Backpacking gear

Most of us just don't have the time to plan, prepare for and execute a truly long-distance hike like Vermont's Long Trail or the 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail. However, one-, two- or three-night adventures are still rewarding. The key is to plan and prepare.

The best equipment in the world doesn't do you any good if you don't know how to use it. People get into trouble when they just jump in ill-prepared.

If you've never backpacked before, the place to begin is your backyard or a developed tent site. The many state parks and national forests across the region provide a good place to try out your gear. Spend one night getting used to your equipment before you trust your safety in the backcountry to it.

If you need help getting started, the Appalachian Mountain Club and its various regional affiliates, the Green Mountain Club, and the Adirondack Mountain Club all offer education courses. Savvy outdoor retailers like L.L. Bean, EMS, and Kittery Trading Post, among others, run seminars and rent quality equipment. They offer better service and better quality equipment than the "camping" department at a big box store.

Overloading their backpack is the first mistake that most beginners make. The second mistake they make, usually after having suffered through the first one, is not bringing enough stuff for safety and comfort. It takes a while to find the correct balance.

Start with the basics you always carry when you leave the road:

• Some way to supply safe drinking water (purifying tablets or a filter)
• Adequate clothing for the possible weather-- including rain and chilly nights (cotton clothing is never appropriate for backcountry use)
• Food for the duration, plus a little extra
• Basic hygiene (toothbrush, toilet paper, baby wipes)
• Emergency gear (insect repellent, knife, fire starters, first aid and medical kit, maps, compass).

Then you add the stuff you need for comfort:

• A tarp to keep the rain off or, better yet, a lightweight tent
• A pad to rest on
• A light sleeping bag, sleep sack, or even just a lightweight fleece blanket. If you don't get a good night's sleep, you won't enjoy your days.

Other basics include:

• A lightweight stove (open fires are often prohibited in the backcountry) and minimal cook gear and utensils if you want hot food and beverages
• Add a small light source (the nights are short in summer), a paperback book or a deck of cards.

Those are the basics. Remember, everything you add is more weight to carry.

How much weight?

I've seen folks stagger off on an overnight adventure with packs that weighed 80 pounds. I've also seen fanatics who can do a two- or three-night trip with a pack that weighs 20 pounds. The Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, has a scale that hikers can use to weight their packs before heading off into the Presidential Range.

While it's generally more comfortable to carry less weight, there are tradeoffs involved.

For example, my humongous old MountainSmith internal frame pack weighs over six pounds and hold 6,000 + cubic inches of gear. That's huge. And heavy. But winter or summer, long walk or short, everything I ever want to take fits in or on it.

By contrast, I also have a new Gregory  Z-Pack (three-and-a-half pounds; 3,500 cubic inches). The smaller size forces me to pack more carefully, but I've saved almost three pounds before I [add gear.

My basic summer sleeping bag is a Coleman Exponent "Canyon 32" synthetic fill; it weighs under three pounds and has kept me warm in an arctic summer snowstorm. My buddy has a Mountain Hardwear  Phantom down bag that's half the weight and even warmer. But it's three times the price and useless if it gets wet. Tradeoffs.

My four-pound Coleman Exponent Inyo tent offers a whole lot more protection than a 12-oz tarp. There are lighter tents, but they are either smaller, more expensive, or less durable

I usually choose reliable and practical over super-light. If you absolutely need to shave ounces, you can -- for a price. But, for most of us, a total pack weight of about 30 to 35 pounds, will take us comfortably down the trail for several nights.