Backpacking Gear for a Long and Short Trip
When you're going for a backpacking trip no matter for how long, you should always have at least the ten essentials. The ten things that you must take into consideration when packing for the outdoors include navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first aid, fire, repair kit and tools, nutrition, hydration and shelter.
To get a complete checklist you can do a search on the internet and you'll find a lot of them and most of them are quite good. You don't have to take everything on the checklist. It just serves as a sort of a reminder to make sure you don't forgot anything you need. Here we'll differentiate the type of gear used for a week-long trip and a weekend trip.
Tent choices are determined by the type of trip, whether it's going to be a weekend trip or one that is longer, and the weather. On almost any trip, you can get away with small and lightweight 2 man tent if the weather is great. You might want something that a lot more living space, better protection from wind, rain and snow for a longer trip. There's also going to be more poles for the stronger structure, more guy out lines and vestibules for storing gear.
For footwear, if you have a light pack and your trip is going to be short and the terrain is good, go for low top hiking shoes which are lightweight and reduces the risk of blisters. If your pack is heavy, the terrain a little bit rough, and you need a lot more traction, you would really want to consider heavier boots with better ankle support.
When it comes to camping cookware, you could almost make any choice you want depending on whether you're simple cooker or a gourmet chef. But in general, it's wise to get a smaller and lighter stove for a short trip. Go for a bigger cooking system with a sturdier stove and multiple pots if you're going to cook for a group of people.
As for food storage especially in bear country, consider a bear proof container or kevlar reinforced bear bags that are too tough for bears or other animals to claw through. You don't even need to hang them on a tree but be sure that you don't keep any food inside your tent. Animals have a very strong sense of smell and they might mistake you for food.
Most people today carry internal frame backpacks. For maximum comfort and stability, carry lighter items at the bottom of the pack. Heavy items should be packed in the middle to the pack and close to your back. Your poles should be against the back panel. At the top, you'd have to have gear that you want to have easy access to like raingear and first aid kit.
To get a complete checklist you can do a search on the internet and you'll find a lot of them and most of them are quite good. You don't have to take everything on the checklist. It just serves as a sort of a reminder to make sure you don't forgot anything you need. Here we'll differentiate the type of gear used for a week-long trip and a weekend trip.
Tent choices are determined by the type of trip, whether it's going to be a weekend trip or one that is longer, and the weather. On almost any trip, you can get away with small and lightweight 2 man tent if the weather is great. You might want something that a lot more living space, better protection from wind, rain and snow for a longer trip. There's also going to be more poles for the stronger structure, more guy out lines and vestibules for storing gear.
For footwear, if you have a light pack and your trip is going to be short and the terrain is good, go for low top hiking shoes which are lightweight and reduces the risk of blisters. If your pack is heavy, the terrain a little bit rough, and you need a lot more traction, you would really want to consider heavier boots with better ankle support.
When it comes to camping cookware, you could almost make any choice you want depending on whether you're simple cooker or a gourmet chef. But in general, it's wise to get a smaller and lighter stove for a short trip. Go for a bigger cooking system with a sturdier stove and multiple pots if you're going to cook for a group of people.
As for food storage especially in bear country, consider a bear proof container or kevlar reinforced bear bags that are too tough for bears or other animals to claw through. You don't even need to hang them on a tree but be sure that you don't keep any food inside your tent. Animals have a very strong sense of smell and they might mistake you for food.
Most people today carry internal frame backpacks. For maximum comfort and stability, carry lighter items at the bottom of the pack. Heavy items should be packed in the middle to the pack and close to your back. Your poles should be against the back panel. At the top, you'd have to have gear that you want to have easy access to like raingear and first aid kit.
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