Camping is so much better when you get a good night sleep. With backpacking, hiking all day almost guarantees a good night sleep. But with camping you may not be as active. Sitting around the fire all day isn’t exactly hard work. So why skimp… Read More »EXPED MegaMat LXW Sleeping Pad Review
Welcome to the Backpacking Gear for Beginners Course. This course will walk you through every piece of hiking gear you might need for a short backpacking trip. We’ll cover what every piece of gear is and tips for buying each. What will this guide cover?… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners Course
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need dishes? You probably want to eat while you’re backpacking, right? That usually requires something to eat on and with. This section covers cups, plates, bowls, sporks and spoons. And whether you should… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Dishes
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a water bladder? A water bladder is a plastic bag of water that sits in your backpack with a tube that hangs over your shoulder. Whenever you need a drink… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Water Bladder
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a stove? There are 2 ‘camps’ when it comes to bringing a stove or not hiking. Some like hot meals that a stove can make, others prefer the simplicity of cold-soaked or… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Camp Stove
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need stuff sacks? Jamming everything you need to hike for 4 days or a week into 1 big backpack can make it hard to find anything. Stuff sacks are clear or coloured bags… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Stuff Sacks
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need gaiters? Gaiters are like jackets for your hiking boots. They wrap around the top of your hiking boots and up your legs a bit. They keep the mud, branches and… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Gaiters
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need fuel? Stoves need fuel to burn. What kind of fuel you need depends on your stove. Canister stoves use iso-butane canisters. These are small pressurized canisters like a propane canister for your… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Stove Fuel
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a book? I always have a book when I’m backpacking. This is absolutely optional but there’s something about the peace and quiet that’s nice to maintain when out hiking. There’s going to… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Book
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a map? Navigation is one of the 10 Essentials. You always need a way to figure out where you are and where you are going that doesn’t have batteries and… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Map