Marv's Basic Backpacking Equipment List

It will appear that there is a lot of gear needed to go backpacking. Yes and no. You probably need less in warm weather. You can buy some things in the beginning and add more over time. It is better to buy quality, even if it takes a little longer to save up the money.

As a novice, you should read some introductory backpacking books. Check at your local library.

The following list includes tips and explanations that may also help to make your backpacking trip a good experience. You can also click here for a checklist you can print.

The Basics

Compass. Your compass is invaluable if you are going off-trail. You may not use a compass on well marked trails, but it could be very handy if your become disoriented at intersections. Depending upon your objectives, you ought to know a little or a lot about how to use a compass.

Hiking boots. You can begin with gym shoes. When you become experienced you will want waterproof boots. I recommend you get them from a local outdoor store where you can try them on and get a good fit. Remember that, when you are slogging through water and muck, boots can only be waterproof as high up as where the tongue is sewn to the side of the boot.

Socks. You will probably want to wear two pairs of socks, a thin inner sock and a heavier outer sock. The inner sock should be made of a wicking material such as Coolmax or polypropylene.

Moleskin. When hiking, you are likely to get blisters. They can be always be prevented. Take along moleskin (adhesive padding) and put 1 - 2" squares of it on any spot that hurts before it gets blistered. You can get moleskin at your pharmacy. Another foot tip--cut your toenails before the trip or you could end up with blackened toenails.

Walking stick. Helps with hills and stream crossings. Do not cut a live tree to get one. An old broom stick will do fine. It doesn't have to be long, as high as your shoulder is fine.

Insect repellent. A must in the summer. Use early and often.

Pack. If you are not familiar with modern backpacks, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that the load does not hang on your shoulders. It rides on your hips via a padded belt, and a properly adjusted pack is quite comfortable. There are two kinds of backpacks, external frame and internal frame. Both have their merits, and both have very vocal supporters. For most people either will work fine--don't sweat it. See Backpacker magazine, March 1998, for a complete list of backpacks, prices, features and some comments from users; and JanSport also has useful information about types of packs, features, and how to load them.

• External Frame. The external frame pack has a tubular metal frame. The harness is
  attached to the frame, as is the pack bag. Expect that you will strap/bungee some items to the frame and not put them inside the bag, typically your tent and sleeping bag. This kind of pack tends to have more external pockets and easier access to the one or two main pockets. The external frame pack is better for heavier loads. It is better for trail hiking. It is not good for airline travel as the frame is certain to be bent when you check it as luggage. You load the external frame pack with the heaviest items at the top.
  
• Internal Frame. The frame is not evident on an internal frame pack. It is in the form of stays inside the pack. This pack tends to fit closer to the body, and improves balance for rock climbing or moving through rough terrain. You have to fit almost everything inside this pack, you do not have the latitude to attach many items to the outside. Typically, gear is put in the bag from the top, so you have to give some thought to what you might want to remove during the day. The internal frame pack will be better for airline travel. You load the internal frame pack with the heaviest items at the top for trails, and in the middle for climbing or rough terrain.
  

Tent. You need to get the proper tent to keep you dry in the rain. Proper does not mean expensive. Proper means that the inner tent is almost completely covered by an outer covering or "fly" that keeps water off the inner tent. The fly must extend almost all the way to the ground, a feature missing in discount store cheapies. Most backpackers purchase a two-person tent, even if they plan to travel alone. Keep weight in mind; four pounds per person is probably an upper limit you would want to consider for a lengthy trip. Expect that two adults in a two-person tent will be very cozy. When you acquire a new tent, you must seal every seam in the tent and fly; and they usually come with liquid seam sealer. In cool/cold weather you must leave ventilation for moisture given off by your breathing or the inside of your tent will become covered with moisture.

You can find a complete list of tents and their features in Backpacker magazine, March 1998. The novice will not go wrong with the Eureka Timberline, a two-person tent priced at about $100--good price, durable, keeps you dry in the rain.

Ground cloth for the tent. This protects the bottom of your tent, and keeps ground water off it. This must be totally tucked under the edge of the tent when it rains or water will run between the ground cloth and tent floor and get your gear wet. A piece of plastic painting drop cloth is fine.

