What should I pack for a weekend in the mountains?

How would you quickly pack and prepare for a weekend camping session in the mountains?

• What should I make sure to pack??? What type of items for sure!!!??? Thanks for your ideas... Tim

• Answer:

  Depends. Are you going to be in a tent, a cabin? Sleep in a bed, on a cot, on the ground? Can you drive in or do you have to hike? How far? If you have an emergency, how close is help? What about food? How will you cook it? How high in the mountains? What's the weather going to be? What if it's worse? Who will be with you? What can you share? "Quickly" and "prepared" don't usually go together if you're new at this. Short answer: you want to stay warm, dry, and mobile. For clothes, think layers, synthetics, and wool. For heat, have at least two separate ways to start a fire and two available sources of fuel. For mobile, be able to walk out with no more weight than you can carry, including water, if you have to, even if you have to abandon non-essentials. For food, think calories. Hot drinks. No alcohol or soft drinks. There are internet sites that have camping-stuff lists. Google around. Or, check with your local outdoor outfitter's store. Have fun.