Help Picking Out Camping Gear

Author:‚Ä? ‚ĨDeacon
Height:‚Ä? ‚Ĩ5-11‚Ä?‚Äù
Weight:‚Ä? ‚Ĩ220‚Ä? ‚Ĩlbs
Age:‚Ä? ‚Ĩ39
Experience Level:‚Ä? ‚Ĩ25‚Ä? ‚Ĩyears of hiking,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbackpacking,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcar camping
Location:‚Ä? ‚Ĩ4-season,‚Ä? ‚ĨPacific Northwest Washington

Introduction

So you want to get outdoors and go camping.‚Ä? ‚ĨPerhaps it will be your first time and your researching the topic.‚Ä? ‚ĨMaybe your kids are finally old enough to enjoy it,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand you want to go camping like when you were younger.‚Ä? ‚ĨOr maybe like me,‚Ä? ‚Ĩyou aren’t new to camping but are always interested in what works for other people.‚Ä? ‚ĨThen you you will appreciate things like honest gear reviews,‚Ä? ‚Ĩadvice,‚Ä? ‚Ĩtips and new ideas from persons with no agenda,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsponsorships,‚Ä? ‚Ĩmarketing deals,‚Ä? ‚Ĩor desire to sell anything to anyone.

I have searched the Internet for years for just those types of articles.‚Ä? ‚ĨMost every new sleeping bag,‚Ä? ‚Ĩtent,‚Ä? ‚Ĩpackaged food,‚Ä? ‚Ĩor knife I have tried was researched in hopes of finding someone else’s experience and recommendations that I could learn from.‚Ä? ‚ĨNow it’s my turn to give something back,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand I hope you find it useful.

Let me begin by pointing out the obvious.‚Ä? ‚ĨLots of people have lots of opinions about what works best for them,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand very probably their opinions will differ from my own‚Ä? (‚Ĩand everyone else’s‚Ä?)‚Ĩ.‚Ä? ‚ĨDon’t worry,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand realize that camping is a deeply personal activity.‚Ä? ‚ĨThe gear you need,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthe location you choose,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthe company you keep are all unique to you and the experience you seek.‚Ä? ‚ĨA great deal of successful camping comes from trial and error,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwhere you have to try‚Ä? (‚Ĩand err‚Ä?) ‚Ĩto find what works best for you.‚Ä? ‚ĨNo one else can do this for you,‚Ä? ‚Ĩnot the REI salesman,‚Ä? ‚Ĩnot the editor of camping magazine,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand certainly not me.‚Ä? ‚ĨSo read all you can,‚Ä? ‚Ĩask questions,‚Ä? ‚Ĩlearn,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut in the end try things for yourself and‚Ä? ‚Ĩmake up your own mind.

What Type of Camping

I tend to camp different ways depending on the season,‚Ä? ‚Ĩlength of trip,‚Ä? ‚Ĩdestination,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand who I am going with.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn the spring and summer with my camping buddies,‚Ä? ‚ĨI tend to take a more minimalist approach carrying some packaged food,‚Ä? ‚Ĩknife,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsleeping bag,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand light hammock.‚Ä? ‚ĨWith my wife,‚Ä? ‚ĨI tend to car-‚Ä? ‚Ĩcamp and carry a far greater selection of creature comforts including means to procure my wife’s morning coffee.

‚Ä? ‚ĨIn the fall and winter,‚Ä? ‚ĨI carry additional gear such as a tent-hammock,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthicker pad,‚Ä? ‚Ĩponcho,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand a selection of clothing.‚Ä? ‚ĨCamping in the Pacific Northwest in the winter brings the very real possibility of rain,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcold,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwind,‚Ä? ‚Ĩhypothermia and all forms of damp induced misery.‚Ä? ‚ĨI can minimalist camp in the winter,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut frankly after proving my manhood a few times doing it,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthe romance is gone.