Foam pad. Closed cell, or one of the inflatable pads. Not an open cell pad that will absorb water. Sleeping on the ground w/o a pad is not a good idea. You definitely need a pad in the winter. Avoid air mattresses--heavy, cold, leaky. Thinking I would save on weight, I bought a ThermaRest short inflatable pad, and this was a mistake. Get a full length pad. The ThermaRest has held up for several years. Backpacker magazine published a review of foam pads in the October, 1996 edition. They mentioned several closed cell pads whose main quality was bargain prices. Self-inflating pads were reviewed, but not ranked; and were definitely preferred to the closed cell versions.

Sleeping bag. One that will handle the coldest nite you anticipate. A couple of blankets could be adequate for a mid-summer trip. You can add warmth with sweats, socks, gloves, knit hat. If you are going on your first winter trip, try your bag on the patio first. I went a couple of times in the winter with a blanket inside my summer bag, but I did the patio test first; and I wore a lot of clothes inside the bag.

Water bottles. Open mouth Nalgene bottles get a lot of good press. You need at least a quart of water, more is better. Whatever your choice, water bottles should not leak if you turn them upside down and leave them that way for a while.

Water purification. I use pills, Potable Aqua. My friends have filters. Either work pretty well, and both methods have limitations to their effectiveness. Pills are lighter but add a flavor to the water. Filters are heavier, but don't impart any taste to the water. Never assume water in the field is potable regardless of what the sign says. Boiling works, but it is a nuisance. You have little choice but to drink the stream water; being squeamish will get you dehydrated.

In the December, 1996 issue, Backpacker magazine reviewed filters. There are problems with filters being difficult to pump, and clogging in the field. The reviewers gave high marks to the PUR Hiker, and it still got positive comments in the March 1998 edition of that magazine. This article also commented on the purification pills, deeming them safe for daily use for up to 3 months, except they are not to be used by pregnant women. The pills seem to kill all known 'critters' except Cryptosporidium.

Flashlight. One with AA batteries to save weight. After having a bulb fail in the woods, I started carrying a spare flashlight as an alternative to carrying spare batteries and a bulb. Turn one battery around so the flashlight will not come on in your pack.

Stove. You need a way to cook food, and it is not by building a fire. Wood may be hard to find, it may be wet and hard to burn, your pans will be covered with soot which will somehow find its way onto other gear, and fire building is not environmentally friendly. If you don't have a stove, you can begin with alcohol burners, the kind of burner that is used in restaurant buffets. Sterno is a brand name. Use a couple of rocks to support your pan over the fuel can. You will eventually want to acquire a small, light weight, single burner stove. There are two possibilities, each with its adherents.

• Butane Fuel. Butane fueled stoves are probably the most convenient to use. You just attach the butane cartridge and light the stove. It is like lighting a gas stove at home. Camping Gaz is a brand name. Offsetting the convenience and ease of use, there are some drawbacks to butane stoves. They don't heat well at temperatures below about 30 F because the butane liquifies; but fuel cannisters with a mix of butane and propane seem to work adequately at lower temperatures. Fuel is somewhat expensive, but since you are not heating your home for the winter this may not be important. Butane cartridges are not widely available except in outdoor stores, so you must carry a spare cartridge and keep a stock at home. For three-season trips of less than a week, butane would be my fuel of choice.
  
• Liquid Fuel. Traditionally the liquid fuel has been "white gas" or Coleman fuel. Modern stoves burn multiple fuels--white gas, unleaded gasoline, kerosene--although white gas remains the fuel of choice. Like butane stoves, liquid fuel stoves are light weight. The fuel bottle and the burner are separate units connected by a hose. Fuel is generally available. These stoves work well in cold weather. When you light them they tend to flare up initially. Sometimes the jets become clogged, especially with gasoline as a fuel. You are not supposed to store white gas over the winter and re-use it next camping season, which creates disposal problems. Backpacker magazine, October 1996, reviewed six liquid fuel stoves. In order of preference they were a first tier of MSR WhisperLite Internationale, MSR XGK II, Peak 1 Apex II; and a second tier of Optimus Explorer, Sigg Fire Jet, and Peak 1 Feather 442. Personal experience suggests that, if your manufacturer offers a parts kit, you should buy it and carry it with you.
  

Lighter. Take a butane lighter and a spare.

Pocket knife and spoon. You do not need a fork. You do not need a table knife.

