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Want to start backpacking
- Thread starter 65steve65
- Start date
Most difficult part is 'what don't I need'. Took me many years to pare down on all the junk I used to carry. Think this through and venture out for increasingly longer trips as you slowly figure it all out. Food/warmth/shelter is the essence of all this and you don't need a pile of money so as to emulate the 'fashion set', who likely only hike into lavish cabins and resorts when no one is looking.
This may seem strange but I no longer travel without a cast iron fry pan. The space-age stuff justs burns your food long before it's cooked!
This may seem strange but I no longer travel without a cast iron fry pan. The space-age stuff justs burns your food long before it's cooked!
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Read The Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher and Chip Rawlins. It's the most comprehensive book on backpacking you can find, IMHO, everything you need to know about gear, diet, conditioning.
If you really, truly believe that this is going to be a part of your life, I'd seriously look into getting perhaps not the top of the line gear, but solid stuff that you won't have to replace any time soon.
The three most important things are backpack, tent/shelter and sleeping bag.
I spent a number of years sore and frustrated because I was lugging around heavy (cheap) gear. If you are going to spend money, focus on these three. Weigh each piece of gear and see how it fits.
REI, EMS, Sierra Trading Post and Campmor have good prices (with REI and EMS having their own lines of gear that often have very similar quality as the big name brands, but are a bit cheaper).
Footwear is important too but since you spend time outdoors, you might be all set there. Nothing too heavy ought to work.
Once you have the important stuff covered, scrutinize every piece of gear you think you want to bring. There are lots of creative ways to make gear do double duty and more and more manufacturers are making lighter stuff.
Even if you can't splurge on some equipment, borrow, make-do and just get out there.
Also, some gear places will rent gear and offer the rental cost be taken off if you decide to buy. It's another option that might help.
Have fun!!!
The three most important things are backpack, tent/shelter and sleeping bag.
I spent a number of years sore and frustrated because I was lugging around heavy (cheap) gear. If you are going to spend money, focus on these three. Weigh each piece of gear and see how it fits.
REI, EMS, Sierra Trading Post and Campmor have good prices (with REI and EMS having their own lines of gear that often have very similar quality as the big name brands, but are a bit cheaper).
Footwear is important too but since you spend time outdoors, you might be all set there. Nothing too heavy ought to work.
Once you have the important stuff covered, scrutinize every piece of gear you think you want to bring. There are lots of creative ways to make gear do double duty and more and more manufacturers are making lighter stuff.
Even if you can't splurge on some equipment, borrow, make-do and just get out there.
Also, some gear places will rent gear and offer the rental cost be taken off if you decide to buy. It's another option that might help.
Have fun!!!
I would say that a good frame pack that fits you well, and as little as you really need of other gear. if you are in a place that allows groundfires, you dont need a stove. if you can filter water as you go, a suitable filter will be much better than packing water, obviously. ive done both. my favorite is canoe camping now. you can carry most everything you want in inexpensive tupperware totes (you want to lash them closed in case of capsise, or accidents in portaging, etc. we used our canoe tie straps for this.) . for our 10th anniversary, my wife and I floated the 2 hearted river, carying way more gear than was really needed this way. we have lots of "backpacking" equiptment, but this way we could bring the regular camping stuff, and fishing gear, plenty of food in an ice chest, etc. so maybe the cheapest way for a camper to get into back country travel camping would be to get a canoe and take their regular camping gear. of course, this isnt "backpacking" but it scratches the same itch for me.
I wouldn't invest too much to begin with... Many people think they want to sleep outside on the ground until they actually sleep outside on the ground. It's just like every other hobby.
Borrow a backpack and a tent, pick up a cheap sleeping bag, pack some sandwiches and head out to a easy campsite in fair weather where you can park your car nearby. If you can tag along with some seasoned outdoors guys on an easy outing even better. Spend the night and see if you enjoy it. Then work from there.
If you intend to walk long distances weight becomes a critical consideration. Pack less stuff and add up the grams of the stuff you do carry. The more remote your trails and the longer you spend out there the more involved your kit gets. The big three items you can save weight on are your shelter, backpack, and sleeping bag. Sometimes the light weight stuff is more expensive, other times it actually costs less than the heavy kit because it is simpler. Use your judgment on where it makes sense to shave off weight.
