Backpacking Gear

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

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a notebook and pen? I love taking notes of what happened on my trips. I journal a bit, including notes on what gear I’m using (or not) so I can refine my… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Notebook and Pen

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a compass? Some maps show trails, lake names and mountain names on them and may work for navigating without a compass but most don’t. The lakes and mountains also need… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Compass