"What should I bring?" Probably the first thing to figure out. In the long run, it'll boil down to personal preference and opinion, but at the very least there are a few things you'll want to make sure you've got. Knowledge and experience can help make up for a lack of gear, but these are the things you'll want to have with you regardless. These are pretty much the bare minimum; if you slack on these, you'll regret it.
1. Footwear - You're going to be on your feet most of day, so make sure you've got this covered. Have a comfortable, durable pair of shoes/boots, with good tread. I prefer boots, but don't bother with steel-toes, they're not worth their weight in most cases. Also, make sure you have a few pairs of comfortable socks; good, clean socks are one of those things most people take for granted without realizing it. You don't want blisters, you don't want fungus, they suck; take care of your feet. "Wear good shoes and socks" might seem like common sense now, but it's easy to overlook how important this is.
2. Sleeping Bag - After spending all day on you're feet, you'll spend the rest of the night sleeping (hopefully). This is probably the most important thing to have (aside from the shoes and socks you're probably already wearing). If it came down to it, you could lose everything listed after this and still be fine. It doesn't need to be fancy, but you get what you pay for. If you'll be out in colder weather, make sure you get one that's rated for colder temperatures; you can always sleep with it partially unzipped in the summer.
Some people use blankets (usually wool) instead, but it's harder to keep them from getting covered in dirt, so I advise against it, at least until you've gotten used to everything.
3. Jacket - Even if it's the middle of summer, there are always a few chillier nights. While you're awake, it can keep you warm, and at night, you can roll it up and use it as a pillow. If you can get one with a breathable, water-resistant lining (eg - Gore-Tex) that would be awesome, because you will be dealing with rain at some point.
4. Rain Gear - At the very least, I try to carry a small, collapsible umbrella. A poncho would be better. A couple large black trash bags can come in handy for keeping gear dry in the rain. This is probably the least necessary; if it really comes to it you can duck under trees, bridges, or into buildings to wait it out. Still, try to make sure you're prepared for rain, getting soaked sucks.
5. Backpack - You'll want something to put all of this in. The type of pack you choose will depend on what you choose to carry. Unless you go super-minimalist, you'll probably want something a bit bigger than a small day pack. You'll want to look for a decent hiking pack. You can find them in sporting goods stores, or online. There are two basic types: external frame packs, and internal frame packs. They both have advantages and disadvantages, and everybody has their preferences. I stick with internal frame packs; they fit into tighter places (car trunks for instance), they don't have metal bits jutting out to bang into stuff and snag on branches. Whatever you choose, remember that your backpack is really only as good as the gear it carries; the fanciest pack in the world is pretty much useless if it isn't carrying the gear you need. I'll go into more detail on packs later, in Your Backpack.
Overall, you want these things to be in relatively dull, dark colors. Brown, green, pretty much anything earthtone will work. If you fall asleep in a bright orange sleeping bag, next to a neon pink backpack, you'll either wake up to people hassling you or with all your gear stolen eventually. You want to be inconspicuous most of the time, and you'll actually want to be completely hidden some of the time; so go for the dull, boring colors on most of your gear if you can. Don't worry if you can't get everything in camo though, I've spent plenty of time running around with brightly colored pieces of gear, you'll just have to find a way to hide your stuff sometimes (another reason for the black trashbags mentioned with the rain gear).
No comments:
Post a Comment