If you want to drive out to a campsite in your car or boat, throw up a tent and have a barbecue then you can put comfort higher up on the prio
Here are some general links to stuff to consider.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiking_equipment
Here is an ultralight (and expensive) gearlist
http://www.spratt.us/Gearlist.htm
The backpackers handbook and the complete walker are both good books to pick up.
Borrow a backpack and a tent, pick up a cheap sleeping bag, pack some sandwiches and head out to a easy campsite in fair weather where you can park your car nearby. If you can tag along with some seasoned outdoors guys on an easy outing even better. Spend the night and see if you enjoy it. Then work from there.
If you intend to walk long distances weight becomes a critical consideration. Pack less stuff and add up the grams of the stuff you do carry. The more remote your trails and the longer you spend out there the more involved your kit gets. The big three items you can save weight on are your shelter, backpack, and sleeping bag. Sometimes the light weight stuff is more expensive, other times it actually costs less than the heavy kit because it is simpler. Use your judgment on where it makes sense to shave off weight.
If you want to drive out to a campsite in your car or boat, throw up a tent and have a barbecue then you can put comfort higher up on the prio
Here are some general links to stuff to consider.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiking_equipment
Here is an ultralight (and expensive) gearlist
http://www.spratt.us/Gearlist.htm
The backpackers handbook and the complete walker are both good books to pick up.
Like others have mentioned above focus on the three main items, tent, bag and Pack. The one item that I bought over and over was a sleeping bag. I started heavy and cheap and now own a Feathered Friends down bag, yes it is expensive but for warmth and weight the ratio is outstanding. You don't need to spend over 400.00 on a bag like that though, look at the Kelty Cosmic Down 20 deg. bag which is probably the biggest bang for the buck IMO. What ever you get seriously consider down though. Next is a tent, I have a Six Moon Design Skyscape which I paid 125.00 for, about 2.5 lbs with stakes and you use your trekking poles to support it. Lastly is the pack, I have a Golite Jam 50 which is 29.5 oz and paid right around 100.00 for it. It is a very popular pack among backpackers. For a sleeping pad check out the Thermarest Ridgerest, fairly light, cheap, and won't leak air. After you pick up these main items it is then when you start deciding what else you should just leave at home, most new backpackers start out carrying way to much stuff. One last thought, invest in a cheap digital scale and make a spreadsheet of everything you carry. It will become a obsession guaranteed trying to reduce weight.
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I'd start with day hikes and work from there. Then do one-nighters and continue from there. Find someone who is experienced at longer distance hikes and talk. Then pose questions here and try to put things together as to what works for you. For me, I would visit a store like REI and "get fitted" for a pack by the young experts. Yes, you'll spend more, but you will end up with good stuff.
For me, I am mostly interested in dayhikes, even longish ones, but a dayhike all the same where I don't have to carry a sleeping bag and can do snacks.
The canoe approach mentioned above is a good one. You can carry a lot of gear and you can learn what you actually use and what you just like to have around.
For me, I am mostly interested in dayhikes, even longish ones, but a dayhike all the same where I don't have to carry a sleeping bag and can do snacks.
The canoe approach mentioned above is a good one. You can carry a lot of gear and you can learn what you actually use and what you just like to have around.
Codger_64
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The canoe is always a good idea unless you live in the Great White North. You can load up a swap meet worth of stuff to try out and not worry about the weight. Then pare it down bit at a time until the kit is something that works for you and you can easily carry some distance without feeling like a pack mule. If you have some easy rivers nearby, you can rent from an outfitter and make a 6 to 8 hour one day float into a two day float by setting up camp halfway.
Heck, you aren't that far from me and I have canoes, a river and gear. You can try before you buy your own.
Codger_64
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Just 205 miles. Check Buffalo River near Flatwoods Tennessee. I can't hike anymore, but I can get you out on an overnighter on the river and fix you up with most of the loaner gear.
Dayhikes are a real good way to start. Get in shape on easy loops and see how many miles you are comfortable doing in a day. Watch the weather close this time of year too. Yours is much like mine. We had lows in the twenties last week, rain and mid sixties today, up into the low seventies tomorrow. That is a pretty wide swing in conditions and you need to prepare for that right off the bat, even dayhiking. I suggest getting a decent rainsuit or poncho first off if you don't already have one. Cold is one thing, but cold and wet is miserable and a potential killer.
