |
||||||
| Mid Layer-1 | Patagonia | Better Sweater (grey) View at Patagonia | View at PaddyPallin |
159.00 | 638g | 1.4lb | |||
| Mid Layer-2 | Refrigiwear | Polar Force Sweatshirt View at Amazon | View at Refrigiwear |
125.53 | 907g | 2lb | |||
| Outer-Layer-1 (camo) | Outdoor Research |
Coldfront Down Hoodie Loden Camo View at Summit Gear | View at OR |
700-fill-power down insulation and a wind-blocking ripstop fabric. including an adjustable insulated hood and multiple pockets for convenience | 279.00 | 585g | 20.7oz | video | 13:22 |
| Outer Layer-2 (black) | Marmot | Men’s Guides Down Hoody View at Amazon | View at Marmot |
700-fill-power down insulation and a wind-blocking ripstop fabric. | 233.00 | 685g | 1 lbs 8 oz | ||
| Outer Layer-3 | Helly-Hensen Workwear | Gale Waterproof Rain Jacket View at Amazon | View at HH Workwear |
105.00 | 680g | 1.5lb | video | 1:20 | |
| Outer Layer-4 | North Face | Venture 2 Waterproof Hooded Rain Jacket View at Amazon (out of stock) |
– | 318g | video | 3:20 | ||
| Mountaineering Jacket | Mountain Hardwear | Absolute Zero Parka View at Amazon | View at Mountain Hardwear |
1,000.00 | 1.47kg | 3.25lb | |||
| Parka Jacket-1 | Canada Goose | Snow Mantra Parka View at Amazon | View at Canda Goose |
2,025.00 | 2.04kg | 4.5lb | |||
| Parka Jacket-2 | Kavik | Premier Down Parka View at BigRays |
379.95 | 1.36kg | 3lb | |||
| Gloves/Mittens | Hestra | Army Leather Heli Ski Mitt 3-finger View at Amazon | View at Hestra |
159.95 | 200g | 7oz | |||
| Mittens | Outdoor Research |
Alti II GORE-TEX Mitts View at Amazon | View at OutdoorResearch |
349.95 | 250g | 8.8oz | |||
| Legs | ||||||||
| Pants (inner-1) | Carhartt | Force Midweight Classic Thermal Base Layer View at Amazon | View at Carhartt |
base layer against skin to wick away sweat | 44.99 | – | – | video | 6:37 |
| Pants (inner-2) | Grundens | Bering Sea Pant View at Amazon | View at Grundens |
Worn under Burton outer pants | 119.99 | 1.13kg | 2.5lb | ||
| Pants (outer) | Burton | Ballast GORE‑TEX 2L Pants View at Amazon | View at Burton |
in kelp colorway | 259.95 | 680g | 1.5lb | ||
| Puffer Pants | Western Mountaineering | Flight Pants View at Amazon | View at Western Mountaineering |
350.00 | 255g | 9oz | |||
| Waterproof Overalls | Redington | Men’s Escape Waders View at Amazon | View at Redington |
249.00 | 1.13kg | 2.5lb | |||
| Waterproof Highliner |
Helly-Hansen |
Highliner Waterproof Bib Pants View at Amazon | View at HH Workwear |
135.00 | 907g | 2lb | video | 1:49 | |
| Suspenders | Carhartt | Utility Rugged Flex Suspender View at Amazon | View at Carhartt |
25.00 | – | – | |||
| Boots-1 | Baffin | Impact View at Amazon | View at Baffin |
260.00 | 2.49kg | 5.5lb | |||
| Boots-2 | Baffin | Guided Pro 3 View at Amazon | View at Baffin |
(-64C or 148F) | 450.00 | 2.72kg | 6lb | ||
| Boots-3 | Solomon | Toundra Pro Climasalomon View at Amazon | View at Solomon |
200.00 | 1.36kg | 3lb | |||
| Down Booties | Western Mountaineering | Flash Down Booties View at Amazon | View at Western Mountaineering |
keep your feet extremely warm inside the tent or trailer. very lightweight and compresses down to nothing | 85.00 | 170g | 6oz | video | 2:22 |
| Slip Ons | Grundens | Deck-Boss Slip On View at Amazon | View at Grundens |
89.99 | 1.13kg | 2.5lb | |||
Building Equipment
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Saw | Agawa | Boreal21 View at Amazon | View at Agawa |
Highly reliable saw, seen in most Outdoor Boys videos. | 82.00 | 530g | 1.17lb | video | 3:45 |
| Axe | Wilora |
Craftsman Axe – Carbon Steel |
This alternative is a closely shaped to Luke’s DIY restored axe. | 33.99 | 810g | 1.78lb | video | 13:35 |
|
“Japanese Hatchet” |
Ryoma Hitsu | Japanese Hatchet/Sickle View at Amazon | View at eBay |
