Camping and Backpacking Gear

Car camping or carrying it all on your back?

Weight and pack size decide what you pick. For a car camp, comfort items such as folding tables, chairs and cabin tents make sense. For a hike, every ounce counts, so look at listed weights, packed sizes and capacity in liters. Shelter and sleep come first: a tent or canopy sized for the group, then a sleeping bag, pad or cot suited to the season. Cooking, lighting, water and hygiene follow, and each has its own subcategory.

What the numbers on lights, packs and bags mean

Light is quoted in lumens, which measure total output; treat very large figures in titles with caution and compare runtime, battery type and beam style instead. Capacity is given in liters for packs and water reservoirs, and in persons for tents, where a four-person tent is comfortable for two or three. Materials such as polyester, nylon and cotton set weight and drying time, and a coated fabric sheds rain better than a plain weave. Multi-count packs of wipes and sanitizer are sold by the count, so check the unit size.

Questions about Camping and Backpacking Gear

What should I pack first for a first camping trip?

Shelter, sleeping gear, a light and a way to carry water cover the basics. Add a stove and cookware for hot meals, then hygiene items and a small repair kit once the essentials fit.

How do I choose between a headlamp and a flashlight?

A headlamp keeps both hands free for cooking, setting up and hiking, while a flashlight throws a longer, tighter beam for scanning ahead. Many campers carry a headlamp for the camp and a small flashlight as a backup.

Why is a sleeping pad important?

The ground pulls heat from your body, and a sleeping bag compresses under you, so it insulates little there. A pad adds cushioning and a barrier, and its insulation rating matters more than thickness in cold weather.