I have found kayak camping to be very rewarding,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsolo or in a group,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand highly recommend the water trail which is maintained by Washington State Parks Department and winds through the Puget Sound including the San Juan Islands.‚Ä? ‚ĨYou can easily pack‚Ä? ‚Ĩ100+‚Ä? ‚Ĩlbs of gear,‚Ä? ‚Ĩgo out for days at a time,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand see country that is far less traveled.‚Ä? ‚ĨFor those who have not tried it,‚Ä? ‚Ĩkayaking is a wonderful way to see wildlife,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcamp at remote locations,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand get extremely close to nature.

In addition,‚Ä? ‚ĨI regularly camp in the backyard.‚Ä? ‚ĨI do this to take a break from the rat race,‚Ä? ‚Ĩeven if I have no time to go camping proper.‚Ä? ‚ĨI also test equipment this way to see if I like it and increase my familiarity before I head out.‚Ä? ‚ĨDo not underestimate the value of backyard camping to test gear,‚Ä? ‚Ĩacclimate yourself to the environment,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand to have fun‚Ä?!

Shelter

As you may have noticed already,‚Ä? ‚ĨI have a thing for hammocks.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn my opinion hammocks are the single most practical way to provide shelter and comfort while camping.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have slept on the ground in debris huts,‚Ä? ‚Ĩon moss beds,‚Ä? ‚Ĩin bivys,‚Ä? ‚Ĩin all kinds of tents,‚Ä? ‚Ĩunder tarps and in the open.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have tried all kinds of pads such as closed cell,‚Ä? ‚Ĩself-inflating,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand air mattresses.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn the end,‚Ä? ‚ĨI have found it difficult to comfortably sleep on the ground and not get up without a sore back.‚Ä? ‚ĨSo I hammock-camp.

Hammocks come in all shapes and sizes and I have tried dozens.‚Ä? ‚ĨFor camping I have found the Hennessey Hammock‚Ä? (‚Ĩhennesseyhammock.com‚Ä?) ‚Ĩworks the best.‚Ä? ‚ĨI purchased mine for around‚Ä? ‚Ĩ$170,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwhich is expensive for a hammock,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut considerably cheaper than a tent of the same quality.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt is lightweight,‚Ä? ‚Ĩeasily packed,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcomfortable and provides protection from insects and rain.‚Ä? ‚ĨIts one drawback that I have found is that the rain fly/tarp can suffer in high wind‚Ä? (‚Ĩ20+‚Ä? ‚Ĩknots‚Ä?) ‚Ĩmaking lots of noise and letting in rain.‚Ä? ‚ĨHowever,‚Ä? ‚ĨI can usually find enough of a windbreak to avoid the problem.

One comment you often hear about hammocks is that they only work if you have trees around,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwhile tents can go anywhere.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn my experience,‚Ä? ‚ĨI have always been able to figure a way to hang my hammock using whatever the environment offered.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt can take a little time and ingenuity,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut so can properly siting a tent,‚Ä? ‚Ĩespecially in the rain on wet ground.

The second comment you often hear about hammocks is that they are cold.‚Ä? ‚ĨJust like a tent however,‚Ä? ‚Ĩit’s all about the insulation underneath you.‚Ä? ‚ĨTruth is,‚Ä? ‚Ĩif you try to sleep in a hammock without a pad under you,‚Ä? ‚Ĩit will chase you out in a hurry.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have found that in‚Ä? ‚Ĩ40‚Ä? ‚Ĩdegrees F or more,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsleeping on one of those auto dashboard sun protectors‚Ä? (‚Ĩthin metal film over foam‚Ä?) ‚Ĩworks great.‚Ä? ‚ĨFor colder temperatures I have success with a RidgeRest closed-cell pad from Thermarest,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthough the self-inflating Thermarests have all worked too.

