Hello everyone, and sorry it’s been so long for me to post anything. I’ve had alot of people ask me about what to pack as far as gear and such. Well, to be honest I’m still trying to figure that all out! Basically what I came up with was that you have to be patient and keep your eyes open…….aka go online! You folks are very fortunate to be living in the continental US as you see I’m Canadian and apparently it costs an arm and a leg to get things shipped over the border!
Check out these sites and also google “discount _____” for items that you may be needing:
As far as “gear” goes, this is what you’ll find the most expensive: Tents, sleeping bags, packs, chacos(?), sleeping pads, and water filtration.
Tents: I would look for a 1-2 person tent. One that has enough room for you and your pack. Most tents come with a vestibule that you can put your pack under so it doesn’t get wet, yet it’s not taking up valuable space where you sleep. When tents say they are 2 person, that ussualy means 2 people practically spooning (just so you know). I personally bought a 2 person tent for myself. The price range is ussually $200-300 for a good, quality, functional tent. Look for deals, I found mine online for $165 (reg. $300). Brands I would trust are Sierra Designs, The North Face, MSR, MEC, Eureka.
Packs: This is a hard one to share about. Mostly because we all have different preferences of how we pack, size of bag, etc. I would highly recomend a 3 entry (top, side, and bottom/”sleeping bag”). This makes things super easy for finding stuff so that you don’t have to pull everything out everytime you pack something in the middle. As far as size goes, that really depends on what you’re looking to carry and how much stuff you’re bringing. I personally can’t stand the “travel packs”, but they are good for traveling when you don’t wear it all the time. I would suggest a “backpacking” or even an “expedition” as long as it has enough entry points. I’m taking a 70 litre North Face. I think it’ll be perfect for what I’m doing. In the backcountry I take a 60L on 2 week trips including food, tent, cookware, clothes, etc. but, I’m new to the whole travel around the world idea, so take that for what it is! Brands once again I would trust are: The North Face, MEC, Dueter, Arcter’yx, Lowe Alpine, Kelty.
Sleeping bags: This one was the hardest for me to figure out! I am a very warm sleeper and I have no idea what kind of conditions we’ll be facing. I’m assuming mostly warm countries, but yet when I was in Guatemala, it was quite close to freezing at some places we stayed. So I’m ending up bringing a 20F synthetic bag. I would suggest synthetic instead of down becuase if it should get wet, it’ll take half the time to dry! Remember you can always shed layers, and it’s hard to add layers if you don’t have them. Worst case scenario you sleep ON your sleeping bag. I’m also bringing a thin cotton bed sheet to use as a blanket. It does help from small bugs bitting to a degree as well. Sleeping bags are pretty generic……I wouldn’t worry about getting a “name brand” unless you want your bag to last many years. I spent the past 5 summers using a sleeping bag I bought at Wa-mart for $25!
Sleeping pads: I highly recoment actual Therma-Rest brand. You get your money’s worth. Also if it should have any problems (valve, stem, etc) you can ussually get a new one. It may be hard to do that on this trip however. I’ve had mine for years and I pretty much sleep on it every night! I would avoid cheap ones because the air pockets tent to shift and then you’re left with lumps and a very uneven mat. You’ll want your sleep if you can get some (crazy animals).
Well folks, there you have it. My 2 cents worth. Like I said, this is only my expereince and suggestions. Please ask people that know about these things and even use your own camping expereinces. You don’t need the top of the line stuff, you just need stuff that will last. Also, be patient with finding stuff on sale and discounted. I ordered stuff to a friends place in the states and I’m going to pick it all up in a few weeks. Laura, you may have some advice and things to add too……
Instead of paying $715 for a tent, pack, and chacos, I’m paying $405!! If you need any help finding deals, let me know, I’ll try and help!
See ya’ll soon! Brother Matt Peters.
p.s. I’m not planning on bringing anything for water filtration. I’m hoping someone on my team will share in that area (of course I know we don’t have teams yet). I’m on the other hand planning on taking a stove and cookset for my team!