“a hatchet I bought in Japan when tommy was younger, great for chopping tree limbs!” | 111.00 | 450g | 15.8oz | video | 4:14 & 6:02 |
| Nata Hatchet | Kakuri | Japanese Nata hatchet View at Amazon | View at Daitool |
traditional japanese hatchet from Kyoto | 76.80 | 671g | 1.48lb | video | 8:47 |
| Shovel | Black Diamond | Evac 9 Shovel View at Amazon | View at Black Diamond |
Retractable Lightweight Pro-Grade Shovel | 109.95 | 794g | 1.75lb | ||
| Snow Saw | Black Diamond | Snow Saw Guide View at Amazon | View at Black Diamond |
59.95 | 160g | 5.6oz | |||
Shelter & Sleep System
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Tent-1 | Nemo | Dagger OSMO 3P View at Amazon | View at NEMO |
a Lightweight Backpacking Tent as seen on the beach with on of his younger son | 499.95 | 1.91kg | 4.2lb | video | 0:45:40 |
| Tent-2 | Zpacks | Duplex Classic Tent View at Zpacks |
699.00 | 507g | 17.9oz | |||
| Tent-3 | Seek Outside | Silex 1P XL View at Seek Outside |
265.00 | 595g | 1lb5oz | |||
| Hot Tents | AlaskaGearCompany | Arctic Oven Igloo (coyote) View at Alaska Gear Company |
3,934.00 | 11.34kg | 25lb | |||
| Tarp | Outdoors Way | Hammock Tarp View at Amazon |
Lightweight and minimalistic shelter |
739g | 1.62lb | video | 13:12 | |
| Sleeping Pad-1 (grey) | Exped | Dura 8R Air Mattress View at Amazon | View at Exped |
a high R-value sleeping mat insulates you between the ground, as compressed sleeping bags under your back don’t perform well | 309.00 | 1.02kg | 2.25lb | video | 3:26 |
| Sleeping Pad-2 (green) | Sea to Summit | Comfort Light View at Amazon |
Lightweight sleeping pad as seen | 159.00 | 956g | 2.1lb | video | 3:54 |
| Sleeping Bag | Feathered Friends | Snowy Owl ES -60 Degree Expedition Down View at FeatheredFriends |
1,359.00 | 1.58kg | 3.48lb | |||
| Pillow | Sea to Summit | Aeros Ultralight Pillow View at Amazon | View at Sea to Summit |
45.00 | 73g | 2.57oz | |||
Kitchen and Campfire
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Ferris Rod (punch) | UST | BlastMatch Fire Starter View at Amazon | View at UST |
One-Handed Operation and Lightweight Design for Camping, Hiking, Emergency and Outdoor Survival | 19.99 | 65g | 2.3oz | ||
| Ferris Rod (rack) | Uberleben | Ferris Rod View at Amazon |
32.00 | video | 7:32 | |||
|
Fire Starter-1 |
Inflame | Natural Wood Weather Resistant 130pc View at Amazon |
Luke brings fire starters for backup, however, he’s very skilled in fire making with foraged tinder. It can be very difficult to start a fire, especially if there are no dry materials in the woods or snowy terrains. Bringing a firestarter will save you a lot of time and ensure that you are warm before the sun sets. | 33.57 | 13.57g ea | 0.47oz ea | ||
| Fire Starter-2 | DIY | Cotton Ball + Vaseline | video | 7:29 | ||||
| Fire Starter-3 | Flint Rock + Steel + Shredded Jute | Shredded jute as tinder. | video | 5:13 | ||||
| Knife | Gerber | 950 Fixed Blade View at Amazon | View at Gerber |
Fixed blade. Luke uses a similar, a gerber 950 fixed blade. | 37.00 | 204g | 7.2oz | ||
| Stove | MSR | Whisper Lite Compact Multi-Fuel Camping & Backpacking Stove View at Amazon | View at MSR |
159.95 | 305g | 10.7oz | |||
| Fuel Bottle | MSR | Fuel Bottle 30oz View at Amazon | View at MSR |
27.95 | 170g | 6oz | |||
| Stove Guard | MSR | Heat Reflector & Windscreen for Liquid Fuel Camping Stoves View at Amazon | View at MSR |
Heat Reflector and Windscreen | 20.95 | ||||
| Pot | Pathfinder School |
Stainless Steel Bush Pot and Lid Set View at Amazon |
Luke’s Bushpot, 99% similar | 30.99 | 400g | 14oz | ||
| Griddle | Luke’s DIY | Aluminum DIY griddle View on YouTube |
OG handmade skillet – link to tutorial. | |||||
| Griddle – Alternative | Alpine Cuisine | Oval Comal Griddle Nonstick Black Carbon Steel View at Amazon |