Can opener. Unless your pocket knife has one.

Food. You do not need expensive dehydrated food from the sporting goods store. Go to the grocery, instead. Look for rice and noodle packages. Little cans of chicken. Dehydrated soups. Instant oats. Bagels. Dried fruit. Little cans of mixed fruit. Summer sausage. Granola bars. Candy. Make a trail mix of granola and M&Ms. Bagels or English muffins seem more durable than bread. (See Recipes)

Heavy duty string or light rope. About 50 feet. Always good for something. More than 50 feet in bear country as you will need to hang your food in the air between two trees.

Foam backed table placemat. Worth the weight to keep your butt off cold/wet ground. You can find 99 other good things to do with this.

Toilet tissue and garden trowel. When you have a bowel movement, pick a spot at least 200 feet from a water source. Bury your waste. To help keep animals from digging it up, put a good sized rock on top.

Soap. Take a small bar of soap and a hand towel. Washing in the stream is not "green", but people do it (camp upstream from the herd). Don't forget deodorant.

Trash bag. I prefer a cloth bag inside a plastic bag. This keeps trash from poking thru a plastic bag and maybe leaking into pack. If you pack it in, pack it out.

First aid kit. It is uncommon to have more of a problem than a slight burn, a cut; so a simple first aid kit will probably suffice. You probably won't have to deal with a serious injury in the woods; but, if you do, a life could be at risk because the party could be hours or days away from medical care. Aspirin or ibuprofen is good to have because you will probably ache, at least once. People seem to worry about snake bites, and you can read about them at THE SNAKEBITE EMERGENCY WEBPAGE.

Whistle. In case the rest of your party gets lost. Three toots signal "help me."

Extra clothes. Think about layers of clothes when you are hiking. In the winter it is especially important not to get sweaty. Take stuff off, put stuff on as needed. Remember that cotton does not insulate when wet, exposing you to hypothermia in cool weather; so consider expanding your wardrobe to include other fabrics over time.

Rain gear. You need something to keep you dry when it rains. A plastic poncho, at a minimum, but it may tear in cold weather. Work up to Goretex when you have the money. Your old nylon windbreaker will not keep you dry in an all-day rain. Do not buy cheap plastic rain suits as they will not hold up at all, especially in cold weather.

Plastic bags. Put anything you do not want to get wet inside a plastic bag. No exceptions. If you have items in a stuff sack strapped to your pack frame (such as your sleeping bag), put the plastic bag inside the stuff sack so that the stuff sack will protect it from rips.

Optional Gear

Camera. If you go to a place where you will never return again, you will want a record of it.

Book. A book or magazine, something to read.

Cards.

Water bag. If you are going to camp away from a stream, you will need something to carry extra water. A canvas water bag with plastic lining works fine. A crunched down 2-liter bottle will also work.

Radio--probably not. Reception is often poor in remote areas, improving at night. A radio played without earphones tends to destroy the wilderness experience of those around you.

Stuff You Absolutely Do Not Need

Ax. These are heavy and dangerous. If you really must cut wood, take a bow saw (see Tips).

Sheath knife.

A lot of heavy rope.

Gun. It may even be illegal in some national forests. In The Appalachian Trail Backpacker's Planning Guide Victoria and Frank Logue write, "...we talked to hikers who collectively have hiked 67,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail. ...there was not a single instance where a firearm was brought out of a pack...nor a case of a firearm helping a hiker out of a jam." There are individuals venturing into true wilderness areas who may need a gun, but the average person on well-defined trails does not. If you think you are going into an area where you need a gun for self-protection, do a reality check: Why would you go there for pleasure anyway?

Alcohol and drugs. This is a particular concern of mine. Every year people walk off cliffs at Red River Gorge in Kentucky. Some are honest accidents, and some due to intoxication. The latter are total waste.

Cost To Get Started

• Tent. Eureka Timberline, 2 person, $99.99.
  
• Pack. Kelty Trekker backpack, $109.99.
  
• Sleeping Bag. Campmor Mummy Hiker 20 degree bag, $59.99.
  
• Water Purification. Potable Aqua pills, $6.99.
  
• Sleeping Pad. Ridge Rest closed cell foam pad, $15.99.
  
• Miscellaneous Stuff. $20.