Backpack camping gear recommendations

some crappy flashlights Here's an area where spending a little money makes a big difference. It is much easier to cook, hike, read, etc when you've got both hands free. You want a headlamp each. Something like http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005FND2JI/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ is good because it is dimmable so you don't always need to have it on full blast if you just need a little illumination. Also indispensable, I have found, is a good lantern or two. I like http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004AJK48K/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ by the same manufacturer of above headlamp (it's also dimmable, and damn hard to break -- I have dropped mine and left it out in the rain, and it's still working fine). After water and light, I'd say a solid knife -- not a leatherman -- is in order. A non-folding knife with a 4" blade can be used for cooking, cutting that bear-bag rope, idle whittling and, maybe most importantly, making good dry kindling for a fire. I highly recommend a http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0040RIENO/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ -- you can get one for under $20 with shipping and tax. They are stout as hell, you can get a stainless one so you don't have to worry about rusting, and they are remarkably easy to sharpen. These knives have a "scandi-grind" blade, which is just a flat plane down to the point, instead of a convex grind on many other knives. For inexperienced knife sharpeners like me, it makes it easy to maintain a sharp tool. Get one (or three), they are light and inexpensive enough that you needn't worry about damaging it in a heavy https://www.google.com/search?q=batoning&aq=f&oq=batoning&aqs=chrome.0.57j0l3.1478j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 session (though I don't think you will be able to -- I've beaten mine for all I'm worth and they are fine). For sleeping bags, it very much depends on when/where you will be hiking. If you stick to the Pacific Northwest in summer, you may not need a very heavy bag. You may be able to get away with a combination of a very light sleeping bag and a sleeping bag liner (to add some more warmth and serve as a barrier between your sweaty dirty self and the sleeping bag). Does it rain where you camp? Think about something with Gore-Tex or another water-resistant fabric. In general, down is much better at giving warmth relative to its mass, but it's also twice as expensive as synthetic. Also consider that down insulates very poorly when wet, whereas synthetics will still keep you warm when wet. I find that manufacturers' temperature ratings are usually stretch -- if the bag says it is comfortable down to 30 degrees F, you might want to assume it's more like 40. Nothing worse than trying to sleep when you can't get warm. For a tent, again, it depends on the temperature and humidity of the environment you're headed to, but in general it's safe to say you want either a waterproof bottom/floor, or else get a footprint, ideally one that's designed for your tent (google or ask at the store -- many manufacturers sell a footprint for each model). It is not an upsell -- waking up in the dark with an inch of water in your tent is not fun. Also probably avoid tents with plastic poles (you want the strength of aluminum unless you really need to save a pound or two of weight) and consider one that is seam-sealed (waterproofed where it is stitched). As with sleeping bags, the manufacturers are kind of BSing when they say a tent is good for X number of people. I'd usually say subtract one from what they claims. So you two might look at a 3-person tent if you want to keep your gear/dog/boots inside with you. Consider a water filter over water purification tablets. It doesn't have a chemical aftertaste. I use a https://www.google.com/search?q=katadyn+hiker+pro&aq=2&oq=katydin&aqs=chrome.3.57j0l3.7043j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=katadyn+hiker&oq=katadyn+hiker&gs_l=serp.3...4840.4840.0.4953.1.1.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.cappsweb..0.0...1.1.8.psy-ab.xqJdbFN5G2I&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.dmg&fp=1fa1ca819eb382cf&biw=1517&bih=890 but there are lots of good ones out there. Depending on how much you're planning to go off-trail (or if you're headed somewhere for the first time), it's a really good idea to have a compass. Usually overkill for an overnighter in a clearly-marked area, but it's light and small and can save your ass in a pinch. Plus it is interesting to fiddle around with and learn to orienteer a bit. In that same vein, a http://www.gaiagps.com/ is a good idea -- I have this one on my iPhone. It lets you download a map of the area ahead of time (when you still have reception), and then uses GPS (even when there is no cell service available) to show you where you are, a la Google Maps. A good solar USB charger is nice to keep your GPS/Phone/Camera charged. I use http://www.suntactics.com/shop/usb-scharger-5/. It's more expensive than a lot of others, but I've tried a number of them and they generally are terrible -- a passing cloud interferes with charging, and you need to leave a phone plugged in for 12 hours to get any juice. The one I linked to can charge your phone up all the way in a couple hours, even when it's lightly overcast -- and it's light and rugged so you don't feel like you're camping with delicate electronics. I'm sure I'm going to think of more after I post this. Great question!

Headlamps are very nice to have. A tarp has so many great uses, particularly in the PNW. It's so nice to have something dry to sit on (or climb under) when the whole forest is soggy. It can also make a fine footprint for your tent. I'd get a water filter for a primary water supply, and only use the tablets as emergency backup. Get about 50 feet of paracord. Use it to hang your food and any other smelly stuff from trees at night to discourage bears from sniffing around your campsite. The cordage also has lots of other uses in emergencies or when things break. A little shovel for digging toilet holes. Wet wipes. Ziploc bags for packing out your toilet paper and wet wipes (yes, please do this). Compression stuff sacks are awesome for compartmentalizing your clothes and other gear in your pack. Waterproof covers for your backpacks. Waterproof matches, if only for emergency backup. In the Pacific Northwest it's all about being prepared to deal with a wet environment. You'll be setting up camp in the rain. You'll be breaking camp in the rain. You'll be hiking in the rain. Most important is to be able to keep your essential gear dry, particularly your clothes, and to be able to get yourself dry. Sleeping bags: Down is comfier than synthetic, but it's worthless when it gets wet. Synthetic is traditionally a better choice in a wet environment. There are some new bags that use a coated down, for a best of both worlds situation. At least that's the selling point. I have one, and it is comfier than my synthetic bag, but I haven't really taken it out in the wet yet to really put it to the test so I can't endorse it.