If you don’t want to go through the DIY hassle, this is the lightest griddle we have found that is similarly sized. | 26.99 | 879g | 1.94lb | ||
| Skillet | Jetboil | Summit Skillet – Non Stick Camping Cookware View at Amazon | View at Jetboil |
An ultralight alternative to the griddle | 54.95 | 300g | 10.6oz | ||
| Spork & Spoon-1 | Light My Fire | Titanium Spoon Fork Knife Combo Reusable Travel & Camping Utensils – Non-Toxic BPA Free View at Amazon |
This is similar to the one Luke uses here | |||||
| Spork & Spoon-2 | OUTXE | Titanium Spork and Spoon set – 8.7-Inch View at Amazon |
Ultralight spork and spoon set | |||||
| Some of Luke’s Cooking | ||||||||
| Honey Butter Toast | Bread flour, yeast & water | video | 3:37 | |||||
| Corn Beef |
||||||||
| Flour, Beans, Rice | “compact & delicious, survival food” | video | 9:45 | |||||
| Pilot Bread, cheese, salami | video | 10:09 | ||||||
| Li Hing Mui gummy treats | Snack Hawaii | Sour Mango Belts View at Snack Hawaii |
14.99 | |||||
Video Equipment
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Headlamp | Goforwild | LHCYL-9552 500 lumen View at Amazon |
43.95 | 68g | 2.4oz | |||
| Camera | GoPro | HERO13 Black View at Amazon | View at GoPro |
399.00 | 153g | 5.4oz | |||
| Camera Batteries | GoPro | Enduro Batteries for HERO13 Black View at Amazon | View at GoPro |
10x | 30.00 | 33g each |
1oz each |
||
| Camera Case | GoPro | Casey Semi Hard Camera Case View at Amazon | View at GoPro |
* means recommending | 49.99 | ||||
| Camera Stick-1 | GoPro | Extension Pole + Waterproof Shutter Remote View at Amazon | View at GoPro |
77.20 | |||||
| Tripod-1 | Victiv | 80″ Camera Tripod View at Amazon |
79.99 | video | 2:41 & 3:05 | |||
| Tripod-2 – Alternative | Sirui | AM-254 Carbon Fiber 47″ View at Amazon |
Loads up to 26.5lbs/12kg | 129.00 | ||||
| Tripod Adapter | Zeadio | Metal Mini Tripod – Max Load 20kg/44lb |
Luke attaches this tripod to the end of his selfie stick – as seen in this video
|
110g | 3.8oz | video | ||
| Bicycle Lights | Ascher | Ultra Bright Rechargeable Bike Light | for flood lighting | |||||
| Portable Charger | Anker | PowerCore Essential 20,000 30W View at Amazon |
27.35 | |||||
| Additional Power Block | Anker | 347 Power Bank – 40,000 mAh 30W View at Amazon |
20,000mAh Portable Charger | 59.49 | ||||
Snow Country
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Snow Goggles | Smiths | Squad XL View at Amazon | View at Smiths |
155.00 | 200g | 7oz | |||
| Trekking Poles | Black Diamond | Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles View at Amazon | View at BlackDiamond |
209.95 | 482g | 1.06lb | |||
| Snow Probe | Big Snow Deal | Avalanche Probe – 260cm Aluminum View at Amazon |
54.95 | |||||
| Snow Saw | Black Diamond | Snow Saw Guide View at Amazon | View at Black Diamond |
59.95 | 160g | 5.6oz | video | ||
| Ski | SkiTrab | SKI ORTLES PRO 85 – Pro Touring Skis View at SkiTrab |
944.00 | – | – | |||
| Ski Precut Skins | SkiTrab | Ski Trab Precut Skins – Mix Mohair View at SkiTrab |
158.00 | – | – | |||
| Snow Shoes | Tubbs | Wayfinder Snowshoes 2025 View at Amazon | View at Tubbs |
189.95 | – | – | |||
| Snowdog | SnowDog | Utility B13 MER View at Snowdog |
4,095.00 | |||||
| Snow Sled | Alaska Gear Company | Ultralight Pulk Sled View at Alaska Gear Company |
432.00 | – | – | |||
| Snow Sled #2 | Shappell | Eagle Claw Jet Sled Heavy Duty View at Eagle Claw |
video | 1:32 | ||||
| Tent Wood-Stove | Alaska Gear Company | Titanium Folding Stove Kitz View at Alaska Gear Company |
957.00 | video | 8:25 | |||
| Tent Wood-Stove #2 Alternative | Winnerwell | Nomad Medium Tent Stove 800 Cubic Inch Firebox View on Amazon | View at Winnerwell |
359.99 | |||||
Luxuries – Comfort and Keeping Warm
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Tent Lantern | ZMNT | Camping Lantern Rechargeable 1000LM View at Amazon |
