Backpacking Camping Gear Guide and Tips

Backpacking camping gear guide; providing useful backpacking gear tips and advice.

Those searching for ultralight backpacking gear and backpacking camping equipment will find spending a little time researching will pay dividends.

Backpacking gear will need to be specific equipment that meets the requirements for the type of trip planned, whilst pleasing personal preferences and needs .

We hope to provide you with useful ideas for the types of backpacking gear needed for preparing your future hikes.

Essential Backpacking Camping Gear

Backpacking equipment will need to be lightweight, compact and high quality to be suitable for long term use and longer trips.

Choosing the gear that you do and don't need to take will be essential for a successful trip. Some of us choose to minimize gear to be taken on certain trips to reduce weight.

Some gear will be better left at home whilst other equipment would make you much happier whilst residing in your pack for the comfort aspect of camping. Here is some advice abour gear:

Shelter - Backpacking Tents

Backpacking Tents: If planning a hike in the Backcountry or hiking the Scottish Highlands off the beaten path, the right tent is essential. The tent will need to be lightweight for carrying in a pack, compact, and durable.There are a lot of quality backpacking tents on the market today that cost from as little as $100 too $300 + for a high quality model.

Some choose a Tarp Shelter to become ultralight, whilst others choose the best tent available based on their budget available.. The bivvy sack (bivouac sack) option is for mountaineers and minimalist hiking and camping; not for the recreational outdoor person. For more general info about tents visit the Backpack Tents guide.

Here's a few of the best selling one man tents for backpacking:

Here's a few of the best selling 2 person tents for backpacking:

Here's a few of the best selling 3 person Backpack tents:

Sleeping

Sleeping bags: Choosing a backpacking sleeping bag is not a problem and can be straight forward by using a few tips and ideas from others. The guide for temperature ratings and types is quite simple to follow which you can find more information about here at the Camping Sleeping Bags guide. If you know the weather conditions for the planned trip all you will need to decide is the ratings, weight suitability, and what your budget expenditure allows.

These lightweight sleeeping bags are popular models that receive high ratings in consumer reviews worth comparing:

Camping sleeping pads: Even the best of sleeping bags will not provide enough comfort to sleep well without a decent sleeping pad. The various types available include a self-inflating pad, open-cell foam, closed cell foam or a backpacking inflatable mattress. They vary in weight, comfort and suitability for the planned trip. The most comfortable option will be an air mattress; not for the minimalist's though.

There is only a hand full of quality sleeping pad brands. The one brand that is the most popular with many outdoor enthusiasts is Therm-A-Rest.

Backpacking and Cooking

Backpacking stoves: MSR Camp Stoves are well known within the backpackers and hiking community as one the best stoves available. They tick all the boxes for weight and quality whilst using very little room in the backpack.

The MSR whisperlite liquid-fuel stove has been heating camp food for a fair few years now, without many complaints, around the midrange price in comparison to others.

A budget option may be something like the Brunton raptor propane fueled camp stove. Dependant on how long you plan a trip for? This could be a good option.

Camping for a couple of nights would be fine with the Brunton. However if your trip will be more than a few days, the fuel supplies may prove to use more room and add unwanted weight when using a cannister fuel stove. You may want to look into liquid fuel stoves.

The other best backpacking stove option for rapid boil time is the Jetboil stove that is very hard to beat. The efficiency and speed to boil water is fantastic. Perfectly designed for the backpacker in my experience.

The Backpacking Stove Reviews page may help a user find a suitable stove from some of the best brands.

Food: Mountain house foods and other brands are ideal for the best freeze dried food needed to reduce weight. They offer many variations to make eating freeze dried food a little less boring.

Backpacking Tips For Gear

I find it very useful to use a backpacking list of items needed. This helps to ensure you have the essential items needed and exclude unnecessary items.

Items, such as a torch, firelighter, camping first aid kit, map and compass are very essential. You may find a swiss army knife, Leatherman multi-tool or other pocket knives are essential, for the useful tools and many uses the knives offer. There are many useful outdoor knives and tools on the market to choose from that will prove essential once needed and used.

You will find researching tips from other enthusiasts on the net for reducing weight for your backpack useful. For the minimalist its similar to stripping a sports car to reduce weight for performance and handling. We do the same to improve our performance when hiking and moving from place to place with our backpack, we are the vehicle. Many minimalist's will drill holes in backpacking camping gear, or remove tags to reduce as much weight as possible. Choosing ultralight backpacking gear or lightweight camping gear along with reducing weight will improve your vehicles performance ( body) considerably.

The Internet is a great resource for backpackers and any other type of outdoor recreational activities:

Backpacking for beginners can be daunting the first time. It's very wise to prepare with the right gear to take and gain as much knowledge about the trip planned from gear user reviews and sites like ours.

Backpacking is one of the most helpful communities to be involved with! Why? The reason is most of us, including me, backpack alone or enjoy solo-camping but need others for enjoyment, support, ideas, tips and advice.

There is a great kinship between travellers/hikers/backpackers that you will soon realise if your new to backpacking.

Prepare the backpacking camping gear needed and essentials without too much worrying then take the bull by the horns and get out THERE.....

You will more than likely start a healthy lifelong obsession, as i did. Always planning and setting goals for the next trip!