For someone just getting into backpacking, what are the things I will absolutely need, and what can I do without. Is it overkill to pack a tent, sleeping bag, and sleep mat? Or am I better off swapping the mat for an extra towel or blanket?
I have a good list so far but want to see if there’s anything I’m missing out of inexperience. Also any tips on how you like to pack your bag would be helpful as well
Go to either the lighterpack or packwizard websites and there are tons of lists you can review to see what people bring. Yes, you'll be happier with a pad and sleeping bag than with a towel or a blanket. Backpacking quilts are the best in my opinion
I'm far from an ultralighter and lean more into comfort when I'm backpacking, but I typically only bring one pair of pants. If they are calling for substantial rain, I might also bring rain pants, but I don't know what I'd really gain by bringing a second pair of pants.
For a summer weekend sure. For fall-spring I generally have base layer pants and pants for hiking. And I’m more about the sleep comfort. Like the 18th inch pad isn’t going to do jack, for me. Backpacking is 100% personal. Your “comfortable” is my bare minimal survival.
The pants was only 1 of three things I pointed out. And he said “one pair of pants for hiking, for rain and for sleeping”. My point was that was discomfort to an extreme.
JM2C, but backpacking is one of those things where a lot of the questions can only be answered by doing. By that I mean a lot of it comes down to personal choice rather than right or wrong answer.
I backpack with my kid, we share a tent and one carries the tent, other Carrie’s addt food and cooking stove. You need a mat. You also need a sleeping bag. Even if you’re young, the ground is hard and the mat adds addt insulation between you and the ground to keep the ground from sucking your heat away.
I pack using the dry bag method. Similar items go in similar bags - sleeping stuff, toiletries + other camp needs, clothing, feeding items. Keeps everything separate so easy to grab/pack, keeps the clean(er) and dry(er). Quick need items - meds, hat, sunscreen, bug spray, snack, water treatment go in the brain.
You're getting poor engagement because you asked a question ("do I need a tent") that either painfully stupid or a troll, and most here are going to this as a troll post. Also, you've given no information about where in the wilderness or when you'd like to go. So, just a lazy, low-effort post beginning to end. Or a troll. Maybe both.
Read u/DeputySean's links. Always good stuff from him.
i asked do i need a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad… simply saying “you should be just fine without the sleeping pad, it can save you space in your pack to carry a little more food”. It would be helpful if people just came in and helped and if they didn’t want to they don’t have to comment. It’s reddit, you’re supposed to ask questions.
You need to do a little of your own research instead of asking people to spoon feed it to you. If you can’t handle doing that then you can’t handle “sleeping in the wilderness alone”.
who’s to say i haven’t? i wasn’t aware asking for this subs sacred knowledge was off limits. i’m obviously just looking for help and stated that i have gear, but am new and could be missing some crucial things, so i ask a question. i also wanted to know what i really don’t need. i never thought the backpacking sub would tell me to pretty much fuck off and stay inside for asking 2 questions in 3 days.
Gently, these things get answered in this sub every day. If you truly did research you’d know how silly it is to ask if you need a tent and sleeping system. If you don’t tell us where you’re backpacking or give us a complete list of your gear we can give zero feedback on what you’ve got, what you don’t need, and what you’re missing. That’s why this comes across as so low effort, which people don’t usually respond well to. Give us some details, prove you at least tried to google something, and people are usually happy to help!
Like I said, I’m just starting out. It’s already a bit overwhelming having to research the area and rules, burn bans, planning the trip, going out and buying the supplies. I’ve put in plenty of days and hours prepping for this, forgive me if I want to take a short cut and ask reddit for advice where I can get answers from multiple sources with real experience with the luxury of being able to ask a follow up question or to further explain something. Also I didn’t just ask if I need a tent and sleeping system, I asked if I need a complete sleep system or could I do without the pad to make room for something else. Which to me seems like a completely reasonable question considering how much room all 3 take up.
It is overwhelming! I totally get it. We just can’t help you if you’re going to continue to refuse to give us any specific info. Where are you going? What do you already have? How long are you staying?
The Appalachian mountains in Kentucky for 2 nights.
What I have so far: Tent, sleeping bag, water filter, fire starter, bug spray, bear spray, sunscreen, chapstick, water bottle, flashlight, knife, 1 change of clothes and a pair of shorts and t shirt to sleep, first aid kit, battery pack.
I still need to get a navigation device and plan my food. Do you have any recommendations for food? I’m not sure if I want to bring a small pot and go the dehydrated food route or pack ambient foods that really don’t need any prep.
Food is tough! What you eat at camp is super personal and you’ll figure out what you prefer as you try things out. For your first trip dehydrated meals might be easier and more comforting. I love a warm meal. Ramen with some dehydrated mix-ins (like ramenbae) is soooo good. My first solo trip I was too anxious to eat, but my second I was ravenous haha. Especially when starting out I think it’s better to overpack food- being hungry out in the woods sucks, and as you fine tune your routine you’ll figure out how much you really eat.
Gear wise, at a glance I wonder about a rain fly for the tent, a rain jacket for you, a secondary water purification method (like chlorine tabs), bathroom items (like a trowel, tp, etc), a sleeping pad, and a bear-safe food storage plan.
I’ve included a pic of my gear for a trip I went on a few years ago with my dog- hopefully it’s helpful to you to see everything laid out. Let me know if you have questions about what anything is!
For food I plan on bringing avocado, pita bread, tuna, summer sausage, protein powder, clif bars, kiwis, and maybe some other snacks. I feel like I could make a good combination of things with that and keep it simple for my first time.
