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Backpacking gear on a budget.
billwill
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hey all,
I posted a thread a few months back about backpacking New Zealand this summer, and it seems like that might materialize. I've been training every day, and I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. One thing I'm curious about, however, is gear.
Can you guys recommend any good places to shop? Any specific brands of packs/tents/sleeping bags/etc, or what I should look for and consider when shopping? I don't need the best of the best, just something that's of good value for the price.
I posted a thread a few months back about backpacking New Zealand this summer, and it seems like that might materialize. I've been training every day, and I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. One thing I'm curious about, however, is gear.
Can you guys recommend any good places to shop? Any specific brands of packs/tents/sleeping bags/etc, or what I should look for and consider when shopping? I don't need the best of the best, just something that's of good value for the price.
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billwill on
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This place has some pretty awesome deals. Watch it everyday. Camping/hiking gear depends a lot on personal preferences. things like climate, body shape, type of hiking, etc all come into play when picking the right equipment. Good hiking gear is expensive. You can make anything work though. I'm not a gear snob, but I've been burned by ill fitting equipment or shoddy zippers and/or stitching enough times that I try and spend a little more when buying gear.
One volume issue you do need to make accommodations for is a kettle (someone in your party needs one). Counting on chlorine or filtration is not enough, the only way to make water safe enough to drink when you are miles away from medical help is to boil it. If you don't you're taking a gamble against percentages. Prions will make it through activated carbon and are not truly alive enough to be rendered inert by chlorine at drinkable levels (remember, some types can make it past digestion). Only boiling can give you reasonable certainty.
1.) dont skimp on the important stuff.
Tents, backpacks, the stuff thats gonna see a lot of wear and tear. You wanna splurge on these a little. A cheap tent might seem like a good deal untiil you get it set up and it starts leaking like a rusted submarine the first rain you get. I'd reccomend you spend at least 100 bucks on a two man tent, anything less you'll just be throwing your money away on.
(case in point, it's not really an outdoor camping bag, but I bought a chrome messeneger bag about three years ago and it's been through hell and it still works and looks great. I also succumbed to temptation last year and bought a 20 dollar tent at walmart. First rain I got we were ductaping the rainfly to the tent to keep it from leaking.)
2) A camelbak is a good investment
Staying hydrated is very important. having a camelbak makes it conveninent. I got one and it's been an amazing investment. Think about it if you can afford one, they make all different kinds.
I'm actually getting this gear for a "test" backpacking experience at a mountain close by to where I live (which is Las Vegas, and the mountain is Mt Charleston).
I'm thinking three to four days, max. And this one will be solo.
nooooo to solo!
you could get waylaid by bears!
(seriously though, backpacking solo is a bad idea for numerous reasons)
Agreed. A newbie backpacker should not be out in the bush by himself.
The OP may need to get a few trips under his belt before he attempts a solo trip.
I would recommend looking into borrowing or renting equipment to take on an actual (non-solo) trip though in order to get a better idea of what equipment you like and don't like and why.
Steepandcheap.com is good too.
I deem all tips relating to backpacking on topic. Please share if you can.
Boots that fit best are a little large, too tight and your toes will hit the front too much when going downhill. Too big and you get all sorts of horrible problems with blisters. Oh and fit the boots with the socks your plan to wear.
You want to get a backpack that fits properly. You want an internal frame backpack, it is more comfortable, evens out the weight better and they look cool and futuristic compared to the old boxy looking external frame. This isn't the best or most accurate piece of advice but to fit the backpack just load up the weight, strap it down tight and even and then walk around in it. Make sure the waist strap is not actually on your waist, you want it on your hip bone so it can support the weight better. You want to tighten it from the bottom up, so waist then shoulders.
As far as tents go I don't think their is a bad brand, just don't get the family sized + porch tents, you obviously do not need that. More important I think is bring a tarp, but the trick is to put it on the inside of your tent. It might not be the best thing for your tent but you will be dry in any kind of rain so long as it doesn't literally flood into the tent. Also this might be a little obvious but always put your tent uphill.
Oh and generally you do not want to use cotton, it is pretty much looked down on by everyone but I think it is only real important if you are trying to stay warm. You can get by with cotton in the summer, but in the winter any cotton touching your body will get wet and start to freeze you.
I could give more specific tips if you need any, I know most of that is kind of general.
Obviously, this doesn't help before you get here, but if there's anything you can put off until then (or if anything breaks or need replacement) you might be able to take advantage of exchange rate differences.
If you're planning a substantial amount of hiking, I'd recommend not going cheap on boots. New Zealand is volcanic rock, so very hard and occasionally sharp rock on the offroad, so you want something with a hard sole - vibram or similar. Personally I like Merrell, but this is an area where it pays to take care and time trying and investigating what suits your particular circumstances.
I'm sure the other dudes posting in this thread have tons of years of experience too, so basically, I think the point is to try out any equipment before you buy it (if you can) to make sure it works for you.
Boots - Vasque Sundowner GTX (Link)
These are the best boots I have ever owned. I wore the same pair for 8 years before I had to give them up and buy a new pair. And I didn't just wear them backpacking. These were my go-to boots for any sort of bad weather conditions and I wore them every day during the winters.
Jacket - The North Face Pumori (Link)
I bought mine in 2003 (or maybe 2004, don't really remember). You don't want to buy a heavy-weight fleece jacket because it's going to be too heavy. You stay warm when you're backpacking by layering your clothing; so to stay warm you'd wear long underwear, your shirt, a jacket, and your rain shell. As you become warmer and get uncomfortable, you take layers off to adjust.
This has been a great fleece for me over the years. I wear it as a light jacket when I'm not in the bush, so I've gotten a lot of use out of it over the years.
Rain Shell (Top & Bottom) - The North Face
Again, another purchase from 2003/2004. This is more of a recommendation for the brand than anything. I wear the jacket when I'm not backpacking when it's raining; again, just to illustrate how well this stuff holds up over the years. The really cool thing about TNF jackets is that their fleece jackets will zip in to their rain shells. Most of their rain shells are unlined (to cut down on weight), so when you zip in the fleece, your rain jacket instantly has a lining. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Multi Tool - Gerber Suspension (Link)
A multi tool is the only knife/tool you need in the bush. Why carry 5 different tools when you can carry 1 tool that has everything in it? I'm partial to Gerber, but you really can't go wrong with any of the major multi tool brands.
Other Stuff
Between my dad and I, we generally carry:
Stove, fuel bottle
Water filter
Tent
Trowel, toilet paper
First aid kit
Snake bite kit
And individual things:
Sleeping bag
Thermal top & bottom
Fleece gloves
Fleece hat
Convertible pants/shorts
Shirt
Two pairs of wool socks
Bowl, cup, spoon
The general rule is: the lighter, the better.
Jackets and coats are typically on sale at this time of year.
I typically buy my stuff from REI, but I also highly recommend ebay I've gotten used gear in good condition from a quarter to half of the retail price.
Also when you're packing your backpack, put the lighter things on the bottom and heavier stuff on top, puts the weight on your hips and not you're back.
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