Having the right tools for the trade is the secret to having a successful and enjoyable outing. When everything has to be carried on your back, it pays to use a little forethought in choosing your gear. Our next article surrounding women in the backcountry deals with sleeping bags, pads, tarps and tents. These are not tips that are strictly for women only, so who knows, you may be able to teach your man a thing or two.
There is a lot of controversy over whether to own a down sleeping bag or one of the new synthetic ones. Down was the standard for many years as it compresses better than synthetics, is lighter in weight, warmer and more durable. The downside is that they are costly, hard to wash, and cold when wet. The synthetics are warmer when wet, less expensive and are washable. The down-side on synthetics is that they are less compressible and are not as warm. Whatever you do, don’t opt for a flannel-lined cotton-batting bag. They are heavier and can absorb moisture from your body leaving you freezing all night. (Been there-done that!)
Photo backpackgeartest.org
What climate will you be predominately camping in? A three- season bag can usually accommodate most backpacking trips. If needed, it can be adapted for cold weather with a liner or overbag. Next, you already know whether you sleep cold or warm. A person who sleeps cold should add 5-10 degrees F. to the comfort rating of the bag. Those who sleep warm can subtract 5-10 degrees F. Don’t buy more than you need, it is an unnecessary cost.
Mummy style bags are warmer for cold weather camping, especially if you have cold feet. If at all possible, before you buy a bag, crawl into it and see if it is comfortable to you. Is it roomy enough for your body build? Do not allow too much extra room in the bag if you will be camping in colder weather as this will allow cold spots. There are more and more bags out there built for a woman’s smaller frame and height. Unless you are extremely tall, do not purchase a bag made for a 6’4” male. It may be a little tricky to find a woman’s bag that fits if you are over 5’6”, but shop around and try out the bag and you will eventually find one that fits.
Can you easily turn over in the bag or does the inner fabric cause you to turn the whole bag with you? This is not so much of a concern if you never move in your sleep, but for someone who tosses and turns in sleep, you could end up in knots by the end of the night. Make sure the outer fabric is durable if you will be sleeping on the ground or tent floor. It would be a shame to spend a pretty penny on a nice bag and find it tearing after two camping trips. Also zip the bag up and down to make sure it zips easily and doesn’t catch the fabric. Practice tightening the top and then undoing the bag. Close your eyes and do this to see how long it takes you to get out of the bag for a night outing to relieve yourself.
A sleeping pad should provide insulation from the ground and, in my opinion, cushioning. I have tried the closed-cell foam which is a good insulator (but we were camping in the summer heat) and found it hard indeed. The best of both worlds is the Therm-a-Rest self-inflating pad, made of open-cell foam within an airtight layer of waterproof nylon making it very durable and leak-proof. It is easily inflated and deflated for fast camp set-up. There are other manufacturers making a close facsimile, but make sure they are durable and easy to repair on the trail.
Therm-a-Rest, Photo backcountrygear.com
For most backcountry trips, you will need a tent and/or tarp to protect you from the weather and bugs. A tarp can come in handy for any number of things. It can be laid on the ground to keep a tent clean and the floor protected. You can use it for a simple shelter if there is no rail or bugs to contend with. It can also keep your gear dry while you erect your tent in the rain or shelter you from the hot sun. If camping with a group, a large tarp can be erected over the openings of the tents to provide a place for everyone to remove their wet gear in rainy weather, providing you have the room to set the tents up with the openings all facing each other. You can purchase tarps at camping supply stores or purchase an automotive tarp for a very reasonable price. If you get one that doesn’t have any grommets, you can secure the edges down with some Sierra Designs Grip Clips, or other tent clips, pegs and rope, while holding the tarp up with poles or trekking sticks. You can even go to the toy store and purchase a few nerf balls and use them similar to the way the old Visklamps worked-placing them in the corner of the tarp, wrapping the tarp around it and tying your cord around.
Photo backpackinglight.com
For backpackers, the weight of a tent can sometimes be your heaviest gear. There are plenty of ultra-light tents out there now, but they also cost a good deal of money. At the same time, don’t be sucked into a “bargain” tent unless you happen on a great sale. Try to get an idea of what you really want before you go shopping. There are so many tent options out there that it is easy to get caught up buying more than you really need. Again, crawl into the tents to see if they are comfortable. It is not necessary to be able to stand up in your tent, but you should have enough room to sit up and change clothes.
Photo campingtents.us
If you will be sharing a tent, make sure you both climb in together at the store to see how much room there is. It may be that you will want to opt for a three-person tent instead of a two-person one, keeping in mind that this will probably increase the weight of the tent. My husband set our small two-person tent up at home and crawled in declaring it “roomy”. He invited me in and sure enough, it seemed roomy, with no gear in it! Once we set up camp and put in the sleeping gear however, it was very close indeed.
Do get a tent with a rain fly. This is so important in wet weather to keep water from seeping into your tent. Those with a vestibule can provide a second ante room where gear can be stored out from under the weather. It also provides a space to remove your wet garments before entering your tent and is helpful in windy, rainy weather to keep the water out of your tent. A tarp can also help with this, as stated previously.
Poles can be made of aluminum, fiberglass or can even be hollow. Obviously the hollow ones are often the lightest, but they also bend very easily. Fiberglass is more durable, but heavier, so consider how far you will be backpacking and what use you have for the tent. Aluminum poles are lighter, but can also bend with use.
If the store will allow, take the tent down and put it back up again. (You need to practice this at home anyway.) You will want one that is not difficult to put up and does not come with intricate features that would have you reading the instructions by flashlight. The last thing you need after hiking 20 miles is to fumble around in the dark getting drenched by a sudden downpour before you figure out how to assemble the tent.
Backpacking into the backcountry should be fun and exciting. It need not be a drudgery that women endure to be with their man, or an outdoor zealous friend. A little know-how can go a long way to making you pretty darn comfortable while out in the wild. So choose your gear thoughtfully with comfort, quality and weight in mind.
By Corie Marks