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Rain gear is real basic. The GI ponchos are fairly heavy, but you can open them up to make a shelter of sort. I like the inexpensive ones you can find at Walmart that are nearly disposable. A poncho would feel real nice if I was out in the current rain. Keeping dry can save your life.
Skrapmetal
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This is good advice to me. Don't burn up your credit cards too badly until you try it to make sure it really is for you.
Not only will this save you money if it isn't your thing, it will also give you a good idea of the things you'll want to have with you.
Go cheap, look at military surplus and walmart gear. And if you enjoy the aspects of it that aren't gear-related, upgrade from there.
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I wholeheartedly second the recommendation of Fletcher's "Complete Walker" (get the most recent edition). It's a great book, but the information on specific gear gets outdated quickly. "The Backpacker's Field Manual" is another good book to have. For the latest on gear, get a subscription to "Backpacker" magazine. You'll see all the latest stuff, plus their annual gear guides, editors' picks, readers' choices and "best buys" information is valuable. Do a lot of reading and research before you open your wallet! 
Don't buy a backpack unless it's fitted for you at good outdoor store, or at least until you know how to properly measure your torso length and could pick a pack that would fit your body correctly. Try to borrow gear for your first several outings so you might get an idea of your needs and preferences. Check for local clubs that may have organized outings in your area... you might find some friendly folks who would love to help you get into the sport. And don't forget, it's an excuse to buy several new knives....
Stay sharp,
desmobob
Don't buy a backpack unless it's fitted for you at good outdoor store, or at least until you know how to properly measure your torso length and could pick a pack that would fit your body correctly. Try to borrow gear for your first several outings so you might get an idea of your needs and preferences. Check for local clubs that may have organized outings in your area... you might find some friendly folks who would love to help you get into the sport. And don't forget, it's an excuse to buy several new knives....
Stay sharp,
desmobob
Codger_64
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On gear becoming outdated: Many companies discontinue items, not because they don't work or are defective, but because they changed the colors or redesigned a small feature. Retailers then dump them at steep discounts to restock with this year's new style. So last year's style can be a great deal for the money. I'm thinking here of the big three, tents, sleeping bags and packs. TNF (or whoever manufactures their sleeping bags) seems to do this regularly with their Cat's Meow models. I got a very steep discount on one a few years back at Gander Mountain this way. Besides the new stock being slightly different colors, the bulk of the leftover old style stock were left hand zip. Perfect for a right handed person, IMHO. Some retailers also have a liberal return policy. You can take advantage of this with their "garage sales" where they sell slightly used gear for perhaps 50% of MSRP. Nabbing a bargain does not always mean settling for second or third rate. Sometimes it is just smart shopping.
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Wow guys thanks for all the info thus far. I do plan to do a lot of reading because well I just enjoy reading. I don't have too many good outdoor stores near me, but there is one about 60 miles away so I may go check it out. I have slept outside camping and such plenty of times, not much else to do growing up in Alabama lol
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A few things.
When packing that waffle iron in your pack and thinking you might use it, pull it out of your pack and leave it at home. Same goes for everything else you think you might use. Carry only what you need and will actually use and you will be much happier. I am slowly getting this point through to a friend of mine, and he has shave a ton of weight from his pack.
You can get into it for not much money. I got a GI patrol bag to sleep in. It has been good down to about 40 or so when I also wear a base layer and/or fleece. I use a hammock and tarp along with a wal mart CCF pad for my shelter. My hammock and tarp cost 120 bucks or so total, but you can get by for much less money by using a plain blue tarp and a cheaper hammock. Don't want to hammock? Ditch it and sleep on the ground, save a few dollars, and just use the tarp along with a ground sheet. My pack is a milsurp ILBE that was cheap, but damn near bullet proof. For cooking, you can get a stainless cup from wal mart for less than ten bucks, or a Stanley cookset for about fifteen. Use plain old water bottles for hydration. They are tough, light, and if you wear it out, it is easily replaced. You don't need to bother with Nalgene bottles if you don't want to. I have quite a bit tied up in gear, but I didn't to start. None of this stuff would be considered light weight, but with careful consideration of what you really need vs. what you want, as well as your budget, you can get into backpacking for very little money. If you have any friends that are into backpacking, ask if they have any extra stuff that you can borrow to try out before purchasing your own.
