As I mentioned in the noob introduction forum, I am very new to the whole backpack camping. Generally I will just be going on 2 night trips around northern WI but will make it to the Rocky Mountains once or twice a year and this would be a 4-5 day trip.
For my first trip, I borrowed most of my gear and let me tell you...I over packed and it was HEAVY for a 8-10 mile hike. I learned I need to carry less, and it didn't help I had cans of food since it was a last minute, 1 night trip, with temps around 28 degrees F. Learned quite a bit on that trip and since then, have been researching like crazy! I want to get quality stuff, but then again there's a trade-off with a smaller budget.
Gear I own:
Gear I am looking to purchase pretty quickly:
I am open to all suggestions and would love everyone's feedback. At some point, I just need to stop researching and purchase
Then again, I don't want to regret my purchase like I did with my tent and hiking boots!
Thanks everyone!
For my first trip, I borrowed most of my gear and let me tell you...I over packed and it was HEAVY for a 8-10 mile hike. I learned I need to carry less, and it didn't help I had cans of food since it was a last minute, 1 night trip, with temps around 28 degrees F. Learned quite a bit on that trip and since then, have been researching like crazy! I want to get quality stuff, but then again there's a trade-off with a smaller budget.
Gear I own:
- Rover Buhl mummy sleeping bag. Roughly 2 pounds and compresses quite nice. I enjoy this for a beginner sleeping bag.
- Self inflatable sleeping mat/pillow. 2 pounds and I know this is a luxury item but it's too darn comfy.
- Hiking boots from Gander Mountain. These will get replaced down the road into something lighter/waterproof, etc..
- Tent. 2 person from Walmart (needed it last minute) and it weighs around 6.5 pounds. You may now joke about my tent choice.
- Platypus 70 ounce water bladder I will pull from my Platypus bag for mountain biking.
Gear I am looking to purchase pretty quickly:
- Stove: Thinking the MSR Pocket Rocket. Seems like this is a basic "go to" and would fit my needs just fine.
- Cookset: Was thinking the GSI Haluite Microdualist but that may even be overkill. I like that's it nice and compact, and has everything I need...but with the 2 bowls and 2 mugs, will that just be extra weight? Most of my cooking would be basic noodle dishes where I just need to boil water. However, I would be interested in looking at a small skillet so I could get creative with cooking possibly flapjacks or a breakfast skillet of some sort. I am open to any suggestions here! Or even the Pinnacle Soloist, and adding in an extra mug of some sort for coffee.
- Tent: I prefer the 2 person tents for the extra room. Again, I can't be spending $300 on a tent so I do have a lot of limitations around this. If I could find a spacier 1 person tent, I would be open for that. I just know the walmart one will not cut it due to it's weight.
- Pack: This will be my last purchase but I am thinking something around the 70-80L size. I'll do quite a bit of research when this time comes so I can find one that fits nicely.
- Water filtration: Have done 0 research on this yet.
I am open to all suggestions and would love everyone's feedback. At some point, I just need to stop researching and purchase
Thanks everyone!