Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

There's what's called the big three (or four depending how you look at it).

Tent
Sleeping Bag + Sleeping pad
Backpack

You won't need a pack for car camping so focus on the shelter and sleeping system.

Next up is cooking. A simple stove from Walmart will do but there are better options if you want to spend some money.

Headlamps are nice to have as well.

Don't worry about gear so much. You can easily spend $10,000 on camping gear if you go all out, BUT you can also easily camp with 99% of what you already have.

Don't have camping dishes? Use some tuperwear. Don't have a headlamp? Use your phone light, etc...

Think about what you use at home, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and that's what you need for camping.

Then as time goes on and you gain experience you can upgrade from household items to more camping oriented items, such as camp towels and dishes to save space.

All anyone really needs is food, water and shelter haha the rest is a luxury


This isn't the end-all, be-all list but these guys have lists for camping, hiking, backpacking, etc and can be a good starting point for an example.



http://m.outdoorgearlab.com/a/11158/Dream-Camping-Gear-List

 

Thanks to everyone who replied to my question, this helped a lot! I can't wait to go out and camp!

 

Here's my Christmas haul of outdoor related gear:

1. Excalibur 9 tray dehydrator (already made tons of dried fruits and 2 huge batches of top sirloin jerky)
2. 2 liter Eberlestock pouches (x2) to add to my HalfTrack
3. 3 liter Eberlestock pouch
4. New unused military issue poncho liner
5. 2 military ponchos
6. Poly-sil 6x8 tarp

I'm a happy camper.

 

No explanation needed.

 

Damn. Those Excaliburs are nice units, for sure. I'm still using my $50 Waring Pro dehydrator, lol. It gets the job done, but you've got to play 'shuffle the deck' with the trays every 30 minutes or so if you want things done evenly.

 

For those of you who backpack/through hike, what brand of pants do you prefer wearing?

 

Prana Brion's are my absolute favorite, wear them basically every day.

Prana Bronson's are more durable for a thru-hike. I have a pair that have over 100 confirmed hiking miles + worn daily 6 months in Africa that are holding strong. Since they are not synthetic material the cotton has shown some fading so they aren't as nice looking but still functional. Only thing I dislike are the rivets on the back pockets, have to be careful sitting on wood seats!

 

Prana Zion Stretch.

I wanted the Brion for the cleaner look and lack of cargo pocket on the Zion but it's too "skinny" for my thunder thighs.

Stretchy, built in belt, comfy.


Before these I wore Eddie Bauer's First Ascent Guide Pants and they're a little more stretchy and lighter weight but slightly less comfortable and versatile.

 

Eddie Bauer guide pants. $40 on sale. Bombproof.

 

I like Kuhl pants. Have used them extensively on camping and backpacking trips, and I wear them almost daily. Thin but strong and flexible, but with a clean look. I've even worn the khakis on business trips to see high end clients where a suit wasn't required. For some reason, their pants fit my body well. No sag, room for my thighs and calves, the snap is low profile. I have 4 pairs now, 2 of them are convertibles. Great summertime outdoor pants.

 

The airflow on the Excaliburs is phenomenal. Even the handbook recommended rotating trays 180 degrees every couple hours, but I only needed to flip the foods on the trays. I was impressed at how evenly everything of the same thickness had dehydrated, no matter what tray they were on or what position on the tray.

Our air has been so dry here in AZ the past couple of weeks that I'm getting 1/8" thick jerky coming out breakable in just under 5 hours.

 

Kilt.

 

Not so much for me here, I wouldn't wear them in the swamps of SC, but all good otherwise.

When I don't have a kilt on its Sahara convertibles.

 

Very Nice!!! I picked up a Jetboil Zip cook system for Christmas. Tested it out and boiled a cup of water for Café Bustelo instant espresso in just over a minute.

 

Jetboil ftw

 

I've only used my Flash a couple times but it wins on design points alone. No clue about long-term durability.

 

Yeah the JetBoils are pretty friggin sweet!

 

I'm excited to use it out in the field. Been using the MSR Dragonfly which weighs in at 1lb, and that's without the fuel/fuel bottle. Total zip package weighs in at 11oz, so hoping this helps out with the back/knee pain on backpacking trips. Most likely keeping this in the truck at all times along with instant coffee, for those work days where nothing goes right