Ultralight hiking dry bags online store and backpacking guides. Stove: If you own a single-burner camp stove that weighs less than a pound, it’s probably fine for your first backpacking trip. If you choose to buy, you’ll have to consider fuel types first and then make your stove choice. A lot of beginners go with a gas-canister stove because they’re affordable and easy to use. And be sure to pack along a full canister or bottle of the right type of fuel for your stove. Learn more by reading How to Choose a Backpacking Stove. Water treatment: Even pristine-looking sources can hide things you’d rather not drink, so it’s wise to treat all water in the wilds. You can borrow a filter, but an ultralight and simple option for your first trip is chemical treatment: tablets or drops you add to a bottle to purify your water. Learn all about buying and using water treatment gear by reading How to Choose a Water Filter or Purifier and How to Filter Water.
Lowering backpack weight trick : Trash compactor bag for backpack liner. Pack covers are bulky, heavy and, sometimes, ineffective. Instead of covering the outside of your pack, line the inside of it with a trash compactor bag and keep all gear inside. Trash compactor bags are super waterproof, replaceable, affordable and weigh a fraction as much as a pack cover. Rocks vs stakes. Tie your shelter down to some nearby rocks. If necessary, make a pile to keep it more stable. Rocks can also be used on hard surfaces where stakes are unable to penetrate the ground. See additional details at Hiking Dry Bags Online Store.
Navigation and maps might be the most important hiking essential. If you know where you are, you should know how to get home. If you’re lost, you’re in trouble. In this case I actually use several devices. GPS watch with track loaded. Dedicated backup GPS device with maps loaded. Smartphone app with offline maps (make sure you’re in airplane mode). Paper topographic maps. Guidebook or hike printout. Compass to navigate with paper. This is pretty straightforward. Use sunscreen and SPF protected clothing to avoid sunburn (and sun poisoning). I also carry a tarp and cord in my pack so I can erect a shade shelter if need be.
Ultralight and Ultra-Custom Backpacking Gear made in the USA. My name is Ben McMillen the owner of Hilltop Packs. A family owned company focused on creating products that are as unique as your life’s journey. One of our other businesses is a photography studio which also owns a print shop. We have been printing on unique materials for years. Once we started making backpacking gear it made sense to offer custom printing services to the Hilltop Packs product line. This allows us to make one-of-a-kind products you wont find anywhere else. Discover additional info at www.hilltoppacks.com.