I have also had some success sleeping in an REI minimalist bivy‚Ä? (‚Ĩx-tra long about‚Ä? ‚Ĩ$90,‚Ä? ‚ĨREI.com‚Ä?) ‚Ĩon a nylon net hammock‚Ä? (‚ĨGI Joes,‚Ä? ‚Ĩabout‚Ä? ‚Ĩ$10‚Ä?)‚Ĩ.‚Ä? ‚ĨI liked not being under a rain fly and the feel of the wind and rain right next to my body.‚Ä? ‚ĨHowever,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthe bivy was just physically too small to accommodate both my sleeping bag and me especially around the shoulders.‚Ä? ‚ĨThis compresses the sleeping bag and it can get cold in a hurry.‚Ä? ‚ĨAlso,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthe REI version of the bivy did not come with a rain fly over the face,‚Ä? ‚Ĩjust mosquito netting.‚Ä? ‚ĨThat’s good for a snow cave,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut bad for a hammock,‚Ä? ‚Ĩso I had to improvise a small pup-tent over my face with my nylon poncho which worked fine.‚Ä? ‚ĨThere are larger bivy’s at REI including the BugaBoo,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut they were out of my price range at over‚Ä? ‚Ĩ$300.‚Ä? ‚ĨSo I went back to my Hennessey Hammock.

For car-camping I really like the tent cot‚Ä? (‚Ĩtentcot.com,‚Ä? ‚Ĩabout‚Ä? ‚Ĩ$90‚Ä? ‚Ĩat GI Joes‚Ä?)‚Ĩ.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have the original design with the additional rain fly.‚Ä? ‚ĨYou cannot hike with it,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut for driving somewhere and having a quick,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcomfortable,‚Ä? ‚Ĩall-weather shelter it works great for me.‚Ä? ‚ĨUse it with the self-inflating Thermarest for great nights sleep.

Sleeping Bag

The most important piece of gear for camping is a good sleeping bag.‚Ä? ‚ĨTo me,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthere are just two important issues to look for in a sleeping bag,‚Ä? ‚Ĩdoes it fit and does it work.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn my case,‚Ä? ‚ĨI cannot afford multiple bags for different activities and seasons,‚Ä? ‚Ĩso I decided to purchase one good bag that had to work for any outing.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have tried several and returned most of them,‚Ä? ‚Ĩusually because they were too small.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have success with the Goliath‚Ä? ‚Ĩ3-D by The North Face.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt is available from both GI Joes and REI.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt is a over sized mummy bag with overlapping synthetic insulation.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt is rated as zero degree bag,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand I have been in the low‚Ä? ‚Ĩ20‚Ä?’‚Ĩs with it with no problems.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn the summer just unzip it,‚Ä? ‚Ĩor sleep on top of it.‚Ä? ‚ĨBe aware that sleeping bag temperature ratings are decided by the manufacturer and in my experience some are more accurate than others.‚Ä? ‚ĨSo stick to a brand name bag from a good source like REI where you can return it if need be.

You will have to decide for yourself whether you want the mummy bag style or the rectangular bunk style.‚Ä? ‚ĨMost folks I know use the mummy style because they are typically warmer and lighter,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthough they can be claustrophobic for some people.‚Ä? ‚ĨYou will also need to chose between synthetic and natural‚Ä? (‚Ĩdown‚Ä?) ‚Ĩinsulation.‚Ä? ‚ĨI like synthetic because it is less expensive,‚Ä? ‚Ĩis warmer when wet,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand dries quicker.‚Ä? ‚ĨDown insulation is typically lighter and compresses tighter,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut expensive.‚Ä? ‚ĨAlso,‚Ä? ‚Ĩyou can lay inside the bag at the store,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut you really will not know if it works for you till you try it a few times in the back yard.‚Ä? ‚ĨWhen you find a bag that works for you,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbuy it and do not worry about the price,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthis is not the place to skimp because of money.

