First Purchases

I have recently got back into hiking and want to get more into backpacking. I already have a pack, tent, sleeping bag and pad. Looking ahead to hiking and single overnight trips on the weekends what would be the first items to buy?

This is what I was thinking:

1. Trekking poles
2. Stove to practice cooking for longer trips
3. Rain gear (I will do most hiking in the North East)

Thanks in advance. My name is Joe btw

Sounds like good priorities to me, as long as you're planning to start out in temperate (say, lows in the 50s) conditions. You might add a number 4, a water filter (or some purification tablets), if you plan to camp away from potable sources.

How are you fixed for hiking clothes for cooler weather? (I assume you already have boots or hiking shoes.)

I'm sure others will offer more specific plans for first trips, and for additional gear items.

Trekking poles are something people usually get later. Until you can afford them, a walking stick from a branch you find in the woods will do fine.

Choosing a stove is somewhat complicated and you don't actually need one for an overnight trip. Some go without for longer trips.

This leaves the raingear. For me, raingear isn't just for the rain. It's also an effective outer layer. With long johns, a fleece and a rain jacket I'm good down to around 15 or 20 degrees. Now comes the cost. If you are going to get something that will last, you will likely have to pay around $100. The Marmot Precip or similar rain jacket is a good choice. It's not just for hiking and camping. It will do well on rainy and snowy days at home if you layer well.

How you start depends on how much money you have and how fast you want to get started. If I lived in that area, I'd get out on the Appalachian Trail as soon as I could. You might just get addicted.

Check out the gear links on the home page of this site:

http://www.backpacking.net/

Especially the DYI Gear:

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html

There are some cool stoves you can make for next to nothing and they work really good, and lots of other great projects you might want to play with.

Also look into the dehydrated meals you can make yourself or purchase. They're a lot better than you might think if you've never had one, and they're light, easy, and fast to cook. You can go gourmet with that stuff if you want.

I use a hiking stick too, lots of others here use trekking poles. I'd offer that you might get some Wal-Mart cheapies first to see if you like them, then upgrade if you do.

Backpackers do tend to scrounge the thrift stores for gear and clothes. Wool sweaters, fleece tops and bottoms, down jackets, rain gear, cook stoves and kitchen utensils, even sleeping bags, packs, and tents. There are some good deals to be found if you keep looking.

Regarding trekking poles: unless you're planning on using them as shelter supports, there is no reason to buy pricey ones unless you just want to. I have a "cheapie" from walmart that has served me without fail for the last year and a half of hard use.

I do have some Merrell's I hike in so my foot gear is okay for now, no boots, but I like them for what I do (never liked how boots feel actually). As for clothes though I have nothing. I hike in a pair of theses dockers that are actually pretty comfy, but I was reading that cotton is a bad material to wear. For my top I usually wear something breathable (like gym clothes) because it has been hot where I have been hiking.

So then what are the critical types of clothing I should be looking for after a rain shell (coat)? Also, what brands actually make solid gear and what brands are more trendy? For example is a company like North Face legit and worth some of the prices (lots of sorority girls love those fleece jackets) or is there a better less know company out there that makes great gear and only the people in the know, you guys, love.

I used to make a condescension joke about frat guys wearing North Face jacket. "Oh, you wear North Face? You must go on so many adventures." I personally prefer Marmot and Mountain Hardwear. I'm still wearing some old Columbia clothes and random dri-fit tees such as Nike and some from my baseball days. I still pack my Under Armor for baselayer. All my next clothing purchases are suits for work, Marmot and Mountain Hardwear.

Now that we got the brands out of the way, you might want a mid-weight or lightweight baselayer. If your wallet allows it maybe a insulating jacket to wear under the shells or wear as stand alone around the campsite. Pants, I prefer nylon or polyster pants because cotton absorbs moisture and takes forever to dried. In the winter months a shell pants might be a cool option if you can shell out the dough and live in an area that receives abundant of snowfall. Otherwise nylon pants and a gaiter be alright for winter. Here are some examples in order as mentioned above:


Mountain Hardwear Baselayer (There are thicker ones like this made by other companies or even Mountain Hardwear makes a fleece version like this.)

Marmot Jacket (this is the jacket I have but I don't have the hoodie version)

Marmot Pants

Anyway those are random examples, I'll just add go to a outfitter and look at clothes that lacks cotton.

P.S. The only regret I have about my expensive Marmot jacket is I wish I got one with a hood instead. For times I'm in town and don't have my beanie. In the backcountry I always have a beanie, but not always the case in town.

I have a North Face fleece which I love. But I got it on sale for about half price. If a fleece is what it takes to attract the sority girls, then buy one they like.

REI has some decent fleeces on sale now for about $50.

If I were buying a fleece now, I'd check out this American made fleece

You have received some excellent recommendations here and I can mostly say "+1." But just a few details tuck into the pack (I have two). It has often been my extra jacket, the "just in case" item of clothing I routinely tuck into the pack on an outing. It is light and highly protective. Even lighter is Patagonia's Houdini.

