any backpacking camers out there?
- Thread starter NOSNOSUKS
- Start date
I've done many backpacking trips over the years, and do a good long one every other year. We are planning a 175 mile trip for this summer.
In my opinion, go as light as possible. Scrutinize everything you put in your pack and if it is really necessary. Spend the extra cash for the lightest tent w/ mesh walls, self inflating sleeping pad, and bags. Look for a pack that is supportive, but light. We've been very happy with Osprey and Gregory.
We don't cook fancy, just do Mountain House dehydrated food for lunch and dinner and eat snacks in-between. (that is the only brand of dehydrated we've liked) Boil water with a Jet Boil and eat out of the Mountain House bag. No cooking means no cleaning; just lick your spoon clean and call it good.
We don't wear boots, just gortex hiking shoes. A pound on your foot is like 5lbs on your back. Poles are very handy. Use them to help power up the hills and stabilize you on squirelly terrain. Use some kind of dromadery bag (camel back). Stopping to drink is a PITA.
Take wet wipes for bathing if you are not near a lake or it is too cold to swim. Don't take too many clothes. No matter how long the trip, I never take more than two shirts and pairs of shorts. Obviously bring cloths as warm as necessary but don't go overboard. A first aid kit is a must (all 10 essentials really) and some pain relievers are a good idea for sore muscles, head aches, etc. Bring a long cord to hang your food from bears and rodents.
Go to a couple local outdoor retailers and see what they have to say about gear etc. Most are pretty helpful. There are lots of opinions out there and tons of gear to choose from. After a couple trips you will figure out what works for your and what doesn't.
On the other hand, you could say screw it, save your money and buy a new sled. It may cost you that much to get everything you need.
In my opinion, go as light as possible. Scrutinize everything you put in your pack and if it is really necessary. Spend the extra cash for the lightest tent w/ mesh walls, self inflating sleeping pad, and bags. Look for a pack that is supportive, but light. We've been very happy with Osprey and Gregory.
We don't cook fancy, just do Mountain House dehydrated food for lunch and dinner and eat snacks in-between. (that is the only brand of dehydrated we've liked) Boil water with a Jet Boil and eat out of the Mountain House bag. No cooking means no cleaning; just lick your spoon clean and call it good.
We don't wear boots, just gortex hiking shoes. A pound on your foot is like 5lbs on your back. Poles are very handy. Use them to help power up the hills and stabilize you on squirelly terrain. Use some kind of dromadery bag (camel back). Stopping to drink is a PITA.
Take wet wipes for bathing if you are not near a lake or it is too cold to swim. Don't take too many clothes. No matter how long the trip, I never take more than two shirts and pairs of shorts. Obviously bring cloths as warm as necessary but don't go overboard. A first aid kit is a must (all 10 essentials really) and some pain relievers are a good idea for sore muscles, head aches, etc. Bring a long cord to hang your food from bears and rodents.
Go to a couple local outdoor retailers and see what they have to say about gear etc. Most are pretty helpful. There are lots of opinions out there and tons of gear to choose from. After a couple trips you will figure out what works for your and what doesn't.
On the other hand, you could say screw it, save your money and buy a new sled. It may cost you that much to get everything you need.
My favorite type of backpacking/camping is hiking a good 20 miles in the Cabinet mountains in northwestern Montana, to a lake, or a meadow to camp. I have great luck with gortex hiking boots (well, they aren't really boots, just glorified hiking shoes).
For clothing, the post above mine explains it very well, couldn't have said it better myself.
For food though, I like to mix it up a bit. I got a crate of MRE's one summer and had a ball with them. I picked up one of those personal mess kits from a camping store, it had a dish, cup, silverware bundle, and something that resembled a frying pan. Very handy and nice.
If you plan on hiking in the mountains, a water filter is a MUST!!! I've had giardia (spelling?) and it isn't fun. So, a britta filter is a great investment. With a good filter, you can drink just about anything out there. Because most hiking trails in the Cabinets followed creeks up valleys, there was always water to filter, but if you aren't hiking in that style, nalgene bottles are excellent to have with. When they are full, you can't crush them or break them to spill your water, and when they are empty, you can put matches or whatever in them because they are water proof.