Food and Water

Food stuffs for camping vary all over the map.‚Ä? ‚ĨSome folks bring scratch ingredients,‚Ä? ‚Ĩfix everything themselves and augment from natural sources around them like berries and edible plants.‚Ä? ‚ĨOther people bring entire pre-packaged gourmet meals for breakfast,‚Ä? ‚Ĩlunch and dinner which can often approach‚Ä? ‚Ĩ$9‚Ä? ‚Ĩper person per meal.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have found that two MRE’s for each day‚Ä? (‚ĨMeal Ready to Eat‚Ä?) ‚Ĩwork just fine for me.‚Ä? ‚ĨThey come with individually packaged heaters,‚Ä? ‚ĨI like their taste,‚Ä? ‚Ĩthey are convenient,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand can be eaten hot or cold.‚Ä? ‚ĨAdd trail mix,‚Ä? ‚Ĩgranola bars,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand some hard candy and I’m all set.‚Ä? ‚ĨI use the cardboard containers in the MRE for tinder,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand the plastic wrapper as a bag for wet clothes or as a garbage bag to pack out the trash.‚Ä? ‚ĨFull MRE’s also make decent pillows.‚Ä? ‚ĨJust about everyone I know however,‚Ä? ‚Ĩdisagrees with me that MRE’s taste good.‚Ä? ‚ĨCompared to freeze dried foods they are also heavy and bulky,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut they work for me.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have also had success with Datrex‚Ä? (‚ĨUS Coast Guard approved lifeboat food‚Ä? ‚Äì ‚Ä¨I kid you not‚Ä?) ‚Ĩand it is light,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcheap,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand nutritious,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut I really do not enjoy eating it straight for several days.

For water and beverages,‚Ä? ‚ĨI carry a regular plastic cheep o-deluxe canteen.‚Ä? ‚ĨOn long trips I carry two canteens with a small water filter.‚Ä? ‚ĨWater filter technology is excellent and there are several makes and models at REI.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have never quit trusted the water purification tablets,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut I do carry some in my emergency kit.‚Ä? ‚ĨThe MRE’s all come with various beverage packets such as coffee and lemonade to add to your water for a change of pace.

Again,‚Ä? ‚Ĩyou will have to use some trial and error to see what works for you.‚Ä? ‚ĨTry different things at home for dinner,‚Ä? ‚Ĩtake some to work for lunch.‚Ä? ‚ĨDo not wait till you are out in the boon docks‚Ä? ‚Ĩto find out your expensive freeze dried Chicken Parmesan tastes like old tire tread.

Clothing

Like food stuffs,‚Ä? ‚Ĩclothing also varies and is just as dependent on personal taste.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn my case,‚Ä? ‚Ĩfall and winter in the cold,‚Ä? ‚Ĩdamp Pacific Northwest necessitates close attention to outerwear and clothing.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have tried Goretex,‚Ä? ‚ĨPolar Fleece and lord knows what else.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have had the most success with the good old classics:‚Ä? ‚Ĩlong under wear,‚Ä? ‚Ĩnumerous light layers of clothing and wool outer wear.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have found the newer synthetic fabrics to be especially good in long underwear and socks.‚Ä? ‚ĨThey are comfortable and really wick away the moisture.

For light layers of clothing,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwear what you have that is comfortable and available in your dresser drawer.‚Ä? ‚ĨI f you must spend money,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbuy fleece or Polar fleece,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut do not wear any cotton fabric anywhere on your body.‚Ä? ‚ĨCotton does not keep you warm when it is dry and is downright dangerous when wet.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt saps your body heat even when damp and takes forever to dry.

For outerwear,‚Ä? ‚ĨI like thick wool sweaters and pants.‚Ä? ‚ĨWool fabric naturally sheds water and stays very warm even when it gets wet.‚Ä? ‚ĨI use a wool jacket and cap when it is real cold.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have also had success with GoreTex garments,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut they puncture easily and are very expensive.

I also carry a light nylon poncho for real downpours.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt has a hood and covers both my body and backpack.‚Ä? ‚ĨIt is light,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcheap and functions as a quick tarp,‚Ä? ‚Ĩpup-tent,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwindbreak,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsitting pad,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwater collector,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand pillow.

If you are hiking about for any distance,‚Ä? ‚Ĩspend considerable time getting a good quality,‚Ä? ‚Ĩcomfortable pair of hiking boots.‚Ä? ‚ĨThen spend considerable time testing and breaking in these boots so that you know you can wear them comfortably all day long,‚Ä? ‚Ĩfor several days in a row.

