Hi guys..nice looking site, thanks for letting me in

I'm Kevin, 30 yrs old. I'm living just outside Newcastle, England. A 'geordie' as we're known from this area

Ok, I'm very much interested in backpacking/wild camping. I have never been before. There seems to be so much info..I have become a little overwhelmed with it all. I'm just not sure where to start with this...?

For my 'first time'..I plan on going on a two night weekend trek with my buddy, through Cumbria or Northumberland. The weather will be cold as it will probably happen in late January.

This gives me plenty of time to plan things out properly..and to start collecting/buying the equipment/clothing I will be needing.

I'm quite fit and I'm a country man at heart..so I don't really mind buying a lot of stuff first time out. The equipment/clothing will be used over and over..I just want to make sure I start of by purchasing the correct stuff for my needs. I'm 5.8' and 10.5st..if this is useful.

I was hoping some of the more experienced guys here would be kind enough to set me off in the right direction...? Even though we're probs thousands of miles apart..the info could prevent me from costly mistakes, etc.

I've looked at a lot of Nutnfancy's vids on youtube..and I've seen his 8 part vid on equipment/clothing. I like his views about not travelling to light..and I do like the sound of having some comforts in remote spaces.

My buddy also wants to go fishing on our first trip..and probs the rest of the trips also. I know the weight here could be a big issue. He likes carp fishing and said he would just travel light.

But I don't think he would come unless there was some sort of fishing involved..so I have to make a compromise with him. For now though..I would just like to forget about the fishing part..and work out waht I myself will need for this first time wild backpacking adventure....

If any of you guys can help me out..please comment..as it will be very useful and greatly appreciated from me. Thanks

Kevin

PS..at the moment I have nothing..no correct clothing/rucksack or equipment. My budget is probably in the region of four to seven hundred pounds to start me off.

Just ordered some Timberland hiking boots and I have my eye on a Paclite Gore-Tex berghaus..so looks like I have these two areas covered. It's all the other essentials I'm unsure about..backpack, tent, groundsheet, sleeping bag, stove, tools, trousers, etc..

I'm thinking..If I can keep all the essentials to a minimum (weight-wise)..then I have more leeway for 'comforts'. Maybe this is correct thinking..maybe it's incorrect thinking...I don't know...lol!

I look forward to hearing some wise words from you guys. Will have a good read around the site..but tis great to recieve some 'one to one' advice also. Cheers

Forgive my ignorance guys.

After reading a few topics in this section..I now realise that I need to start collecting gear..before I think about a pack.

Should I start off by trying to find/buy the heaviest items down to the lightest? Say..start with the two man tent? All of my equipment will be bought 'online' including the pack.

The tent (and whatever that may be needed with this, groundsheets, etc), sleeping bag and cooking stove..I would like to keep these as light/compact as possible. With a balance between weight/performace/ and cost...just good all rounders.

Like for instance. I don't want the tent to be to small/cramped..yet I don't want it to be to heavy/costly. These are the types of issues..I cant get my head around. Don't really know where to start looking/names to look for, etc.

Bearing in mind, I'm in the UK..and overseas shipping will be expensive..and is probs out of the question.

Does anybody know of any good 'beginner kits' or whatever..that I can find in the UK..and will see me through..say my first year or two of backpacking? Thanks for reading, guys

MSR is a good brand, most of my gear is from there.

http://www.completeoutdoors.co.uk/MSR/

that site should get you the gear you need, thats basically the same we have here in the US

Ok..thanks very much for the advice/link MrPhotographer06

I'll check it out..tis much appreciated

Hi, Kevin,

If it were me, I would probably start with a good book. In the USA I would recommend The Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher. In addition to being a good backpacking primer, this book includes a fair amount of philosophy, the "why to" as well as the "how to." I am sure someone can recommend a similar book that's more specific to British hiking.

All mail order, you say? No local hiking shops? You might check online for some British hiking/trekking web sites. They'll have more specific local information about gear, clothing, and the like -- much better than any list I might send you. (Seeing as I have never been to England, and all.) Or you could call a national outfitter and talk to one of their salespeople.

In any case, proper fit is a key part of several items you'll need -- boots, pack, clothing. Just make sure you can exchange whatever you buy if it doesn't fit well.

You can look over the gear lists on the main page of this website. These will give you a starting point, anyway, and a list of questions to ask. Note that most hiking gear lists are "three season" -- that is, NOT winter. How cold is it in January? Here in the mountains we would have lows ranging in the single digits (F) to maybe 20 (F) or so (around -20 to -7 C.) Cold enough to be somewhat dangerous without the proper gear, in other words. That will have a major impact on what gear you need.

Good luck.

I have seen Outdoors Magic recommended as a good source of information for UK hiking.

First of all, you might have considered the type of hiking and what type of terrain that you are to be traveling in before you made your boot purchase. I am thinking, that for your purpose, those Timberlands are much too heavy a boot to think of hiking in them. The second is to consider what kind of a trip you are taking and for how long, and the weather that you will be traveling in. Then you might consider purchasing your gear first and then buying a pack to fit the "necessary" gear that you want to put in it. I think that the three basics, your bag, your shelter, and your cook kit are those things that you will need the most experienced with...sabre11004...

If you haven't already, look at the articles listed on the home page of this website (left column), paying special attention to the gear lists. While some of the items are discontinued or may not be available in the UK, the information will give you good guidelines for weights, materials, etc.

Don't be in too much of a hurry! Take your time and shop around.

As much as I hate to refer people to articles on BackpackingLight where a subscription is required, this one should be very useful for you: "Gear Suitable for Wet Cold Weather Hiking". The author lives in Scotland. You can get by without paying for the article by looking in the Editors' Roundtable section of the forum, which is free: the author, Chris Townsend, posted his gear list.