This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Time to get onto the food portion of this guide. You need to eat, right? Cooking is an activity that you probably don’t need on day-hikes. Throw a sandwich and granola bar in your pack and… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Cooking Gear
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a repair kit? Stuff happens. Gear can wear out on the trail or accidents can happen that breaks gear. A repair kit is like your first aid kit but for gear. List… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Repair Kit
This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Now you know enough to get into some gear and get out on some trips. Take it slow, learn as you go and hike with people that know more than you. You’ll be exploring beautiful remote… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Time to Hike!
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