so ive been planning on taking a back country hiking/camping trip it will be 3 days long (Fri, Sat, Most of Sun) in washington state, so temps wont be too crazy just lots of rain always

http://amzn.com/w/ALJYNLQ3LEMW

any tips? am i spending too much on somthing? do i have most of everything? some small stuff and food stuffs will be purchased locally. ive camped before but never anything of this length without packing it all into a car.. lol

weight shouldnt be that much of an issue as im trying to keep it as light as possible tho I am a pretty big guy and do physical labor all day for work.


ANNNNND. boots will be some form of danner waterproof goretex with vibram sole. thinking 5" or 6" boot.

Cheers,
NK

It really depends on where you are going, and when. If I were you, I would try to rent or borrow as much equipment as I could---so that I could see which stuff I really liked, and which stuff made me grumpy.

And I wouldn't take a folding shovel on very many trips...

You can see our list on our website. You might want to compare and see how yours stacks up. Bear in mind that weight is at LEAST as important as price. Lighter is definitely the way to go!

money is a big thing. but as my family goes camping all the time i wouldnt mind having a nice set of gear for campground camping lol.. and the trip isnt gona be for a few months so I will have time to spread the money for it out.

also what would the rules be for going in the woods? shovel was cuz i thought i would have to bury my #2. lolalso shovel for assist in making firepit for nights?


and I dont think I ever do anything minimally heh.


im guessing that the trip will not be during the month or two of warm weather we get here. and appart from a few brutally cold nights here and there the weather kinda stays the same for most of the year lol. 50-70 degrees with constant rain.


ALSO @ THE GUY BELOW
ive looked at alot of those lists. was just wanting some feedback if anything looked bad or was a shotty company. or wutnot.

Several good gear lists on the home page of this site, plus lots of tips on gear selection and many other aspects of backpacking.

Most of what you've picked out looks pretty good.

I don't think you need two battery chargers.

That's a really big Ka-bar knife, I doubt you'll need two knives.

Probably don't need a zippo lighter. A small Bic would likely do fine.

The folding shovel wouldn't make it into my pack.

Neither would the light sticks.

Check out the Gear List and other info linked on the left side of the page here. That will give you some good ideas. Read the article on "Lightening the Load" too.

Since this is your first multi-day trip, I suggest you take whatever you want. What ever makes you comfortable. When you get back go over your gear again and take a second look at what you didn't use, and of those items look for what you didn't need. Then consider leaving what you didn't use and don't need at home next time.

For example, I have a Two-Way Radio and I carried it a few times after I got it, but I don't carry it anymore. Except for the NOAA weather channels, I never used it. I carry my cell phone instead now. It has good weather apps, and I have a better chance of contacting someone if I need to, and vice/versa.

hmmm.. there must be somthing wrong with the list.

the knife is big but not retardedly big.(5" blade isnt that big?) there is only one on the list.

only one bruton batterypack and misc batteries for rest. no chargers.

i like zippo. its for my ciggies

shovel is gone.

annnd 2way radio is cuz my first trip will be with 2 or so other people.

You did ask for feedback - this is where many of us started, getting the idea that what we were planning maybe wasn't as ideal as we thought. I no longer have the first set of gear I started with, for example.

5" is a huge knife, compared to what I carry. I cannot think of a single chore that I would need a 5" blade to do. I also take no batterypack, no zippo, and none of the other gear you have on the list. Does not mean your list is bad, just heavy and not to my personal liking. But I can tell you exactly why I don't carry those things and let you think on that.

Selecting gear from Amazon means you can't try on the things that need to fit - the pack needs to work for you, and the gear you want to take all needs to fit inside and carry well with it. Can't stress how important that fit is.

If this is your first trip with a backpack I will suggest renting, not buying, the major gear. Don't waste money until you know A) you want to keep backpacking and B) you know what you want. (You don't know what you don't know right now. I know this, because before my first adult, self planned outing, I knew less than you.)

I would not buy Alps Mountaineering sleeping bags, either, based on experience, sleeping bags that are cheap are also very heavy and not real warm.

Rent the sleeping bag, pad (something you are missing and will need), stove, pack, and maybe some trekking poles. Pack some synthetic or wool layered clothing. Pack some food. See how it goes.

Thanks for breaking the ice, Lori; I was trying to figure out a polite way of saying, "You really aren't going to equip yourself from Amazon, are you?!"

In the original post, you don't say where you live; but since it's only 2-3 nights you're planning, I'll assume you live near where you're going, which puts you somewhere in the Northwest. That means there's a good chance there's an outdoor shop near you (perhaps REI, or maybe a local outfitter.) Buy your stuff there. You have to really try hard to buy lesser-quality outdoor gear nowadays, but if you're dead set on getting the heaviest, least useful gear you can find, Amazon would be a good place to start. (Dick's, Gander Mountain, Pro Bass, and WalMart are also places to easily go wrong.) Don't get me wrong; these places also have some good gear, but they have a lot of marginal and unsuitable gear for backpacking.

The outdoor store will carry a better range of gear. Yes, their sleeping bags and packs will cost more than the stuff on Amazon - there's a reason for that: quality. The outdoor store will also have a knowledgeable staff that can quickly tell you what you do and don't need, and how the pieces come together to form a good kit. They'll be able to fit your pack to you, which, as Lori said, is vitally important; they'll also be able to help you pick the proper capacity pack. You'll pay a bit more, but you'll be way ahead in the long run, because you won't be replacing the bag, pad, etc. right away and because good advise from people who know their inventory is worth a little extra money.

One specific comment: while the Katadyn filter is a good one, it's probably overkill for anything you'll be doing. Take a look at the MSR Miniworks. It's cheaper, simpler to use, reliable, reasonably light (but not ultralight) and consistently gets high marks (well, maybe not from SkateboardJoe on Amazon, but definitely from people who've spent some time actually using it in the backcountry.)

Do some research on gear lists here, then print one out and head to a reputable backpacking & camping store.

Looks like the list has changed since yesterday. I must have misread the description of the rechargeable batteries, but I could swear I saw a charger on the list yesterday too.

Here are the two knives I mentioned:

Victorinox Swiss Army Soldier Knife Standard Issue

Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife

Zippo's are great lighters. I used to burn my skin a lot with them when I carried one in my pocket and it leaked on me. Of course, I was only about 12 years old then, and made a habit of filling them with way more lighter fluid than they needed

Weight really does matter no matter how big you are. You may be able to carry a bag of cement from the truck easier than a small person, but it's a whole new game when you are carrying it the equivalent of up and down the Empire State Building. Then your own body weight becomes a disadvantage.

There are 7 or 8 people on the site who drug my choices through the mud all through the summer. Now my pack is under 26 pounds for a 3 night/4 day trip. Down from 43 pounds at the beginning of the summer. It could be a couple pounds lighter, but I decided to keep some things. (Like the pack.)

The best advice was getting a postage scale to weigh everything. The second best thing I did was make a spreadsheet of what I carried and the weights. Mine is below. There are some things I don't bring others consider essential. A knife, compass, toilet paper, sleeping pad. There are other things I could replace with lighter or better choices, but I'm not ready to spend the money yet. A new sleeping bag is likely what I'll buy next, but I'm still debating which one.

Cost is also a factor. $62 seems excessive for a compass unless you are orienteering.

Look at the websites people have in their signature's. Lori's is real good. And so is balzaccom's.

Here is my list. None of it is especially expensive or top of the line. I'd suggest making one for yourself so it gives some direction to your purchases. BTW, I have Danner boots with an 8" top and I love them. It's one place I go completely against the crowd.