I am obviously new to backpacking and will mostly be going in the North Carolina mountains in the spring-fall months. Any suggestions on what kind of bag and tent to get while being on a budget?

Well the type of budget your looking at will determine a lot of things.

For starters you could get a $69.00 eureka solitaire"bivy style tent" and augment that with a $30-40 Coleman bag from wallmart and you'll be out just over a hundred bucks.

Also don't forget that a sleeping pad is a critical part of your sleep system its what keeps the ground from chilling you to the core. Wallmart sells one of those for six bucks as well.

If you don't already have a backpack I highly advice waiting until you have a minimum of your tent and bag pickd out as these to items are likely to be the majority of your bulk and weight.

If your looking to spend a little more then you will have many choices. Look at the links on the left of this page. And read thru these forums they are full of lots of usefull
information.

I'm sure others will chime in with a lot more help than I. But welcome to the forums none the less.

I have a pack already that is 3650ci. and i was looking to go a little bit more like up to $100 for a bag and $130 for a tent. I have found some that meet this criteria but i guess what I'm really asking is, are there any brands I should stay away from that are junk? or does anyone know of any in this price range that are more "bang for the buck" than others?

Hey Ktemp,

There is a difference between "cheap" and "inexpensive". Walmart gear will work great for a while but will not last as long as good quality gear, especially after multiple uses. I would make sure that you really like backpacking before you go and spend alot on quality gear. When I first started backpacking I used a homemade fleece blanket, a $15 brown tarp, and an old external frame pack from the 80's. This worked fine and was ok for most trips. However, if I was going to splurge on one thing it would be a slpeeing bag and pad. My fleece blanket was ok, but the first night I slept in my Montbell down bag with a good thermarest pad, it was like the skies opened and the waters parted. After hiking 15+ mile days a good night sleep is priceless. If you start to really enjoy backpacking, you'll have plenty of time to collect good quality gear.

As far as tents go...a $15 8'X10' tarp from Walmart weighs about 20oz. and if pitched well, can keep you dry in all but the most extreme of conditions. If you can sleep well under a tarp, you'll feel spoiled once you sleep in a good quality tent (if you buy one at all).

I hike almost exclusively in NC, and I know those hills pretty well. Im always looking for folks to hike with and I'd be happy to go with you on some test run overnighters.

Good luck to you!

alright thanks! I may try that this spring

Here is how it works with bags- cheap, warm, light-pick two of these. Anyone who says you can get all three has no idea what they are talking about. Example- a down bag is lighter, but may cost twice as much as a comparably rated synthetic bag.

Bags sold under the "house brand" of companies like EMS or REI are good value. Something like this should work for you-
http://www.rei.com/product/798889/rei-zen-25-sleeping-bag-regular-09-special-buy

They have others on their website as well the ones that are on sale.

Look at our sponsors' websites-on the left side of this page. Look at the outlet sites. For example, Backcountry gear has Marmot bags on sale-
http://www.backcountrygear.com/clearance.html?cat=358

Marmot is a brand I would trust. Are these the perfect bag? No, but the price is right. I have a pair of Marmot rain pants, so I'm basing my opinion on that piece of gear. You will find bags and other gear on sale for the holidays, so now is a good time to be shopping. Don't pay retail for anything. Someone will have a suitable bag on sale.

Another option is to buy used name brand gear off Craigslist or eBay, but the question remains, what is a bargain and what is junk? I've bought used gear, but I've been looking at gear and reviews of gear for years, so I have a good idea what I want. But, for a newbie, it can be a real challenge.

For example, depending on where you live, you may see dozens of bags on Craigslist and of course on eBay, there are thousands of bags, most of which are cheaply made and not worth the money. it takes a lot of looking to find a deal that won't disappoint you. Given the deals out there, unless you are looking for something specific, you may as well get a new one.

Stay away from the dirt cheap stuff you see at Wal-Mart and similar stores. Based on reviews I have read on Wal-Mart's own site, the temperature ratings are nowhere near the actual warmth of the bags, they are poorly made and often start to fall apart immediately, broken zippers being a common complaint.

The Kelty 20*F Cosmic Down sleeping bag has had good reviews and can be found for $100 or less. It's quite a bit heavier and won't last as long as a top quality down bag (example: Western Mountaineering or Feathered Friends), but it's sure a lot cheaper. It's also lighter and, properly cared for, should last longer than a cheap synthetic bag. The newer version is EN13537 rated so you can assume the temperature rating is fairly accurate, unlike most inexpensive bags where you need to assume it's 10* less warm than the fictitious manufacturer rating.

It would be a good bag to start out with and should last long enough for you to save up for one of the much lighter top quality bags, assuming you become hooked on backpacking!

I can't stress enough the importance of a good, well-insulated sleeping pad!

this may be the wrong spot to ask this but i have a ? about a backpack. may i?

yea, kevbo go right ahead. Thanks to everyone else who contributed, I feel a little more comfortable about all this now.