by Ben Hartlenn

Created on: March 11, 2009

There is certain gear that I personally consider essential to backpacking and I have listed it here along with a quick blurb on each piece of gear. Some gear will be listed for obvious reasons and other gear I will tell you why you might or might not need such an item.
There are many different types and kinds ofbackpacksdesigned for everything from a one night weekend trip to week long excursions. The first thing you should decide when choosing a pack is what type of backpacking you will be doing. Are you only able to get enough time for overnight trips? then a smaller pack with more features is probably for you. Planning on doing a few longer journey's? You'll probably want a larger pack with less features to save on weight. Are you flying and traveling through towns and cities? You'll probably be looking for a backpack that is very versatile: designed with lots of space and features in mind.Personally I own a larger 70 liter pack: which, has a total of three whole compartments, and weighs just 4.5 pounds. If you are really unsure about what type of pack would suit you go to your local outdoor supply shop and have a look at their backpacks. Then ask one of the employee's if they can help you decide on a pack that is going to suit your needs. From experience, I would think that someone local... Working in a local outdoor shop... Would have at least some great local knowledge/experience from the outdoors.Yourclothingis going to vary greatly across the different climate's of the earth, but I think certain rules for different types of clothing will be consistent through the more moderate climate zones. So, that being said, you will almost definitely want to wear numerous layers that are easy to put on and take off so you can adapt to changing conditions such as weather or core temperature changes. These layers should also be thinner and lighter to save room and weight. This is opposed to wearing fewer bulkier, heavier layers that will take up more room and leave you much less able to adapt with changing conditions. When you are putting on layers, try to wear a thin, tight long-sleeve shirt against your skin; you will help wick away moisture and keep uncomfortable wrinkles from other layers of clothing off your skin this way. Next build up thicker and thicker layers. How many and how thick depends on how warm you want to be and how much room you have to pack clothing. A waterproof jacket should be added last if needed. anything from a quick-dry rain shell to a fully

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