Camping gear checklist
We didn’t have much (read: anything) to start with. And it’s always hard to gear up for something when you don’t know how often you’re actually going to use what you buy.
So this seems to be the core set of things one needs to get started (car camping) without going overboard. Am I missing anything obvious? (We already have water bottles and clothes.)
- ✓ tent
- ✓ footprint
- ✓ sleeping bag
- ✓ pad
- ✓ pillow
- backpack
- ✓ stove, fuel
- ✓ pan, cup, utensils
- ✓ lantern, matches
We’re currently shopping for sleeping bags. Trying to keep things on the inexpensive side (~$100) while staying fairly light (<3 lbs). I’m somewhat struggling with temperature ratings. I run hot, so +25 or +35°F seems about right, but why not +45? Stephanie runs cold, so she’s looking at +15°F. We’re both concerned about being constrained in the mummy design, so we’re thinking about light rectangular bags. Any suggestions? I think we may have to go back to REI and see how the mummies feel.
REI’s 10-Plus Essentials is a useful reference. Things I probably wouldn’t have thought of: a whistle. Shopping at Campmor and Backcountry Edge and Mountain Sports so far.
First question: Are you going camping or backpacking? If the former, stick to items that are usable and comfortable. If the latter, you really do want to keep weight and packability in mind. Example: for car camping you can’t beat a classic coleman outdoor stove, but for backpacking you need something much smaller like an MSR DragonFly.
If you’re thinking of any cold weather trips, mummy bags have much better thermal properties that rectangular bags.