need some help getting started out

[slickest]

Hello. Just moved to sheridan wyoming this last july and im looking to get some camping gear to use in the big horns. Im looking for the gear to handle being used, abused, and as light of weight as possible. I dont want to buy the most of expensive thing on the market but i would like quality. I plan on camping spring through the fall as much as i can since i only work 4 days a week. Most of theese trips will be 2-3 days and maybe a longer one once in a great while.

I would like suggestions on a tent, pack, sleeping bag, and some hiking boots.

Im looking for a sturdy light weight pack that if possible i could keep my tent and bag external of the pack. If also possible I would like a two part pack that breaks down into a smaller pack I could use after camp is set up. I plan on hiking, fishing, setting up for the night and moving on the next day. I will be camping alone most of the time so I will really wont have to many items. canned food, map, compass, light, rain gear, tinfoil, water, flashlight, etc. any suggestions?

For the tent i would like to have a good quality, light weight, 3 person tent that could hand spring throught fall with lots of setups and take downs. I would like this tent to be easy to set up in case it was getting dark out. any suggestions?


For the sleeping bag Im not sure on what tempature rating to get ? of course i want to use it for the 3 seasons I have said. I would like the bag to have a quality zipper, lightweight, and packs up small into a stuff sack. any suggestions?

boots. i would like them to have ankle support be comfortable for walking in all day not so much waterproof but quick at drying out. I dont think i want something heavily insulated but something that would still be roomy enough for a good pair of socks when cold out. any suggestions.

thanks for reading this and taking the time to give me some answers

[d_hiker]

I have done some backpacking but not to the extent that you will be doing.  You are right to ask others what has worked for them.  Backpacker Magazine is a very good resource and also check out their website http://www.backpacker.com/  it has equipment reviews.  Right now might be a good time to buy some of your equipment.  Last week I noticed in the local Gander Mountain that they had some tents and sleeping bags marked down by as much as 60% to 70% to make room for the new models arriving.  I almost bought a tent, but I haven't been camping in about 3 years and there is nothing wrong with the tent I have.  But the new tent would have been about 4 pounds lighter than the tent I have.

I have a lightweight Slumberjack mummy bag I got on clearance about 15 years ago.  It is rated at 30°, but I get chilly in it once the temps reach about 35°.  Those temps are the lower range I usual camp at.  I carry a pair of insulated underwear, merino wool socks and a knit cap when I know the temps might be under 40°.  I save the insulated underwear, socks and hat for sleeping only.  You will stay much warmer in clean, dry sleeping wear.  Also less chance of getting food or other smellables on them when you are in bear country if you only wear them when you go to bed.

I have used the lightweight sleeping bag when camping at -20° by using it inside my other 0° rated bag.  The packing weight of my 30° bag is 2.75 pounds.  Much less than some of the 10 to 15 pound sleeping bags I carried around when I was a kid.

An old adage we heard often in scouts when preparing for a backpacking trip, "An ounce in the morning weighs like a pound at night".  All of the little things add up quick.

[d_hiker]

I also forgot to mention a few things about a sleeping pad.  TRY IT, unless you have tried and know what you want, then ask the salesperson if you can unroll/inflate/setup or whatever the item and lay down on it.  Some people can tolerate sleeping on hard surfaces, I can't.  At least if I want to be able to walk the next day    In most cases you don't need a full length sleeping pad, but a 3/4 or 1/2 length will work fine.  Remember to check the weight also.  Personally I carry a slightly heavier/thicker sleeping pad for comfort if I am not on a long hard trip.

In cold weather you do not want an air-mattress or air bed because you will have the cold air circulating under you. 

[mbopp]

From my backpacking / canoe camping days I have a synthetic-fill North Face Cats Meow sleeping bag. IMHO avoid down, once it gets wet it loses all its insulating properties.
I have a thin Therm-a-Rest inflatable pad, my bones got too old for a simple foam pad. My wife has a 2" thick Therm-a-Rest but it's heavier.
Many hard core hikers prefer leather boots. I have a pair of man-made Merrill Gore-tex boots that I like. Proper fit and getting them broke in are important. And lighter boots mean less work, ounces add up by the end of the day.
We've got a 2-1/2 person Sierra Design tent but you may want a heavier-duty one. IIRR Moss tents were pretty good. Get one with a vestibule & put your boots in it instead of inside the tent.
What are you going to cook on? I prefer a backpacker stove using Coleman fuel, my MSR Whisperlite is a bit dated now but reliable and light.
North Face used to make good gear but since they went public they're catering to the yuppie crowd IMHO.
Check out REI online. They started as a co-op for hikers and climbers. Also Campmor.
Can't help you on a pack. I have an old external-frame Kelty but the rage is for internal-frame packs. Again, check the on-line stores for what they have.

[teamnelson]

Quick thoughts:
- if you follow REI Outlet online you can get some great deals. CampMor sells big chain brands like Columbia, but you can get last years closeouts cheap sometimes.
- I've come to like gortex bivvy sacks over tents, or with a tent if its really cold. Don't know the temps where you are but might be worth a thought.
+ 1 on whisperlight. Some designs just work.
- Don't be afraid of craigslist and ebay. Do your homework and you can find out where in China North Face (and everyone else) gets its product and buy direct. Just bought a brand name tactical pack for $100 less - minus the brand name tag - straight from Hong Kong.
- Don't be afraid of milsurp.

[efremtags]

The best deals on gear are probably Campmor than EMS or LLbean with a sale.

North face is not as good as the price would indicate.

I personaly own an EMS internal frame pack, best value out there for the size (about 3800cu-in)
I own 2 feathered friends sleeping bags, a 30oF and a -20oF.
I have an EMS 3-person 4season tent.

My recomendation is, for tents, go 4season if you are serious about winter, otherwise 3-season will sve a lot of weight and money.
1-wall (flyless) tents are really specialty items. They don't breath well and are small. They are really meant more for climbers.
Buy down bags an keep it clean.The only thing that kills a sleeping bad faster than dirt is cleaning it.  A good down bag will last a lifetime, if not, you can get it re-filled.
You can get a lot of pack for under 200. Internal frame is the most comfortable, external frame the most versatile.

Stay away from Cabelas,Bass Pro and similar bug box stores, very overpriced for what they offer for campers.

[bearmgc]

Consider the Alps Zenith back packing tent. Very reasonable price and well made. And the Big Agnes sleeping bags are pretty good for backpacking, lightweight and warm. Even if you get the one rated for 40*, you can either pack in a down or wool blanket or put that sleeping bag into another one, as already mentioned. I also own a couple of the older North face bags and they're good. On the 24hour campfire forum, a guy has a sleeping bag for sale. its a Wiggys bag, rated at 20*, a good bag. You can get alot of good camping gear there on the classifieds. I've gotten tons of new or like new stuff there, for awsome prices.

[Hooker]

Eureka Timberline easy to set will keep you dry it is as tough as nails and it vents well.
Probably the number one tent used by the Boy Scouts for more years than I can remember.
You wont find a tent with a better reputation for the money and with a little TLC it will last for many years.

Pat

[Anduril]

.............. so I will really wont have to many items. canned food, map, compass, light, rain gear, tinfoil, water, flashlight, etc. any suggestions?

leave the cans of food at home, too heavy for back packing.
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