Info about Camping
Camping Gear for Backpacking Trips
The only thing I love more than camping is car camping. That is to say, I'm not a huge, huge fan of backpacking trips where I have to hike in a couple of miles to get to my campsite. However, my buddies are all big backpackers, so I'm occasionally dragooned into coming along with them on a death march, I mean a nice, lovely backpacking trip.
The big thing about backpacking trips is that you don't want to take too much stuff. There's nothing like a 5 mile hike in 85 degree weather to make you question whether you really need everything in your backpack. Extra clothing, bulky tents, sleeping pads, heavy cooking gear, and pretty much anything else in your pack runs the risk of being thrown to the side of the trail somewhere around mile marker 2.
Let's take a look at what you should plan on packing for a real backpacking trip. Most important is a lightweight backpacking tent. These are not super expensive - you can get a decent one for a couple hundred bucks - but it is very important to have. You do not want to lug a huge 8-person tent through the woods. Equally important is your backpack. It needs to be lightweight, durable and have plenty of pockets. Do your best to fit everything you can into the pack instead of tying equipment to the outside. You don't want things banging into your legs along the trail.
On regular camping trips, I always bring my camping chair along, but on a backpacking trip I'll usually leave it at home and bring my lightweight camp stool. Not only is the camp stool lighter than my chair, it also takes up less room in my pack and it's nearly as comfortable.
When you're packing for a backpacking trip, consider every single item that you put into your pack and make sure that you really really want to bring it. If you're not sure, leave it.
This guest post was provided by our friends at Buy Camping Chairs.