I am a Patagonia fan. I still have a first generation Patagonia fleece jacket, purchased thirty years ago. P makes good stuff which will last forever, as do other good companies. Keep an eye out for bargains, but don't be afraid to spend for true quality, especially for key items, like a good shell.

In the mid 80s, North Face made the NPS uniform parkas, which were superb garments. I finally wore one out after more that fifteen years of hard use. It kept me warm and dry, but it only attracted one coed (and she was in graduate school - today she is Mrs. Old Ranger).

Haha, now I wasn't saying North Face doesn't make good gear, it just so happens that every sorority girl at the school I went to had that one popular fleece.

Crap, I need to get a new winter hat too!

Go to sears, and pick up a pair of 100% polyester khakis for $10 when they go on sale. I did that last year, and wear the same pair of pants to church that I wear backpacking. Or, if you already own a pair of nylon track pants, you have a set that will work.

Heck, Sears had polartec fleece shirts for $35 when I was in there tonight. Wal/K/Mart are good sources for cheap workout clothes (which are now all synthetic because they dry better) as well.

PAY FULL PRICE FOR NOTHING.

If you don't have synthetic item X for the first couple trips, bring a spare. It's only overnight, and it's hard to get so far out in the middle of nowhere around Philly that you can't haul your shivering butt home alive.

I wasn't saying North Face makes bad gears, either. I just felt like making fun of its popularity. I'm twisted in the head that way. It just seems to me that lot of people who are in higher social class tends to wear North Face jackets in this area and they don't do outdoor recreations except maybe snowboarding/skiing and riding their fancy wake boats around the lake. So, it gave me the perception that North Face was for people who were non-outdoorsy. With that said, North Face does make quality gears for avid outdoors-man, I just hated the image it gave in this area. haha. You gotta admit that Mountain Hardwear has one cool logo! I forgot who came up with it, but some marketing campaign once said, "Image is everything." I guess I didn't like the image North Face gave in this area. If I go elsewhere it probably only popular among folks like me.

It seems like when a quality gear maker becomes popular, the masses want to wear the apparel even if they aren't participating in the sport itself. It's good for the bottom line of the gear maker and sometimes they can use that extra revenue to push the envelope of innovation and provide even better gear for the hardcore users. Columbia comes to mind in this aspect.

You are going to need a water filter or purification tablets. I prefer a filter. I have this one which I bought about 12 years ago.It seems to be one of the lighter filters and also the least expensive.

I'd suggest either filtering all water or bringing extra toilet paper.

lol. how about a gravity feed system? those seem pretty nice and not very energy intensive.

I will try not to pay full price for anything!

Lori seems to really like her Sawyer filter... run a search and you'll see a lot on it. I think OregonMouse built a gravity filter (check Make your Own Gear). Many of the rest of us use pumps. The common wisdom is to protect your filter element from freezing to prevent cracking.

If you're just getting started, bleach in a dropper bottle (follow CDC's recommendations for what to do in an emergency) or a pack of tablets will get you there at low cost and weight.

Recommend reviewing REI's tutorial paper on the subject.

To me, gravity filter seems pointless for one person, but for a group it will be a handy piece of equipment. I have this: Sawyer Squeeze System It's the first one on the list. It's great for filtering for yourself. I've used it twice so far and haven't gotten sick or needed a towel to wipe with...

Of course I can see a drawback in the future if I cannot find running water. (it might be hard to fill up the pouch with still water.) My pump filter would shine in this situation, so I'm working on an idea to attach a pump to my sawyer filter for this situation.

Or, in the rare situations where that happens, you could just dip water with your pot and pour it into the "dirty water" bladder, then squeeze. I'll let you know how that works when I encounter the situation.

I have a Sawyer Squeeze, a ULA Amigo Pro with a Cleanstream filter grafted into the hose, and a Hiker Pro (Katadyn).

I am probably taking the Squeeze back. Ambivalent about the bags (a friend has replaced two of his under warranty, twice!), not liking it, and my gravity filter is FASTER.

The Hiker Pro and gravity filter are about the same in terms of speed, and are needed in different situations. If I am going to the coast where sources are muddy and shallow, I will take the pump filter with a bandanna to put over the pre filter. If I'm going into the mountains I'll take the gravity filter every time. It doubles as a shower and does me very well, while having no plastic to crack, and the Cleanstream is backflush-able.

The Hiker Pro is new - replaced one that I used til the fitting on the inlet hose cracked and no longer held.

Lori,

If you had to have just one filter, would you prefer the pump or the gravity feed?

I prefer the gravity filter, but I also prefer the hammock - I take what I need for the trip, not what I prefer.

Re the rain gear... It never rained on the trip I just took, but I was sure glad I brought it... as mosquito gear.

Rain gear is the only thing you really need. DriDucks are good. Bring duct or Tyvek tape for patches.

I have trekking poles, but I've stopped bringing them.

You could cook over a small twig fire, or go cookless. I usually use a fire.

A filter or chlorine dioxide tablets might be a good idea. I often drink water straight in wilderness areas, but with careful consideration of the water and the risks.