This best selling pack by Gregory Mountain Products, the Deva 60, uses the Response AFS Suspension System to maximize comfort on the trail.  With plenty of pockets to choose from and multiple points of access the Deva 60 makes it easy going for retrieving all your necessities.

Features:

* Response™ AFS Suspension
* Women’s specific fit

* Top, front, side, and bottom access

* Front pocket and twin side pockets with stash pouch

* Hideaway water bottle holder and stash pocket

* Dual waistbelt pockets

* Dual hydration ports and sleeve

* Water-resistant zippers
* Dual layer, wear-resistant bottom panel

* 210d HT double diamond ripstop and broken twill nylon fabrics

Specs:

Size:
Weight: Volume: Torso Length:
XS  5 lb. 3 oz. / 2.35 kg 3,500 cu. in. / 57 L 14" - 16"
S  5 lb. 6 oz. / 2.45 kg 3,600 cu. in. / 59 L 16" - 18"
M  5 lb. 9 oz. / 2.50 kg 3,900 cu. in. / 63 L 18" - 20"

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Best Running shoes: Inov-8 RocLite 295 Trail Running Shoe

Trail running and walking shoe with high levels of comfort, breathability and performance. The patent pending Fascia-band aids propulsion efficiency of the running cycle. Good underfoot cushioning makes the 295 ideal for hard surface tracks and trails.

• Aggressive lugged rubber outsoles deliver superb mixed-terrain performance with durable and flexible traction on a variety of surfaces
• Dual-density Rocshoc™ midsoles provide ample shock absorption and memory retention
• Medial and lateral posting in midsoles helps to control overpronation for a more natural gait and better stability
• Midfoot polymer shanks add torsional rigidity for better stability and protection on rough terrain
• Highly breathable 3D mesh uppers with synthetic leather reinforcements are durable, flexible and super lightweight
• Uppers are treated with a DWR(Durable Water Repellent) and anti-microbial finish for minimal water absorption, quick drying and odor control

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The Best Survival Knife

I like it! That's actually a great skillset. Most of us carry some sort of knife, but I know that I probably tap only a tiny fraction of its potential use. I get a kick out of watching Bear Grylls (Man vs. Wild) devise shelters and spears and various survival items with his knife—even using it as a sort of axe by pounding the back of the blade with a stone or heavy stick to give it more punch.

Anyway, this isn't the place for a multi-tool knife. I don't even think you want a hinged knife, since the hinge simply introduces a bit of mechanical complexity that could fail. You want a really tough fixed-blade knife.

A good example is the SOG Seal Team Knife ($161). It is the official knife of the U.S. Navy Seals, but that is neither here nor there. What matters is that it has a tough seven-inch blade, a little bit of serration toward the base of the blade, and a rugged reinforced handle. You can cut, slash, pound, carve, and shave with this knife.

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Best Minimalist Overnight Backpack

I should think that anything around 2,500 cubic inches will suffice. The wild card is whether you need to carry water, and how much. Otherwise, the load you describe will fit nicely into a typical day pack, with room for food and clothing and Wild Turkey.

A great example would be the Osprey Kestrel 38 ($139). It has 2,300 cubic inches of capacity, plus adequate external stowage for poles, a jacket, that sort of thing. It's a simple top-loader with a fixed flap/pocket, so you can't over-fill it much. But you should be fine. And its suspension will take pretty substantial loads, as it has an internal steel frame that gives it structure and transfers weight to the hip belt.

Gregory's Z40 ($149) is cut from very similar cloth. It's just a little bit bigger (2,440 cubic inches), with a rear "shove-it" pocket that gives you a place to externally store some clothing. And it's designed a bit more as a small overnight pack, so has slightly easier access to things such as a sleeping bag. I have a somewhat larger Z-type pack that I use for trips of two and three nights, and it carries extremely well.

Lastly, REI's Flash 50 ($149) gives you 3,000 cubic inches of space in a pack that still is very light yet has an excellent suspension. That's still a pretty compact pack, and you might find the extra space handy seeing as you really are not paying any weight penalty (it's 2 pounds 10 ounce, while the Gregory is 3 pounds three ounces).

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THE BEST SLEEPING PAD

Far and away, the self-inflating kind. Not so much due to comfort, but because the old-style "air mattress" you're thinking of are co-o-ld. Self-inflating pads have insulation. This is a key factor in almost all conditions, as ground is cold almost everywhere.

The other big factor is weight. In my mind you want about the lightest pad you can find. I really like REI's Lite-Core 1.5 ($75). It's pretty comfy, and weighs only 27 ounces in the full-length version. The Cascade Designs' Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus ($100) also is an excellent lightweight pad.

Now, as for comfort, probably the best out there is the Exped Downmat 9 ($199 in full-length). That's because it's an air mattress with a down filling. The down offers insulation and some cushioning. Very plush. But...weight is around three pounds.

A good alternative is to combine a very light self-inflating pad (even a ¾-length version) with a light foam pad, such as the Cascade Designs Z-Lite ($40). It's a very light (14 ounces in full-length; 10 in ¾) foam pad that really gives a single pad a comfort boost.

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