Tools

Research camping topics on the Internet and you will invariably find lists of things you need to pack with you while camping.‚Ä? ‚ĨYou will find lists of medical supplies,‚Ä? ‚Ĩemergency supplies and food supplies.‚Ä? ‚ĨThere are lists reminding you to pack maps,‚Ä? ‚Ĩmosquito netting,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbug repellent,‚Ä? ‚Ĩflashlights,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwhistles,‚Ä? ‚Ĩhatchets,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsilverware,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsunglasses,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand frying pans.‚Ä? ‚ĨI couldn’t lift all the stuff the experts have told me to take,‚Ä? ‚Ĩlet alone take it camping or hiking.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have found that a very few select tools are all that are required for a manageable and enjoyable camping trip.

Here are the tools that I take camping with minor variation for season and duration.‚Ä? ‚ĨA good all purpose knife‚Ä? (‚Ĩsix inch fixed blade‚Ä?)‚Ĩ,‚Ä? ‚Ĩa magnesium bar for fail-safe fire starting,‚Ä? ‚Ĩa lighter,‚Ä? ‚Ĩa medicine bottle filled with cotton saturated with Vaseline for tinder,‚Ä? ‚Ĩa small Silva compass,‚Ä? ‚Ĩa cheap quartz watch,‚Ä? ‚Ĩabout twenty feet of parachute cord,‚Ä? ‚Ĩa candle lantern,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand a stainless steel cup for cooking.‚Ä? ‚ĨFor medical supplies I use one of the small hiker kits from REI.‚Ä? ‚ĨSometimes I carry a pocket survival book for general reading in the evenings and because I might need it.‚Ä? That’s‚Ĩ about it.‚Ä? ‚ĨI suppose that does not look like much stuff compared to all the lists on the Internet,‚Ä? ‚Ĩhowever my minimalist camping friends laugh and joke that I might as well be camping in a Winnebago.‚Ä? ‚ĨOf course one of these guys snapped the end of his toothbrush off to save weight.‚Ä? ‚ĨLike I have said,‚Ä? ‚Ĩtest these things out and make up your own mind about what works for you.

Conclusion

Although this discussion has been very brief,‚Ä? ‚ĨI have covered a number of camping topics describing what works for me.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have formed these opinions by reading,‚Ä? ‚Ĩasking questions,‚Ä? ‚Ĩand learning as much as I could beforehand,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut mostly through trial and error.‚Ä? ‚ĨI find a lightweight hammock-tent,‚Ä? ‚Ĩwith the proper insulating pad and a good sleeping bag keeps me warm and dry at night.‚Ä? ‚ĨThe days are enjoyable with food that I like to eat and clothing choices that keep me comfortable in any weather.‚Ä? ‚ĨIn addition,‚Ä? ‚ĨI only carry the minimum amount of tools I need to do the job.‚Ä? ‚ĨAll this allows me to spend time enjoying the camping experience without fussing about gear.

Notes

I happen to live where the two closest large camping retailers are REI and GI Joes.‚Ä? ‚ĨI have found over the years that REI and GI Joes both honor their respective return policies very well.‚Ä? ‚ĨYou may have noted above that I am not shy about trying products from these companies and returning them if I am less than satisfied.‚Ä? ‚ĨThey make the rules and I am just following those rules.‚Ä? ‚ĨHowever,‚Ä? ‚Ĩsince I really value their return policies I make every effort to purchase from these stores even when the same products may be available elsewhere for less money.‚Ä? ‚ĨAbsolutely you should return gear that you do not find satisfactory,‚Ä? ‚Ĩbut then be fair and do not abuse the policy either.

If you have found this article useful and would like to see more or have questions or topic ideas I might be able to help with,‚Ä? ‚Ĩplease let the webmaster know.‚Ä? ‚ĨSee you out there,‚Ä? ‚ĨDeacon.