Hope you get something from my post, the guy above me covered just about everything I didn't.
For clothing, the post above mine explains it very well, couldn't have said it better myself.
For food though, I like to mix it up a bit. I got a crate of MRE's one summer and had a ball with them. I picked up one of those personal mess kits from a camping store, it had a dish, cup, silverware bundle, and something that resembled a frying pan. Very handy and nice.
If you plan on hiking in the mountains, a water filter is a MUST!!! I've had giardia (spelling?) and it isn't fun. So, a britta filter is a great investment. With a good filter, you can drink just about anything out there. Because most hiking trails in the Cabinets followed creeks up valleys, there was always water to filter, but if you aren't hiking in that style, nalgene bottles are excellent to have with. When they are full, you can't crush them or break them to spill your water, and when they are empty, you can put matches or whatever in them because they are water proof.
Hope you get something from my post, the guy above me covered just about everything I didn't.
The guys above have some good advise. Gear is constantly evolving...I used to do alot of it back in the mid 90s thru the early 2000's. Its amazing just in the 5 or so years Ive been out of it how much gear has progressed to lighter and better. My most recent gear changes in the early 2000's, switched from the uber bomber Whisperlite to a canister style stove, a Ti pot, and a smaller waterpump- dropped about 3# out of my gear. Thats noticeable when you have to lug it up a 1Kft/Mile trail...
Absolutely scrutinize everything that goes in your pack. Try to keep your weight around/under 30# for a multi day trip. A stuff/compression sack for your sleeping bag I found was nice because it made more room and then you could use a smaller pack (smaller = lighter). Its also good to know if you sleep warm or cold...Im a cold sleeper- so I need a bag that is rated a bit colder than most people.
luvtoride is spot-on about water. A water pump is great to not have to lug water around with you. Just pump as needed- as long as there is water somewhere youve got water. Know your route to know if water is available (stream, lake, pond, big puddle)...I prefer the Platypus bags because they dont absorb flavors or smells/staining. Nalgene bottle are nice because you can pour boiling water into them and throw them into your sleeping bag before you go to bed and helps keep the piggy toes warm.
The little candle laterns were nice. Basic in function, but worked well to provide some light at night.
A bug head net can be handy. Sometimes the skeeters are unbearable in the alpine when there is no wind. It weighs nothing, but its worth its weight in gold.
A mug is nice too. I like to brew some tea or something in the evenings. Again tea weighs next to nothing, but sure is nice to have.
Just like snowmobiling spend the money and get the good gear- nothing like being wet, cold, etc, etc and wishing you had something better.
Absolutely scrutinize everything that goes in your pack. Try to keep your weight around/under 30# for a multi day trip. A stuff/compression sack for your sleeping bag I found was nice because it made more room and then you could use a smaller pack (smaller = lighter). Its also good to know if you sleep warm or cold...Im a cold sleeper- so I need a bag that is rated a bit colder than most people.
luvtoride is spot-on about water. A water pump is great to not have to lug water around with you. Just pump as needed- as long as there is water somewhere youve got water. Know your route to know if water is available (stream, lake, pond, big puddle)...I prefer the Platypus bags because they dont absorb flavors or smells/staining. Nalgene bottle are nice because you can pour boiling water into them and throw them into your sleeping bag before you go to bed and helps keep the piggy toes warm.
The little candle laterns were nice. Basic in function, but worked well to provide some light at night.
A bug head net can be handy. Sometimes the skeeters are unbearable in the alpine when there is no wind. It weighs nothing, but its worth its weight in gold.
A mug is nice too. I like to brew some tea or something in the evenings. Again tea weighs next to nothing, but sure is nice to have.
Just like snowmobiling spend the money and get the good gear- nothing like being wet, cold, etc, etc and wishing you had something better.
R
Rob1334
ACCOUNT CLOSED
I think for the most part these guys summed it up pretty good.
I do firefighting in the summer and have to carry all my gear with me and that has transfered over to my stuff I use for camping, trust me, lighter is better!!!!