1000LM, Up to 300H Running Time Camping Tent Light, 6700mAh Emergency Hanging Light for Hurricane, Power Outages, Home, Hiking, Water-Resistant, Black | 27.00 | 0.26 | |||
| Insulated Mug | Yeti | Rambler 30 oz Tumbler – Stainless Steel, Vacuum Insulated with MagSlider Lid View at Amazon | View at Yeti |
35.00 | |||||
| Camping Chair | Alaska Gear Company | Arctic Oven Camp Chair View at Alaska Gear Company |
160.00 | 1.27kg | 2.8lb | |||
| Bunk bed | REI co-op | Kingdom Cot 3 View at REI | Amazon Alternative |
In a hot tent, the difference at the top (37°C) vs the ground (0°C) can be managed with a bed off the ground, where you can be at 15°C. | 199.00 | 9kg | 20lb | video | 4:26 |
| Heat Circulation Fan | Amacool |
Portable Camping Fan 40Hr |
To mitigate the difference of temperature at the top and bottom of the tent – Luke recommends a fan to circulate the hot air inside the tent. This is a lightweight and rechargeable battery powered option. | 25.99 | 320g | 11.3oz | video | 6:16 |
| Hydration Pack | CamelBak | Arete 18 (black) View at Amazon | View at CamelBak |
Fill a water bladder with your favourite hot drink and wear it under your winter clothes – lasts 8hrs | 63.35 | 300g | 10.6oz | video | 0:23 |
| Heat Patches (body) | HotHands | Body Warmer Stick-on 12hrs – 8pack View at Amazon | View at HotHands |
14.99 | 44g | 1.55oz | |||
| Heat Patches (hands) | HotHands | Hand Warmer Stick-on 10hrs – 10pack View at Amazon | View at HotHands |
9.99 | |||||
| Heat Patches (lap) | HotHands | Lap Warmer Stick on – 8hrs – 1pack View at Amazon | View at HotHands |
11.33 | |||||
| Heat Patches (toes) | HotHands | Toe Warmers Stick-on 12hrs – 6pairs View at Amazon | View at HotHands |
6.99 | 20g | 0.7oz | |||
| Heat Patches (insole) | HotHands | Insole Foot Warmers Stick-on 9hrs – 5pairs View at Amazon | View at HotHands |
14.99 | 44g | 1.55oz | |||
Kids Gear & Family Camping
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
||
| Parka Jacket (blue) | Canada Goose | Youth Expedition PBI View at Amazon | View at Canada Goose |
675 Fill Power Responsibly Sourced Down | 1,137.00 | – | – | ||
| Sleeping Bag (red) | Big Agnes | Little Red View at BackCountry | View at Amazon |
15F – kids sized. clamp the bottom of sleeping bag to reduce dead space | video | 4:33 | |||
| Portable Heater | Mr Heater | Big Buddy View at Amazon | View at Mr Heater |
246.00 | 4.5kg | 10lb | |||
| Hot Water bottle | Peterpan |
Rubber Hot Water Bottle with knitted cover |
Luke often uses his drinking bottle filled with boiled water. However, during family camps, he will bring a dedicated hot water bottle |
36.99 |
544g | 1.2lb | ||
Transportation
| Item | Brand | Item Name | Comment | Price USD |
Weight | As Seen |
Time stamp |
|
| Minibike | Coleman | Powersports Mini Bike View at Coleman |
82kg | 180lb | ||||
| Bicycle Trailer | QuiteKat | All-Terrain Game Trailer View at Amazon | View at QuiteKat |
369.00 | 21.3kg | 47lb | |||
| Snowdog | SnowDog | Utility B13 MER View at Snowdog |
4,095.00 | |||||
| Snow Ski | Ski-doo | 900 ACE Expedition View at Amazon | View at Ski-doo |
295kg | 650lb | ||||
| Passenger Sled | Equinox | Snowcoach 685 View at 54NorthPowersports |
2 seats for Luke’s boys, towed by a snow ski | 3,487.00 | – | – | video | 0:07 |
| K-Truck | Suzuki | Carry | Kei truck lifted on tracks | |||||
We love the Outdoor Boys and it’s a great pleasure putting together these lists of quality gear as accurately as possible.
While sharing them is my passion, each of these posts takes many hours to research and compile. If you’d like to support us, you can do so through viewing the affiliate links under some of the items. It won’t cost you anything extra, but it greatly helps us continue bringing you the best outdoor gear recommendations for free.