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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 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. 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 tarp?  Tarps can be used for 2 separate things when backpacking. Some people just use them to cover a common area for cooking and building your tent. Using it like this… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Tarp

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a pillow? Obviously you need to put your head on something when you’re sleeping. But it doesn’t have to be an actual pillow.  Bringing a whole pillow from home will be large,… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Pillow

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a sleeping bag? Sleeping outside is going to get a little chilly. We need something to keep us warm at night.  Sleeping bags are compact bags of insulation that keep you warm… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Sleeping Bag

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Why do you need a sleeping mat?  Since you’re going to be sleeping outside, you need something to sleep on. We can bring a big foam mattress, or even a large inflatable mattress. There are a… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Sleeping Mat

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. Other options are a hammock with a tarp over it, or just a tarp over a sleeping bag and mat. Most people start with a tent.  Tents give you lots of protection from the weather, bugs… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Tent

This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course. This is where we start to get into the differences between day hiking and backpacking. Day hiking you go out, hike, then come home to sleep. Spending nights out in the wilderness for 1 or more… Read More »Backpacking Gear for Beginners: Sleeping Gear