Beginner Backpacking List: Must-Have Gear You Can’t Forget!, by StepMassive on YouTube. 10 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 10 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Lay out the big three first: your pack, your shelter, and your sleep system of bag and pad. Everything else fits around these, so settle them before you buy anything smaller.
Build a clothing system of layers you can mix: a base layer, an insulating mid layer and a waterproof outer shell. Leave cotton at home and pack one spare pair of socks.
Wear trail shoes or hiking boots you have already broken in, and pack light sandals or camp shoes for the evening. Blisters come from new footwear, not from long days.
Plan simple, high-calorie meals and carry a small stove, fuel and a lighter. Count one hot meal and a hot drink per evening, plus snacks for each day.
Carry water in bottles or a bladder and pack a filter or treatment tablets for refills on the trail. Two litres is a sensible starting carry for a weekend.
Put together a small first aid kit with plasters, blister patches, painkillers and any personal medicine. Add a paper map, a compass and a charged phone with an offline map.
Add a few comfort items: a headlamp with spare batteries, a sit pad, a warm hat and a small repair kit. Weigh each one and leave out what you will not use.
Pack heavy items close to your back and just below your shoulders, with the sleeping bag at the bottom and snacks in the lid. Tighten the hip belt so the load rides on your hips, not your shoulders.
Tips and common mistakes
Weigh your packed bag before you leave and cut the heaviest items you cannot name a use for.
Test your stove and filter at home so you are not learning them for the first time in the rain.
Tell someone your route and return time, and carry a paper map in case your phone dies.
Questions
How big a backpack do I need for a weekend?
A 40 to 60 litre pack suits most one or two night trips. Try it on loaded before you buy.
Do I need a water filter?
Not always, but it lets you refill from streams and taps instead of carrying every litre. Tablets are lighter and cheaper.
What should I leave at home?
Anything you cannot name a use for, plus duplicate tools and heavy camp furniture. Check your kit after each trip and drop what stayed in the bag.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
