I have had the privilege of introducing a few of my friends to the joys of backpacking. These friends had ALOT of questions about gear. In an effort to spare them (and by extension you) a few hours of online research, Ive compiled this list. In my opinion building the "perfect" pack is a evolution borne of experience and miles on the trail , that said , this list should not be viewed as definitive:
1) A good pair of boots.
Hiking boots should fit snug but not cut off your circulation when tightly laced . The foot bed should be wide enough to allow the natural flex of your toes without compressing them together causing blisters . It is recommended to wear new pairs at least 6 weeks to 2 months ahead of time to allow for break in and identify any potential blister causing rub points.
2) A properly fitted internal / external frame pack
Hiking packs are measured in cubic liters. Pack size is largely dependent on packing methodology. Minimalist hikers can get by with a 30 liter pack while others who want a few more "comforts of home" may opt for a larger one like a 65+ liter. Packs should be fully adjustable to accommodate the trunk length of the hiker. Another feature of a hiking pack is the waist belt. A properly adjusted and packed pack will put a lot of the packs weight resting on the hips / low back.
3) Water filtration
This is where I go to the old expression "two is one and one is none". I recommend sacrificing a few ounces to have a primary and a back up secondary water filtration device. Another word of advice is DO NOT SKIMP on water filtration. Nothing will ruin a trip faster than coming down with a case of Giardia from using a "cheap" water filter. The most recognized and used brands include
o Sawyer
o Berkey
o Katadyn
I personally use the Life straw filtration bag . Gravity fed and holds about a half gallon of water . I opted for this one as theres nothing mechanical to fail on the trail like a pump style filter and will filter up to 1000 gallons before the filter cartridge will need replaced (if maintained properly according to manufacturer instructions). My "backup" filtration device is a Sawyer Mini . A water container could be as simple as a 20 oz plastic bottle or your favorite water bottle. Just needs to be clean and hold the water once filtered.
4. Tent:
As far as type is concerned this is largely comes down to preference. I personally use the traditional light weight (2.5 lbs) hiking "pup tent" style tent. The reason I chose this one comes down to another hiking/bug out bag concept , that in order to keep weight down , when possible items in your pack should serve more than one purpose. In my case my trekking poles (more on that later) double as tent poles . This keeps the size and weight of the tent down. Do your own research and pick what you think will work for you . Some will go a step further and "Hammock camp" packing hammock and mosquito netting to keep weight down. Mainly the biggest concern should be WEIGHT
5. Sleep "System"
I use the word "system" here as my personal sleeping arrangement has 3 parts. The base layer on the floor of the tent is a closed cell mat affectionately referred to as my "yoga mat". I use a Field and Stream accordion folding style mat but a traditional yoga mat will suffice. This provides a insulating barrier between you and the small rocks / pebbles that may have gotten missed when selecting a spot to setup your tent. After the "yoga mat" I lay down a hikers air mattress. Inflated the mattress provides another 2 inches of cushion for those of us who are side sleepers. Deflated it rolls up into a bundle about the dimensions of a quart size mason jar and weights a little over 1 lb (definitely WORTH the sacrifice). Last is the sleeping bag. A few words of advice when selecting a sleeping bag .
· * Think about how you sleep a home ? Are you side sleeper? Do you like to have the covers over your shoulders, etc ? A 72" bag while smaller and lighter will not allow any leg room and come to mid chest on a 6' tall man . I personally opted for the extra ounces to have the 85" bag and a better night sleep.
· * How many trips do you foresee yourself doing ? Think about the coldest conditions you see yourself hiking in .If you foresee yourself doing some hiking later in the year the pay closer attention to the temperature ratings. In my experience a bag rated to 20 degrees C is good in Michigan through late October / early November.
in conclusion if weight sacrifices need to be made attempt to make them in other gear. Not being rested can make a day on the trail feel like a week !
6) First Aid Kit :
you should NOT hit the trail without having some form of IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit). The are a lot of kits found on the Internet. An IFAK should be minimalist enough to keep weight down but shouldn't be so stripped down so as to be ineffective. Do not carry things you are not trained in administration (naso-pharengeal airways , suture kits, tourniquets etc) . Improper administration could cause more harm than good . Check out companies like gearbags.com and MyMedic.com. Both offer very compact molle-compatible packs . Most of these kits will deal with field trauma and hemorrhage however are kind of lacking in the day to day cuts and bumps. Consider chronic medical conditions (allergies , joint issues etc). If you are one who takes regular meds measure out the dosages per day and pack accordingly. For those of us who are in the more "mature" audience packing and snack size zip lock bag of ibuprofen . Another item not contained in any IFAK ive looked at is a tick remover. Proper tick removal is important to avoid conditions like lyme disease . If allergies are the bane of your existence packing the necessary meds (albuterol , epipens ) are critical ! it tends to get difficult to finish a trip when one is dealing with anaphylaxis !
