Backpacking

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

Why do you need a camera? Another optional piece of gear. I don’t go on many trips without a camera though. It’s an excellent tool for documenting trips. Phone cameras are amazing these days so that can be a quick camera if you don’t have… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Camera

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need trekking poles?  Trekking poles are walking sticks with soft handles, like ski poles. Sometimes they have wide discs around the end at the ground to keep them from sinking into… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Trekking Poles

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a water filter?  No matter where you are, there’s a chance the water source can have protozoa like Cryptosporidium or Giardia. Both cause stomach problems like diarrhea. Not something you want on… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Water filter, drops and tablets