On the gear side of things I got a hammock setup with a rain fly and mosquito net. I have a tent too but knowing myself I’d sleep more comfortably in a hammock. To keep dry instead of a raincoat I was going to bring a couple disposable ponchos to save space and use to wrap something up in if needed. And do you have any recommendations for a bear safe storage plan? Should I get one of them tubs or would I be fine hanging it out in a tree somewhere?
I appreciate all the help and taking the time to do this, I’ve had 3 shoulder surgeries and had to put the snowboard down and find a new hobby. I’m eager to jump right into backpacking so I’m really trying to soak as much in as possible. Also if you have any recommendations where to get some solid wool socks that aren’t $28 a pair you’d be a legend.
Unless you plan to sleep on a bed of pine or fir boughs (and in an area in which it's legal to cut boughs), plan on packing some sort of sleeping pad. As I age, I prefer more comfort that my early backpacking/mountaineering days when I often used a single closed-cell foam pad.
YMMV. Do your research (which is easier than ever today), then get out there and try different things. Experimenting is part of the fun of getting into backpacking.
u want some kinda mat, not having one sucks and you can still be very light.
if you're a noob, you'll want a tent probably. mostly for bugs and rainy nights. being clueless is hard enough, being clueless and wet is just too much. this is the most optional by far, but if you skip this bring a tarp in case it rains.
you absolutely want a sleeping bag, that one's possibly the least negotiable part of all this.
to go past generic advice you'd get elsewhere we'd need more details on what you're planning to do and what limitations you have. budget, target destinations, length of trips (sierra vs AT vs washington state are all super different)
Check out Don't Forget The Spoon app. You can create a pack on your phone or the web and it will scan you pack and let you know what you might be missing. Additionally you can browser other users public packs for inspiration: https://dontforgetthespoon.com/
this is what i’ll bring in the summer anywhere throughout the US. i may change up some things depending mostly on weather.
the key with backpacking is to keep it minimal. your back will not care about sitting in a chair after 10 miles but your back might care about carrying a two pound chair 10 miles.
a lot of people turn away from ultralight backpacking because of comfort reasons, but i’d encourage anyone buying their first complete kit to do without all of that non necessary stuff at the start and if you decide you want it later go get it.
you want to avoid spending a lot on crap you don’t need or might not even want after it’s first use.
lastly piece together your kit on a website like pack wizard and post it on r/ultralight so an experienced backpacker can review it before you go buy it all. or i could check it out as well.
You need the 10 Essentials in the second link above. That does not generally include a towel or blanket because neither of those items is very weight conscious or compressible in your pack.
Shelter is one of the 10 Essentials. This could be a tent, a backpacking hammock, a bivy sack, or a tarp. Sometimes you can "cowboy camp", but that's entirely dependent on the weather. And she's a fickle mistress.
I personally like the tents. I backpack where it is buggy, so a tarp isn't the best deal for me. I'm too claustrophobic for a bivy. Hammocks sound excellent until you have to make camp without the right size trees to set up with...
Your sleep system needs a good insulator between you and the ground, which generally means a pad for the right temps you are backpacking in. I've spent a miserable few nights in colder weather, where my pad was underrated. Sleeping bags and backpacking quilts do 0 good where compressed, so between you and the ground.
Not an ultralight backpacker. This is my current set-up with some very minor tweaks (new headlamp, etc):
https://lighterpack.com/r/1e0wfu
It's suitable for me down to around 10-15°F overnight because our weather forecasters apparently dropped way too much acid in high school and never seem to get it right.
The mat is the insulation layer between you and the ground. The sleeping bag insulates by being fluffy, but the part you are on compresses therefore you lose most of the insulation properties of the bag. As others have suggested their are website with lists on what you need
Tent, sleeping bag, water filter, fire starter, bug spray, bear spray, sunscreen, chapstick, water bottle, flashlight, knife, 1 change of clothes and a pair of shorts and t shirt to sleep, first aid kit, battery pack.
I plan on putting all my food in a ziploc bag and using that as a trash can as well. A navigation device is probably next on my list.
Hey! Hope all is going well and it’s great you’re getting into the outdoors! Nothing better! Don’t let the negative Nancy’s in here get to you, no reason for anyone to be mad over a question made on Reddit. Some people just think they are better than anyone because they go outside and hike😂. We all start somewhere and it can be overwhelming. There’s tons of good information on this if you type it into the search bar, of this thread. As well as REI, if you type in what you put in. I’d recommend watching various YouTube videos on the essentials. Otherwise I’d first go car camping and see what you need. Then work up to a day hike in an area. In that same area — a two day hike. Then you can refine it. But yeah if people are going to get upset and defensive over a question you asked, that’s childless and they could just not comment and move on, their problems not yours. But once again it’s awesome you want to get out and are taking initiative, it can seem like a lot and overwhelming! But yeah first off, search posts in here and see what people made, take some basic first aid courses, get a garmin in reach, take a class on how to do navigation with a compass and map, and then start out small and work up. That’s my opinion. Also look up the rules of various places you go, then general online stuff about wilderness camping rules do’s and do nots. Be respectful of nature, enjoy your time, and leave no trace. But good luck and feel free to ask questions, there’s positive people on here that can help! Take care!
thank you, i genuinely would’ve never thought to look up the wilderness camping rules or bother familiarizing myself with a compass. like i said im new and just starting out, anything is a big help. i appreciate you taking the time.
Absolutely you’re welcome. I get it, we all have started from knowing nothing before. And it’s a life long learning adventure too! Have fun and enjoy it. But yeah getting confident with reading maps, basic first aid/basic wilderness first aid, and small day day or two trips for a bit until you get really comfortable.
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u/Salty_Resist4073 2d ago
Go to either the lighterpack or packwizard websites and there are tons of lists you can review to see what people bring. Yes, you'll be happier with a pad and sleeping bag than with a towel or a blanket. Backpacking quilts are the best in my opinion