Start with your shoes, find something that is lightweight, very strong, and most importantly comfortable. Wear the shoes a lot so your feet are use to them and so that you know you won't have problems with them when you are away from home, I have had awesome luck with Merrell(sp?). Good socks is also a must, I use a sock that I bought at Sportsman Warehouse that is like an army sock, nice and think but wicks sweat and keeps your feet cool. You want somehting like that so you don't develop blisters, heat + friction = blisters.
As for light and small, I use a northface tadpole 23 tent, weighs absolutely nothing and is strong as heck. Got caught in a windstorm/thunderstorm last summer and slept like a baby, no worries. (buddy got blown down the beach in his tent, different story though lol) Sleeping bags you can definately find small ones, mine is maybe 6" x 6" round and maybe 10" long, and is very warm for summer camping. Like someone else said, buy according to your core temp at night, I sleep in a t shirt and my shorts with a beenie on, stay plenty warm.
Splerge and buy some of the techy camping gear, get a jet-boil, a good filter, some LED style lantern/flashlights, a good torch style lighter, alcohol based hand sanitizer, etc. and will make the experience tha much better, less you need to worry about going wrong the better.
Food I am not a picky eater, bring some jerky, mixed nuts, etc. My favorite is spam when camping, open the top, add a small packet of koolaid style drink mix to the top, throw in fire till cooked, tastes great!!! MRE's are easy to go though also, see if you can't find a deal on them in bulk, at elast you know you will be getting all your nutrients you need.
Clothes, almost forgot, buy some of those convertible pants where they zip off to shorts, very nice to have with temp changes, the pair I have are almos like swimsuit material, dry really quick but a lot stronger than typical nylon. I always have a tshirt as a base layer (underarmor tshirt material), a light base Northface fleece in case it gets a little cold, and a northface windstopper coat that I pack with. (another trick is buy a good rainsuit, some you can close the vents that breathe on them, warm as heck to put on as a middle layer...)
Need anything else before you go buy just post it up, or PM me
I do firefighting in the summer and have to carry all my gear with me and that has transfered over to my stuff I use for camping, trust me, lighter is better!!!!
Start with your shoes, find something that is lightweight, very strong, and most importantly comfortable. Wear the shoes a lot so your feet are use to them and so that you know you won't have problems with them when you are away from home, I have had awesome luck with Merrell(sp?). Good socks is also a must, I use a sock that I bought at Sportsman Warehouse that is like an army sock, nice and think but wicks sweat and keeps your feet cool. You want somehting like that so you don't develop blisters, heat + friction = blisters.
As for light and small, I use a northface tadpole 23 tent, weighs absolutely nothing and is strong as heck. Got caught in a windstorm/thunderstorm last summer and slept like a baby, no worries. (buddy got blown down the beach in his tent, different story though lol) Sleeping bags you can definately find small ones, mine is maybe 6" x 6" round and maybe 10" long, and is very warm for summer camping. Like someone else said, buy according to your core temp at night, I sleep in a t shirt and my shorts with a beenie on, stay plenty warm.
Splerge and buy some of the techy camping gear, get a jet-boil, a good filter, some LED style lantern/flashlights, a good torch style lighter, alcohol based hand sanitizer, etc. and will make the experience tha much better, less you need to worry about going wrong the better.
Food I am not a picky eater, bring some jerky, mixed nuts, etc. My favorite is spam when camping, open the top, add a small packet of koolaid style drink mix to the top, throw in fire till cooked, tastes great!!! MRE's are easy to go though also, see if you can't find a deal on them in bulk, at elast you know you will be getting all your nutrients you need.
Clothes, almost forgot, buy some of those convertible pants where they zip off to shorts, very nice to have with temp changes, the pair I have are almos like swimsuit material, dry really quick but a lot stronger than typical nylon. I always have a tshirt as a base layer (underarmor tshirt material), a light base Northface fleece in case it gets a little cold, and a northface windstopper coat that I pack with. (another trick is buy a good rainsuit, some you can close the vents that breathe on them, warm as heck to put on as a middle layer...)
Need anything else before you go buy just post it up, or PM me
