Help!

Looking at camping in the Canadian Gulf Islands this summer. I am coming via boat from Washington state and I am totally new to backpacking. I have read a lot of articles but need lots of help with the lightweight part. I have gone camping before (3 nights at most). I need lots of practical advice! I am looking at 1-2 nights before getting on the boat and going somewhere else.

HELP!!!

You are off to a great start. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I noticed that you have been reading the site for a while. You will learn alot by just reading everything you can. But, you do need to get out. Go out and practice before the trip. You don't have to go far. Good luck, and welcome. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Start with a couple of the light gear lists - on the left side of this site, or there are others
posted here. my profile has a typical one of mine linked (not seriously ultralight, but comfortably so..)

Start by just buying the bits of gear, and practice by driving the car to a local campsite
and overnighting it with your light setup. when you get the minimum you can live with
overnight, take it to the store and buy a pack it fits in.

I hope you've read the excellent articles on the home page of this site! I was able to cut my total pack weight in half using those suggestions, particularly the 27 lb, 7-day pack list. (I'm actually at 24 lbs. for 7 days, but I eat less food than most.)

Be sure to test out your gear and practice skills at home in your back yard. Then maybe a few car-camping trips and then a really short backpack or two (with all your gear) camping only a mile or two from the car. This will allow you to learn how to use your gear and learn some skills where you can bail out if too much goes wrong. Then take several longer distance backpacks which will be a "shakedown cruise." Be sure to do some of this in wet weather.

For this sort of trip, staying dry is extra important. If something gets wet, the atmosphere where you're going is so soggy that it will take forever to dry. Test your rain gear during a long stint in the shower and your other gear (tent or tarp, etc.) outside in the back yard in the rain.