Camping Backpacking Equipment

Camping backpacking equipment need not be expensive. All it has to do is provide you with some shelter and privacy so you can get a good night's sleep. It doesn't need to be fancy or flash. Just practical.

You will need a lightweight camping tent or a tarp or at the very least a bivy bag so you can stay dry. Then you will need a sleeping bag that is insulated enough to keep you toasty-warm during even the coldest hours of the night.

A cheap camping tent for two people will cost around $50 or less. But a top-quality outdoor tent could easily cost ten times as much. A tarp shelter isn't a good idea unless you are an experienced camper. Then you will discover that a bivy bag will cost you more than a modest camping tent and the bivy is also very claustrophobic for anyone but the bravest outdoorsman.

Because you will be backpacking rather than riding in a car (or other transport) to and from your camp site you will need a down sleeping bag. A synthetic fill sleeping bag is much bulkier and heavier than a down bag.  There is only so much weight you can carry on your back without making the whole hiking experience a nightmare, so try to travel light.

You should plan on spending more than $150 on your down sleeping bag alone, because it will be your most important piece of camping equipment. And if you will be camping in colder weather, be sure to buy a sleeping bag that is rated for much colder temperatures than you'll ever expect to be sleeping out in. That will cost you more as well, but you dont want to ever be too cold in your tent at night.

You will need some simple cooking equipment; a propane hiking stove maybe and a small kettle or pot to heat beverages in or to cook up simple meals like instant noodles, oatmeal or freeze-dried foods. (You just add water, soak for a few minutes and bring the mixture to the boil.)

A plastic bowl and a spoon are the only utensils you need. Metal mugs will only burn your lips when you drink hot beverages from them. Carry a good pocket knife too. The Victorianox brand Swiss Army knives are excellent.

Carry enough drinking water for your walk. You could buy a fancy water canteen, but a throw-away plastic water bottle will do fine. Don't forget a cigarette lighter plus a box of matches and a can opener if you plan on eating any tinned food.

If you are carrying everything in your backpack, remember that canned food is heavy, and empty tins need to be disposed of properly. We don't burn, bash and bury them any more. Truck them out with you if there isn't a garbage bin at your campsite. 

You will need at least one change of clean clothes, plus extra socks and underwear. Add a toilet kit (small soap, toothbrush and paste, small towel and toilet paper). A few band-aid plasters, needle and thread, insect repellent and a few aspirin or other headache pills and you should be fine.

Don't forget a hat, cape or rain coat, warm clothing (to suit the local weather and time of year). It gets really cold after dark when you are outdoors.

Camping, backpacking and hiking are all meant to be fun, recreational outdoor activities suitable for the whole family. 

Keep your backpack as light as you can by selecting your camping and backpacking equipment with great care. Your pack with all its camping gear should not weigh any more than 20 pounds or so. Think of 30 lbs as your upper limit, and you won't go far wrong.

All-up, you should be able to outfit yourself with some pretty decent camping backpacking equipment for one or two hundred dollars. And don't be afraid to buy used equipment if it is in good condition.