Thru hiker guy coming in to say water pumps are for the birds. Chemicals are easy,light, and failproof. I like polarpure the best. Jetboils are great, as long as you dont actually cook in them. I have a dehydrator and make my own meals, its super easy, then use the zip-loc method to rehydrate them. Last 2 pieces of general equipment advice - size your shoes at least a FULL size over what you normally wear - your feet swell an amazing amount from a good day hiking. More then the religious fight over sneakers vs boots, just make sure the damn things have plenty of room. (I'm a sneaker guy myself). Be ruthless with the weight - less truly is more. I think a reasonable pack baseweight - thats everything not including water, food, and fuel is around 14 pounds. I say thats reasonable because less then that starts to get really expensive and you lose some nice creature comforts, but more then that and you are going to feel the increased weight. As someone who spent way too much time going from 60+ pounds packs all the way down to 10 pounds, do yourself a favor and at least experiment with light packs and big shoes and see how pleasant the whole thing can become.

Just focusing on tents: Must-have: -self-supporting pole structure. It should not need any lines staked out to stay up. (I can pick my whole tent up with the fly on it & shake the pine needles out when I break camp.) - aluminum shock-corded poles. - tub floor, waterproof and sealed. - rain fly with vestibule to store damp stuff under cover but not inside with you. A vestibule is also a place to heat your coffee while the storm rages outside. Yes, an advertised 2 person tent may have room for 2 but nothing else, not even boots. You must set it up in the store and both of you lie down in it to really know if you will fit. Consider the head & shoulder room. Ideally, try it with the sleeping bags too. How easily can you enter/exit with tripping or stepping over each other? (2 doors or one big one on the end is nice!) do the zippers bind? are there handy pockets inside where you need them?

On that note, I always feel bandannas are indispensable for backpacking. They can be many things - headscarf, sweatband, wrapped around the wrist for a wrist-sweatband, washcloth, towel, flag, seive, wrapper, pouch, duster, chafe protector, patch, placemat, napkin, bandage, sunshade, lanyard/tether, potholder for hot pot handles and bails, wind protector for lighting your stove, thing to stuff in hole in window screen of shelter when mosquitos threaten, etc. Buy a few, always take about 3. They're so light but so useful.

What kind of gear do you have for "drive to campsite" car camping? You probably do actually have what you need- once you go out a few times you'll figure out some preferences. Tent/Shelter, Sleeping bag + pad, a backpack each, your existing hiking clothes (RAIN GEAR) and food. ('food' includes stove+fuel, bear bagging gear etc) As mentioned, whatever pack you get, no matter what the manufacturer says, will not be fully water proof, get dry sacks. (big ziplocks can work.) Everything else is extra. Don't be oblivious about weight, but don't obsess over grams either.

To start, here'shttp://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-checklist.html Metal frame packs are a rarity nowadays. If your husband's used to his, all well and good, but it's probably heavier and more awkward than a contemporary internal frame pack, I'd think. Consider upgrading that pack, or better yet, each of you getting your own similarly sized pack and dividing the gear carry (when I used to hike with a friend, for instance, one of us carried the tent fabric and the other carried poles and stakes).

For those who haven't spent much time in the Pacific Northwest, summers there actually tend to be quite dry. So you probably shouldn't make recommendations based on the assumption that there's going to be a lot of rain. That's a fair point about summer weather, but those of us who live (and hike and camp) here also know that it's kind of foolish to invest in gear that you can only use in July, and that there is some great hiking and camping to do in the rainforests, which are in fact wet most of the time.

A Thermarest sleeeping pad ($60 or so) is pretty essential (Cascade Designs, you'd be buying local), standard thickness (rather than ultra skinny or ultra fat) and 3/4 length to save weight - you just put your pack under the lower part of your sleeping bag. Marmot makes good, light tents. I recently bought one I think called the Aura (less than $300 iirc) to replace the battered old Moss I'd used since high school, after I stayed in a friend's and realized how far tent design and quality had improved in 20 years. Re water filters: I used to work as a canoe ranger in northern Ontario, and then as an instructor for Outward Bound, and all those years we always carried a pump water filter and more often than not would just not bother using it, unless we were camped in a really beaver-y, stagnant area. I've pretty much always drank water straight from the source, especially clear, fast flowing water in the mountains, and have never gotten sick. Not a huge thing to carry, but I wouldn't stress out too much about water, especially if you're boiling it for food or coffee. Most people, I've found, carry too much stuff, weighed down by too much gear and heavy boots etc.. Try to go as light as you can.