This is my 3,000th post to this group.

Why do we camp and how does that affect what we carry? Often in response to query posts we ask people where they are going and what time of year because with experience we have learned that you carry completely different stuff to do different things in different places under different conditions. You may be a big city dweller, who has never camped and is hearing the Call of The Wild, or you maybe extremely experienced, yet there is always a reason for packing up and driving to the Hinterlands. Perhaps your purpose is simply to go someplace beautiful and quiet to commune with nature. Sooner or later there will come a specific reason for going and that activity will require what I call mission hardware. That hardware may as simple as a camera or as heavy and complex as full climbing gear. Your mission may require you to carry climbing shoes, stream crossing shoes, or camp shoes or down booties – Tevas? – and without that extra gear you can’t do whatcha came fer. Suddenly that really tiny light pack not only isn’t light anymore, but its also too small to carry the mission hardware in addition to your other gear, AND it was never designed to carry the weight.

So why we camp must be the driving force behind gear selection. Those trying to amass gear will have a lot of trial and error to find what works for them, and those who already possess truck loads of gear will have to choose which is appropriate. I carry a large percentage of bombproof rugged gear (that I know will not fail in extreme), yet I balance that with lightweight gear that can fail if it wants to because the really important gear is very rugged.

As has been pointed out, you can camp with nothing at all, as little as a sleeping bag and a water jug, or as much as you can carry, but every item that you take has a reason for being along. The things we carry gives us “capabilities” and why you camp determines which capabilities you require.

If the preceding is hard to follow then simply ask yourself “who am I and what do I want to do in the wilderness?” Our Oregon Mouse is an elderly lady who loves to get out, is almost as tough as nails, but if she had to carry anything besides the absolute minimum gear it would keep her home. She makes an intelligent trade off with each and every item that she carries, but if you do not have the same physical limitations that she has, then you should decide what to take based on your own self. Maybe you don’t exactly jog at altitude and want to take it easy and have fun and the ultral light concept has caught your attention. It’s a great way to go especially if you have limited stamina under load, but you may be tough as nails and enjoy carrying an extra gallon or two of water just to get a better workout, or you may be a hunter with a gun, ammo and a ¼ moose on your back. I find it very hard to go into back country for multiple days with ropes and technical climbing gear and food and having a pack under 45 pounds. If you will need 45 pounds of stuff, do not buy a UL pack. (that 45 pound pack may have a base weight of 16 pounds by the way.) Do not get stuck on base weight, its what you have to pick up and carry that counts.

Sometimes I carry night vision gear, climbing gear, ice tools, crampons, or a rock hammer, or climbing shoes. Sometimes the mission is gourmet cooking and requires 20 pounds of food for 2 people for 3 days. If you intend to carry wine bottles, do not buy a small pack. If you intend to scramble off trail through brush, do not expect really light gear to be made of tough enough fabric to survive. If you go where your life depends on your clothes not failing carry bombproof clothes. My own theory includes bombproof clothes, a rugged stove, and rugged tent. Everything else can fail.

If you haven’t read between the lines: When listening to advice on this or any other forum ask yourself “Does the person writing to me have the same physique and reasons for going as I do and how much does their wise advice actually apply to my situation?” You may not need poles or you may not mind sleeping on a gravel bed without a pad.

In closing, there are some that think a one size fits all, take the least, is the way to go. Others disagree and each person will have to actually go out and experiment to learn what works for them, regardless of how good of lists they started out with. Later you will add other items and discard some and every time you camp you may carry a different set, which is just to say that there are a lot of ways to do things right and many more ways to do things wrong. We can only help get someone into the ballpark so to speak.
Jim