Now, all that said, I don't know what your budget is. I have a lot of dollars invested in my gear, but I did not start out that way. As others have stated, it is best to start out on the cheap if you can, just in case you decide you hate it. Now if you go the hammock route, I promise you will love it and never turn back. I hate sleeping on the ground, so I got a hammock and I am much happier out on the trail. I've also noticed that I smile a little more after buying that lighter weight shiny new expensive piece of whiz bang gear. Not because I love gadgets and whatnot, but because the lighter my pack gets, the more I get to look around and enjoy nature. Not looking at the ground just waiting to get to camp.
When packing that waffle iron in your pack and thinking you might use it, pull it out of your pack and leave it at home. Same goes for everything else you think you might use. Carry only what you need and will actually use and you will be much happier. I am slowly getting this point through to a friend of mine, and he has shave a ton of weight from his pack.
You can get into it for not much money. I got a GI patrol bag to sleep in. It has been good down to about 40 or so when I also wear a base layer and/or fleece. I use a hammock and tarp along with a wal mart CCF pad for my shelter. My hammock and tarp cost 120 bucks or so total, but you can get by for much less money by using a plain blue tarp and a cheaper hammock. Don't want to hammock? Ditch it and sleep on the ground, save a few dollars, and just use the tarp along with a ground sheet. My pack is a milsurp ILBE that was cheap, but damn near bullet proof. For cooking, you can get a stainless cup from wal mart for less than ten bucks, or a Stanley cookset for about fifteen. Use plain old water bottles for hydration. They are tough, light, and if you wear it out, it is easily replaced. You don't need to bother with Nalgene bottles if you don't want to. I have quite a bit tied up in gear, but I didn't to start. None of this stuff would be considered light weight, but with careful consideration of what you really need vs. what you want, as well as your budget, you can get into backpacking for very little money. If you have any friends that are into backpacking, ask if they have any extra stuff that you can borrow to try out before purchasing your own.
Now, all that said, I don't know what your budget is. I have a lot of dollars invested in my gear, but I did not start out that way. As others have stated, it is best to start out on the cheap if you can, just in case you decide you hate it. Now if you go the hammock route, I promise you will love it and never turn back. I hate sleeping on the ground, so I got a hammock and I am much happier out on the trail. I've also noticed that I smile a little more after buying that lighter weight shiny new expensive piece of whiz bang gear. Not because I love gadgets and whatnot, but because the lighter my pack gets, the more I get to look around and enjoy nature. Not looking at the ground just waiting to get to camp.
Gear selection depends on location and climate.
If you are hiking in warm weather you don't need as much insulation. T-shirts and shorts might be all you need. In the mountains of colorado you need to be prepared for colder weather. In the desert where it is unlikely to rain you don't need much rain gear, maybe not a tent even. In other places you always carry rain gear. Likewise your sleeping bag should match expected temperatures.
If you are in the desert you need to carry a lot of water with you. In places with lots of streams all you need is some means of water purification.
Food depends on how long you are hiking for. For an overnighter you can carry a can of beef stew and a canopener. For multi days you need lighter food, maybe the fancy dehydrated stuff. There are lots of food options available cheap at the grocery store if you look carefully- dehydrated noodles with a small can of tuna added in for instance.
You don't want to carry extra stuff that you don't need. Carry the clothes that you need but not a lot of extras. Don't go on risky hikes without experience and companions. Pick easy trails that are reasonably busy. Pick shorter trips until you know how much mileage you are capable of.
If you are hiking in warm weather you don't need as much insulation. T-shirts and shorts might be all you need. In the mountains of colorado you need to be prepared for colder weather. In the desert where it is unlikely to rain you don't need much rain gear, maybe not a tent even. In other places you always carry rain gear. Likewise your sleeping bag should match expected temperatures.
If you are in the desert you need to carry a lot of water with you. In places with lots of streams all you need is some means of water purification.
Food depends on how long you are hiking for. For an overnighter you can carry a can of beef stew and a canopener. For multi days you need lighter food, maybe the fancy dehydrated stuff. There are lots of food options available cheap at the grocery store if you look carefully- dehydrated noodles with a small can of tuna added in for instance.
You don't want to carry extra stuff that you don't need. Carry the clothes that you need but not a lot of extras. Don't go on risky hikes without experience and companions. Pick easy trails that are reasonably busy. Pick shorter trips until you know how much mileage you are capable of.