7) Cooking / Eating :
" An army travels on its stomach" While I have NO idea who originally said this , but its application on the trail is very evident! My menu selections tend toward space conscious and nutritionally dense. Packs of instant oatmeal with raisins and a protein bar for breakfast . Prepackaged jerky and protein bar for lunch to alleviate the need for cooking on the trail. Dinners usually consist of a freeze dried hikers meal from companies like ready-wise or mountain house. I have been in the company of some hikers that will bring ingredients and prepare elaborate meals . These kind of meals DO give that "taste of home" feel but makes for alot more dish washing.
Speaking of dishes. Some hikers will pack a full mess kit (plate , cup , fork, spoon , knife). Again this is personal preference. Personally I only pack a metal camp cup and one of those "swiss army" eating utensils to keep space /weight down. I can boil my water and mix up oatmeal in[SM-T3802] the camp cup , leaving just a spoon and cup to wash for breakfast. freeze dried hiking meals are prepared in the packaging they come in so, once again all that needs to be washed is a fork or spoon!
Lastly is a cooking platform! The options range from the very traditional cooking over the campfire , somewhat more modern backpackers rocket stove to the very compact modern isobutane burners.
o Backpacking rocket stove : nice with regards to the small space they take up in the pack and the abundance of natural fuel. The disadvantage to the rocket stove is the amount of time needed to bring water to a rolling boil.
o Isobutane burners : small and light weight and can quickly boil water but the limitation is the need to pack in enough fuel canisters for the trip and the need to pack out the "spent" canisters.
In any of these scenarios cookware is needed. There are full sets of hiking cookware that even include a small tea pot. Personally I opt for a single collapsable handled cooking pot. Stealth Angel makes in my opinion THE best cooking platform for the money.
8) Hygiene items:
Items on this list should be self explanatory. I recommend picking up a mens "toiletries bag" and stock it with the necessary travel sized items. By putting them in a separate bag it keeps potential mess to a minimum should a toothpaste cap not get completely screwed on or the cap of the body wash not get snapped closed. One item that a new hiker may not consider would be a travel sized container of gold bond powder. A few shakes in the unders will go a long ways to keeping the area "south of the border" dry and chaff free. Personal experience has taught me that packing all these things are less effective if one FORGETS to pack a towel and has to use a DIRTY shirt to dry off . Camping towels are small and very light
As one would expect trekking through the woods all day long, Nature WILL place that call you wont be able to send to voice mail. In this instance "two is one and one is none" definitely applies. I recommend packing two rolls of TP in separate ziplocked bags. One can be the partial roll thats on the hanger the morning of the trip and the other can be a full roll. A bit overkill, perhaps but better "to have it and not need it than need it and not have it" (another bit of prepper wisdom) . Pack these little bundles very last so they're on the top of the heap . It could be a little disconcerting to have to rifle through your pack when things get "urgent".
When conceding some trail time to natures call don't forget another VERY necessary part of equipment ... the garden trowel. A military entrenchment tool is not necessary ! A small sturdy light weight plastic garden trowel from the local dollar store is more than sufficient. Let me impart another pearl of wisdom to you , before you call out from behind that bush to the guys waiting for you , yes .. dig the hole FIRST!
9) Wet Weather protection:
A small tarp (slightly larger that the footprint of your tent) and a rain poncho can make the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major nightmare.
10) Wood processing/fire making :
Nothing more comforting after a long day on the trail than a nice campfire. But how do you get manageable pieces of wood back to camp? Alot of hikers like a collapsible saw, my preference is my Gerber 14" machete. The back of the machete is a saw blade which will work on up to 3-4" branches. In addition to the saw the long blade works to Baton wood back at camp. Unless your Bushcraft skills include making a fire by striking two rocks together, matches , lighter ( or both) and firestarters are recommended . In addition to the cheap bic lighter in my every day carry I keep waterproof matches (remember two is one and one is none) and a couple bricks of the premade firestarters found in the camping section securely sealed in zip lock bags in the dry interior of my pack
"Nice"-essities
In this section ill go over things that arent exactly needed but sure DO make the experience a little nicer .
o trekking poles : basically a set of cross country ski poles. They help with pacing , load distribution and aiding in traversing grades. Some hikers like them , others don't
o Camp chair: there are a number of companies like rockcloud that make completely collapsible camp chairs weighing in around 2ish lbs.
o Solar device chargers: the joy of hiking is seeing the LORDS back country. Most times cell coverage is non-existent leaving you with 2 options:
1) watching your battery life plummet like a rock while it struggles in vain to find a tower to talk to
2) turn on airplane mode , forget that the slab of plastic in your pocket makes calls or sends text and enjoy creation and maybe snap a few pics every now and again. In either instance having a way to top off the charge is kind of nice. Additionally they work well to recharge flashlights , fitness trackers etc
I hope this list was helpful. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions below.
